Why Bali?
We were planning our first vacation since our move to Singapore earlier this year. The choice was easy. Bali. Indonesia. Why? People describe Bali as a land of contrasts and diverse offerings. Beaches, volcanic mountains, rice and coffee plantations, rich art, culture, history, and more. Bali is an island located between the Indonesian islands of Java and Lombok. Indonesia is known to be an archipelago of 16,000 islands of which Bali is probably the most popular one in terms of people visiting it. And it was just a 2.5 hour flight from Singapore. We were locked into a destination.
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Planning our travel
We were planning our first vacation since our move to Singapore earlier this year. The choice was easy. Bali. Indonesia. Why? People describe Bali as a land of contrasts and diverse offerings. Beaches, volcanic mountains, rice and coffee plantations, rich art, culture, history, and more. Bali is an island located between the Indonesian islands of Java and Lombok. Indonesia is known to be an archipelago of 16,000 islands of which Bali is probably the most popular one in terms of people visiting it. And it was just a 2.5 hour flight from Singapore. We were locked into a destination.
Planning our travel
Flights were easy to plan for. Air Asia, the highly rated low cost airline, had the best prices from Singapore and convenient flight schedules. Garuda was moderately priced, Singapore Airlines was outright expensive. I avoided Lion Air owing to its recent safety incident, which in fact occurred in Bali.
Deciding where to stay was a greater challenge. Let me give an overview of Bali's popular areas. Kuta, in the South, is a more crowded and heavily touristy location. It has nice beaches which are crowded, and several restaurants and bars. If you don't want crowds avoid staying here but visit it if you'd like. Nusa Dua further to the south is better, with some real large hotels and resorts. Nusa Dua has good while sand beaches and water activities but
is somewhat set aloof from everything else. If you are planning more of a beach and resort vacation, Nusa Dua is good. Ubud, which is farther north is set amidst the rice
fields and hills in the artistic region, but with no beaches nearby. Ubud is growing as a sought after location for those who don't mind being farther away from the beaches. And then there is Seminyak which is more centrally located. It is close to black sandy beaches (not as great as those in the South) and is home to may fine restaurants and dining options, surely less crowded than Kuta. We stayed in Kerobokan, which is just north of Seminyak.
Staying in Bali
The choice of a hotel was next. There are hundreds and hundreds of options. My most important sources of information were Google Maps for location and TripAdvisor for reviews. TripAdvisor is great and provides a lot of excellent customer feedback and information not only about the hotel but nearby places, restaurants and more. Decisions to make are whether you want a hotel or a villa, small or big brand, on or off the beach, etc. We booked a 2-bedroom villa at a one-off, local villa called the Awan Villas in Kerobokan. Just over a year old, this excellently landscaped property has nine villas and with a total staff strength of 25, offered excellent service throughout our stay. All villas have two bedrooms, a private pool, and an outdoor living and dining room with kitchenette. Each bedroom had an attached bathroom though they are part indoors, part outdoors, which is quite common in Balinese villas and a good experience. In smaller properties such as this, airport transfers and breakfast are typically included in the rate.
Traveling within Bali
For longer trips where you plan to visit multiple places, rent a car (with a driver). It typically runs about USD 60 for a full day (9 hours of service). Most local hotel operators provide competitive car rentals of their own (or through their partners) and maybe a more reliable option than a third-party travel agency. For one off trips in the key tourist areas, local taxis are a plenty. They are modestly priced, abundantly available and generally very safe, metered and reliable. Many tourists rent scooters which are also modestly priced. It is a bit of challenge to drive on the crowded and narrow roads and since we traveled with children, we did not venture into renting scooters, though it seemed like fun. Walking around in the key areas is challenging and sometimes dangerous since the roads have a lot of traffic and the sidewalks are non-existent in many areas.
Places to visit
I am sharing experiences from what we did. Surely there are many other places to visit and things to do beyond what I share below.
1) Beaches and water activities
Beaches in the south, especially Nusa Dua and Jimbaran Bay are best. White, soft, sandy beaches. Gentle enough to take a dip compared to the black, sandy and rougher beaches farther up north and west. We spent the evening at the beach on Jimbaran bay and watched the sun set, which was beautiful.
We also spent a few hours at a water activities center in Nusa Dua. Activities available are water scooters, para sailing, high speed banana boat rides, glass bottom boat rides, visit to a marine life island, and more. We ventured on a banana boat ride, which was a high speed boat pulling a raft shaped liked a banana, where you hang on tight! We also took the glass bottom boat ride in which you get to view some fish and coral below the boat, and then headed to 'turtle' island which houses several giant turtles, and other rare animals and birds. Good fun with the kids. Be prepared to get wet with these activities.
2) Art, art, everywhere
Bali is rich in art. Paintings, batik printing, silver and gold jewelry, wood working, stone work, and much more. It is breathtaking to see giant Ganeshas, Buddhas, and more carved from stone stacked along the roadside for sale. We visited art galleries with huge collections of paintings and saw painters in action. The beauty of the art work is impossible (for me) to describe in words and is something that needs to be take in, live. I have not seen the proliferation of art across a land, as much as I saw in Bali. It is indeed beautiful, and very tempting to get as much of it as one can back with you.
3) Temples
Most Balinese are Hindu. This influence came from India due to trade and exchanges beginning in the 5th century CE. It is very interesting to see a lot of words in Bahasa Indonesia that have originated from Sanskrit, and to see the stories of Ramayana and Mahabharatha as popular in Bali as they are in India. Temples are ubiquitous architecture in Bali. The temples or pura in Bali are unique and different from those in India in that the Balinese temples are largely outdoor. These puras offer an open air place of worship with enclosed walls with intricately decorated walls between the outer, mid and inner / most sacred zones or compounds. With the compound walls are several shrines, meru (towers) and bale (pavilions), arranged with unique, Balinese Hindu sacred hierarchies. The pagoda-like tiered roofs are the distinctive feature of Balinese temples. It was interesting to note that almost every homes has a temple compound in their backyard, and the size varies with the wealth of the homeowner. Effectively, you see lots and lots of small and mid-size puras, as you travel around Bali with religious prayers being carried out many times a day. To the Balinese, temples and their various structures are not worshipped. Temples are meant to be pleasant resting place for the gods on their stay on the island.Maybe this explains why visitors are allowed to enter the temple with their footwear (unlike in India) while one has to wear a sarong (usually provided) in most temples.
We visited three temples during our trip. The first was the Tirta Empul temple located in central Bali. This temple was built during the 10th century CE and has a large water spring that is believed to provide water that people take a dip into for purification. The second was the Uluwatu temple located south of Kuta. This temple is one of the nine key temples in Bali that is meant to protect Bali from evil spirits and faces the sea on a 200 foot high vertical cliff. The inner section of temple is not open to the public but it is said to have three lingas, one each of Shiva, Brahma and Vishnu. The views of the sea and the cliffs are simply breathtaking. The last one was Goa Gajah, which is the Elephant Cave located near Ubud. The facade of the cave has a relief of several menacing creatures and demons carved into the rock. Inside the cave were the three lingas and a rock statue of Ganesha.
4) Culture
We had heard a lot about the dances native to Bali. Two types that we were able to see are the Barong and Kecak dance.
The Barong dance is most popular in Bali and is a story telling dance narrating the ongoing fight between the mythological good Barong and evil Rangda. This is classic way in which Balinese mythology is enacted and is set of various stories. With many characters, humor and captivating dance sequences with artistes wearing bright and elaborate costumes, this is a very captivating performance. The music is provided by a group of nearly twenty musicians, playing instruments such as xylophone, drums, flute, bronzed pots, and more, and is enthralling.
The Kecak dance is another unique style where the dance is performed around a large lamp (hence the name fire dance). A group of nearly fifty male capella singers sitting in concentric circles called the gamelan suara provide the music for the dance while a portion of the Ramayana is enacted out by the artistes in dance drama format. The costumes are bright, colorful and the entire performance is very engaging. At the end, a person enters and under a trance from the music, and walks on fire that is set up in the middle of the performance circle.
5) Food
Staying in Bali
The choice of a hotel was next. There are hundreds and hundreds of options. My most important sources of information were Google Maps for location and TripAdvisor for reviews. TripAdvisor is great and provides a lot of excellent customer feedback and information not only about the hotel but nearby places, restaurants and more. Decisions to make are whether you want a hotel or a villa, small or big brand, on or off the beach, etc. We booked a 2-bedroom villa at a one-off, local villa called the Awan Villas in Kerobokan. Just over a year old, this excellently landscaped property has nine villas and with a total staff strength of 25, offered excellent service throughout our stay. All villas have two bedrooms, a private pool, and an outdoor living and dining room with kitchenette. Each bedroom had an attached bathroom though they are part indoors, part outdoors, which is quite common in Balinese villas and a good experience. In smaller properties such as this, airport transfers and breakfast are typically included in the rate.
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| View of our rooms and pool inside our villa at the Awan Villas |
Traveling within Bali
For longer trips where you plan to visit multiple places, rent a car (with a driver). It typically runs about USD 60 for a full day (9 hours of service). Most local hotel operators provide competitive car rentals of their own (or through their partners) and maybe a more reliable option than a third-party travel agency. For one off trips in the key tourist areas, local taxis are a plenty. They are modestly priced, abundantly available and generally very safe, metered and reliable. Many tourists rent scooters which are also modestly priced. It is a bit of challenge to drive on the crowded and narrow roads and since we traveled with children, we did not venture into renting scooters, though it seemed like fun. Walking around in the key areas is challenging and sometimes dangerous since the roads have a lot of traffic and the sidewalks are non-existent in many areas.
Places to visit
I am sharing experiences from what we did. Surely there are many other places to visit and things to do beyond what I share below.
1) Beaches and water activities
Beaches in the south, especially Nusa Dua and Jimbaran Bay are best. White, soft, sandy beaches. Gentle enough to take a dip compared to the black, sandy and rougher beaches farther up north and west. We spent the evening at the beach on Jimbaran bay and watched the sun set, which was beautiful.
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| Sunset at Jimbaran Bay |
We also spent a few hours at a water activities center in Nusa Dua. Activities available are water scooters, para sailing, high speed banana boat rides, glass bottom boat rides, visit to a marine life island, and more. We ventured on a banana boat ride, which was a high speed boat pulling a raft shaped liked a banana, where you hang on tight! We also took the glass bottom boat ride in which you get to view some fish and coral below the boat, and then headed to 'turtle' island which houses several giant turtles, and other rare animals and birds. Good fun with the kids. Be prepared to get wet with these activities.
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| Banana boat ride at Nusa Dua |
2) Art, art, everywhere
Bali is rich in art. Paintings, batik printing, silver and gold jewelry, wood working, stone work, and much more. It is breathtaking to see giant Ganeshas, Buddhas, and more carved from stone stacked along the roadside for sale. We visited art galleries with huge collections of paintings and saw painters in action. The beauty of the art work is impossible (for me) to describe in words and is something that needs to be take in, live. I have not seen the proliferation of art across a land, as much as I saw in Bali. It is indeed beautiful, and very tempting to get as much of it as one can back with you.
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| Wood carving showing Rama and Sita made using 'crocodile' wood |
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| Stone statues can be seen for sale all over Bali |
3) Temples
Most Balinese are Hindu. This influence came from India due to trade and exchanges beginning in the 5th century CE. It is very interesting to see a lot of words in Bahasa Indonesia that have originated from Sanskrit, and to see the stories of Ramayana and Mahabharatha as popular in Bali as they are in India. Temples are ubiquitous architecture in Bali. The temples or pura in Bali are unique and different from those in India in that the Balinese temples are largely outdoor. These puras offer an open air place of worship with enclosed walls with intricately decorated walls between the outer, mid and inner / most sacred zones or compounds. With the compound walls are several shrines, meru (towers) and bale (pavilions), arranged with unique, Balinese Hindu sacred hierarchies. The pagoda-like tiered roofs are the distinctive feature of Balinese temples. It was interesting to note that almost every homes has a temple compound in their backyard, and the size varies with the wealth of the homeowner. Effectively, you see lots and lots of small and mid-size puras, as you travel around Bali with religious prayers being carried out many times a day. To the Balinese, temples and their various structures are not worshipped. Temples are meant to be pleasant resting place for the gods on their stay on the island.Maybe this explains why visitors are allowed to enter the temple with their footwear (unlike in India) while one has to wear a sarong (usually provided) in most temples.
We visited three temples during our trip. The first was the Tirta Empul temple located in central Bali. This temple was built during the 10th century CE and has a large water spring that is believed to provide water that people take a dip into for purification. The second was the Uluwatu temple located south of Kuta. This temple is one of the nine key temples in Bali that is meant to protect Bali from evil spirits and faces the sea on a 200 foot high vertical cliff. The inner section of temple is not open to the public but it is said to have three lingas, one each of Shiva, Brahma and Vishnu. The views of the sea and the cliffs are simply breathtaking. The last one was Goa Gajah, which is the Elephant Cave located near Ubud. The facade of the cave has a relief of several menacing creatures and demons carved into the rock. Inside the cave were the three lingas and a rock statue of Ganesha.
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| Tirta Empul temple and people taking a dip for purification |
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| Uluwatu temple seen atop the cliff |
4) Culture
We had heard a lot about the dances native to Bali. Two types that we were able to see are the Barong and Kecak dance.
The Barong dance is most popular in Bali and is a story telling dance narrating the ongoing fight between the mythological good Barong and evil Rangda. This is classic way in which Balinese mythology is enacted and is set of various stories. With many characters, humor and captivating dance sequences with artistes wearing bright and elaborate costumes, this is a very captivating performance. The music is provided by a group of nearly twenty musicians, playing instruments such as xylophone, drums, flute, bronzed pots, and more, and is enthralling.
The Kecak dance is another unique style where the dance is performed around a large lamp (hence the name fire dance). A group of nearly fifty male capella singers sitting in concentric circles called the gamelan suara provide the music for the dance while a portion of the Ramayana is enacted out by the artistes in dance drama format. The costumes are bright, colorful and the entire performance is very engaging. At the end, a person enters and under a trance from the music, and walks on fire that is set up in the middle of the performance circle.
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| The Barong represents good, and the monkey is its friend in the story |
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| The Kecak dance telling stories from the Ramayana |
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| The music ensemble completes the Barong dance magic |
5) Food
My review of food and dining in Bali is not comprehensive given our vegetarian limitation. We were able to get a fair amount of vegetarian food in the touristy areas - Kuta and Seminyak - and there was a diverse variety of cuisines available too, including Mexican, Greek, Italian and others. Food isn't very expensive, and it is good to enjoy the local coconut water, and fruits such as jack fruit, snake skin fruit (salak), mangosteen and others. The local delicacies of nasi goreng (fried rice) and mie goreng (frid noodles) are also usually available in vegetarian options although with eggs. Do exercise caution when eating out and avoid the unpopular Bali Belly! Another interesting thing we found was a small dining place called Lakshmi vegetarian restaurant located remotely, that served purely veg food. They had various Indonesian dishes that looked like meat but were made out of tofu, and the owner was a Sathya Sai baba devotee. It was like eating at a dhaba, but we got some vegetarian food alright.
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| Nasi Goreng - Indonesian fried rice, a staple |
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| Snake skin fruit or Salak |
6) Fields and plantations
Bali has a lot of green. Although an island Bali is very self sufficient in producing its own food. There is a lot of farming once you get out of Kuta and Seminyak. Rice fields are a plenty and Balinese farmers have done well to grow rice on hill sides using terrace farming. We also saw several coffee plantations. Bali is famous for its rich coffee and the family-run plantation we visited made some unique flavoured combination coffees including vanilla coffee, ginseng coffee and such, and several herbal teas. On this plantation they grew their own ginseng, cocoa, vanilla, jack fruit and more. One interesting thing we learnt while at this plantation was 'luawak coffee'. Luwaks (civets) are mongoose like creatures which eat coffee berries. The berries they have eaten and excreted(!) are collected by coffee growers since it apparently produces high quality brewed coffee. These sell for several hundred USD per kilo but I did not venture to try any. Also, I understand there is controversy over the fact that the luwaks are held in cages for this process to support the lucrative trade rather than the free and wild nature in which luwak coffee originated. So much for the luwaks. As you travel around Bali, you do see a lot of beautiful flowering plants including bougainvilleas and frangipani which are abundant all around Bali.
There is a lot more than the above to discover in Bali. It is a very diverse region and an excellent family destination no matter what your interests are.
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| Terraced rice fields near Ubud |
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| Various coffees and teas for tasting at a plantation |
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| Frangipanis are present everywhere in Bali |
There is a lot more than the above to discover in Bali. It is a very diverse region and an excellent family destination no matter what your interests are.
