The following story is a contributed article by our readers for our readers.
By Jeramy Valmocina, Lailanie Pesuelo, and Roshelle Malanum
Bali, also known as the Land of the Gods, is one of the popular holiday destinations in the Indonesian archipelago. A quintessential paradise that allures you with its sheer natural beauty of exotic temples and lush terraced rice fields and to top it off is its Balinese ancient culture that exudes tranquil and warm hospitality.
As soon as you arrive at Denpasar airport, you will see the evident Hinduism culture of Balinese life through its temple ornament place in every corner but this goes far beyond when you have ventured out further the peninsula.
Bali island has a great collection of beaches and inland destinations that will make you swap your boots for open-toed sandals to explore sight-seeing opportunities and an itinerary filled with a bit of adventure, outdoor activities, culture, food, and relaxation.
Experience Kuta
Among the legendary areas of Bali, Kuta is probably the most famous part of the peninsula. Not only is it the home of the iconic Kuta Beach but it also features life after dark at its liveliest.
Kuta Beach is one of the best coasts from where to enjoy Bali’s golden sunsets all year round. Kuta Beach is regularly fully-booked over the peak seasons. This is usually from July to August and the holiday season for Christmas and New Year. It is also a great spot for surfing. Kuta’s waves suit beginner to advanced surfers and many surf schools line the beach.
Known for its active nightlife, the southern section of the beach is usually crowded day or night. Bounty Nightclub is a stalwart of the Kuta party scene and is designed to look like a large ship.
Staff is dressed up in sailor garb to help you get into the spirit of partying the night away.
A short stroll to the north end of the beach, however, offers visitors a quiet sense of solitude.
A beach footpath also lets you enjoy leisurely strolls passing the Discovery Shopping Mall, one of the largest mall of Bali; the colourful Kuta Art Market wherein saturation of Balinese products and handicrafts can be bought as souvenirs; and other hotel beachfronts like of Grand Inna Kuta Bali, and down to the Balawista Kuta lifeguard tower.
Explore Seminyak
Seminyak is a neighboring place of Kuta and is also one of the most popular tourist destinations in Bali. People gravitate here for a little bit of luxury and relaxation through its upscale beach resort areas. With its Seminyak beach offering its splendid coast, it also went on to become a landmark.
Beach clubs are done right in Seminyak. There are a few to pick from. If it is your first time to Seminyak and you feel like a beach club day, Potato Head or Ku De Ta are the top picks.
Moreover, the place is traffic friendly and accessible to other tourist spots like Uluwatu and Tanah Lot. Uluwatu Temple is one of the temples believed to be Bali’s spiritual pillars. The name is derived from “ulu” meaning “land’s end” and watu meaning “the rock”. Visitors must wear a sarong and a sash, or appropriate clothing to enter. Also, a small forest lies at its front and hundreds of monkeys’ dwell here. They are believed to be the guardians of the temple from negative energies. Meanwhile, Tanah Lot is one of Bali’s most important landmark. It epitomizes the peninsula as the romantic island. Tanah Lot means “Land in the Sea” which fits its unique offshore settings. It offers a scenic view of crashing waves as the foreground and the dramatic colors of the dusk sky as its background, lit by the sunset view. The silhouette of Tanah Lot is indeed one iconic features of Bali.
And while pinpointing all of its incredible feats, Seminyak also offers the most precious gold to be found on Earth which is its wonderful sunset. The rays of the sun slowly disappearing in the dusky sky gives Seminyak beach life and provide vivid colors of dawn over its vast ocean. Locals and visitors never missed to watch the sunset while having cocktails with friends at one of the many beach bars.
Enjoy Ubud
Ubud is the central upland of Bali wherein cultural landmark can be seen ranging from ancient temples to picturesque green hillsides and rice terraces. It is a completely different atmosphere to brash and busy areas like Kuta or Seminyak.
You may start your day by touring Ubud’s Monkey Forest wherein tons of monkeys of different sizes await you. You can pet the monkeys by feeding them little bananas but be careful because there is still a chance that they might scratch or bite you.
Afterward, you can spend your afternoon wandering through its rice fields. Take in the best of the local scenery at Tegallalang Rice Terraces. These were created as a result of an irrigation technique called ‘subak’ which creates a steppe landscape.
And whilst Ubud is popular for being the cultural capital, the little town can still be fun when the sun goes down because of its bustling art market. Ubud Art Market may look familiar as it was used as a location for the “Eat, Pray, Love” film starring Julia Roberts. There are different stalls in the market bursting with wood carving, batik shirts, sarongs, trinkets, hand-woven baskets and Bali bags which can make great souvenirs. Take a stab at it when bargaining but always be polite – remember that $1 means more to them than it does to you.
Ubud throrough fare, some kilometers going to its outskirts are other worthy attractions to see and spend a half or a whole day at, such as Pura Lempuyang and Taman Tirtagangga.
Pura Lempuyang is located in East Bali and also known as Gates of Heaven. It is one of the most sacred natural temple in Bali. Once making your way up the first set of stairs, you are met with a glorious view of a temple reaching up to the sky, surrounded by plant life growing anywhere and everywhere. It isn’t hard to see why this place is nicknamed as it is because you really do get the feeling that you could talk a big leap and reach out to touch the fluffy white clouds.
Taman Tirtagangga is a former water palace of Karangasem empire which one of east Bali’s most famous sights.
It has breathtaking scenery with lush rice paddies back three levels of ornamental gardens with swimming pools, fountains, stone carvings, stepping stones, fish ponds, and airy pavilions. If you fancy a dip, fret not because it is possible. There are two clear pools that serve as publics wading pool and tourist are welcome to swim.
When to visit?
April to October is the best time to visit Bali when there is little rain, low humidity, and lots of sun. Also in this season, surfing is at its finest because the waves at the western beaches are at their best.
Nevertheless, Bali is a good year-round destination. Its soul-soothing location combined with Six Senses’ wellness prowess gives you a seductive Bal i state of mind for all good reasons. What’s important is that you let your mind drift to the beautiful places in the world. As Eleanor Roosevelt once said “the purpose of life is to live it, to taste it, to experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience”.
And of course, don’t forget to document your every trip with your camera. The memories will live in our minds and hearts but having photos physically preserve those special moments and allows us to have something to look back on in the future.
*Photos credit to our friend’s Bali tour
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