Tourist Island of Indonesia : Bali

Bali was always on my bucket list and to fulfill this wish was a dream come true. We flew (me and my husband) from Mumbai to Denpasar in the month of December last year. Immigration process on arrival was pretty quick and our smiling guide was waiting outside the immigration hall to welcome us.

Bali has lot to offer : Art, Culture, Adventure, Spirituality, Yoga, Spa etc. We had the privilege at looking at all of the above closely. There are accommodations to suit every traveler ranging from budget to luxury. We stayed at Grand Mirage Resort, on the  beach of Nusa Dua. The resort's restaurant was amazing with great food choice.

Nusa Dua is the area in the southern part of Bali, know for its five star resorts. Its half an hour drive from Denpasar, the Capital of Bali. Though it is the most developed area in Bali due to tourism, it still houses many Temples, Museum, Golf course, White gold sandy beaches  and many other nearby highlights. The famous water blow is situated here which is a spot where giant splash of sea water occurs resulting from waves hitting the rock.

There are also lot of water sport centers around Nusa Dua for activities like Scuba Diving, Jetski, Banana Boat ride, snorkeling, Waterski, Parasailing etc. We chose to go for Scuba Diving and Jetski and it was one of the best experience we had.

Our adventure continued and one amazing evening was hilltop temple overlooking the Indian Ocean in Uluwatu where we saw the Kecak Dancing (Ramayana performance). The performance was of men wearing checked cloth around their waist and chant in unison followed by artists performing in the form of a play. The evening was followed by authentic Balinese dinner in one of local restaurant.

Balinese people are very spiritual and artistic people. Every house has intricate designs and it can be difficult to differentiate between a house and a temple, as the structure of the house is practically same as the temple. Villages in Bali are continues and are just divided by small signs.

Our next stop was Ubud, the cultural hub of Bali, surrounded by beautiful rice paddies, country side and jungle, wellness retreat and of course art. Our accommodation at Alaya Resort took my breath away. Main town on one side and jungle on the other, the resort was one of the beautiful places to stay in. Along with it, the rains increased the beauty of the place with cool climate and greenery all around.

Our first visit at Ubud was to the Royal Palace, followed by the Taman Ayun Temple before arriving at the Monkey Forest where mischievous monkeys roam free. It was crazy monkeying around with them but we did manage to take few pictures to prove it. There is Tegenungan which is a scenic waterfall in lush green setting is a great stopover for nature lovers staying in Ubud and the Kemenuh Butterfly park is truly a magical place and  home to hundreds of different types of butterfly.

Ubud is place known for art and artifacts. On the streets of this town, there are numerous art galleries displaying local artists works of both painting and wooden sculptures. There are couple of villages around this place which is said to be specialized in particular art form (painting/sculpture) and every house has at least one artist among them. There are lot of shops selling souvenir for tourist to take it back with them.

High quality Silver Jewelry is produced here, with beautiful and intricate designs hand crafted from the beginning. One can visit the factories to view its manufacturing and buy them from factory outlets for reasonable price. It is also a foodie destination with lot of  restaurants with cuisine options with international dishes on its menu. There are also plenty of activities such as hiking, rafting, yoga and meditation which are popular around this place. A Bali vacation is not complete without visiting Ubud.

The famous volcanic mountains of Kintamani Valcano and Mount Batur which are must visit places of Bali. Our next visit was to the Tanah Lot Temple, the most photographed temple in Bali. Few miles away from Ubud, this temple sites on the edge of large offshore rock. One has to wonder how such a masterpiece was created, simple amazing!

Bali is evocative and most popular tourist island of Indonesia.  It is exactly what we had in mind with warm and friendly people, simple lifestyle, sense of spirituality in every Balinese, is truly a friendly tourist destination. Where some areas in Bali has suffered from over commercialism, it remains as one of places worth visiting.