Three weeks in Indonesia. A nation of countless islands, hundreds of languages, different people with different cultures and religions,.... To say that we didn't even begin to scratch the surface would be an understatement. We only visited Bali and Java.
I love Bali.
I went there for about 6 days, 18 years ago, and stayed in Legian and Ubud.
Legian probably didn't change that much apart from getting even busier. Kuta wasn't my scene then and never will be. This time I (we) stayed in Seminyak and I liked it, but 2 days is more than enough. If I ever make it back there (and I do hope so) it will be to raid the clothing stores.
Ubud I did not recognize at all. I remembered it as a smaller township, with artisan shops, some in smaller villages a ways out of town. The place has grown immensely. The smaller villages now seem to be absorbed by or joined to Ubud. But I still liked the place.
I imagine that this will be the fate of Amed (the 10 villages making up that region) in about 10-15 years. Which will be a pity in a way. Amed had that real sleepy, relaxed feeling about it.
I guess it's safe to say that I am no fan of Java's big cities (I guess that is quite something coming from 'a city girl at heart'; I preferred the smaller, less busy places like Malang (still pretty big but with a more provincial feel to it) and Borobudur.
But. I also realize that I didn't even begin to scratch the surface of the places we visited. After the doing the 'obligatory' tourist thing we weren't left with enough time to go and explore further 'in' (except in Malang, where we did go for a wander away from the big streets).
Here, more so than in Bali, I got the impression that every house, building or stall that we passed sold the same: prepared food (nasi/bakmi/mie goreng, water, coke,coffee,...) of all kinds, some items of clothing or small things, or more specialized things like carvings (wood, stone) in certain clustered areas, and a lot of junk. It became 'more of the same' a lot of the time. Now, I do realize that had we gotten off the main roads a bit more, we would have seen a different Java: more fields and less built up. Malang and surrounds gave me a different glimpse of Java. So for that we did miss Sterlin sorely: with our car we can easily get off the beaten path, take alternative roads and routes and stay where it feels right to stop for the night.
There is so much more to see and experience in and of Indonesia and hopefully some day I will be able to come and see more of it, and re-visit a few favorite places.
Favorite places each for their own merits to me:
- Seminyak and Ubud.
- Malang: a very pleasant surprise with few tourists.
- Mt Bromo and surrounds: spectacular.
- Borobudur: both the township and temple.
Disappointments (to put it strongly):
- Yogyakarta.
- Bogor: it was nice to get a glimpse of a different style of residential area (around our hotel), but the city wasn't much. The 'famed' botanical gardens'... well.... maybe it was the wrong season, but suffice it to say I have seen much nicer ones.
This maybe updated as I think and mull over things more....
Showing posts with label Indonesia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Indonesia. Show all posts
Bogor, Java. November 10-12, 2013.
Everything we heard or read about Jakarta was leaning heavily towards the negative - to say the least. Gridlocked traffic, not that many interesting sites, ... so we decided to give the place a miss and went to Bogor for a few days instead.
What to say about Bogor. It's about 1.5 hours south of Jakarta.
We visited the Kebun Raya Botanical Gardens and enjoyed walking around there instead of on the busy streets, but, truth be known, I've seen nicer, more impressive botanical gardens. It is of course totally possible that in a different season and with more colors present I would change my mind.
The traffic (and afternoon rain storm) discouraged us from exploring more of the city.
The area where our hotel (Novotel) was located was totally different: gated and well kept communities with equally gated and well kept streets and almost no traffic. We walked into town and at least that part of it was pleasant enough.
We ended up spending one night in Jakarta in a hotel close to the airport, for obvious practical reasons: our flight to KL the next day. We only experienced 3kms of Jakarta traffic (not on the relatively well flowing toll road) and that took 20mins. Given we didn't get there till around 2pm we didn't feel like braving that again (in a rental) to go see some of the city. Maybe on a future visit.
The next morning, November 13, we got on the hotel shuttle, did the same 3 kms in 20-25 mins, and got to the airport to catch our flight to Kuala Lumpur.
What to say about Bogor. It's about 1.5 hours south of Jakarta.
We visited the Kebun Raya Botanical Gardens and enjoyed walking around there instead of on the busy streets, but, truth be known, I've seen nicer, more impressive botanical gardens. It is of course totally possible that in a different season and with more colors present I would change my mind.
The traffic (and afternoon rain storm) discouraged us from exploring more of the city.
The area where our hotel (Novotel) was located was totally different: gated and well kept communities with equally gated and well kept streets and almost no traffic. We walked into town and at least that part of it was pleasant enough.
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| Having coffee overlooking the Kebun Raya Botanical Gardens |
We ended up spending one night in Jakarta in a hotel close to the airport, for obvious practical reasons: our flight to KL the next day. We only experienced 3kms of Jakarta traffic (not on the relatively well flowing toll road) and that took 20mins. Given we didn't get there till around 2pm we didn't feel like braving that again (in a rental) to go see some of the city. Maybe on a future visit.
The next morning, November 13, we got on the hotel shuttle, did the same 3 kms in 20-25 mins, and got to the airport to catch our flight to Kuala Lumpur.
Borobudur, Java. November 8-9, 2013.
November 8.
Borobudur is about a 1 hour drive from Yogyakarta, and we arrived here around noon. Checked into Rumah Boedi Private Residences. The hotel and grounds were nice, but here, as in some other places (accommodation, restaurants,..) I again was very aware of the fact that certain of the male staff absolutely did not want to talk to me. This was the reception and management staff, not housekeeping. Yes, I'm aware that that is a cultural/religious thing, but... if you're going to have a hotel and are happy to take my money, maybe you could at least be nice to me...
Early afternoon we rented bicycles from our hotel to get to the Buddhist Temple of Borobudur. Ominous clouds were threatening overhead and what do you know, it started raining shortly after we got to the temple.
Our plan to stay there for the sunset viewing didn't work out because of the continuing rain. It was slowly getting darker without the nice colors in the sky. But yes, even with the rain it was well worth the visit, the temple is simply impressive.
Does traveling a lot and seeing and experiencing new things all the time along the way, ever become commonplace? Do I ever feel like 'enough already' or 'it's just another thing to see'? I thought about that some years ago and thought: as long as I can still have those profound 'wow' moments (whether related to man-made structures, nature, people, performances, anything really; whether they happen once a week or once a year) it will always be worth exploring new corners and places on this globe of ours.
And today, seeing the Borobudur Temple and then ascending the steps to the main dome, which is surrounded by 72 buddha statues inside perforated stupa, was one of those 'wow' moments. One of those moments that makes me feel very privileged and awed by where I am and what I am able to see and experience, one of those moments that says: yep, I can keep doing this traveling thing for quite a bit longer :)
(musings by Caroline)
We cycled back to our hotel before dark. And got totally drenched. But in these temperatures that wasn't half bad, it was in fact nice and refreshing.
I am writing this while sitting in the outside (covered of course) lounge area of our hotel, a few hours after getting back from the temple, and the rain still hasn't let up. We are hoping to do a sunrise visit, and another attempt at sunset, tomorrow. Fingers crossed.
November 9.
The alarm went off at 3:45am, the sky was full of stars, so off went, by tuk-tuk, for a sunrise viewing. The main gate opens at 6am, with sunrise at 5:10 this morning. However, the Manohara Hotel, which is on the grounds surrounding the temple, offers sunrise access from 4:30 am. You pay twice as much for your ticket, but this does allow for the sunrise access (plus small breakfast and gift) without the crowds, and a second visit during the day. And it was so worth it: the 'wow' moment continued.
Later that afternoon I went back for a third visit. This time I concentrated on the museum and the temple grounds. The Temple itself was swarming with visitors so I decided to stay clear of it. The memories of the late afternoon rain and sunrise visits will stay with me for a long time.
At our hotel I chatted with one of the other guests, Esther Von Plehwe-Leisen, who is, with her husband Hans Leisen, part of a team from the Cologne University of Applied Sciences working on the conservation of the stonework of Borobudur (and Angkor Wat amongst others). They are doing so in cooperation with the Borobudur Conservation Office and UNESCO.
Borobudur is about a 1 hour drive from Yogyakarta, and we arrived here around noon. Checked into Rumah Boedi Private Residences. The hotel and grounds were nice, but here, as in some other places (accommodation, restaurants,..) I again was very aware of the fact that certain of the male staff absolutely did not want to talk to me. This was the reception and management staff, not housekeeping. Yes, I'm aware that that is a cultural/religious thing, but... if you're going to have a hotel and are happy to take my money, maybe you could at least be nice to me...
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| Borobudur in the rain. |
Our plan to stay there for the sunset viewing didn't work out because of the continuing rain. It was slowly getting darker without the nice colors in the sky. But yes, even with the rain it was well worth the visit, the temple is simply impressive.
Does traveling a lot and seeing and experiencing new things all the time along the way, ever become commonplace? Do I ever feel like 'enough already' or 'it's just another thing to see'? I thought about that some years ago and thought: as long as I can still have those profound 'wow' moments (whether related to man-made structures, nature, people, performances, anything really; whether they happen once a week or once a year) it will always be worth exploring new corners and places on this globe of ours.
And today, seeing the Borobudur Temple and then ascending the steps to the main dome, which is surrounded by 72 buddha statues inside perforated stupa, was one of those 'wow' moments. One of those moments that makes me feel very privileged and awed by where I am and what I am able to see and experience, one of those moments that says: yep, I can keep doing this traveling thing for quite a bit longer :)
(musings by Caroline)
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| Stephen was in high demand with other tourists who wanted their picture taken with him. |
I am writing this while sitting in the outside (covered of course) lounge area of our hotel, a few hours after getting back from the temple, and the rain still hasn't let up. We are hoping to do a sunrise visit, and another attempt at sunset, tomorrow. Fingers crossed.
November 9.
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| Sunrise over Borobudur. |
Later that afternoon I went back for a third visit. This time I concentrated on the museum and the temple grounds. The Temple itself was swarming with visitors so I decided to stay clear of it. The memories of the late afternoon rain and sunrise visits will stay with me for a long time.
At our hotel I chatted with one of the other guests, Esther Von Plehwe-Leisen, who is, with her husband Hans Leisen, part of a team from the Cologne University of Applied Sciences working on the conservation of the stonework of Borobudur (and Angkor Wat amongst others). They are doing so in cooperation with the Borobudur Conservation Office and UNESCO.
Yogyakarta, Java. November 5-7, 2013
November 5.
As mentioned we arrived in the evening after a long drive from Malang.
By 9pm we were checked-in to The Phoenix Hotel (our drivers pronounced the hotel as fo-nik), where, after freshening up, we enjoyed a drink in the bar.
November 6.
We headed out in the morning, along Jl. Malioboro, towards the Kraton, the palace of the sultans of Yogya. After catching part of a puppet performance and seeing some of the royal hang-outs, we wandered around the narrow streets of the Kampung, the area around the palace. Among others we visited the Water Castle and a puppet making place. The Kraton and Kampung effectively are a 1km square walled city home to around 25,000 people (according to The Lonely Planet Indonesia). As for the warnings about touts and scams... do your research and use common sense.
November 7.
We had plans this morning... honest we did! But after going out for coffee and a subsequent wander in the Sosrowijayan neighborhood, we decided to go back to our hotel and take it easy. The intermittent downpours and feeling a bit tired helped us to decide to give today's temple visit a miss.
Yogyakarta (and Malang) impressions:
Not too sure about this city; I guess after reading and hearing all the time how Yogya is Java's 'soul' I'd expected more..., not too sure what, but different... But I do realize that it is virtually impossible to do more than scratch the surface of a place this size in 2,5 days. Walking around the Kampung and Sosrowijayan area's (ie.: away from the main drag) gave us a bit of a glimpse of what the city is in all likelihood really about. In Malang we didn't expect anything and the place grew on us pretty quickly after walking around it's more residential backstreets and alleys. And this is by no means meant as 'lesser' streets, on the contrary, that's where life happens.
In Yogya the touts and especially the becak drivers can be quite pushy: just about each one you pass will try to get a fare out of you and some of them will follow you around for a bit. To say that there is an over supply of becak (see above photo) would be an understatement. But then again: common sense and simply ignoring all the calls usually does the trick. In Malang we didn't experience any of this; sure a driver would ask if you wanted a ride, but it was done with a smile and a wave and in a different 'tone'. Simply smiling back while indicating 'no' was ok. Maybe I'm not explaining this very well, but for me (C) the difference is in the perceived 'aggression'. Sure, ask me if I want a ride, or batik piece, or anything for that matter, but take my 'no, thank you' for what it is: 'no'. But that's one of the 'hardships' of traveling :), so no real complaints! Can't like all places the same! I've experienced this numerous times before and will do so countless more times. You get used to it. Just every now and then it does manage to take away a little of what one hoped to experience (in this instance) in a place that was described as being 'the soul' of Java.
Ok, enough 'traveler's rant'... let's go get a drink in the bar :)
As mentioned we arrived in the evening after a long drive from Malang.
By 9pm we were checked-in to The Phoenix Hotel (our drivers pronounced the hotel as fo-nik), where, after freshening up, we enjoyed a drink in the bar.
November 6.
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| Water Palace. |
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| Narrow streets of the Kampung surrounding the Kraton. |
November 7.
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| Idle 'becak' everywhere. |
We had plans this morning... honest we did! But after going out for coffee and a subsequent wander in the Sosrowijayan neighborhood, we decided to go back to our hotel and take it easy. The intermittent downpours and feeling a bit tired helped us to decide to give today's temple visit a miss.
Yogyakarta (and Malang) impressions:
Not too sure about this city; I guess after reading and hearing all the time how Yogya is Java's 'soul' I'd expected more..., not too sure what, but different... But I do realize that it is virtually impossible to do more than scratch the surface of a place this size in 2,5 days. Walking around the Kampung and Sosrowijayan area's (ie.: away from the main drag) gave us a bit of a glimpse of what the city is in all likelihood really about. In Malang we didn't expect anything and the place grew on us pretty quickly after walking around it's more residential backstreets and alleys. And this is by no means meant as 'lesser' streets, on the contrary, that's where life happens.
In Yogya the touts and especially the becak drivers can be quite pushy: just about each one you pass will try to get a fare out of you and some of them will follow you around for a bit. To say that there is an over supply of becak (see above photo) would be an understatement. But then again: common sense and simply ignoring all the calls usually does the trick. In Malang we didn't experience any of this; sure a driver would ask if you wanted a ride, but it was done with a smile and a wave and in a different 'tone'. Simply smiling back while indicating 'no' was ok. Maybe I'm not explaining this very well, but for me (C) the difference is in the perceived 'aggression'. Sure, ask me if I want a ride, or batik piece, or anything for that matter, but take my 'no, thank you' for what it is: 'no'. But that's one of the 'hardships' of traveling :), so no real complaints! Can't like all places the same! I've experienced this numerous times before and will do so countless more times. You get used to it. Just every now and then it does manage to take away a little of what one hoped to experience (in this instance) in a place that was described as being 'the soul' of Java.
Ok, enough 'traveler's rant'... let's go get a drink in the bar :)
Malang, Java. November 2-5, 2013.
2 November.
We said goodbye to Ubud around 10:30 am and headed for Denpasar airport to catch our flight to Malang, Java. Booking the plane ticket and getting our hotel to confirm an airport transfer proved somewhat cumbersome, but all went well and without a hitch.
We checked into the Best Western OJ Hotel (website doesn't seem to work though) around 2:30pm. Our first choice, Tugu Hotel, was fully booked. Having said that: no complaints about the BWOJ. Ok, it doesn't have the character but it is centrally located, service is good, and we got upgraded to a very spacious room.
Later that afternoon and after the heavy rainfall had stopped, we went out for an initial walk around town. Malang is not a beautiful town, but once you get off the main streets, there is quite a bit going on. First job was to book a Mt Bromo sunrise tour, and that was extremely easy. Then we dropped off 5 kgs of laundry to a hole-in-the-wall vendor. 5 kgs of laundry was cleaned, dried and folded for US$2.50, not bad.
3 November.
We spent the day exploring the city center. From our hotel we started off towards Malang's millionaires row: a boulevard lined with mansions from the Dutch era, some in better state than others. We walked the sunday markets, found a busking drum band, explored some of the smaller streets and ended up in 'Java Dancer', a lovely cafe. And it didn't rain all day.
That evening we had a rest for about 4 hours before getting up at 12:30am.
4 November.
1am in the morning is hard. We were picked up in a classic looking bright red 1982 4WD Land Cruiser. We bumped along the streets and the rough roads up the mountain for the next 3 hours before getting to the sunrise viewing spot. There were probably more than 1,000 people up there with us. Who would have thought. And it was cold up there, but folks where on hand to rent big overcoats. It was nice to see the sunrise and start to get some of the day's warmth.
Next stop was Mt Bromo proper. Hiked up the hill (the smoky one in the photo above) in horrible conditions, in a bit of a sandstorm. Views were not worth it because they were just about totally obstructed by the sand; but glad to have done it. It took 2 days to get all of the sand out. After coming back down off the mountain we spent some time driving around on the sand plane between the mountains.
Finished the day with a walk around town in the fading light.
5 November
Up early (6am) for our transfer to Yogyakarta. Bit of a disaster, as it never arrived. It took three hours, but the agent who booked the shuttle for us finally turned up with a private car. During the long wait the hotel staff were very helpful, making calls for us and urging our agent to sort this out. Even the manager called him. In the end it cost US$100 for the car and two drivers and took 9.5 hours to make the journey. Driving in Indonesia is different and requires some serious nerve. But we made it one piece.
We said goodbye to Ubud around 10:30 am and headed for Denpasar airport to catch our flight to Malang, Java. Booking the plane ticket and getting our hotel to confirm an airport transfer proved somewhat cumbersome, but all went well and without a hitch.
We checked into the Best Western OJ Hotel (website doesn't seem to work though) around 2:30pm. Our first choice, Tugu Hotel, was fully booked. Having said that: no complaints about the BWOJ. Ok, it doesn't have the character but it is centrally located, service is good, and we got upgraded to a very spacious room.
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| Laundry Service. |
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| Malang back street. |
3 November.
We spent the day exploring the city center. From our hotel we started off towards Malang's millionaires row: a boulevard lined with mansions from the Dutch era, some in better state than others. We walked the sunday markets, found a busking drum band, explored some of the smaller streets and ended up in 'Java Dancer', a lovely cafe. And it didn't rain all day.
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| Sunday Markets. |
That evening we had a rest for about 4 hours before getting up at 12:30am.
4 November.
1am in the morning is hard. We were picked up in a classic looking bright red 1982 4WD Land Cruiser. We bumped along the streets and the rough roads up the mountain for the next 3 hours before getting to the sunrise viewing spot. There were probably more than 1,000 people up there with us. Who would have thought. And it was cold up there, but folks where on hand to rent big overcoats. It was nice to see the sunrise and start to get some of the day's warmth.
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| Sunrise on Mt Bromo (the smoky one). |
Next stop was Mt Bromo proper. Hiked up the hill (the smoky one in the photo above) in horrible conditions, in a bit of a sandstorm. Views were not worth it because they were just about totally obstructed by the sand; but glad to have done it. It took 2 days to get all of the sand out. After coming back down off the mountain we spent some time driving around on the sand plane between the mountains.
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| Next wave of the sand storm coming in. |
Finished the day with a walk around town in the fading light.
5 November
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| Lovely and extremely helpful reception staff. |
Up early (6am) for our transfer to Yogyakarta. Bit of a disaster, as it never arrived. It took three hours, but the agent who booked the shuttle for us finally turned up with a private car. During the long wait the hotel staff were very helpful, making calls for us and urging our agent to sort this out. Even the manager called him. In the end it cost US$100 for the car and two drivers and took 9.5 hours to make the journey. Driving in Indonesia is different and requires some serious nerve. But we made it one piece.
Back in Ubud. November 1, 2013.
We left our hotel in Amed at 7:30am and were back in Ubud around 10am.
There was a specific reason that we decided to come back here for a day, before moving on to Java tomorrow.
At noon the Ubud Royal Cremation took place and we didn't want to miss the opportunity to witness this event.
We walked to Ubud center where, together with thousands of locals and tourists, we watched the funeral procession. First a sarcophagus in the form of a purple buffalo, and next the very impressive nine-tiered cremation tower were being pushed out of the palace, along the road, towards the cemetery. It was quite the spectacle with people smiling and cheering; it had the feel of a celebration of life, more than a funeral. From the atmosphere on the streets I'm assuming that the people like their (local) royal family. Police was present but only to keep some streets traffic-free; everything happened in the best of spirits.
There was a specific reason that we decided to come back here for a day, before moving on to Java tomorrow.
At noon the Ubud Royal Cremation took place and we didn't want to miss the opportunity to witness this event.
We walked to Ubud center where, together with thousands of locals and tourists, we watched the funeral procession. First a sarcophagus in the form of a purple buffalo, and next the very impressive nine-tiered cremation tower were being pushed out of the palace, along the road, towards the cemetery. It was quite the spectacle with people smiling and cheering; it had the feel of a celebration of life, more than a funeral. From the atmosphere on the streets I'm assuming that the people like their (local) royal family. Police was present but only to keep some streets traffic-free; everything happened in the best of spirits.
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| Nine-tiered cremation tower and sarcophagus. |
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| Cremation tower being pushed along the street. |
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| The Royal coffin. |
Amed, Bali. October 29-31, 2013.
October 29.
We left gorgeous Alam Indah Hotel at 10am, with our pre-arranged car and driver, to go to Amed.
On the way we stopped at Tirta Gangga (Water Palace) for a look-see. Loved the 'Myst' like stepping stones in one of the pools :).
We checked into our lovely hotel Santai Bali, got settled, took a dip in the pool and went for a walk before dinner. The area referred to as Amed is actually a string of about 10 villages on the east coast of Bali. Development for tourism didn't start in earnest until about 2000. It is becoming a draw card for snorkeling and diving and the pace is slow. Very pleasant.
October 30.
This morning we rented snorkeling gear for a few hours: the beach and reef are literally just in front of our hotel, so had to be done. Later today Caroline enjoyed a 3-hour spa treatment (massage, facial and reiki) - for a price that would hardly buy you 45mins of one of these in the US.
October 31.
What did we do today.... mmmmm..... let me think..... we got up, had breakfast, read, went for a dip in the pool, read, pool,.... read some more.... and a walk before dinner. Totally relaxing day.
We left gorgeous Alam Indah Hotel at 10am, with our pre-arranged car and driver, to go to Amed.
On the way we stopped at Tirta Gangga (Water Palace) for a look-see. Loved the 'Myst' like stepping stones in one of the pools :).
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| Tirta Gangga. |
We checked into our lovely hotel Santai Bali, got settled, took a dip in the pool and went for a walk before dinner. The area referred to as Amed is actually a string of about 10 villages on the east coast of Bali. Development for tourism didn't start in earnest until about 2000. It is becoming a draw card for snorkeling and diving and the pace is slow. Very pleasant.
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| Looking towards 'our' beach with Gunung (Mt) Agung, highest point on Bali. |
October 30.
October 31.
What did we do today.... mmmmm..... let me think..... we got up, had breakfast, read, went for a dip in the pool, read, pool,.... read some more.... and a walk before dinner. Totally relaxing day.
Ubud, Bali. October 26-28, 2013.
October 26.
To get to our next destination we organized a private pick-up with our next hotel. By far the easiest way to get around Bali: car and a driver: affordable and comfortable.
So at 10am our driver picked us up and we drove about 1 hour and 20 mins to Ubud. Well, the little village of Nyuhkuning, just south of Ubud. This is where our amazing hotel Alam Indah is located. Our friend Louisa reccommended the place (and it turns out that our friend Paul back home in SF has also stayed here) and after only the first of our 3 night here, we would already recommend the place ourselves!
We are only about a 30 minute walk from the center of Ubud, and the walk is all but boring. First you walk through the Monkey Forest, or if you wish to avoid this, around it on the motorcycle path. The trick to not get the monkeys to jump on you is to walk through the place without any food on you. There are enough other tourists with food to distract the monkeys. The macaques are very cute but I prefer to observe them from at least 1meter away :)
After the forest you walk along Monkey Forest Road, naturally, which is lined with cafes, restaurants and shops, till you Ubud Central. Not that you actually notice a dividing line. We stopped for lunch at a warung (usually a smaller, family owned eatery, ranging from food stalls to modern looking cafe-style restaurants) and walked back on a much quieter side road.
In the evening we attended a Balinese Dance performance in a spectacular open air venue and of course this is exactly when we experienced our first Balinese downpour. Luckily there was a covered back-up hall to finish the performance. Good to see one of these but we think one is enough.
It was still pouring when the show finished and everyone wanted a taxi, so these were far and few between. Stephen didn't waste any time, rushed over to the adjoining Café Lotus and managed to secure us what looked like the last table available. Because by then most others leaving the show had figured out that with all taxis busy it could be a wet walk to dinner anywhere else.
By the way, any restaurant, cafe, ... will call your hotel for you to arrange a complimentary pick-up back to the hotel. Very civilized.
October 27.
We arranged a complimentary hotel car (yep, very civilized again) to drop us off at Cafe Wayan for a late-ish 'sweet' lunch - one can't eat nasi goreng all the time :). Aterwards Stephen went for a walk a bit further out, while Caroline wandered around Ubud.
We met back at our hotel for late, complimentary, afternoon tea.
That evening we found another Belgian Restaurant Café des Artistes, and, since we were both craving steak (one can't always eat nasi goreng - which we love by the way) that's where we went.
October 28:
We'd arranged a 4 hour tour to go see some of the sites further afield from Ubud. Our driver picked us up at 8am which meant we could start in the relative 'cool' of the morning (a mere 26C/79F). We visited Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave), Gunung Kawi (temple/monument), Tirta Empul (Holy Spring), a coffee plantation that harvests among others luwak coffee, and lookout over a rice terrace.
Once back at Alam Indah we relaxed the rest of the day and went for an evening walk and dinner later.
To get to our next destination we organized a private pick-up with our next hotel. By far the easiest way to get around Bali: car and a driver: affordable and comfortable.
So at 10am our driver picked us up and we drove about 1 hour and 20 mins to Ubud. Well, the little village of Nyuhkuning, just south of Ubud. This is where our amazing hotel Alam Indah is located. Our friend Louisa reccommended the place (and it turns out that our friend Paul back home in SF has also stayed here) and after only the first of our 3 night here, we would already recommend the place ourselves!
After the forest you walk along Monkey Forest Road, naturally, which is lined with cafes, restaurants and shops, till you Ubud Central. Not that you actually notice a dividing line. We stopped for lunch at a warung (usually a smaller, family owned eatery, ranging from food stalls to modern looking cafe-style restaurants) and walked back on a much quieter side road.
In the evening we attended a Balinese Dance performance in a spectacular open air venue and of course this is exactly when we experienced our first Balinese downpour. Luckily there was a covered back-up hall to finish the performance. Good to see one of these but we think one is enough.
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| Daytime view of where we saw the Balinese Dancing. |
It was still pouring when the show finished and everyone wanted a taxi, so these were far and few between. Stephen didn't waste any time, rushed over to the adjoining Café Lotus and managed to secure us what looked like the last table available. Because by then most others leaving the show had figured out that with all taxis busy it could be a wet walk to dinner anywhere else.
By the way, any restaurant, cafe, ... will call your hotel for you to arrange a complimentary pick-up back to the hotel. Very civilized.
October 27.
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| Green pancakes filled with shredded coconut and palm sugar. |
We arranged a complimentary hotel car (yep, very civilized again) to drop us off at Cafe Wayan for a late-ish 'sweet' lunch - one can't eat nasi goreng all the time :). Aterwards Stephen went for a walk a bit further out, while Caroline wandered around Ubud.
We met back at our hotel for late, complimentary, afternoon tea.
That evening we found another Belgian Restaurant Café des Artistes, and, since we were both craving steak (one can't always eat nasi goreng - which we love by the way) that's where we went.
October 28:
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| Coffee and tea tasting |
We'd arranged a 4 hour tour to go see some of the sites further afield from Ubud. Our driver picked us up at 8am which meant we could start in the relative 'cool' of the morning (a mere 26C/79F). We visited Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave), Gunung Kawi (temple/monument), Tirta Empul (Holy Spring), a coffee plantation that harvests among others luwak coffee, and lookout over a rice terrace.
Once back at Alam Indah we relaxed the rest of the day and went for an evening walk and dinner later.
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| Gunung Kawi |
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| Tirta Empul. Yes, we were allowed to take photos. |
Seminyak, Bali. October 23-26, 2013.
We flew the long way from Perth to Denpasar (via Singapore), but then it was an awards ticket in business class, so no complaints :)
Arrived at Denpasar airport, breezed through immigration and customs and were met by our driver from our hotel. All very easy.
We checked into Astana Kunti Suite Apartment & Villa Hotel, located on a quiet alley only about 10-15 mins away from the hustle and bustle of Seminyak. We spent the afternoon/early evening walking around Seminyak. Back to the hotel to relax and book the next 2 places we want to go. Getting used to the humid heat might prove one of the more tricky things.
On day 2 we went for a long walk winding our way through the lovely narrow streets of Seminyak and Legian, to Kuta and back. Turned out we walked for about 13km, again in that humid heat, not bad for our second day. Out for dinner to Manneken Pis Jazz Bistro, the first and so far only non-local style food place we've been to, but had to be done.
Today, October 25th, we had a slow morning (managed to get out for coffee) before meeting up for lunch with Uli. In Fremantle, through our friends Louisa and Besim, we met (and got on well with) Ari, who put us in touch with her brother Uli. After walking back to our hotel we stayed out of the heat and lounged in our room.
Internet has been available just about everywhere we had coffee or food: you get a sign-in voucher with your order. Very civilized! Western places can learn from this.
We've only been here 2,5 days but so far have found the ambiance very nice and relaxed. Glad we are staying in 'upscale' Seminyak as opposed to more frantic Legian and Kuta.
The fashion shopping in Seminyak looks fantastic and the prices are much cheaper than what I'm used to paying for similar stuff in the US and Europe. Had I been here for a weeks-or-so holiday I most likely would have needed to buy an extra bag to bring back clothes.
Arrived at Denpasar airport, breezed through immigration and customs and were met by our driver from our hotel. All very easy.
We checked into Astana Kunti Suite Apartment & Villa Hotel, located on a quiet alley only about 10-15 mins away from the hustle and bustle of Seminyak. We spent the afternoon/early evening walking around Seminyak. Back to the hotel to relax and book the next 2 places we want to go. Getting used to the humid heat might prove one of the more tricky things.
On day 2 we went for a long walk winding our way through the lovely narrow streets of Seminyak and Legian, to Kuta and back. Turned out we walked for about 13km, again in that humid heat, not bad for our second day. Out for dinner to Manneken Pis Jazz Bistro, the first and so far only non-local style food place we've been to, but had to be done.
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| It just gets busier south from here. Not really our scene. |
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| With Uli. |
Today, October 25th, we had a slow morning (managed to get out for coffee) before meeting up for lunch with Uli. In Fremantle, through our friends Louisa and Besim, we met (and got on well with) Ari, who put us in touch with her brother Uli. After walking back to our hotel we stayed out of the heat and lounged in our room.
Internet has been available just about everywhere we had coffee or food: you get a sign-in voucher with your order. Very civilized! Western places can learn from this.
We've only been here 2,5 days but so far have found the ambiance very nice and relaxed. Glad we are staying in 'upscale' Seminyak as opposed to more frantic Legian and Kuta.
The fashion shopping in Seminyak looks fantastic and the prices are much cheaper than what I'm used to paying for similar stuff in the US and Europe. Had I been here for a weeks-or-so holiday I most likely would have needed to buy an extra bag to bring back clothes.
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