Bali, Indonesia

Beautiful, chaotic, quaint, overrun with scooters and motorcycles, friendly, fantastic attitude towards life, shopping to die for.......welcome to Ubud, Bali.

Junjungan Hotel

Having been to many beaches and living part-time in Tulum with one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, we opted to base our Bali stay inland in Ubud, considered the cultural capital of Bali.  Our hotel was just outside the bustling city center in Junjungan, nestled along a serene valley where rice grows on terraces just outside our balcony and the sound of water trickling from a river running through the hotel made for a perfect stay.  We enjoyed watching the sunset over the rice terraces from our balcony.  Being the low season, there were just a few guests (and sometimes we were the only guests!) and all the staff knew us by our first names and treated us like family.  This hotel was paradise! 

street in Ubud

view of rice terrace from our balcony

sunset out on our balcony

Besides the great shopping (pure torture for me as we were limited to our backpacks with expensive shipments home only occasionally), there was much to see and do.  Within the center of

Ubud is the Sacred Monkey Forest- a large forest with three temples from the 14th century (open only for those wishing to pray), a beautiful and serene river valley with the sound of trickling water, and about 600 Balinese long-tailed monkeys (Macaques) running free within the forest (and sometimes outside the forest)!  Although the monkeys are fed three times a day (sweet potato, bananas, papaya leaves, corn, cucumber, coconut, and other local fruit), they are more interested in following the visitors around hoping to find additional goodies and water bottles.  They might jump on your back as they know how to open zippers on backpacks and will try to pull a water bottle away from your hands.  There are staff stationed throughout the forest to assist visitors with such encounters.  Mostly they are curious, but if you go near a baby monkey, the other female monkeys can get quite aggressive in order to protect the baby.  Not going to lie, it was scary....the monkeys were quite aggressive.  Nathan did have some granola bars in his day pack and apparently the monkeys could smell it.  They tried, but were unsuccessful!

protecting the baby...

the whole family!

down in the Sanctuary river valley

monkey grooming

Sanctuary Temple

found this...what can I do with it?

The next morning we were picked up by our guide Wayan to see more of Bali. Visited just one of perhaps hundreds of local markets held daily throughout Bali starting at 4:30 am!  We learned from Wayan that most

locals get up around 4:30/5:00 am to go to market for the days required meat, produce, and rice (average family consumes over 2 lbs. of rice daily). They cook upon return from the market for the day- eating the same prepared food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  The first helping of food prepared each morning is given as an offering in the family temple to give thanks for the food and to receive the God’s blessing.  The Balinese people are very positive.  When a problem arises, rather than getting upset, they say “thank you” for the opportunity to work it out.  Other profound comments I particularly liked from Wayan include:

"Stress is the gap between reality and expectations.  So expect nothing, accept anything"          

and

           

"Worrying does not solve tomorrow’s problems, it only takes away from today's happiness"

We then had the joy of walking down into the Tegalalang Rice Terrace. Wow!  This rice terrace is a real, working rice farm owned by several families who grow the rice in this very steep valley (no land is wasted here- no steep slope ordinances!).  All built by hand, no heavy machinery, simple yet effective irrigation system that is a marvel in ingenuity and efficiency.  I could have sat there all day just looking at this amazing site, but more to see.....

Wayan, explaining how rice grows!

On the way up the mountain to visit the Ulun Danu Batur Temple, we took in the beautiful view at Kintamani of the two active volcanos- Mount Agung and Mount Batur.  Sitting at the base of the volcanos was Danu Batur- a crater lake that fills the south-eastern side of the Batur caldera. It is Bali's largest lake and has an area of approximately 18 square kilometers, which is actually the crater of an ancient volcano.  Overlooking the lake high on the mountain in Kintamani is the Ulun Danu Batur Temple.  This is the second most important temple in Bali, built in 1926, dedicated to the goddesses of lakes and rivers.  During our visit, the local community was gathered at the temple in preparation for an anniversary festival to be held at the end of the month.  I should note here that in Bali, both men and women must wear clothing past the knee and shoulders must be covered.  Regardless of what we were wearing, we were provided a sarong at each and every temple to wear during our visit. Bali Temple Etiquette!

Mt. Agung (the one that erupted recently!)	Mt. Batur (most recently erupted in 2000)

What was interesting to note as we entered Kintamani was the sign above the road (see photo).  Really came as a surprise and freaked us out a bit.  Apparently, the swastika, a symbol of hatred, genocide, and negativity, is considered a sacred symbol in Bali and has been around long before the Nazi movement.  We learned that it has been around in ancient civilizations in India and Asia, mainly as a symbol of good luck.  Who knew?  It was still very uncomfortable to see it on public display at many temples in Bali.

so many to sample!

We then headed slightly down the mountain to a coffee and cocoa plantation where we sampled Luwak coffee- it’s a ridiculously expensive coffee made famous by the movie “The Bucket List.”  It is made from coffee beans eaten by the nocturnal Asian Palm Civet (cat-like animal, similar to a weasel) which digests the coffee bean husks then poops the remainder of the bean (undigested).  The coffee farmers then search the coffee fields each morning for the poop, where it is then washed, and roasted into this special brew.  The enzymes in the civet stomach help invoke the special taste of this bean.  Tried it (✔️ on the bucket list) and will leave it for others to appreciate the "special" flavor!  Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts- you have no worries!  We also tried several other coffee roasts and blends (including one roasted with local vanilla beans- yum), hot chocolate made from the local cacao beans, and several teas made from local flowers and fruits.  Especially loved the Mangosteen and Rosella teas.

cacao pod

coffee beans growing

assorted roasted beans

Parting on a caffeine high, we headed for the Tirta Empul Temple (Holy Water Temple).  This temple is where you do a purification with locals (and tourists) to recharge your spiritual strength.  We donned our purification sarongs provided by the temple (to be worn over our swimsuits) to ensure the proper modesty required in all Hindu temples here).

Inside the central courtyard, referred to as ‘madya mandala’ or ‘jaba tengah’, pilgrims first approach a rectangular, sacred purification bath, fed by holy springs where a total of 13 elaborately sculpted spouts line the edge from west to east. After solemn prayers at an altar-like shrine, we proceeded to enter the crystal-clear, cold mountain water. With hands pressed together, we followed our guide’s instructions to bow and place our head under the gushing water of the first spout, carrying on in the same manner straight through to the 11th spout. The water from the last two of the 13 spouts is meant for purification purposes in funerary rites, so we were told to skip these.  Task completed ✔️.  We then changed and walked around the temple complex to see the spring’s source, the inner temple courtyard, and then viewed Bali's current President‘s Palace/Estate, which is built on the cliff overlooking the temple and surrounding valley.  

first spout down, 10 more!	working our way down the line...	first saying a prayer at each one
spring water is really cold!	mission completed!	President's Estate up on hill

Next temple.....we hiked down over two hundred steps through rice terraces down to a lush river valley to reach the Gunung Kwai Temple.  This temple complex is centered around royal tombs carved into stone cliffs during the 11th century (no tools!).  Quiet, with the sound of water trickling through, and lush tropical foliage made this temple particularly remarkable.  Beautiful and very serene!


Final stop that day was the quiet but lovely Samuan Tiga Temple.  This “Temple Of The Meeting Of The Three” is important, as it is the place where six high priests met to establish the Principals Of The Hindu Trinity during a period of unrest and instability over a thousand years ago.

A day to recharge (shopping......what else were you expecting?) and take in a local performance of the Kecak Fire and Trance Dance.  The music consists of a human choir of 100 men, sitting in a concentric circle, swaying, standing, lying prone, and chanting as the story telling of a Hindu legend develops.  The finale is the Trance Dance, where a dancer is lulled into trance by the chanting choir and then walks barefoot on bed of burning coconut husks.

Next morning back on the road with Wayan to visit a typical Balinese family home, which consists of a central courtyard with outdoor kitchen (not too many have refrigerators here) and a raised concrete platform covered with bamboo mats where family members eat and gather.  Surrounding this are bedrooms (several generations live together, with each son bringing his wife to his parent's home to live, and adult children taking care of the parents as they age in place).  All homes include a family temple for daily prayers and offerings, and of course the outdoor toilet room shared by the entire family.  Bathing typically takes place in the local river or rice irrigation stream. We drove through Bali landscapes and rice fields, stopping at one point for Wayan to walk us over to see locals actually working and removing the rice.

We then made our way along beautiful roads to the Ulun Danu Beratan Temple (Temple on the Lake).  Most roads in Bali are one lane with no shoulders, but still have a center line creating a half-lane for each direction, as all the roads are two-ways, often with parked scooters and cars on the side.  The Ulun Danu Beratan Temple is both a famous picturesque landmark and a significant temple complex located on the western side of the Beratan Lake in Bedugul, central Bali. Ulun Danu Beratan, which literally translates to  ‘the source temple of Lake Beratan’, is easily the island’s most iconic site. The smooth surface of the lake surrounding the temple creates a unique floating impression.

Leaving Ulun Danu Beratan, it was back up the mountain to catch a view of the Twin Lakes from Gobleg.  While visibly not connected, it is believed they are connected by an underground spring.  Within the mountain valley, and a rather steep hike down is the Gobleg waterfall, we were rewarded with a beautiful waterfall all to ourselves...not another tourist in sight!

Twin Lakes

Gobleg Waterfall

We then traveled a bit to get to the Jatiluwih Rice Terraces, but WOW!  This 22.3 square kilometer paddy field(s) follows the contours of terraced land against the background of Mount Batukaru.  Jatiluwih is acknowledged by UNESCO as part of the world's cultural heritage, meaning any development is required to make a commitment to environmental conservation, ensuring that 70 percent is left natural as rice paddy field or plantation.  These fields are managed by seven irrigation organizations in Bali.  The beauty was beyond anything I could have imagined!  Walking through Jatiluwih was so peaceful and serene, listening to the water irrigation system trickling all around you.

Final stop was the Pura Taman Ayun Temple, built in 1634 adjacent to the royal temple of the first king of Mengwi.  This temple was a place to worship the royal ancestors and invoke prosperity for the kingdom.  It includes numerous shrines for the public to make offerings for protection of crops, and is still maintained by ancestors of King Mengwi.

No visit to Bali would be complete without a spa visit!  A massage, body scrub, and facial were the icing on this Bali experience.  We also managed to find a hair salon and got our haircuts.  Somehow I ended up with a cut shorter than Nathan!  So planning on coming back to Bali again ........

Recap on sites in Bali