Bali, Indonesia.
Well, it can be called a stroke of luck that landed us to a breathtakingly beautiful Bali, an island in Indonesia. We reached Denpasar, the capital, in the afternoon and our hotel, The Holiday Inn Beach Resort, Kuta was just ten minutes drive from the airport.
The five nights and six days trip started off with a mesmerizing view of the glittering azure Indian Ocean from the reception of the hotel. The balmy weather brought us to the beach till the evening, which was again a surprise. The gentle calm scenario changed into a happening night life with streets buzzing with tourists, shops, music and eateries with inviting aromas of the local Indonesian cuisines of sea food and fresh fruits and veggies.
The second day started with a tour to the exotic art galleries, the first one being a Batik
village, where local artisans showcased the beautiful Batik printing. Next we witnessed some amazing wood carving where crafts men were seen carving unbelievable wooden sculptures, which I had never seen before. We also came across some intricately designed gold and silver jewelry. All the products were for sale as well in these art galleries. From there we were taken to 
the Kintamani Volcano, an active volcano that was said to have erupted some two years back. What a moment when we sat in a restaurant there, facing the volcanic mountains with their open peaks and wondering about the beauty and the fury of nature, the cool breeze, being a welcome surprise. The day ended in a coffee plantation where we were taken through the process of making the world famous and the most expensive Luwak Coffee, made with coffee beans procured from the faeces of a mongoose like Asian animal, amazing isn’t it! Though I didn’t want to taste some. The trip ended with a visit to the ruins of a Buddhist monastery the Goa Gajah Cave built around the tenth century.
The excitement of the next day was evident in all of us when we heard we were heading towards the Tanah Lot Temple, built on a low jutting cliff over the huge, blue Indian Ocean. The view of the temple with its unique Balinese architecture and the blue waves with their white frothy crown lashing against the shore was definitely a photographer’s or an artist’s dream destination. One could wade into the sea and see the temple at close quarters. The cool waters of the sea brushed aside the afternoon heat. We now headed towards our much awaited trip on a cruise, the Sunset Dinner Cruise, where we were treated with some delicious food and some traditional Balinese dance performances…. Couldn’t ask for more!
The famous Ulluwatu Temple was our destination on the fourth day. Two temples built on two tall cliffs facing the tremendous ocean. The various shades of blue and green were so evident in the waters which were definitely not calm, rather quite dangerous, held us glued to one spot. The beauty and the awe of the place yet the calmness and the serenity of the temples made the place seemed almost heavenly. We also enjoyed some amazing sea rides at the Benoa Beach from where we went to the Turtle Island and held and feed turtles and also had the weird yet unimaginable experience of holding a python…. with its scaly muscular movement and its awesome size and length.
How can one forget the shopping part of any journey? On the fifth day we returned to the hotel with our bags full of wooden artifacts, statement jewelry pieces, apparels, hair and nail accessories, creams and lotions, food items…. You name it, we got it.
Bali is definitely a paradise island and a must visit place.
Tips for the tourist:
- Do keep in mind that there is a huge currency difference between Indonesian Rupeeya and Indian Rupees; 1 USD = 13,600 IDR (Indonesian Rupeeya) approx.
- Please bargain before you actually purchase artifacts and other things from local shops.
- Best place to buy souvenirs is from Krishna Souvenir Shop, Denpasar.
- Day time temperatures can rise up, so keep yourself hydrated, carry water bottles.