Beautiful Bali

After missing our flight to Bali - doh - we finally arrived in Denpasar a day late and 400 pounds worse off.

First stop was Kuta for some RnR. Our base for the next few days we headed out to the beach where Mike continued his quest to become a pro surfer while I lay on a sun bed getting manicures and foot massages.



Our evenings were a bit more adventurous as we took the time to explore the city, taking in the architecture, markets, and religious artifacts. The beautiful thing about Bali is that while you can get a drink on every street corner equally, you can stumble onto a Hindu temple or monument tucked away in some hidden alcove.

...Oh and I mustn't forget to mention coming across our first 'Bubba Gump' restaurant. We were very excited, Mike more so as you can see.

Kuta itself is a bit full on. I would compare it to the Magaluf of Bali. Not that there is anything wrong with that but after a few days of beach and nights of bars it is definitely time to move on. It is also hawker central so can get a bit waring after a while. It is also scooter central with locals, kids and tourists literally driving all over the place - on pavements and down roads the wrong way. It is mental.

On the plus side the people our amazing, so friendly and happy and the massages and beauty treatments are very cheap so worth taking full advantage of.

We decided to move on though and headed to Ubud, the arts and spiritual capital of Bali for a week of calm. Made famous by 'Eat, Pray, Love' the town has expanded rapidly and is full of tourists yet has a very different feel from Kuta and manages to retain a local charm.

Our first day saw us wandering around the town centre in and out of the many side streets, shops and markets. In doing so we came across a number of interesting sites and quirky cafes, not least the local Starbucks which surely must boast the best view of all Starbucks?

With a sacred monkey forest at its heart, of course, this was destination numero uno for Ubud as well.

After our experience with the monkeys we headed for lunch to try out the local delicacy suckling pig. It was delicious matched only by the scenery as we sat overlooking the rice fields.

Next on the agenda was Yoga. We had signed up to take classes at Yoga Barn and had our first class on night one, restorative yoga. We weren't sure what to expect but by the end of the class we were so relaxed we had nearly fallen asleep! The next day the class wasn't quite so calming as we endured one-and-a-half hours of intermediate Vinyasa Flow. The sweat was dripping!

The rest of our time in Ubud was spent exploring the surrounding areas as we organised a couple of day trips to go and see the countryside and famous temples. Our favourites were the western Rice Paddies, the largest in Bali; Git Git waterfalls; and the amazing temples of Tanah Lot, Pura Tirta Empul and Ulun Danu.

15th Century Tanah Lot sits just off the coast carved into a rock and its name means "Land in the Middle of the Sea.' It is one of the most famous temples in Bali and hoards of people flock to see it at sunset which is spectacular and dramatic. 

Ulun Danu was our joint favourite temple and is the second most important temple in Bali. It sits on Lake Bratan and while not as old as other temples, it was built in 1926, its position in the mountains amongst the clouds creates an ethereal setting for the temple dedicated to the goddess of the lake and fertility. While we were there we were lucky enough to see a local ceremony take place where families came together to send the spirits of their loved ones to the gods after they had been cremated.

Last but not least the Pura Tirta Empul temple, although smaller than the others, is a must see. Dating back to 926AD the spring water that runs through the temple is sacred and thought to have healing properties. Visitors and locals alike are invited to bathe in the bottom pool near the entrance of the temple where the spring water flows out of individual fountains each dedicated to a different need, physical, emotional and spiritual. Mike and I loved our experience here.

Unfortunately we didn't get time to see the temple of Pura Luhur at Uluwatu which is also meant to be fab - but maybe next time.

We also were lucky enough to get taken to a local coffee plantation. Very different to the operation we had been to in Colombia we got to see how the locals make varieties of tea and coffee the traditional way and try it all for free. The delicacy was our self-named 'poo coffee' one of the rarest and most expensive coffees in the world which is made by coffee beans that have passed through a civet's digestive system first. We got to see the darling animals before trying the coffee.

Despite knowing where it came from I have to agree that the coffee was delicious and I am not even that much of a fan of coffee in general. Our other favourites were lemon tea and Ginseng coffee.

Before finishing this post and starting to think about our next stop, the Gili Isles, I cannot end before mentioning the second local delicacy we tried in Ubud: Crispy Duck. Far from the Chinese variety this dish is mouth watering and well worth a try. If ever in Ubud make sure you visit the Dirty Ducks Diner for the original experience and find out how they got their name.