BALI ESCAPADE: THE SCENERY

The Scenery

Bali boasts a variety of beautiful sceneries around its islands. The landscape of Bali is unpredictable - you have volcanoes, lakes, rice terrace, high terrains, limestone cliffs, waterfalls, clear turquoise oceans, etc. The list is endless. A definite place for photobug freaks like me.

Gunung Kawi

A twin volcano – one is dead, the other one is still active. Since it is a tourist infested place – there are quite some ruthless peddlers, some are little children, who couldn’t stop bugging you to buy things from them, even if we had told them, we were not interested. I was kinda disappointed that I had to take pics in a haste. I would love to walk along the stretch of downhill road, to slowly take my time to snap pics if not for the unruly peddlers. I saw corns being dried in the sun, villagers giving offerings to their individual family shrines, clothes being dried on the grass instead of being hung up, ladies carrying things on their heads, etc.

Rice Terrace

It was pouring as we were coming down from Lake Bratan and Bedugul, much to our dismay. Bali experiences rainy seasons from December to March. So, if you want to plan your holidays, might as well go to Bali after the rainy seasons. We were lucky though to have caught the Gunung Kawi not covered by fog.

This rice terrace pic is taken at a villa/restaurant along the road from Bedugul market. The quality of this pic is compromised due to rain. Chotto sumimasen.

Nyang Nyang

On our way from Uluwatu, Wayan, seeing that I am such photobug freak, decided to drop us at Nyang Nyang for a photobug session. We had to pay for drinks before even entering the villa. This place consists of a few private villas, built for tourists who prefer tranquility and peace. The garden is well maintained. It is a great place for honey mooners.

What I liked most, is the pool side restaurant, overlooking the very blue Indian Ocean. You feel as if you were at the end of the earth, looking downwards at the white sandy beaches against the infinite skyline of the Indian Ocean.

Simply breath-taking. I was glad that Wayan took us here. He deserved a BIG TIP!

Agriculture farm in between Kawi and Tampaksiring

Being a KLite, WY is not used to seeing trees of fruits. Unlike me, the village pumpkin, I know how ciku trees look like. I even climbed one before. Here, we get to see leaves and trees for our everyday use or consumption, which we totally ignorant about.They sell all kinds of agriculture goods - vanilla stick, cocoa powder, fruits, Balinese coffee, etc. We even get to sample the cocoa and coffee here before buying.

This is the first time that I ate salak.

Wishnu Garuda Kencana (WGK) at Jimbaran

This place lies the biggest statue in the world, and it is even bigger than Statue of Liberty. It is indeed big – provided that the project is completed. Unfortunately, project had been halted due to lack of investors.

It is going to be a major tourism spot, boasting the biggest monument in the world, with its own shopping compound, major offices and an open air stadium (pic 3). It would take another 20 years to realize this.

There will be carvings on the limestone walls (pic 2) once the project is completed. For the time being, since project has been halted, the place is scarce of visitors. The lack of people was also being contributed by the fanatic terrorists attack on Jimbaran Beach last October. Sometimes, I find it quite devastating and plain stupidity to have caused so much unnecessary hardship to your own fellow countrymen, pursuing incomprehensible agendas using violence.

The Beaches

It was a shame that we hardly spent time on the beach while we were at Bali as we were too busy shopping. The only time that we had our time in Bali, is Kuta Beach on the evening before our departure the next day and Nusa Dua beach on our way back to hotel from Uluwatu.

Kuta Beach

This is where I decided not to put on sun block – as I thought I would only be at Kuta Square for last minute shopping. We stopped by Kuta Beach to check out hot bods on surf boards. Kinda disappointed that we didn’t see many. Kuta beach caters for beginners. Those hardcore surfers get their adrenalin rush at Southern beaches or Northern beaches for higher waves.

Nusa Dua Beach

Looks like Perhentian Islands to me. Only more organized and cleaner. You don't get durian skins floating around the place where you snorkle! This is where you get all the 5 stars hotels. Perfect place for honey mooners as it is quiet and away from the hustling and bustling Kuta.

Sunsets

I think I haven't traveled far enough to see sunsets from other parts of the world. But the one in Tanah Lot is suffice for the time being. Taken on the backdrop of the Indian Ocean.

You will not miss any sunsets in Bali. Find any spot, and you would get to see magnificent sunsets along the beach.

These sunset pictures were all taken at Tanah Lot. If I were to go to Bali again (which is almost definite), I would love to watch the sunset at Uluwatu.