Getting Lost in Bali

We had booked our room online, and it turned out to be a great stay. The hotel itself looks like a temple, with ornate Balinese-style architecture, with the courtyard leading up to it flanked by an abundance of green, and bells chiming in the background. Great location, breakfast, pool and charming gardens. Could have done without the termites in the bathroom--but would stay there again!

While the Kuta beach itself is one of the best in Bali, with surf that attracts tourists from all over the world, it suffers from the usual catches of being a tourist hotspot: overcrowding, unplanned buildings, and hiked rates. Kuta is the main tourist destination in Bali and is a big party town with great food and accommodation. If white sand beaches, nice accommodation, great nightlife, surfing and relaxing is what you want this is the town you're looking for. Kuta has all of this for anyone on any budget. We left Southern Bali and returned to Kuta for the Balinese festival of Galungan which celebrates the victory of dharma over adharma on August 29, 2012. There were penjor-bamboo poles or towers with ceremonial offerings at the street ends and people worshiping on the streets and in the traffic circles. During this time, the spirits of the ancestors visit Earth and return to their former homes and descendants are meant to be hospitable by making offerings. This holiday happens twice a year on a 210 day Balinese calendar.

USAT (United States Army Transport) Liberty Wreck, Tulamben This snorkel site is directly across from the Puri Madha Hotel. This 120m long American ship was built in 1915 and came to Indonesian waters during World War II. On January 11, 1942 it was torpedoed by the Japanese, then dragged to deep waters because the wreck was a hazard to navigation. After the volcanic explosion of Mt. Agung in 1963, the ship moved closer to the shore because of the lava greatly shifting the coast line. The snorkeling here is fantastic. Colorful soft and hard corals as well as fish make their home in this wreck, which is in three large pieces. Sometimes over 100 divers visit the site at the same time so it can be crowded!

We stayed at Villa Sanggingan on Jalan Sanggingan and it was fantastic. The staff is incredible. Located near the Alberto Blanco museum where we went in 2008 with Dov Fraser for the Ubud Writers Festival, this area is removed from the main tourist strip. The hotel is available on Asiarooms.com, Booking.com and Agoda.com. We stayed five nights and ate at several great warungs, including the famous N as well as Fuzion Café on Jalan Lungsiakan, which felt like dining in a rice field. I thought the décor was charming; this is one of the original hotels in the area and along with the Neka Art Museum, has been there more than twenty years. Bagus (Good) Laundry was great, too. I have to admit clean clothes, fresh from the laundry, are one of my favorite things!

Ubud is a wonderful affordable arts-driven town in Bali, well inland from the tourist-crazy beach areas of Kuta and Legion. It takes about an hour and 20 minutes to get from Kuta Beach to Ubud. In Ubud, home of the Balinese royal family, we saw the Puri Agung Ubud building a bade (cremation tower) and an enormous twenty-foot papier-mâché bull for a cremation ceremony for Prince Tjokorda Putra Dharma Yudha. We didn't have anything else planned so we decided to attend. Johnny, a dive master and member of the local band, T-WRECK, told us we were lucky (b-ungtung in Balinese) to see such a large ceremony — or to see one at all. The last royal cremation occurred two years ago. Many of the locals we befriended in the diving meccas of Amed and Tulamben explained that they could not afford to attend but would have loved to join us on the big day. Wayan, the owner of the Puri Madha Beach Bungalows in Tulamben, who had organized a cremation ceremony for a family member the year before, said that a ceremony on the lower end might cost 200 million Rupia ($20,000 USD) and estimated that the cost for the king’s cremation would be more than ten times that amount. To our surprise, the ceremony was a happy event. In Hindu culture, the burning of the dead is a sacred ritual that frees the soul inside so that it can be reincarnated. During the ceremony, the authorities turned off the electricity in the city so that when the hulking bade moved down Raya Ubud no one would get shocked if it happened to brush against the power wires. As it was explained to me by Wayan, the prince “was very well-liked.” Greg Roach of Spirit Quest Tours told me that much of modern day Balinese society has roots in the ancient Royal Court of Java, cremation rituals included. The ceremonies always utilize the same elements—the bull, the tower, and the burning. “When someone dies, they are buried,” Roach explained, “Later, the body is disinterred and the bones are burned."

Nestled in the Northeastern coastal section of Bali, Amed actually refers to a dozen small fishing villages that line the coast from Amed to Aas. The majority of these beaches are rocky. However Lipah Beach has soft, inviting black sand. The locals are friendly and the food is tasty. This area of Bali still lacks the mass tourism and traffic that has been the recent bane of travelers to Bali over the past few years. Recommendations What To Do: Lipah is a very laid back place. Activities include sunbathing, snuggling up with an enticing novel and chatting with the locals. However, the main draw is the excellent coral reef just off Pantai Lipah. Expect to see a variety of soft and hard coral as well as a variety of small to medium sized fish. It is common to see sergeant majors, butterfly fish, bat fish, angelfish, and trumpet fish. Basically, if you were to construct a massive aquarium and needed ideas how to beautify it, you could use this location as a model. The surrounding fishing villages toward Aas are also picturesque. They can easily be viewed by renting a moped ($5US). In addition, the small Japanese Wreck in the village of Banyuning is also a worthwhile visit while in the area. If visiting the wreck, you can have lunch right on the rocky beach at the Kawi Karma Restaurant. The diced sweet chili chicken and sate dishes are both delicious. Where To Stay: We recommend the Bali Amed Hotel. Sweeping views of Lipah Beach from a raised balcony with hot water shower, AC, including breakfast (eggs and toast or pancakes with a fruit plate and coffee or tea) all for a very reasonable $30 per night (all prices quoted high season). If you wish to be right on Lipah Beach itself with ocean-view cottages, then we recommend the Vienna Beach Bungalows, $45-50 per night for two people including breakfast and dinner. Where To Eat: There are quite a few warungs (local eateries) so you can take your pick.

During our trip to Gili (a series of islands located just off the northwest tip of Lombok, Indonesia) we meandered our way to the islands rather than taking the Gili Cat, a brand new speed boat. We had more time to meet people and ultimately arrived in the Gili after several days in Senggigi. Gili T seems so different compared to our time here in 2008. Is that why they say, “You can never go back?” I wish infrastructure would develop without compromising beauty, the coral and the shoreline. Last time we traveled in Southeast Asia we did not arrive until September which is after the “high” season. I remember all the coastlines being quiet, as most tourists had returned to school from their holidays. We left Gili T by public boat for 20,000Rp ($2/each) and in about fifteen minutes arrived at Gili Meno. After a few key questions, we set off by foot on the trail to the sunset side of the island. I was told the walk would take 40 minutes. A little further into the walk we stopped at a fork in the road, puzzled as to which direction to take. A little girl stood nearby. “Panta? (beach) … Sunset, Gekko?” She pointed both ways. It is an island, she was telling us. I said, “Bagus? Indah?” (More better? Pretty?) She pointed and said, “Sunset Gekko.” So we went to the left. The snorkeling was much better than what we saw at Gili T. Immediately we counted two turtles, several schools of fish, and many colorful hard and soft corals. I also saw a lobster. I called to George to make sure he saw it as in hundreds of snorkeling excursions and over 300 dives I had never seen one wander about so much and have such a colorful look. Later that day during sunset, I saw dolphins jumping and spinning. What a great day! The next day, we snorkeled and walked the entire island.

During our stay in Southern Bali at Bingin Beach, we rented motorbikes to visit the famous cliff temple of Uluwatu. Some of the hills are steep but the road is basically good. The views are incredible and we were there the day before the start of the festival, Galungan. The surfers at Uluwatu Beach were impressive and the water, crystal clear. While I enjoyed our five days in Southern Bali, I am not sure I can recommend this area over Amed unless you are a surfer. I would rather be in Amed for great snorkeling but maybe a day trip to Uluwatu from Kuta would have been enough for us.

I really loved the ocean temple of Tanalot. We were there with many locals who were enjoying the spirit and sea air. At times, you cannot walk up to the temple due to the sea conditions. It is the first temple I have even been to that had a lifebuoy nearby!