Bali - Island of the Gods

Photo by Lee Wei Wei

This was our first holiday together as a family after a long while. It took a lot of planning and had to be postponed a few times as it had to fit everyone’s schedule but, on the 14th of November, our plane took off from Singapore at 7 pm.
Two and a half hours later, we landed at the airport at Ngurah Rai. There was a slight drizzle but the drivers from Serene Villa, the place we rented, were waiting for us. On our way to the villa at Seminyak, I could not see much as it was dark but I noticed that we were on a 4-lane road with quite heavy traffic. As we went around a roundabout, I saw some kind of rock formation in the middle of it. (I found out the next day that it was a huge statue of a Balinese warrior of old. The Balinese like to build huge statues in their roundabouts). We then overtook a bullock cart going at a canter! (I haven’t seen a bullock cart for many years now. This one has a small well-decorated cart obviously meant for passengers unlike the ones in Malaysia long ago which had large plain carts to carry goods). After that we turned into a small road and later, into a narrow lane and stopped. We had reached our destination. Two men in uniform were waiting for us with umbrellas and we were ushered through a small door into the villa. There was a huge lounge with a sofa set in front of a television set and a dining table and in the garden there was a small swimming pool. I took one of the rooms upstairs and was soon fast asleep.

Day 1: Saturday
I woke up in the morning to the song of birds. I stepped out onto the balcony and realized that we were in an area where the houses are tightly packed together; there were thatched roofs everywhere. I then looked down into the garden and saw that there were palm trees and flowering frangipanis and that the garden was surrounded by a high wall. Beside the swimming pool, there was a small open hut made of bamboo with a mattress and pillows. This hut is for resting and the Balinese people call it a Balai Binggung.
That morning we decided to take a stroll to the beach. The lane which runs beside our villa leads to a small road. We had to be careful walking along this road because motorcyclists were whizzing by all the time. One thing that struck us was the large number of shrines - by the roadside, in the garden and on the roofs. The shrines were of all shapes and sizes and were mostly made of stone. Offerings of flowers and/or small pieces of cut fruit placed inside a small rectangular tray of weaved palm leaves and lighted joss sticks were often seen. The Balinese pray at these shrines everyday.
From the road, we turned into Jalan Laksamana which leads to the beach. All along this road there were bars, boutiques, eateries, money changers, holiday villas, souvenir shops and little road-side stalls selling petrol in bottles. After browsing through several boutiques and feeling hot and thirsty, we decided to have a drink at the Ku De Ta, a chic beachfront restaurant/bar. It was huge and painted black, and the rock music was throbbing. At the back it opens onto the beach, a long strip of white sand with hordes of beach goers under giant umbrellas. The sea was disappointing though; it was murky grey and not the clear blue that I had expected.
In the afternoon, we set off for Tanah Lot to view the picturesque Balinese temple there. It was built on a huge rock outcrop, a hundred yards off the coast, which is surrounded by the sea. However, during low tide, people are able to walk to the temple.
We had to pass through rows and rows of colourful stalls hawking an array of fabrics, clothing, paintings, souvenirs and even coconuts, to reach the temple and when we arrived, it was low tide and we were able to walk out to the rock, passing pools of sea water and numerous reefs. However, we were prohibited from climbing up to the temple (only devotees were allowed) so we had to settle for a blessing with holy water by the priest followed by a dash of white ash on the forehead and a frangipani flower above the ear. We then watched the stunning sunset sipping drinks at the Sunset Café which was located atop a cliff facing the temple.
On our way back to the villa, we stopped for dinner at Warung Bandung where we dined on Indonesian cuisine inside bamboo huts while being serenaded by a guitar-playing duo singing Chinese and Malay songs.

Day 2: Sunday
At eight in the morning, we left for the mountain village of Kintamani. It was a scenic two hours drive on small roads through rustic villages with quaint houses and beautiful terrace rice fields which are popular photo stops. Each village is famous for some kind of handicraft. For example, Celuk is well known for silver and gold jewelry and Mas, for wood-carving.
When we reached Kintamani, which is about 5000 feet above sea level, we were greeted by the fresh and crisp mountain winds. We went for drinks at a restaurant that offers a spectacular view of Lake Batur and the still active volcano, Gunung Batur, before driving down to the lake. The road was steep and winding and there were a few heart-stopping moments during the 15 minute-drive. There was a small village beside the lake and the villagers were mostly farmers. After taking some photos we left for Ubud.
Ubud is a small town with numerous art galleries and shops offering paintings, wood carvings, batik and souvenirs and is reputed to be Bali’s cultural center. For lunch, we ate Babi Guling (roasted piglet) at a shop said to be the best in Bali and then we split up. The missus and company proceeded to the huge Handicraft Market while I took a leisurely stroll around the town with my daughters, camera in hand. We took numerous photos of the town and its ornate doors and, while a daughter haggled over the price of two paintings that she liked, the other daughter and I had tea at the Riverside Café across the road. The café was like a garden on top of a rock outcrop. It was surrounded by lush pristine greenery and we could hear the rushing sound of the river flowing below.
Later we met the rest at the popular Lotus Café before heading for a restaurant on the beach of Jimbaran Bay for seafood where we can dine under the stars and watch airplanes landing and taking off at the nearby airport. The food left much to be desired but we were well entertained by a band of five – three guitars, a violin and a double bass.

Day 3: Monday
On this day, we had lunch at Warung Made again. I had tried the delicious “Pork Ribs with Young Papaya” on Saturday so this time I ordered the “Special Fried Rice” and it was good. (Folks, if you are ever in Bali do try the food in Warung Made on Jalan Seminyak). After lunch, we headed for Kuta, a nearby town a few kilometers away.
We got off the cab at the Kuta beach in front of the sprawling Hard Rock Hotel. While some stayed at the beach to swim and to surf, three of us decided to go for a Balinese “Foot Massage” in town. It lasted an hour and I didn’t know if it relaxes my leg muscles or not but it felt so good that I almost dozed off.
Later that evening, we visited Centro, the largest mall in Kuta, located right on the beach. After browsing through it, we sat on the wide stairs that faces the sea to watch the sun go down in a blaze of glory. That was an unforgettable sight!
That night, while the missus went shopping around the town, two children and I waited at the Gloria Jean’s Coffees where I was able to use the free internet service for a while.

Day 4: Tuesday
This was our last day in Bali. We checked out at 1 pm and headed for Uluwatu to visit the famous Uluwatu Temple which was built in the 16th century and is precariously perched atop a cliff’s edge, 100 meters above the sea .The temple is also home to a tribe of monkeys which roams about the place freely.
On our way there, we spotted a number of blooming “Flame of the forest” trees, their masses of bright red flowers standing out among the green tree-tops. Since it was still early, we decided to stop for tea at the secluded Bvlgary Resort which sits on a 150 meter high plateau overlooking the Indian Ocean. We had to stop at the lobby to wait for a ride in a cart down to the cafeteria which is built on the side of the plateau together with all the resort’s bungalows. From the lobby, we could see the neighbouring cliffs, the roofs of the resort’s bungalows, the flowering trees and the vast blue ocean below that stretches to the horizon. The ride down was uneventful. The cafeteria was surrounded by pools and flowering trees and palms and provided a good view of the sea too. After tea, we continued on our journey.
We had to wear a sarong to cover our legs before we were permitted to enter the premises of the temple. We climbed up the stairs leading to the ancient temple together with crowds of tourists, passing monkeys looking for food stationed all along the way. We then climbed up a cliff path by the side of the temple which leads to the highest point of the cliff. This is said to be the best place to view the sunset.
After taking some photos, we went down to the temple again to watch the “Kecak and Fire Dance” at an open air theatre beside it. Accompanied by a choir of chanting and singing men, and held around a fire, it tells the story of how Rama defeated the evil Rhawana with the help of Hanoman, a white monkey with magical powers, to rescue his love, Sita.
After the show, we headed for the airport and home.