Our 7 day trip began at Kuta, which is always busy with activity. Wina Holiday Villa was our home for 3 nights. The villa is tucked away in a quiet street; a 5-7 minute walk away from Kuta beach and the busy Kuta streets. It is extremely affordable and comfortable (request for the room on the ground floor, facing the pool!).
I've always loved doing sea activities. This time, we tried out something new, besides banana boat and jet skiing- we tried the flying fish. It was interesting, not as thrilling as it looks and lasted for a very short while (not worth the amount we paid). That evening, we decided to catch the Balinese sunset from Uluwatu Temple, which is set on a clifftop overlooking the Indian Ocean. The gorgeous sight of the sun slowly setting over the endless ocean, left us in awe.
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| View from Uluwatu Temple (Indian Ocean) |
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| When a dragonfly chose to get in the photo too (Sunset from Uluwatu Temple) |
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| Potato Head Beach Club |
Most tourists who visit Bali, would never miss out on the Balinese nightlife. The famous Potato Head Beach Club was the destination for our second night in Bali. We returned again on our last night, this time with our swimsuits, to take a dip in the club's pool, overlooking the beach. If you want to chill with a few delicious cocktails while treating your eyes to pretty amazing views, this club's for you! We also made it a point to visit Skygarden, a club which was recommended by a friend. If you like to socialize and meet people from all around the world while doing goofy dance moves to catchy tunes, this is the place to be at. We had an amazing time there!
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| The bedroom (Ubud Raya Villas) |
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| Our outdoor toilet (Ubud Raya Villas) |
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| Our private pool at Ubud Raya Villas |
The highlight of our trip has got to be the 2 nights we spent at Ubud, the cultural hub of Bali. I loved it so much. It is a vast contrast to the crowded and noisy Kuta. Ubud Raya Villas was our accommodation for the next 2 nights. The Villa is gorgeous (I'll let the pictures above speak for themselves), although it's in a secluded area, 10 minutes away from the city. It is convenient and cheap to rent bikes in the area. The roads are not as congested as the ones in Kuta so it is safer to ride around in Ubud.
With many gorgeous Balinese sunsets witnessed, we decided we need to catch an amazing Balinese sunrise too! We heard many good reviews about the Mount Batur sunrise trek so we decided to give it a shot (best decision!). We set out from our villa at 3 in the morning. After a 2 hour drive, we reached the base of Mount Batur (the active volcano which is 1717m above sea level). Trekking up the mountain in pitch dark was definitely not an easy feat. Although we took only an hour to reach the summit, the journey up was arduous because of the rocky paths (it's easy to slip so it's advisable to have proper trekking shoes on). I regretted wearing my curved based sports shoes because I could feel the rocks through the sole of my shoes and my ankle would twist each time I stepped on a huge rock. Thanks to the experienced guide who stayed with us throughout, we reached the peak successfully.
Any exhaustion we felt disappeared upon reaching the summit and witnessing the amazing views. It left us both speechless! I'll let the photos below convince you. (Caution: There are many monkeys at the summit so keep your food and bags safe unless you want to share a meal with them too. They are generally cute and harmless. The descend to the base was more challenging than the ascend as it is easy to slip on the small rocks and volcanic sand...so be cautious.) A visit to Bali would definitely be incomplete without a visit to this place.
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Cloud nine! (Mount Batur) |
The food and massages in Ubud were really good and considerably cheaper than the ones in Kuta/Seminyak. We spent most of our time in the town area. Other activities you can consider are cycling through paddy fields, attending free cooking lessons in the villa and visiting small villages in Ubud. Due to time constraint, I was not able to do them. But I'm definitely going back to try them all! Bali was definitely one of my best trips and 7 days was just not enough.
