Bali: Island of Gods

Balangan Beach, Bali, Indonesia,

They say, travel makes a man wiser. We travel to new places to see, learn and experience new things or something different. I read that it is called the Island of Gods while some says it is a Surfer’s Paradise. When we arrived at Denpasar, the main entry to Bali Island, we went straight to Balangan beach, one of the surfing beaches in the island. Indeed, the waves were strong and surfers from different parts of the world were all gathered there.

We went around to a lot of different beaches and all we saw were surfers crashing the waves like there is no tomorrow. We even saw an 8 year old looking Caucasian who was really good. Well I actually don’t know the level of goodness that a surfer does since I myself has never done surfing. Except for one time when I tried a surfing game in an amusement park where I didn’t even get wet. Not even a single sweat. But from where we were seated, while eating my big bowl of Chap Cai, Chicken Satay and a cup of white rice, I can tell that the boy was really good.

Ulu Watu Temple 

A man-made beach on a cliff side where you can watch the surfers

Pura Tanah Lot

Kuta Beach, Bali, Indonesia

Monkeys at Ulu Watu Temple

Monkeys are also all over the island. It must be why bananas are all over too. Banana pancakes are one of the, well, “hot sellers”. I remember asking the cook to take out the bananas on our last day breakfast as I am so full of it. Spicy tasting foods are all over too. I’m not really a big fan of spicy foods but all I can say is it is delicious. 

There are lots of adventurous things to do in Bali although one of the things you should not miss doing is visiting the important temples around the island. There are many temples to see but we have only been 5 temples and tombs and each of these places are amazing in their own way. Among all these temples, the Ulu Watu temple is the most scenic among what I have seen. Its location on the side of the cliff made it so dramatic to look at. Pura Lempuyang Luhur is another temple which is located on top of the Lempuyang Mountain. It is also one of the holiest and most sacred temples in Bali. We were told that it will take you 1700 steps up to reach the main altar. It took us about 2 hours to climb up the main altar and according to my friend who was doing his own counting, it is 1538 steps. It is difficult to traverse this temple but the challenge lies where in you cannot complain how difficult it is to get there. Not even a deep sigh showing your struggle and tiredness. When we reached the top, a priest prayed over us and we were asked to make a wish. By the way, Balinese are predominantly Hindus so we are talking about Hindu priests here.

Entry to Pura Lempuyang

Pura Lempuyang seated on a mountain top.

Blue Lagoon, Bali, Indonesia

Another important place, and I can say not to be missed, is the Tirta Ganga Water Palace. This is unique and really beautiful. I was just mesmerized on how the architecture made it so serene and relaxing to the eyes. And while I was walking around and stepped on the pillars surrounded with water, the very first thing I remembered was the Takeshi’s Castle (I guess this is only for those who have watched that show back in the days). I kept on thinking whether I will be stepping on a fake pillar and fall into the water and laugh at myself.

The lovely and majestic Tirta Gangga Water Palace

Tirta Gangga Water Palace

Taman Kertha Gosa

Guiding us on our trip. Meet Rough Guide and Lonely Planet

So when you get there, make sure you Eat, Pray and Live on an adventurous time and make sure you visit the most important places to see. A wise man will do as I say.

Bali, Indonesia, March 9-14, 2011
*This article was taken from my facebook page I posted last April 7, 2011

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jigomeister
08.29.13