Bali Ubud, Indonesia

Nusa Dua Beach

It is always a plus when your hotel has a private access to the beach. Nusa Dua has hotels and resorts lined up on the beach, making it a breezy experience for the travelers. Although the beach could do better as far as cleanliness is concerned, it was nothing to stop us from getting baked a good part of our days on this beach.

The beach at Nusa Dua had a range of water sport activities to choose from.

Bali

We had rented a bike for the duration of our stay in Bali. The drives were a bit of a challenge in the heat though.

Uluwatu Temple

The views from Uluwatu temple were simply breathtaking. You can walk up to the views shown in the pictures here and take a moment or two of complete calm and oneness with nature. The spells thrown at us by the scenery were quickly broken as we were chased away by the monkeys.

Coconut water is unquestioningly the most helpful drink in the hot climes, and this region does not disappoint you on that account.

Ubud

We reached Jimbaran Bay in time to watch the sun go down on yet another beautiful day, as the smells from the roast of the day's catch filled the air.

Spending an evening or two in Seminyak is totally worth it. Are you a beach person or a party person? Well, you can do both here. Enjoy a drink, hear the sounds of the sea, and watch your worries go to sleep.

Photo of Ubud, Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia by Nisha Harbola

We packed our bags as we headed from Nusa Dua to Ubud, and were surprised at the complete change in scenery around us. Nusa Dua, albeit beautiful, was almost like Goa for us in terms of appearance. Hence, there was no newness in terms of experience that we felt there. Ubud though, was completely out of this world. The one thing I remember of Ubud is the lush greens every where. From the views around our room and the resort to the journey and destination around.

Ibu Oka is a restaurant that came in the recommendations of many around us - from the guys at our resort to some locals we interacted with and also some of our friends who have traveled to this place. Hence, it just had to be tried out. It is recommended for pork dishes. However, do not expect anything fancy from the restaurant itself.

The local performances were an icing on the cake. Though I must mention, it was easier for us to understand the performances and the stories behind them since we are Indian and share common mythology stories. It might be a little tough if the audience is not aware of the complicated back stories to some of these performances. Delight for the eyes, nonetheless.

Trek to Mount Batur was planned by my husband. I am not a fan of treks or anything remotely unnecessarily exerting. I have no answer on why I tagged along with him, but suffices to say if I were to do it all over again, I won't. The husband enjoyed it though. Do go for it if you like to be woken up at 3 am to catch a car to some place where they feed you at an obnoxious hour before the trek, which in itself, starts in the dark. There is a guide for a group of three to four trekkers, and they give you a head torch for the trek in the dark. By the time you reach the top, you see the sun rise, which, if you are anything like me, would make you wonder why you could not see this from the comfort of your room.

Well, I have to begrudgingly accept some of the fascinating parts of the overall painful trek. The location in the picture has steam coming out of the rocks of this active volcano.

Do make sure you pack enough mosquito creams and patches for your stay in Ubud. Much as the greens will delight all your senses, they are home to an unreasonable number of mosquitoes.