Bali
After our short visit in Singapore we jumped on a plane and headed towards our main goal of this four week journey.
The mythical island of Bali, Indonesia.
Taxi amatures
The flight from Singapore to Bali takes just 2,5-3 hours so it is a quite easy flight, even with kids.
Our only problem was that we had a late night flight and a bit too much luggage. So we were a bit tired when we finally got out from the terminal ready to grab a cab.
Usually, I am prepared for this part.
Because when you are standing outside the airport after a flight. Just wanting to go to your hotel for a nice shower and some dinner. You are really not in the mood of haggling over a taxi fare.
I should have known approximately what to pay and how long it should take to get into town. But now I had no idea whatsoever.
And to look for the airports official taxi counter never crossed my mind.
Let me put it this way:
I did some lame attempts to bargain, but my situation was so obvious to the drivers that:
- “This man has no idea what we should charge”.
- “He has a two-year old, a wife and a lot of bags. Thank you Taxi God for today’s easy money!”
So what happened was that the trip to our hotel probably cost us 2-3 times as much as it normally should have. And it was only a 5-10 minute drive.
Even so. The price compared to back home was still ridiculously low.
So good on ya Mr. taxi driver, enjoy your evening. 😊
Back to Eden
Our hotel was really a bargain for the price we paid.
It had two decent sized nice pools, it was very clean and had a great breakfast buffet included.
They even had a mini kids club where you could leave your child for a while if you felt like having a short brake from reality.
As always you could probably find better deals. But for 35 USD/night, and with the hotel being situated close to the beach, were more than happy.
Slow start
The following days was just relaxation.
Or “having no plans” is a better expression. As having kids will keep you busy whether you want it or not.
One of the best parts when arriving in a new destination is to stroll along the streets just savoring the smells and impressions of being there.
This is always one of the top moments for me when travelling, no matter where we go. (Ok, maybe the smells in certain parts of India could have been better.)
It is peaceful to just wander around without any big plans.
We spent a lot of time on the beaches where it was easy to find something to do.
We played in the sand or just sat there, enjoying the evening sun while we watched people passing by.
Bali bombings
On Legian Street we passed the memorial site of the 2002 Bali bombings. This was the spot where over 200 people, most of them in their 20s and 30s, lost their lives.
An absolutely horrific act of terror. Striking totally innocent people.
Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon event these days. And it gives some perspective how fragile life is and why it is important to grab each chance you get to see the world.
The more people would travel, the more peace there would be. I am convinced that that is a fact.
Despite the bombings the tourists came back. Luckily for the Balinese people, as about 80% of Bali´s economy is depending on tourism.
Road rules
In Bali you drive on the left side of the road. In Sweden you do not.
The same right side driving goes for the rest of Indonesia, Australia, Great Britain and a few other confused countries in the world.
We also heard that the police in Bali have no breath analyzers. And as people are opportunists, chances are that quite a few people probably drive under the influence when there is no real danger getting caught.
So we figured that a personal, experienced, driver was probably a better option than driving on our own. (Even if we usually prefer hiring a car, as you can be more free that way.)
Leo number 2 – a good choise
Consequently, later that week we booked our own driver to take us on a day-trip to the sights surrounding south/center Bali.
He took really good care of us during the day and drove nice and easy. Which of course always is a good thing. But particularly so when travelling with kids.
Monkey Forest
Our new driver, called Leo, picked us up from our hotel and we headed towards the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, in Ubud.
The sanctuary holds a large population of the Balinese long-tailed monkey, in English known simply as macaques.
There are approximately 600 individuals living in the area, so you can be pretty certain that you will get to see one or two of these little fellows if you come for a visit.
During our travels we have encountered quite a few of their relatives and they all have pretty much the same similarities.
They are devious little creatures. 😊
Swinging little devils
In the jungles of Borneo they drove Fariba into a corner trying to rob her of her banana.
Easier said than done as she likes them bananas as much as a Minion.
The macaques then quickly had to retreat after the biggest of the bunch got torpedoed in the head by a water bottle.
In Bali they clashed again as we visited Uluwatu to watch the famous sunset. This time the winner was the monkey.
But I am not sure how he felt the following morning after devouring half of Faribas left Hawaiana.
Either way. It is safe to say that those macaques are not her favorite animal.
Monkeypedia
Some additional monkey facts while we are at it.
Maybe they look funny, but smiling at a monkey showing your bare teeth might not be the best of options. As this can bee seen as a challenge or aggression.
And I can tell you one thing. They might look small, but they are strong and they are sneaky. So watch out and keep your belongings close to you.
If they get a chance to steal your food, they will most likely take it. This only applies to the ghetto monkeys of course. The well mannered ones will leave you alone…
Enough with the monkey business. Let´s get back to the trip.
While in Java – try some Java
Me, I do not drink coffee. But my better half does.
And of course she had to try the famous, and expensive, Kopi Luwak coffee. It is supposed to be the most expensive coffee in the world.
It never stops to amaze me what you can sell with the right marketing.
Because the thing is, the Kopi Luwak is made from coffee beans that first have been eaten and digested by a small Indonesian cat-like mammal called the palm civet.
And after a day or so the small mammal usually has to go and do the number two.
The number two thing then produces feces.
Golden, valuable feces, that is collected, washed (thankfully) and dried.
Then they get pounded and finally roasted, grinded and brewed. (And yes, as seen in the photo. The coffee beans comes out the same size as they came in. Pretty much.)
Worth the price?
We got to taste different kinds of coffee. Including the grand finale, the famous Kopi Luwak.
From the looks of it the taste was not world class. Maybe using a filter might be a good idea next time?
An interesting experience nonetheless.
But, as I am a bit of a cynic when it comes to the combination of human kind and money, I am rather skeptical of the production methods.
Some facts suggests that the palm civets are being part of mass production. That they are maltreated, force fed and put into small cages.
Hopefully the majority of the producers are professional enough and keep away from this kind of animal cruelty though.
I doubt it though.
Rice and art
Besides from seeing the monkeys, sunsets and coffee plantation mentioned above we also went to see the Tegalalang rice terrace. It is situated approx. 20 min north of Ubud.
The terraces are indeed beautiful and they are one of Bali´s most famous attractions.
Exactly how the terrace system works is a bit complicated to explain. Especially as I don´t understand it fully…
The whole rice terrace aparatus consists of a quite complex irrigation system that is called Subak. It is an interconnected series of canals and tunnels that provide sufficient water for the plant´s roots, and was developed more than 1000 years ago.
Quite amazing that they still use the same ancient method after all those years. And it seems to work just fine, as the terraces looks as green and lush as ever.
Because of all the tourists the genuine feeling was somewhat lost though.
Nontheless, we enjoyed a very nice lunch with a great view.
How hard could it be to find some nice paintings?
We also wanted to visit some art galleries along the way.
Leo, our driver, happily drove us around to different exhibitions where artists showed their work.
Bali is and has been home to a great amount of wellknown artists and painters and art galleries of different standards can be found everywhere.
Unfortunately we found nothing that appealed to us and we returned home to the hotel instead.
Art bonanza
The day after we hit the souvenir jackpot when we by coincidence went inside a shopping center right in the middle of Kuta Square.
There was no point looking anywhere else for souvenirs after this. They had everything!
And on top of it all. In a corner of the shop we found loads of super cheap, amazing looking paintings.
We bought three paintings that were packed into long cardboard tubes for protection.
Surprisingly enough, all three were more or less unharmed when we returned home a month later!
Back to Ubud
Ubud was our next destination.
We got a short glimpse of it the day before while being on our tour, and we could understand why it seemed to attract so many people.
At first Ubud seems like any other town, with its ordinary and busy main street.
Then you take a step outside of the city center. And you suddenly find yourself being in a land of tranquility and silence.
Wonderful hotel
We found a secluded but central place to stay in the middle of the town that had just that variation.
Maybe it was not the most luxurious hotel in Ubud. But as soon as you entered the hotel premises the noice from outside turned quiet.
The rooms were standard and they were clean. Nothing special in any way. The special thing about this place was instead its amazing location.
The hotel was surrounded by beautiful rice fields. And the big pool in the back felt like it was tucked away in a forrest. Especially at night.
Digital nomads
A lot of “Digital nomads” use Ubud as their base of work.
A digital nomad is a person who works location independantly, often in a technical profession that requires a computer. In other words, he or she works from wherever they want to.
I can get why, as Ubud is packed with nice cafés that mostly have good internet connection.
If you could. Why wouldn´t you choose to sit here instead of inside an office building in a busy city with poor air?
Working in an environment like this must make wonders for creativity. As long as you have some self-discipline…
Missed out on the yoga
Ubud and Bali in genereal is otherwise famous for being a yoga haven.
Newbie or professional, there will be something for everyone.
Some of the world´s best yoga studios can be found here so you would be a fool if you skip it.
I actually never tried it.
Terribel really, as the stiff, inflexible body of mine sure would need it.
Next time, I promise, I have too…
Diversity dining
There are also some outstanding restaurants in Bali. And Ubud has no shortage of them either.
From Michelin-star ranking to some fantastic cheap-eat places, it is only a question of budget.
Wherever you decide to dine in the end. I am pretty sure that you will wonder home at night, belly full and with a smile on your face.
We love trying new tastes and restaurants while travelling and Bali has been one of the best culinary countries we have visited so far.
However boring it may sound. A winning recipe is to do some “Googling” before heading out in search for the perfect meal.
Testimonials and reviews from fellow travelers will most like help you find the right place that suits your needs.
Otherwise look for the place where the locals eat. Who knows, you just might find your own hidden gem, before the Tripadvisor-crowd does.
Own villa in Seminyak
The last week of our journey we headed down south again. This time to Seminyak, where we stayed in a brilliant villa with our own private pool.
Seminyak is a bit of a posh/upscale area and is an situated just north of Kuta.
Here you will find luxury villas and beach resorts, chic boutiques and excellent restaurants.
And, there is a reason they call Seiminyak the high-end spa capital of Bali.
Even if lot of things is about luxury in Seminyak you can still find excellent accommodation and restaurants here for a reasonable price.
Diving the USS Liberty with kids
Diving on Bali means that you will have big chances of seeing some of the real giants of the sea. Sights of giant Manta Rays and the amazing looking Mola Mola (sunfish) are common in the waters surrounding Bali.
Both me and Fariba love diving.
And how could we not go and explore the underwater world while being in one of the world’s top dive destinations?
The only little problem we had was that we like to dive together if possible. It is kind of more fun that way.
Now we had little Leo along and as he was still a bit too young to go diving.
The question was if it was doable to dive together and bring Leo at the same time?
Thanks to some smart thinking from the owner of the dive shop we figured out an excellent solution.
Instead of having one dive instructor joining us we had two.
One that took us diving, and the other one staying on the beach acting as nanny! Travelling with kids sometimes requires some ingenuity.
The dive bus picked us up from our hotel early the following morning and we headed northeast towards Tulamben and the USS Liberty wreck divesite.
Easy access
The USS Liberty is known as being one of the easiest accessible shipwrecks in the world.
It measures 120 meters and is lying merely 30 meters from the beach. With the most shallow part only 3 meters from the surface. (You could even see parts of it while snorkeling.)
In 1942 the USS Liberty was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. Despite all the damage, it did not sink right away.
By the help of two US destroyers they first tried to tow it to the safe port of Singaraja but finally had to give up as the ship took in too much water. The captain then decided to run the ship onto the beach of Tulamben.
There it stayed, until 1963 when Bali´s Gunung Agung volcano erupted and pushed her down into the ocean again.
Bad visibility
Unfortunately the weather was against us a bit as the winds were quite strong making the waters murky and with rather low visibility.
This was pretty far from the 40 meters visibility you can have on a good day.
The wind and the waves also made it a bit tricky to get into the water, as this was a shore entry.
On a shore entry it is easy to fall and hurt yourself if you do not pay attention. This is because you carry all the heavy dive gear, while having to look out for the pounding surf at the same time.
We finally managed to get down safely. And as soon as we descended everything went nice and calm again.
The first dive was the best
The first dive around the wreck was the best as we got to see the ship up close and a lot of fish that had made this man-made reef to their new home.
The second dive was a disappointment.
I think the divemaster initially had other plans for the second dive. But he then changed his mind due to the poor conditions.
Instead we ended up diving on the sandy slopes south of the wreck without much to see.
Next time we will definitely go and try the dive sites around Menjangan or Nusa Penida.
And as you might have understood, we saw neither a Manta Ray nor a Mola Mola which has been a dream of mine since long.
So we just have to come back I guess.
Four names
A final semi-fun fact about Bali that you might not know about:
At birth most Balinese are given one of four names: Wayan, Made, Nyoman or Ketut.
They are simply named by his or her order of birth. And it does not matter if the child is a girl or a boy.
So the very charismatic Mr Ketut Liyer from the movie Eat Pray Love should in other words be child number four in his family.
If the 4-names system is correct that is.
PS. Fun fact nr 2.
If it rains a lot in Bali. Then people take the SUP to work…
