Around Bali | 1 of 3

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Bali... a tourist haven, and for good reason.

Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago and has around 18,000 islands! Bali is one of them. 


Mountains, beaches, surfing, volcanos, endless rice paddies, beautiful temples, 92% Hinduism, colorful culture, amazing food. 

To be honest, we were a little annoyed when we first arrived. The first place we landed in was Kuta Beach... a touristy, congested city on the beach with a Hard Rock Cafe (a bad sign in our book). It could be because we had no where to stay and ran around in the heat with our luggage, trying to find a decent hotel that had vacancy. We had to switch hotels several times because they were full (later transferring from Kuta to Legian Beach, which we liked better). It could have been all the tourists and typical shops. Perhaps the constant traffic and the worst roads. But we were mostly ticked that every time we walked anywhere (day or night), every few steps local guys would be calling "transport! transport! taxi! where you going?" No matter how many times you said no, they would often follow you and yell "transport, transport" over and over and over. The funny thing is they were offering rides on their personal scooters, not a taxi cab. It didn't matter how harsh you were with them... you couldn't get the point across. When they could tell we were angry, they would sometimes laugh at us. Walking past souvenir stands was the same thing. Same goes for walking past a massage parlor. We started to resent the locals which made me feel terrible because the Indonesian people were so nice as soon as you got off the sidewalk and away from the touts. Having visited several Asian countries (including many touristy cities), we were expecting this, but not to this degree. We couldn't help comparing everything to Thailand (and Thailand kept winning). 

Once we got out of the busy city, we discovered the beautiful Bali that everyone raves about. The scenery is incredible. We rode on a scooter down curvy roads winding through rice fields and around foggy mountains. We saw some of the most beautiful temples. We found some quieter sandy beaches and hiked dramatic green cliffs that drop into the aqua blue Indian Ocean. 

Next time we go to Bali, we will skip the big cities and stay on a remote beach or in the mountains. The reason we stayed near Kuta (the big touristy city) for an entire week was because we kept waiting for our new camera to come in. Turns out it was being held at customs and Yuriy ended up flying back to Jakarta for the day to pay the fees and pick it up. FINALLY, a camera! 

- Julia 

This post includes photos from our little back-up camera, but the following posts will finally have better quality photos from our good camera!

Gasoline sold in vodka bottles on the side of the road is a very common sight.
There were so many DVD shops (pirated versions) that we wondered how they all stay in business. Movies here were $1-3 USD and they had movies that were still playing in theaters in America!
Little offering baskets full of rice, flowers, and food sometimes looks like garbage scattered around the city (especially the trampled ones). They are daily placed by the locals in front of entrances to thank the gods and bring good fortune. You will find these when you enter businesses as well, and those tend to look a lot nicer (since they are not kicked around). I admire the discipline of these people.
A quieter beach we drove to that was supposed to have good surfing -- Balangan Beach. Yuriy briefly tried surfing here, but after getting cut up on the rocky bottom (and the lack of waves), he quit. It was a beautiful place to eat lunch and walk around.
Since we weren't surfing, we hiked to the top of these beautiful green cliffs instead.
Cliff top fishing at Balangan Beach.
Images of rice fields snapped from the back of a scooter on the way home.
One of the charming places we stayed (cheap and lovely hotels are one of the great things about Bali).  
The pool had a swim up bar and happy hour every evening. Such a nice oasis from the noisy and crowded streets.

21 comments :

  1. I was just in Bali in November, but we completely avoided the South/Kuta area completely. We split our time in Ubud and East Bali--found everyone to be absolutely wonderful and fell in love with the people. A trip to Bali is an amazing experience--once you get out of the city!

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  2. being harassed when you are on vacation by the locals is never fun, at least you were able to find some pece away from the bustle of the big city. I will definitely consider all of these things when we finally go to Bali, it is one my my must see destinations.

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  3. I agree 100% with what you say. The big towns like Kuta are not very nice, too many touts and too many tourist. But getting away from it, taking a walk through a ricefield, hearing the music used for ceremonies in the distant - it is just wonderful! Love that side of Bali! And the nature is a beauty in itself!

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  4. The fact that Bali is such a tourist hub has put me off a little from even going there, but these pictures make it seem beautiful! If I go I'll just follow your advice and stay away from the big cities :)

    xxx
    Jenna

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  5. I have always wanted to go to Bali. This post only increased my interest.

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  6. We did not like Kuta either. We did absolutely adored Ubud and Sanur. Isn't Bali enchanting, it will forever be in your hearts.

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  7. I felt the EXACT same way about Kuta! Our hotel was actually a few buildings over from the Hard Rock, definitely not what my girlfriend and I were expecting. But you're completely right - the northern remote areas were incredible!

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  8. Beautiful photos as always! You guys are masters with your cameras. Such an inspiration for travel photos :) Thanks for sharing, feeding my wonderlust!

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  9. Bali looks amazing!!!! I wish to go there some point in my future!


    http://ohhemgeeboutique.blogspot.com/

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  10. It's too bad you have this kind of experience. But I also hate Kuta Area, it's soo crowded with everything. I prefer other places in Bali like Nusa Dua, Ubud, Tanah lot, or Uluwatu it's secluded, less crowded and yet more beautiful than Kuta.

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  11. The shopkeepers grabbed me and pulled me into their shops while I was there! At least they ended up giving the most discounts through bargaining I've ever encountered. I did love all the temples and the vibrant culture of Bali. I look forward to reading/seeing more pictures of your experience there.

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  12. I hope that this year I can travel to Bali also. Can you recommend any local restaurant where local people goes?

    www.barcelonahomedinners.com

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    1. Barcelona Home Dinners - We don't remember the names of any restaurants we visited, but if you go down a small side street, you're bound to find something more local/cheap. Enjoy your trip!

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  13. Totally agree on the Kuta experience. We were there in December and couldn't believe all the trash on the beach. We wrote about it at: http://www.changesinlongitude.com/kuta-beach-bali-trash/

    Other than that the people we met were great. We learned to tune out all the transport and massage requests.

    Cheers!

    Larissa and Michael

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    1. Larissa and Michael - Thanks for the link to your post. Your photos are insane! I don't remember seeing that much trash. There are good and bad sides to every place, aren't there?

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  14. oh boy. i need a surf trip to bali. ASAP!

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  15. I've been your blog's silent reader for more than a year. Glad that you visited my country during your honeymoon trip. Next time you visit Bali, you may want to stay at Ubud. It's a quite and relaxing place.

    There are many beautiful beaches and unique places to be explored in Bali, such as: Dreamland beach (Bali Pecatu Graha), Nusa Dua, Tanjung Benoa(for doing watersport activities), Karma Kandara (Di Mare), Padang-padang beach, Pura Luhur Uluwatu (temple), Jimbaran, Garuda Wisnu Kencana, Sanur beach, Goa Gajah, Tampak Siring, Gunung Kawi, Batur/Kintamani Lake, Tegallalang(rice terrace)and Sukawati Market.

    btw, the pictures on this blog are awesome!!

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    1. Citra - Thanks for taking the time to say hello! Also, thanks for all the recommendations (for next time). The good completely outweighed the bad. You live in a beautiful country!

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  16. I just came across your blog today while doing a search for Bali and Singapore trips! My husband and I also live in Seattle and are hoping to plan a Singapore/Bali trip in the near future to visit friends. Lovely pictures - I hope we can make it out there!

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    1. Carol - Such a small world. Thanks for leaving a note on your first visit to our blog. Enjoy your trip to Singapore and Bali!

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    Kaolin

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