Natural Bali
by Gabrielle Warncke, Luxury Travel Advisor
My travel experiences generally fall into two categories; places I’m interested in exploring for cultural or geographic reasons, and places I want to explore while suited up in my SCUBA gear. This year, my dive group settled on the Komodo Islands in Indonesia. My inner adventurer was so excited when I learned that our starting and ending points would be Bali! This allowed me to combine a dive trip with an extension to explore an island that has always intrigued me.
Our trip started in Denpasar, on Bali. The first stop was at Padang Bay, where we saw the Mola Mola, also called the Sunfish. It’s a rare sighting and we were lucky to see one on each dive in this area. The next few days took us to Moyo Island as well as Bima Bay on Sumbawa Island. Both areas are known for macro sightings, which are the tiny creatures many divers might pass by and never even notice, such as seahorses or porcelain crabs.
Our fourth day took us to Sangiang Volcano where I experienced something unlike never before. While underwater exploring, I felt the rumble of the active volcano. I was overcome with a mix of intrigue, excitement, and a little bit of fear of the unknown!
The remaining portion of the diving trip was spent exploring sites throughout the Komodo and Rinca Islands. Experiences ranged from seeing the graceful Manta Rays with their extensive wingspan and acrobatic movements, to minuscule nudi branches, including the spectacular Spanish Dancer. Some of the sites were so healthy and abundant with sea life that it felt like I was floating through the pages of a National Geographic photo journal.
With my diving concluded, I made my way back to Denpasar. Upon arrival, I was off to explore the life and culture of the local Balinese people. I started with a short trip to Seminyak, on the west coast. This hip and chic area is growing significantly and offers many great restaurants, shopping, and nightlife opportunities. Tanah Lot is a water temple worth visiting - I highly recommend an early morning excursion to avoid the traffic and the crowds. Continuing to the north, I checked out the UNESCO World Heritage site of Jatiluwih. The landscape is a sculpture that was meticulously perfected over hundreds of years by many generations of farmers. These skilled agriculturalists collectively created an intricate infrastructure of dams, canals, and aqueducts to irrigate their individual rice fields. When I walked through the terraces, the gentle song of water that continuously trickled down from one rice paddy into the next was mesmerizing.
Ubud is the artistic and cultural center of Bali. The ARMA museum is a living museum that showcases many different types of art. I was able to observe artisans engaged in various Balinese art forms; painting, woodcarving, batik, weaving, and dancing. Visitors are able to participate in classes of their choosing. Should you wish to add pieces of art to your collection, there are many local shops that line the streets of Ubud.
Another amazing part of the Ubud area is the natural setting within a 30-60 minute drive. I opted for some hiking and a downhill mountain biking experience that took me on the country roads through the rice terraces. This is where I was able to see the real Bali, and felt that I experienced a significant step back in time. Even my guide, who grew up in a farming family, acknowledged the simplicity of the Balinese living in the countryside and the lack of basic conveniences. We passed local children playing in their yards and local farmers working in the rice fields, or gathering grass to take back to their livestock. We saw locals bathing in the streams or carrying large tubs of water on their heads to take back to their homes.
My explorations continued on to the east of Bali which is less visited by the average traveler because of the distance from Denpasar. However, the area near and to the east of Manggis was my favorite part of the country. I took a fantastic hike from Kastala to the Tenganan Village, which was another great exploration into the “real” Bali. In addition, two of the temples, Tirta Gangga and Taman Ujung, are well-preserved and less visited. They were enjoyable to explore without the crowds and had a less “touristy” feel. While in this area, I stayed at Amankila, where the service was superb. The tranquility of the property was a welcome experience after long days of traveling and touring.
The final leg of my journey brought me back to the Uluwatu and Jimbaran areas in Southern Bali, which did not disappoint. The service I experienced at the Bulgari Bali was second to none and the property was stunning. It could be a destination in and of itself. I visited the Uluwatu Temple and enjoyed the Kecak Dance performance (which describes the eternal love story of Rama and Shinta, two deities in Hinduism) and will never forget watching this dance as the sun set in the background.
I found Bali to be very different from other parts of Indonesia; a melting pot of individuals from various parts of the country with a wonderful mix of culture, luxury properties, historic temples, and active experiences.