What an island in the midst of beaches, monkeys, temples, foods and active volcanoes! Sunsets that make you smile without any reason. Warm people, beautiful dances, easy communication and temples that held us in awe. The island, Bali, is filled with incredible things to see and activities to indulge in, for every age group – great place to pamper yourself. We experienced lovely weather, amazing food, excellent architecture, and many things to buy within our budget. Sarika tells us about the fun and frolic in Bali, in the regular column, exclusively for Different Truths.
I know not who paints the pictures of Bali on canvas.
Where god is worshiped in the stroke of sunset
Where beauty is extraordinary panoramic view
Where sunset and smiling sunrise play together but, at times, the sea-waves roar
Romantic breeze extend their humble hand to make the place a paradise.
Whereas beautifully sculpted temples, decaying, have their own stories to tell…
Our destination was Bali, recently. Holidays are mostly planned by Mrinal, my husband. This time he suggested that we visit Bali.
The day we landed at Bali, at the Denpasar Airport, we realised that our suitcases were missing. My face turned into 10 shades of gray predicting it will be my worst trip ever. But, my over enthusiastic and ever cheerful man assured me and asked for a selfie to cheer my mood. Thankfully, after 20 gloomy hours (only for me) the airport authority dropped our baggage at the hotel. Until then my son and I survived wearing Mrinal’s teeshirts.
What an island in the midst of beaches, monkeys, temples, foods and active volcanoes! Sunsets that make 
you smile without any reason. Warm people, beautiful dances, easy you smile without any reason. Warm people, beautiful dances, easy communication and temples that held us in awe. The island, Bali, is filled with incredible things to see and activities to indulge in, for every age group. It is also a great place to pamper yourselves. It was great to be in Bali, where our Indian currency is valued. We experienced lovely weather, amazing food, excellent architecture, and many things to buy within our budget.
On the next day, we started our trip with a chauffeur-cum- tour guide. He resembled Danny Denzongpa, the Bollywood actor. He was warm, friendly and calm. He entertained our son with jokes and music.
Our first tourist spot was Tanah Lot. It was a complete bliss from the cliff tops, looking out to the sea. It is very well maintained in midst of sea and it is surrounded by the sea with constant crashing waves. Both father and son took off their shoes and walked through shallow flowing water. The over protective dad was initially reluctant to allow our son, but later on, along with a lifeguard, he agreed. Our lad had his lifetime experience.
Mrinal and I decided at least once, every year, we will go for vacations and we would relax and pamper ourselves with spa, massages, relaxed walking and meeting local people. So now we plan our trip in such a way that we relax for a day at least. Bali is perfect in every sense for relaxing. We experienced Balinese massage, which is extremely relaxing. It made our trip a memorable one!
In the land of 1000 temples, Uluwatu Temple is located in Budung. It’s rooted firmly at the top and the tip of a very steep cliff. Around the temple, here is a small forest inhabited by monkeys. Monkeys are very popular for their mischievous nature. Every evening, before sunset, one may watch the Kecak dance, in the backyard where we saw a beautiful sunset. I soaked in the enchanting sunset, which is still fresh in my memory.
We have many common religious backgrounds, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, Ghototkoch are important in Balinese culture. They are also huge fans of Shah Rukh Khan (SRK), the Bollywood king.
The island is also famous for its beautiful sculpture. Almost every house’s has beautiful sculpted gates, other than the temples. It is mandatory for visitors to the temples to cover their legs with sarongs.
Nusa Dua is located on the southern part of the island. A magnificent place for water sports – snorkeling, parasailing, banana boats, jet-skies, flying fish….you just name it. It was heaven for the father-son dup. They enjoyed it to the core, while I clicked photos and spent some quality time with the Java Sea.
Our next destination was Kintamoni, the most favourite tourist destination. Mount Batur volcano and the lake are serene. Kintamoni is surrounded by magnificent nature, is consisted of some villages. Mount Batur is located at Kintamani and it has erupted 24 times since 1800 and is still active today. Lake Batur is the largest lake in Bali. It is also the source of irrigation to the farmers around it. It is very popular because of its panoramic view.
Bali is also famous for its long stretches of white and black sand beaches. Popular beaches are Kuta, Seminyak, Legian, Ubad, Nusa Dua and so on. Every seashore has its story. Many people visit Bali to just to enjoy the beach culture.
The land is filled with lush rice terraces in every possible shade of green! It is breathtaking mostly in countryside areas around Ubud. A magnificent scenery with its terrace paddy. We stayed for some time in an eatery to enjoy the view, while having lunch next to the lush rice fields. It was a lovely bright day. We enjoyed the fresh air, food, Bintang and magnificent view.
The most adventurous things in Bali is the Ubad Monkey forest. It is one of the Bali’s most popular attractions. It is home for mischievous and trained monkeys. Both father and son fed them bananas and nuts and I enjoyed my photography.
Apart from sun and beaches, we also thoroughly enjoyed our food. It is also a haven for the foodies. Rice is staple food for Balinese people. Popular food from Bali are, Satay- marinated in skewered and grilled meats, served with spicy sauce also consists of beef, pork, fish, tofu and lots of steamed vegetables. Some popular dishes are:
1. Nasi Ayam 
2. Babi Guling
3. Jimbaran Seafood
4. Traditional cakes and desserts
5. Nasi Goreng
6. Lawar…and much more.
Apart from these, we also liked Sambal sauce very much.
It is a shopping paradise. You just need to know how to bargain it. We bought few dresses and souvenir for our near and dear ones and we also collected lots of beautiful lifelong memories.
I would like to travel around the globe not to escape life, rather for life to not escape me, anytime.
©Sarika Sarkar Das
Photos by the author.
#Travelogue #TravelToBali #Beaches #WaterSports #Vacation #TripToBali #PlacesToVisitInBali #FoodsOfBali #NatureOfBali
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