My Visual Travel Experience: Bali

My wife and I spent an eventful 6 days in Bali in the summer of 2013. I enjoyed the various Hindu temples, the museums, the beaches, the volcanoes and the natural beauty that we got to see. At the end of the trip, my wife said this was meant to be a relaxing trip, but given all that the island had to offer, it was anything but relaxing, much to her dismay!

The Indonesian island of Bali, with a population of about 3.7 million, lies in the middle of the Indonesian archipelago, and is an immensely popular tourist destination, famous for its beaches, volcanoes, Hindu temples, cultural dance performances based on Hindu mythology, and cuisines. The Balinese are thought to be descendants of migrants from southern China, who arrived around 2000 BC. Bali has a strong Hindu culture, traced down to Hindu kingdoms around the 10th century AD. In the 13th century AD, Bali came under Javanese occupation, but in the 15th century, it attained independence. The Dutch set up the Dutch East India Company in the 17th century, with their headquarters in Batavia (now Jakarta). Bali was projected by the Dutch as “the island of the gods” and became a popular destination for westerners. 

In 1942, Japan occupied the Dutch East Indies. Sukarno, a Javanese intellectual, was instrumental in getting independence in 1945. The Dutch returned to reclaim their colonies but there was fierce resistance and in 1949, Indonesia attained its independence as a sovereign nation. In 1965, there was a coup and Suharto took over from Sukarno. Suharto had an autocratic way of functioning but under his policies, Bali became a tourist haven. Initial tourists were hippies from Australia, but in the 1990's, as Indonesia transitioned from a dictatorship to a democracy, the island’s appeal spread, and Bali went on to become the tourist paradise that it is today. 

Besakih Temple Complex  is a large temple complex that lies at the base of the famous Gunung Agung volcano, and consists of 22 temples. It dates back to the 8th century AD, but large parts of the temple were destroyed in 1917 in an earthquake, and it was extensively reconstructed. It miraculously escaped damage in the 1963 eruption of Gunung Agung. It is one of Bali’s most impressive and revered temples.

Besakih Temple Complex

Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva Shrines, Besakih Temple Complex

Stairway, Besakih Temple Complex

Merus, Besakih Temple Complex

Pura Taman Ayun is a temple complex that lies within a moated setting. The temple was built in 1740 and later restored in 1937. The complex has ancestral shrines dedicated to the Mengwi family that ruled the region.  Some of the shrines are dedicated to Bali’s mountains.

Moat, Pura Taman Ayun

Merus, Pura Taman Ayun

Pura Ulun Danu Batur is a large temple complex that lies close to Lake Batur. The temple escaped damage in the 1917 volcanic eruption, and in 1926, the location was shifted to protect it from possible future eruptions.

Second Gateway, Pura Ulun Danu Batur

Inner Shrine, Pura Ulun Danu Batur

Entrance, Pura Ulun Danu Batur

Ganesha, Pura Ulun Danu Batur

Pura Tanah Lot is a temple that stands on a rock that lies in the sea about 100 meters from the coast. The island is accessible on foot only during low tide. There are numerous shops selling clothes, bags, handicrafts and souvenirs in the lanes leading up to the temple. Tanah means land and lot means sea, and the name implies the meeting point of the two.

Pura Tanah Lot

Souvenir Shop, Pura Tanah Lot

Goa Lawah is a temple that is suspected to date back to around the 10th century AD. It features temple rituals pertaining to the after-life. The temple complex has a large cave with thousands of fruit bats.

Entrance, Goa Lawah

Main Shrine, Goa Lawah

Bats, Goa Lawah

Goa Gajah, also called the Elephant Cave, dates back to the 11th century AD. The complex has a cave, springs and excavated works, all of which are reached by descending a flight of steps. The complex was discovered by westerners in 1923 and the springs were excavated in 1954.

Cave, Goa Gajah

Cave and Springs, Goa Gajah

Pura Taman Saraswati lies in Ubud and dates back to the 1950's. It is dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, the Goddess of learning and the arts. It is set within a lotus garden with a lotus pond. The complex also has the Lotus Café, which offers beautiful views.

Pura Taman Saraswati

Lotus Cafe

Pura Puseh is a temple in the town of Batuan. The beautiful architecture of the temple exemplifies the arts and crafts that Batuan is famous for. Gambuh, the well known court dance, is held in the temple complex on the 1st and 15th of every month.

Pura Puseh

Pura Luhur Uluwatu is one of Bali’s most sacred temples, and lies in southern Bali. The temple’s origins can be traced back to the 11th century AD, though it was rebuilt in the 16th century. The temple is perched up on a rock that rises above the sea. Close to the temple, every evening there is an outdoor Kecak dance performance of the Hindu mythological tale of the Ramayana.

Kecak Dance, Pura Luhur Uluwatu

Pura Luhur Uluwatu

Bali Museum in Denpasar opened in 1931 and has a fine collection of Balinese art. The museum is famous not only for its exhibits but also for its architectural style, which is in the form of a Balinese royal palace. Seen above to the left and right are images of traditional Balinese gateways.

Ceremonial Gateway, Bali Museum

Cannon, Bali Museum

Sculpture of Monkeys, Bali Museum

Pasar Burung is a lively bird market in Denpasar. Besides birds, there are also numerous animals that are kept in cages and are available for sale in this vibrant marketplace.

Pup, Pasar Burung

Roosters, Pasar Burung

Ubud’s Museum Puri Lukisan was set up in 1953, to conserve Ubud’s rich art tradition, as works of art were going to private collections all over the world. The museum has a fine collection of Balinese paintings and wood carvings. The grounds are a peaceful place, with their spacious gardens and ponds.

Ida Bagus Made's Dancing Keyak,
Museum Puri Lukisan

Ubud has a popular Monkey Forest Sanctuary, which has a large collection of long-tailed monkeys. Visitors can move around freely in the sanctuary, where the monkeys are out in the open. It is advisable to keep a bit of a distance, as the monkeys can attack if they feel threatened.

Monkey Forest Sanctuary

Gunung Batur is Bali’s most active volcano and lies next to Lake Batur, near the town of Kintamani. In 1917, it had a major eruption in which 1,000 people were killed. The slopes of Gunung Batur are dry and bereft of any vegetation, due to the regular volcanic activity.

Gunung Batur

Temen village has a famous coffee plantation. One can walk through the plantation, see coffee beans being roasted, taste different types of coffee and buy coffee  from the gift shop.

Coffee Plantation, Temen Village

Tegallagang has some stunning looking rice terraces.

Rice Terraces, Tegallagang

Tegenungam has an impressive waterfall.

Waterfall, Tegenungam

Kuta is  one of Bali’s most vibrant places, with a popular beach and streets lined with hotels, restaurants, pubs and nightclubs. There is also a popular night market. The beach is a favourite with swimmers, sun bathers and surfers.

Entrance, Kuta Beach

Kuta Beach

The Bali Bombing Memorial is situated a few hundred meters away from Kuta Beach. This memorial is dedicated to the 202 people who were tragically killed in a bomb blast in 2002.

Bali Bombing Memorial

The Legong dance at Abian Boga in Sanur is popular with tourists. The venue allows visitors the opportunity to enjoy the traditional Balinese dance while eating dinner.

Legong Dancers, Abian Boga

Batubulan is famous for the traditional Balinese Barong dance performances. The dancers wear traditional Balinese costumes, and some of them adorn masks.

Barong Dance, Batubulan

The Oberoi Bali is a luxury resort that lies in Semenyak. The resort is in traditional Balinese architectural style, and lies along the beach. The Semenyak Square Shopping Mall lies barely 500 meters away.

The Oberoi Bali

Bali has great options for foodies. A traditional Balinese meal typically consists of rice, a fried egg, different types of meat on skewers, chicken and salad.

A traditional Balinese meal

We had our share of adventures in Bali. By and large, the island was inexpensive, but on one particular occasion, we got ripped off and paid a heavy price for a simple meal at a basic shack. Back in 2013, it was around 10,000 Indonesian Rupiah to the US Dollar. That was a lot of zeros for our calculations, at least at the start of our visit. We mixed up the number of zeros and ordered a meal at this shack. We thought the bill would be the equivalent of USD10, but it came out to be USD 100. That was a total rip-off, given the kind of basic place it was, but we had no option but to pay. On another occasion, we had a hilarious incident with our driver. He was a friendly, chatty fellow, though his English was anything but fluent. We decided to stop at an expensive restaurant for lunch. We told the driver to go and have his food while we ate. Given his English, he totally misunderstood, and thought we had invited him to join us for lunch, so he sat our our table at this really expensive restaurant, and enjoyed his meal with us! 

All in all, it was a good trip. Yes, it turned out to be a lot more hectic than my wife would have wanted it to be, but we couldn't go there and miss out on the gems that the island had to offer. For me, the highlights were clearly the beautiful Hindu temples, the natural beauty, the friendly people, the delicious food, the world class beach resorts and the inexpensive prices. Yes, it was certainly a memorable trip!