If someone is in search of paradise, they just shouldn’t wait to come over to Bali. It was just the right break for me after jostling with my ever-so busy work schedules.
Flying my way from Bangalore, in a midnight flight and with a transit of 6 hours in Kuala Lumpur; I thought I will wither away upon reaching Bali. Post noon I arrived in Denpasar International Airport, with my family joining from Kuala Lumpur. Our guide met us at the airport and told that we are heading straight to somesightseeing and temple visits.
I felt every muscle of my body whaling out upon hearing the plan, but having no choice to crash down in my hotel crib, I decided to just have an extra-long day.
Before making our way to Uluwatu Temple, we had a stopover at Puja Mandala Worship Complex. The complex is a sacred conglomeration of worshiping place of five different religions.
A much needed eye opener to the world and busting the myth of religious intolerance.
I was already feeling rejuvenated, without even the help of caffeine. There was something lively about the place and its people; their simplicity, humbleness and warm gesture.
We hit the road to Kuta to see the much awaited Uluwatu temple and were just left stunned and amazed by its beauty. The mesmerizing heritage of the Temple was making our head turn 360 degrees. It was built in 16th century and located at a height of 250 feet above sea level.A place of great importance to the Balinese people.
Perched on a cliff, and its breathtaking view with the evening sunset, the place looked just awesome. The fresh sea breeze soothed away all the tiredness of a long day. How I wish I could have bottled up the fresh air and bring it back home. Alas!
Idle hours to visit the place is in early evening to have enough time for a good walk around the temple and to watch the Traditional Kecak Dance which starts before 1800 hours.
The visit was followed up by BBQ Set seafood dinner at Jimbaran beach. The day couldn’t have concluded better with the mouthwatering fresh seafood, captivating sunset over the vast ocean and happy people all around. Fallen for Bali already!
Day 2, after a heavy breakfast at the Hotel, we drove to Kintamani to see Kintamani volcano also known as Mount Batur. It is a popular sightseeing destination in Bali's central highlands. The plan was to have our lunch at Kintamani Restaurant which was overlooking the Batur Lake and the Mountain, giving the most amazing visual treat. We missed sadly to relish the panoramic view, as the rain caused dense fog and the visibility was nil. We sat and enjoyed ourselves to the lunch and the pleasant weather. It just could have been the best Lunch of my life!
The Million Dollar View that was missed!-Pic courtesy Google
On our way back, we made a short visit at a traditional coffee farm in Basang Ambu Village to understand the making of Kopi Luwak. Surprised to know the expensive coffee on earth is coming from the Poops of a farm animal (Luwak).Wow! Well, interestingly, the animal feeds on the best coffee seeds and then these undigested ones are collected from poops and further processed to get you that Right Cup of Heaven!
We were also given variety of coffee and tea to taste. You can buy them if you like, and can be assured of its purity and price!
Following this we made stop over at Tegalalang Rice Terrace and then Ubud Palace, both giving us some great opportunity to do some postcard photo shoot and takeaway reminiscence of this beautiful place.
The Day concluded with some exploration of the traditional Balinese food.I found the food exotic, having the right blend of local herbs and spice. The scrumptious traditional Grilled fish with zest of chilly and the all famous Sate lembat jolted all my taste bud and left me craving for more. While there were plethora of choices for Indian food,but local cuisine is what I craved :)
Moving over from the food tale, it was quite interesting, to see how this small island so miles away from India has still maintained the ancient cultural values of Hinduism. It reflects in their everyday life to the streets where beautifully crafted Mythological figures from Ramayana and Mahabharata are flaunted with pride. Felt like Home away from Home.
Day 3 was more of a City tour and visit to Bali Museum and Bajra Sandi Renon- monument built to dedicate the spirit of Balinese struggle.We spent the entire morning touring the monument and museum.
And the final show down of the day was at Tanah Lot; an ancient Temple perched on a rocky outcrop in the sea off the west coast of Bali.It was raining when we reached, but that did not stopped us from walking to the base of the Temple, some 20 meters from the shore. It was restricted to visit the Temple atop for the non-Balinese.
We soaked ourselves to the rain and the blessings of the Mother Nature that had inundated the place. The place offered tranquility and calmness amidst the
Left Tanah Lot with an unwilling heart.
Evenings at the Kuta city centre was bright and lively. A short walk from our hotel; and the streets were full of eateries, live music, souvenir shops and buzzing tourist. Kuta square like the holidaymakers soul point. The last evening in Bali and we reveled to its dynamic night life.
Day4, before our way back to the airport, we went to the Kuta Beach for some Sea shore fun, hogged seafood and packed ourselves with some precious Memorabilia’s of Bali.
By evening , I was back to my work city and a short extended weekend just got into a memorable trip.
To the breathtaking picturesque Bali, till we meet again!
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