Memorable Bali Attractions…

During our two week Bali escape, my German friends and I didn't choose to venture too far from the stunning Seminyak surf beach, however we did tear ourselves away a few times, having felt we really ought to make an effort to see a little more of this intriguing island … and we were glad we did.

My new friend, Putu, arranged a lovely friend/driver, who picked us up early one beautiful morning. Ketut (the second lovely Ketut we had the pleasure of meeting), was friendly and fun, and although verbal communication between us was challenging, our creative arm and leg gestures, plus facial expressions, spoke volumes, causing an abundance of laughter. While we were on the road, Ketut tried to teach us words he thought we were conveying to him in English, although I'm not sure that was always the case! We visited many interesting venues, while he patiently waited outside for our return to the car parks. The weather proved, yet again, to be sunny and warm, and our introductory, inland stop was a Batik outlet, where we purchased our first item for the day. We were shown the Batik Art process from start to end, and the assorted finished products, from clothing to curtains, bags to pictures, were all extremely detailed, bright, colorful and impressive, demonstrated by some very talented and naturally gifted Balinese.

We visited the Seribatu Village Coffee Plantation where we not only tasted the famous Luwak coffee, but also met the luwaks themselves, which to me looked similar to Australian possums. I'm not sure how pleased they were to meet us though, as they're nocturnal animals! The plantation was set amongst beautiful, picturesque, lush surroundings, offering a healthy, peaceful ambience. I admired the young, Balinese girl, who passionately and informatively gave us a spiel about Luwak Coffee and its origin soon after we entered the grounds. I'm quite sure she and her young colleagues treat each group, which sets foot onto the estate, to the exact same, repetitive speech. It was an interesting experience, and the Luwak coffee was quite tasty too.

Moving on, we arrived in Ubud, known as Bali's cultural heart, situated in the mountains where the temperature was a little cooler, yet still comfortably warm. I remember the word 'Ubud' was another reason for laughter between Ketut and us. My friend, Susi, would purposefully accentuate the first 'U' and it sounded ridiculous, especially to Ketut's ears. Laughing, he would correct her each time, not realising she was joking. It was hilarious to watch!

The inland town of Ubud, was mysteriously, exactly how I had imagined. A beautiful, country strip of road lined with quaint, little cafes and various shops, marketing hand crafts, jewellery, leather, assorted clothing and much more. The terrace cafes on one side of the road provided spectacular views onto the large, descending rice fields, which offered many and varied walkways up, down and around the plantation. It was truly beautiful, green and vibrant, and an extraordinary sight to see. Two of us ventured down the, sometimes quite challenging, pathways, taking many photos of the declining rice paddocks and wetlands. Every now and again we would be surprised by older, half naked, native women, aggressively begging for money. That wasn't very pleasant and we sadly wondered whether these women resided amongst the rice fields, as we had come across what we perceived to be a homeless person's squat. We also encountered numerous primary school aged children, with pained looks on their faces, who ran to us selling packets of beautiful post cards of the area, pleading, 'For my school, for my school!' Whether it was true or not, as they all seemed so rehearsed, I had to buy a set.

From Ubud we headed towards Tampak Siring to explore the Tirta Empul Temple, which is a very religious site for Hindu worshippers, who bathe there in the purifying Holy Springs. It was very busy with tourists from all over the world and many tourist buses were parked in the car park amongst the cars. To enter the temple grounds we were given a serong to wear, which we were asked to return upon leaving. Mine was beautiful and such a pleasure to be wrapped in. Although tourists are allowed to bathe in the Holy Springs, we declined, as it was just too crowded for our liking. We did however, stroll through the grounds and admired the temple and surrounds. It was amazing and I giggled to myself as I happened to spot the tail of a small, ginger cat curled up high in one of the statue's arms, sleeping peacefully and minding its own business! As we left to find Ketut in the car park, a Balinese woman approached selling small bananas. We hadn't eaten since breakfast, so I bought a bunch to share, paying the woman enough to happily surprise her. Those bananas were the sweetest, most delicious I'd ever eaten.

During our travels and in between the popular tourist attractions, Ketut also showed us a silver wholesale plant, lined with various, gorgeous silver jewellery from floor to ceiling. Gifted Balinese artists, with controlled, elegant hands, patiently crafted the articulate pieces on the premises. Needless to say, we purchased a few lovely presents to take home.

Susi sought a traditional Balinese painting she planned to have framed back home, to hang over her bed. Ketut knew just the place to take her, which I felt was an art studio/gallery owned by his friends. These lovely people welcomed us with open arms and while Susi was busy studying the artwork, I conversed with Ketut and the hospitable family, as best I could, to learn more about their lifestyle. Unfortunately, as Susi was searching for a particular art piece, this visit was purely social and to admire the intricate work. Obviously the artists were keen to sell, and most likely disappointed, yet they were still so obliging, even opening our car doors for us as we departed. Days later, Susi did however, stumble across just the painting she wanted while browsing through a large, lively market. We all excitedly found an unforeseen treasure there.

Another day we decided to head to Kuta on the hotel transit taxi bus, which dropped us off at a certain corner to be picked up there again four hours later. We weren't too enthusiastic about Kuta, from what I had heard or read, however I really wanted to pay my respects to the 202 people killed and 209 injured during the deadliest terror attack in the history of Bali in October, 2002. We approached the striking, simple, yet elegant, monument, made of carved stone and carrying a huge marble plaque with names and nationalities of those killed, and read most were Australians. I was overwhelmingly sad standing in front of this huge memorial, and couldn't begin to imagine what chaos these people must have experienced that night. We placed some money into the donation box to assist with the maintenance and, in the stifling heat, walked the streets of Kuta for a couple of hours, solemnly and without direction until it was time to meet our return transport.

On another particular day we visited a Hindu Temple named Tanah Lot, meaning Land in the Sea. Now, that was a magical sight and although we were urged to view it during sunset, we decided to visit first thing in the morning. Ketut (number one), picked us up at sunrise, sporting a modern, new haircut, in fact I didn't recognise him at first! He bashfully disclosed his teenage son was his inspiration after I complimented him, saying he looked ten years younger.

Tanah Lot was truly magnificent. The temple itself is a rock formation situated just off the mainland. We were able to walk through the water to reach it, however access is no longer allowed up the stone stairs. It is believed a large population of poisonous sea snakes guard the area from evil spirits … and sure enough, after gifting the gods with a small money offering, we came eye to eye with a beautiful sea creature. The young man in the beach cave, playing with the snake in his hands, assured us there is no poison and ushered us to touch it. So I did, and initially all I could think was of our dangerous snakes at home and how I always try my best to protect my animals from their grip. I couldn't believe how close I was to this particular snake, and how interesting it was with its spiralling stripes. My goodness, I stroked it! After I let go of my usual anxious thoughts, it proved to be quite a calming experience. We were told by the young man some days there are five snakes to be found and some days only one. Each day is apparently a surprise.

The attractions I've shared have all been memorable experiences, however the most significant, unique and beautiful sight I witnessed during my Bali explorations, which has truly left a lasting impression, was the implementation of the Hindu ritual we saw everywhere we went, especially largely around the temple sites. Three inch by three inch containers of woven and plaited palm leaves carried gorgeous, bright flowers and greenery to match with little bits of cuisine and lit incense placed outside each active establishment daily during sunrise and sunset; often just on the footpaths and we had to watch our step! These were offerings meant to appease and please the various gods and demons. The bigger the building, the larger the offerings. It was just magical, creating so much color and warmth throughout the already heart-warming and endearing environment. Such a precious, meaningful custom. However, it seemed the Hindu Balinese and their gods weren't the only ones to benefit from these special religious contributions.

I remember lying by the hotel swimming pool one day watching an elegant, Balinese lady approach a giant tree, which stood not far from where I lay toward the end of the hotel grounds, near the entrance to the beach. This tree carried a man-made, permanent spiritual monument in its centre, purposefully built for these gifts. The woman carefully and individually picked each object from a lovely, round, cane basket, and placed it systematically onto the statue, while praying to herself. Once completed, she left to return to work. A few moments later, as I was admiring the offerings and the ancient tree, I noticed sudden movements flickering from branch to branch very quickly. It took me a few minutes to realise there were two, cheeky, little, squirrel-like animals scurrying towards the gits, balancing and jumping with the greatest of ease until they reached the monument, then sat to have a free feed, while oblivious to the noise around them! I asked a bell boy on duty what these little creatures were and I was told they are 'Tupaia', meaning small animals that resemble squirrels. They were just adorable and are mammals native to the tropical forests of South-east Asia. I'm sure they love and appreciate the daily Hindu ritual of offerings too!

So this sums up our Bali day trips, adding to our memories. During the drives to and from our desired destinations, we also saw a lot of the beautiful countryside, yet sadly also noticeably the poorer parts … but there is still so much more to see, which I look forward to visiting in the future … and there is still more to share of my magical Bali holiday, which I look forward to posting soon.