Selamat!
Also known as the Land of the Gods, Bali is an enchanting destination that often gets mistaken for its own country. Bali is a province in Indonesia. It is the only Hindu province in a predominantly Muslim country. By way of its sheer natural beauty of pending volcanoes, lush terraced rice fields, this destination exudes peace and serenity. Moreover, Bali captivates with its beautiful dances, colorful ceremonies, its arts, great food and its luxurious beach resorts.
Bali is home to many temples….The Island of the Gods has more than 10,000 temples, all of which play host to regular ceremonies honoring deities at every stage of life. As places of worship, Balinese communities put in significant effort to ensure that their temples are as beautiful and well-maintained as possible, reflecting the significance of these buildings in Balinese society.
Hindu influences reached this Indonesian Archipelago as early as the first century. There are two major theories for the arrival of Hinduism. The first is that South Indian sea traders brought Hinduism with them. The second describes how Indonesian royalty first embraced Indian religions and culture, and soon after, the masses followed their lead. Whichever theory you choose to prescribe to, it really bears no impact on the ubiquitous Hindu influence that continues to be honored throughout Bali.
Fun fact: The Balinese view the physical body as a fleeting vessel made of earth, air, fire, water, and space that is ultimately meaningless but serves as a container for the immortal soul. When the body dies, the soul moves on to another body. This is based on the principles of Samsara or re-incarnation.
Food & Beverage
There’s a lot to experience in Bali…from the beaches to the jungles to the beautiful Hindu traditions that locals practise every day. But another huge part of Balinese culture is the food. The main ingredients of Balinese cuisine are spices and herbs such as ginger, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass, limes, coriander seeds and a generous amount of chili.
Satay is a must-try culinary delight that is now prepared and served in many different versions around the world. Tenderized skewered chicken is soaked in a peanut sauce that is a harmonious balance of a little coconut and elevated by the zing of tamarind.
Nasi Goreng is a classic fried rice dish that is also considered to be one of the most loved dishes in Indonesian cuisine. In fact, it’s considered one of the country’s national dishes. Although it’s often served for breakfast, nasi goreng is a staple menu item in Bali for any meal of the day. This rice dish can be made with chicken, prawns and shredded omelette:)
Soto Ayam is an Indonesian version of chicken soup. The soup’s base is a clear herbal broth brightened by fresh turmeric and herbs, with skinny rice noodles buried in the bowl. It is served with a boiled egg, fried shallots, celery leaves and herbs, and is hearty enough for a meal.
Sate Lilit is made from minced pork, fish, chicken, beef or even turtle meat (I will never eat) which is then mixed with grated coconut, thick coconut milk, lemon juice, shallots, and pepper. The spiced minced meat is wound around bamboo, sugar cane or lemongrass sticks, it is then grilled on charcoal. The terms “lilit” means “to wrap around”, which corresponds to its making method of wrapping around rather than skewering the meat.
Mei Goreng are fried yellow wheat noodles that are cooked in a soy sauce with sambal, kecap manis (sweet soy), sesame oil, ketchup, and oyster sauce. This dish offers an ideal blend of savory and sweet
Gado Gado salad is an Indonesian-style salad. It’s made with a range of cooked and/or raw vegetables. There is usually cabbage, green beans, bean sprouts, carrots and Asian greens . All of this is topped with fried tempeh, tofu, boiled eggs and a sumptuous satay sauce!
Lawar is a dish that is made from a mixture of vegetables, coconut and minced meat mixed with rich herbs and spices. Despite its rich vegetable mixture, lawar is not a vegetarian dish, since most often it is mixed with minced meat.
Tum Ayam is another popular Balinese dish where minced chicken is mixed together with flavorful spices and coconut milk, wrapped snugly in banana leaves, and the steamed it or grilled. This dish consist of mixtures of minced chicken, shallots, garlic, coconut milk, spice paste, chili, and peppercorn.
Bubur Injin is Balinese black rice pudding made from black rice mix with the glutinous rice to obtain the smoothness consistency and texture. It is sweetened with palm sugar, and then drenched with coconut sauce. It is a very delightful dessert!
Pandan (Chiffon Cake) is a delicacy made from pandan leaves. It has a distinctive light green color. Chiffon cakes are fluffy and delicate and just make you want to take a huge bite! This Pandan chiffon cake also uses pandan asian flavouring to give a vibrant green colour and an aromatic but delicate taste. It is super tasty, especially if blueberry filling is added:)
Things to do around Bali
Denpasar
Denpasar is a lively, multi-cultural city and although it can seem a little intimidating at first, the food, the spas, the shopping and the vibrant nightlife is all part and parcel. Bali’s capital is bristling with temples, palaces, museums and pretty rad shopping. The locals are incredibly hospitable and this destination is safe. The best part about Denpasar is that the main sights can be comfortably reached on foot.
The Turtle Conservation and Education Center is not a huge tourist attraction, but rather a small center doing its best to conserve Bali’s turtle population. You can volunteer at this place by cleaning the turtle enclosures, feeding the turtles and cleaning and scrubbing the turtle shells. It’s a really good way to spend a day in Bali.
And as the center is run by volunteers, tourist donations also go a long way to helping keep the operations running. The centre does so by hosting injured animals, collecting nests from tourist beaches, and buying eggs from locals (preventing them from being consumed). Eggs are bred at the center and the hatchlings are raised for about one month and then released into the wild.
Here, there is a resident turtle population, some are more than 90 years old. These are the turtles that would not be able to live in the sea independently due to injury. However, the center nurses turtles back to health. While visiting, you can adopt a turtle prior to its release into the sea. You can give the adopted turtle back to nature with your own hands. Adopted and turtle release sessions run from April to September. Some of these turtles have had their limbs amputated from fishing lines, or bubble butt from ingesting plastic.
Taman Abandoned Amusement Park was an over $90 million project that was supposed to bring tourists to the city of Sanur. However, the project was abandoned for unknown reasons in 2000, and it never opened its doors to the public despite being ready for people to enjoy.
Most locals refuse to enter the Park because of a Balinese belief that evil spirits make their homes in abandoned properties. On top of this, there is an urban legend that when the financiers abandoned the Amusement Park, they also left all of the crocodiles in the crocodile pit. It’s said that they’re still in the Park to this day, ready to devour unsuspecting travelers. Because of these stories, Taman Festival is considered to be one of the most haunted locations in the entire world.
Nowadays, explorers can see what happens when Mother Nature is given the chance to completely take over society. Vines and trees grow through buildings, destroying some buildings completely. Parts of the ground remain soft and squishy because the buildings and tree lines prevent sunlight from reaching the ground.
While a ghost town, Taman Festival is brought to life by brilliant graffiti art, creating a weird combination of Raiders of the Lost Ark and a freeway underpass. That being said, it only adds to the mystery and allure of the location.
Tanah Lot Temple dates back to the 16th century. Dang Hyang Nirartha was said to be the one who created a 3 temple system in Balinese villages. While traveling along the southern coast of Bali, he saw the little rock-island and decided to spend the night. The rock was known as Gili Beo, which means a bird-shaped rock, located in Beraban village. He then felt an enlightenment, that this was a holy place to build a shrine. This temple complex is my favorite in Bali. It’s just so ethereal and breathtaking to look at 🙂
Ulun Danu Beratan Temple was built in 1663 and is dedicated to the Hindu Gods Brajma, Vishnu and Shiva as well as the goddess of the lake, Dewi Danu. The name of the temple means the power or source temple of Lake Beratan. The design is actually a combination of Hindu and Buddhist architecture.
Ulun Danu is composed of 4 different temples. These are the Lingga Petak temple, the Penataran Pucak Mangu Temple, the Terate Bang Temple and the Dalem Purwa temple. The 3 main temples in the complex are tiered shrines. The shrines are each of different heights. The tallest, 11 tiers, is dedicated to Vishnu, the second tallest, seven tiers, to Brahma and the shortest, 3 tiers, is dedicated to Shiva.
Jatiluwih Rice Terraces in the heart of Tabanan Regency is the best example of Bali’s outstanding picturesque rice fields. They are also a UNESCO’s World Heritage Site. Jatiluwih, in the Balinese language means “Beautiful Teak”. Here, explorers can marvel at the vast expanses of terraced, green rice paddies stepped along an entire mountain.
The fields that make up this area are inseparable from the traditional Subak irrigation system. This is a traditional method preserved for centuries and passed down through generations. Because Bali is blessed with 150 rivers and streams, this provides valuable water year round to irrigate here.
These fields are managed by villagers through village cooperatives. Since farmers depend on the successful irrigation of the fields, the different Subaks form an inseparable bond that unites into a single system.
Bali Upside Down World is a fun place to spend a couple of hours goofing off. There are at least 8 rooms with different themes that you can experience. There’s pictures on the wall to help guide you in finding the coolest poses. There are also markers on the floor to help you figure out where to stand to get the most optimal angle! This was actually a lot of fun!
Pura Luhur Batukaru is a sacred and holy site. There is a tiny island shrine in the centre, and it is only the priests of Pura Luhur Batukaru that are allowed access it. There are numerous moss-covered pathways that sprawl out into the forest. We got matching sarongs while visiting this place which we thought was quite special.
This particular temple plays an important role in the lives of the Balinese Hindus. Locals come to this place to draw holy water for use in agricultural ceremonies. During the Galungan festivities, devotees flock to Pura Luhur Batukaru to pay their respects and lay offerings.
Elephant care and mud bath allows regular people to volunteer their time and to get down and dirty with their friendly Sumatran elephants. You get to learn all about their behavior and lifestyle from the experienced mahouts (or handlers). These elephants have been saved from the illegal poaching, illegal logging or pet trade. Most are quite weary of humans. Elephants have long memories so they remember who treated them unkindly. They tend to be weary of all humans for good reason.
Sumatran elephants typically have smaller tusks but they are enough to tempt poachers who kill the animals and sell their tusks on the illegal ivory market. Only male Asian elephants have tusks so every poaching event further skews the sex ratio further constraining breeding rates for the species.
Elephants love to bask in mud during the summer months because their high body temperature generates a great deal of metabolic heat. And with no sweat glands to relieve their internal thermometers they rely on mud to stay cool and protect themselves from the heat of the sun because even though their hide looks tough, elephants can actually get sunburned.
Kuta Beach Surfing is a spectacular place to either catch some waves or watch on the sidelines. There are always a ton of surfers in the water waiting patiently to get the best waves. There are surf lessons and classes offered every day of the week and many surf ships are located nearby 🙂
Nusa Penida
Nusa Penida has some of the most breathtaking beaches and viewpoints in all of Bali. The dive sites are simply unmatched and after my first diving experience here a decade ago, I couldn’t wait to return.
Nusa Penida is the largest offshore island in Bali. There are speedboats that depart daily from Bali’s mainland. The island is home to a bird sanctuary, uncrowded white sand beaches, sacred temples, and some of Bali’s best dive sites.
Ubud
Ubud is located in the central highlands of Bali, and is a popular destination where breathtaking waterfalls, sweeping rice paddies, and rich culture charm the socks off of everyone who visits. From water temples to cave tubing rides, there are many exciting things to do in Ubud.
The Mengening Water Temple is easily the most recognizable site in Bali due to “Eat, Pray, Love”. It is also an important Holy Site used by locals and tourists during a purification ritual to cleanse one’s soul from evil. Taking part in this sacred ceremony, is a lively experience where you’ll be wrapped in a sarong, and a Hindu priest will guide you into the cool springs.
The Sacred Monkey Forest is one of the funnest things to do in Ubud because you will meet the cheekiest primates on the island. “Cheeky” is an understatement, the local monkey residents are pretty obnoxious. The forest is home to roughly 700 long-tailed macaques.
They freely roam the jungle, swinging, eating, and doing their monkey business. They tend to be very friendly and like to climb all over people. These monkeys are known for their intelligence, but they have a sneaky side. There’s a good chance you’ll end up being robbed of your shades, drinks, and other random trinkets they might find, so beware!
Tegenungan Waterfall is one of the island’s most beautiful waterfalls! Perched among the lush, tropical landscapes that define Bali’s appeal. It is a jaw dropping and a captivating natural wonder. This waterfall is a tranquil escape, that embraces nature’s pristine beauty.
Tegalalang is a UNESCO World heritage Rice terrace is nestled in a valley that provides extraordinarily scenic lookouts over the terraces and surrounding green landscape. Tegallalang Rice Fields form the three most stunning-looking terraced landscapes in Ubud region.
Ubud Traditional Art Market sells some of the most authentic Balinese items, as well as a universal assortment of fun products. catering to all kinds of tastes. Haggling is expected and if it encouraged as part of the fun of shopping in Bali. I like to decide what I’m willing to pay for an item before I start to bargain.
Celuk Village is one of many famous Balinese traditional villages that boasts some pretty epic gold and silver handicrafts. Since 1976, Celuk silver and goldsmiths have been showcasing their artistic skills and creating intricate designs (with varying patterns). Most of them are jewelry made here are comprised of necklaces, earrings, bracelets, broaches and Balinese ceremonial accessories.
Silversmith classes are offered by most shops offer a glimpse into the creation of their pieces as well. What’s fun about this village is that there are ample opportunities to have a custom made piece made 🙂 I decided to experience the art of silversmithing in the most serene and charming studio nestled in Celuk. I thought it would be a fun way to learn about this type of craftsmanship.
The class was perfect for beginners and experienced makers alike. The workshop offered the highest quality craftsmanship and it specialized in creating unique pieces of jewelry. From rings to necklaces. The talented team guided me through the process, resulting in a stunning piece of wearable art. I made a hammered sterling silver bracelet which I thought was simple yet elegant!
You start by pressing your silver to flatten it. Then you stamp it for the 925 logo and any other special logo you want to add. I added my name. It takes about 3 to 4 hammer strokes to get the logos added. Next up is heat using a torch. This makes sure everything is set into the silver. After torching the silver is placed into cold water and then removed immediately. The piece has to be sanded down next. After this step is complete, the logo has to be oxidized and heated again. The final steps include polishing, the bending of the metal into your masterpiece and a final sanding. The process should take a person anywhere from an hour to 2 hours from start to finish….and voila!
Swing heaven is located deep in the jungles of Ubud. When the age of instagramming began, these parts became the perfect playground for the likes of Instagram and its participants.
What makes this place unique and pretty epic is that upon arrival you get to choose a dress that will be fitted to your liking. After this is done, you hand your phone off to the expert photographers that capture each and every angle on the many different swings. There are nests in trees, jungle baskets, jungle swings, stairs and rocks that overlook the valley below. There is even an infinity pond with Koi fish.
This slice of tree top heaven is locally owned and operated. It has evolved from a niche type activity into a must-see destination. We can all thank influencers and the Kardashians for this 🙂 15 stories below the greenery is the Ayung River valley. It is truly impressive to see beneath the swings. sky being the only limit, here you can swing towards the heavens, and to your hearts content.
After you are done being a model for a couple of hours, you are offered a beautiful meal in a restaurant overlooking the valley. It really is a special way to spend half a day, especially if you want to feel like a Princess. Our session coincided with Valentine’s Day which made it even more special:)
White Water Rafting on the Ayung River is an exhilarating experience. First off, you are deep within the jungle. It is quite a trek to get down to the river from the countryside of Ubud.
The river itself is fast moving and it’s decorated very generously with rocks so falling out of the raft could be painful. When not maneuvering the rapids and rocky areas, we were able to enjoy some very serene scenery. There were numerous waterfalls, temples, monkeys and monitor lizards. On a hot and humid day, the cool breeze in this jungle and tepid water was welcome!
Mount Batur is an active volcano that is one of the best (but most challenging) sunrise hikes on the island. The Mount Batur hike to the summit takes around 2-3 hours and climbing this bad boy rewards its submitters with stunning panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and Lake Batur.
The caldera contains an active, 700 metre in height stratovolcano rising above the surface of Lake Batur. The first documented eruption of Batur was in 1804, and it has been frequently active since then. The last eruption occurred in 2000.
Worth the visit or not: MEH, I’m on the fence!
Coming here 10 years ago was incredible. However, the rise of social media combined with the introduction of influencers has turned this once quiet paradise into a chaotic, over-touristy and run down destination. Bali still has lots to offer and do but, most places now cater to tourists by offering kitsch experiences instead of authentic ones. The traffic has become an unfathomable nightmare because the infrastructure simply cannot handle the mass of amounts of people, cars, mopeds and motorcycles. It’s just not feasible for such a small island. Add climate change to the mix and you have unpredictable rains that flood out roads routinely.
Most people don’t come here to experience the culture. They come for the “Instagram worthy pictures”. The culture here though, is where it’s at. Things like offerings…offerings are called “canang sari” and they can be found on the streets when visiting temples, stores, and other parts of the island. Bali’s population shows its gratitude to the Gods through these offerings and they are part of many rituals in daily life. It’s a unique glimpse into a peaceful and thankful culture that bases their entire existence on creating good karma for themselves and others!
Balinese culture focuses on balance and harmony. Much of this is reflected in the plentiful rituals, festivals and ceremonies which are tirelessly practiced to show gratitude to the Hindu Gods. The Hindu influences are combined with the original ancestor worship practices on the island to create their own customs separate from Indian Hinduism giving Bali its own distinct charm.
And….Balinese people are super friendly. Everyone smiles at each other in greeting. When you wear an open, friendly smile on your face, it will be both appreciated and returned in kind. The Balinese really are kind and hospitable which makes this destination all that more inviting.
Bali is also a foodies paradise that has mastered the right blend of spice with the right amount of comfort in their dishes. Indonesian cuisine is generously served during gatherings or festivities such as Galungan Day, a holiday that celebrates the victory of good over evil on the island of Bali 🙂
Bali possesses an extremely diverse and breathtaking landscape. It has a lot of bases covered by way of white sandy beaches, turquoise waters, lush jungles, gorgeous waterfalls, and ricefield terraces. Bali has become a playground for instagrammers and its growing popularity has put the spotlight on environmental issues.
Increased pollution and waste management deficiencies generated from a surge in tourists have contributed to these environmental issues. 10 years ago when I first visited Bali there were indicators and warnings especially in and around some of the more popular beaches like Kuta. The accumulation of litter is damaging the fragile ecosystems that surround Bali and that much is glaringly obvious. Sadly, at least once a year, the accumulation of shipping waste and ocean plastic hits some of Bali’s most popular beaches This year the waste has begun to flow onto the shore earlier than expected.
However, many unique experiences continue to draw in people in are there for you to discover in Bali. There are still many places here offer both sustainable and exciting activities to try like jungle swings and spas. In fact, Bali boasts some of the best spa treatments that will rejuvenate your mind, body, and soul.
Happy Travels 🙂