Bali

It’s not often that this blog adopts a negative tone, but I am sorry to say that Bali was something of a disappointment to us. The main towns have fallen victim to the travesties of tourism, which makes getting off the beaten track all the more important if one is to see the true beauty of this island. Our first destination, the Kuta region, was certainly not off the beaten track. A short walk around the area’s streets is made unpleasant by nose-to-tail traffic and unbearably persistent street sellers – much more abrasive that any we have encountered anywhere else in SE Asia. Even the beach, presumably one of Kuta’s main attractions, is good only for surfers and rather unattractive. Dangerous currents not only make swimming ill-advised, but also, during the rainy season, wash up tons of rubbish from elsewhere on the island. Although we were staying in Kuta’s more upmarket neighbour, Seminyak, in practice this meant only that the usual tacky souvenir shops are sandwiched between expensive Western-style boutiques. There was little sign of the beautiful locally-made goods that we would find elsewhere. Luckily for us, our little hotel had a lovely garden and plunge pool that provided a much-needed haven from the noise beyond its gates.

Our hotel’s peaceful little garden

Men defying the traffic to play chess on the road in Seminyak!

A live band plays on Seminyak beach as the sun sets. The dark hides the rubbish…

Enjoying a cocktail on Seminyak beach

Next up was Ubud, a town nestled near the island’s central mountains. This is the cultural capital of Bali, full of art galleries, hidden temples and traditional dance performances. On the main drag the traffic and hawkers once again reign supreme, but escaping down the little side streets reveals the town’s charms. Shops selling handicrafts from nearby villages jostle alongside quirky cafes selling delicious healthy food. Primarily, these cafes cater to the rather clichéd Eat, Pray, Love crowd, who spend their days practicing yoga, writing poetry on their Macbooks and sipping green, veggie-filled juices. We were not part of this clique, but we certainly enjoyed sampling the vegan and ‘raw’ food on offer, including the best and most inventive salads I’ve ever eaten. Luscious countryside surrounds Ubud, and a trip there wouldn’t be complete without a walk through the nearby paddy fields. However, it is advisable not to miss a turning, as we did, and have to walk several extra miles in soaring humidity! To make the most of our time here, we hired a wonderful local driver, Dewa, to show us more of the island. He took us to the vast, achingly-green rice terraces of Jatiluwih, a lakeside temple in the mountains and some wood-carving villages.

Quiet Ubud side street

Ubud’s Puri Saren Agung (Water Palace), set amidst the lily ponds.

Proof that healthy food tastes good! Incredible salad, complete with the best vegetarian satay ever 🙂

Jatiluwih rice terraces

Us at Jatiluwih, showing that we still get on after 5 months together!

Temple at Lake Bratan

Wood carving in a handicraft village

After Ubud, we journeyed north-east for the much needed peace of Amed. ‘Amed’ refers to a series of coastal villages that start with Amed in the North and run southeast to Aas. We picked the village of Jemeluk, situated in a lovely little black sand bay. The beach was full of fishing boats, debris and farm animals, for this is a place where local life continues alongside the emerging tourist trade. We stayed in a family-run guesthouse with only three rooms, and a great little café on the beach. It was simple, and it was heaven; in fact, Jemeluk became one of my favourite destinations of our entire 5 months travelling. We spent several relaxed days watching the world go by on the beach, or hiding from the rain on our sea-facing balcony. One of the highlights of our stay here was snorkelling. Just metres from the beach are a coral reef and hundreds of varieties of tropical fish! The only upsetting aspect of our stay was the children who sold souvenirs on the beach, evidently supplementing their families’ income rather than getting an education. Here, as with most places we have visited, life is terribly hard and the challenges to overcoming poverty seemingly insurmountable.

Jemeluk bay in the morning sun

Fisherman on Jemeluk beach

Boys playing high jump on Jemeluk beach

Ben enjoying a Bintang beer on our balcony

The beauty and poverty of local life seemed far off as we travelled south to Sanur and returned to Bali’s tourist trap. Although the restaurants and nightlife are inferior to those of the Kuta region, Sanur boasts one of Bali’s best beaches. Here, golden sand and calm blue water stretches for several miles. We hired bikes and cycled the length of the beaches’ well-maintained promenade, gazing enviously at the beachside resorts! Aside from sunbathing, there is little to do in Sanur, but we did make one great discovery: Massimo’s Italian restaurant. For the first time in our trip, we tasted authentic Italian food and, much to Ben’s delight, perfect gelato. Needless to say, we spent a couple of very enjoyable evenings there. Tomorrow we return to the airport and fly to Singapore, the last destination of our trip.

Sanur’s beautiful beach

Colourful fishing boats on Sanur beach