Beyond Rose

It would have been great to further expand our time with family, with my momma. But due to cost and scheduling errors, Indonesia was the right choice. Our Philippines chapter ended on December 29th, 2022 (departing Manila at 18:45 and arrival 22:55 in Bali, Indonesia).

Upon arrival of the Bali Airport, there is a pick up station for Grab vehicles (car or motorcycle). With our 38L to 40L backpacks each, we could not fit on one bike, so we took one sedan. We went straight to our homestay called Warung Coco Hostel. Majority of hostels were more designed as homestays. You could be offered a cheap price for a private room. The layout would typically have a pool or pretty green scenery. As you may seen through social media, the Bali experience has a common look or theme to it.

Kuta – out of all the cities visited in Bali, Kuta is the most southern and the town we stayed in due to convenience and price. Here we even watched our first movie in theaters together (due to the COVID restrictions at home). At this time period, Avatar 2 was released and booming.

“Majority of Indonesia is mainly Muslim, Bali itself is strongly rooted in Balinese Hinduism”

balispirit.com

By the morning, I could tell it was big change in religion. I admired their morning offerings, known as Canang sari. The colorful and precise creation (made out of coconut leaves, with food items such as candy cookies, etc) is nicely put together and set on the ground in front of stores, temples, homes, statues and more. I thought it was a beautiful action to start the day for the intention of balance and peace.

The popular spots visited in Bali:

Seminyak – Southern part of Bali, that is known to be more beach resort, pool clubs, DJs, higher end hotels and villas. The Seminyak Village mall reminded me of California (being outdoor, nicer quality than expected, and near the beach). This area is where New Years 2023 was spent between Tim and I.

Canngu – Southcoast of Bali, is more laid back. This area is known as a surf area. We visited a black beach connected to a sand bar. We watched a beautiful sunset and enjoyed the Indonesia’s local beer, Bintangs.

Ubud – “The surrounding Ubud District’s rainforest and terraced rice paddies, dotted with Hindu temples and shrines, are among Bali’s most famous landscapes.” -Google

Out of the three areas we visited in Bali, Ubud would have to be my favorite. Even though, it is very touristy, out of Seminyak, Canngu and Ubud, Ubud felt closer to being authentic. The other two felt as if I was in a party scene mainly populated Australians (nothing wrong with that though!).

Furthermore, Ubud is widely known to be the spot with the high swings up in the distance of the trees. This is one of the ways I celebrated my birthday.

At the same spot with the high swings. Tim and I tried Kopi luwak, which is coffee beans plucked from civets’ feces. If you would like to know more about that process click here. In total, we tried a tasting of 5 different kinds of coffee and a variety (5) of tea.

Next, we visited a temple, Puri Saren Agung. We tried visiting Anthony Bourdains Warung Babi Guling Ibu Oka 3, but unfortunately at each visit, it was either sold out of the well known ingredient being pork, or it was closed. At the last attempt, we accepted that these are one of probably many resturant that we don’t get to enjoy. On to the next adventure to another Indonesian island!

Flores – contains the eastern half of Indonesia. Here, out of the whole trip we witnessed astonishing sunsets every single night. It ranged from on a boat, rooftop bar, boardwalk and more.

Accommodation: The best hostel/hotel I’ve ever stayed at was here, Sea Esta Komodo. The price was in budget. The beds, services (pool, live music, restaurant and tours) was well serviced. The cleaning routine was the best Tim and I have both experienced. It didn’t feel like a hostel, it felt like a resort. It was such a nice experience that remembers thinking “I’d recommend this for my mom! Or anyone’s mom!!”

On the first full day, a boat tour was planned. Near the hostel was a short walk to the water. To meet the whole group, it was simply down the hill/street. By the time we hopped on the boat, the sun was just rising. The tour had exciting pit stops. 1. I got to witness deers on the shore (which I did not know to be real) 2. Hike up the well known Padar Island- at the top, you can see a black sand beach, pink sand and regular. 3. Stand near a Komodo Dragon – known to be highly poisonous and would kill by bacterial infections being passed from victim to victim 4. Snorkel at a pink beach

Another day, I got to swim in a cave. It was calm inside sheltered by any wind. Hot by temperature but refreshing in the water. Location: East Nusa Tenggara Transportation: motorbike to East Nusa and catch a boat taxi.

Next Post: Upcoming Post Indonesia Part II