Bali, one of the world’s most popular holiday destinations, was my last stop before I embarked back to Kuala Lumpur. There are so many westerners in this island and at some part you would see there are more westerners than the locals. I decided to include Bali in our travel programs because I felt it’s better to move forward to Bali from Ijen rather than headed back to Surabaya to catch a flight to Kuala Lumpur.

We decided to rent a car plus the driver to get us around the island. It costs us 350,000 rupiah. There are also motorbikes available for rent, which we knew after we had decided on the car. If not, I would surely opt for the bike as it would be a memorable experience touring the island by bike.

Kuta

Jalan Poppies

We stayed in Kuta area, where the popular Kuta beach is located. We purposely search for a place to stay near the beach area in order to relax ourselves after the tiring journey. The area was heavily developed as it’s the most popular place among foreigners coming to Bali. There are many shopping centers, souvenir shops, restaurant, pub, bar and also massage parlors in the area. Even the famous Hard Rock Café Bali also is situated in this area.

Kuta beach area

One of the surfers

The beach area is really a surfer’s paradise. You would see many surfers trying out their skills there.

Lovely sunset

Another sunset

It’s also a great spot for you to enjoy the sunset. Many people would sit down by the beach to watch the sunset.

Along Jalan Legian

The 2002 Bali bombings memorial

The memorial of the 2002 Bali bombings is also in this area. It’s to be found somewhere in Jalan Legian where it was built at the spot of the bombings. The memorial was erected to remember the 202 victims who died during the bombings. All the names of the victims were carved on the marble plaque there.

Tanah Lot

the gate

We headed to Tanah Lot which is about 40 minutes drive from Kuta area. Actually it’s not that far but there are lots of traffic on the way there. The entrance fee was 10,000 rupiah and the parking charge was another 5,000 rupiah.

the temple

Tanah lot is an old temple which was said to be built somewhere around the 15h century. It is located by the seaside where visitors can cross over to the temple area during low tides. Observing the temple from the rocky area nearby with all the waves splashing through the rocks was really impressive.

a view from a cliff nearby

another temple

We walked away from the temple area to the top of the cliff close by where the view was even stunning. Another small temple was seen from the cliff area.

Uluwatu

Uluwatu temple

After Tanah Lot, we proceeded to Uluwatu, another temple site further south from Kuta. Entrance fee cost us 6,000 rupiah. We need to dress properly to enter the temple and since we are wearing long pants, we just need to tie up on piece of cloth to our hips. If you’re wearing short skirts or short pants, they will provide u with a piece of fabric for you to cover up.

another view inside the temple area

There are a lot of monkeys in this temple area, so beware. If you’re wearing sunglasses or hat/cap, take them off as there are high probabilities that the monkeys would steal it from you. The only way to get it back is to ask the guardian there to give them some food and they would release it. We also witness one case where the monkey robs a girl’s flip flop. I guess the monkey was attracted to the flower on the girls flipper.

scenic view

another scenic view

just by the cliff

The majestic cliff view setting of the temple was awesome! There are areas where there are no fences or wall where you can go directly near the edge. Take a look at the video below taken by Padil.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nB7K_CNkpnc&w=500&h=333]

Spending just 2 nights in Bali absolutely wasn’t enough. There are lots of places that I’ve not covered such as Ubud, Sanur, Lovina or Gili island. In the future, I would definitely like to revisit the island again.

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Place to stay

Pesona Beach Inn

Located in Jalan Poppies 1, a popular road in the heart of Kuta. It’s about 200m away from the famous Kuta Beach. The room is big and the bathroom are also spacious and clean. It also has a swimming pool for guest. Nearby there are a few 24hour convenience shops, restaurant and bar. The staff there are also friendly. Breakfast is provided together with the room.

You can check their website for more info on the pricing.

Pesona Beach Inn
Jl. Poppies I No. 31 Kuta-Bali
Kode Pos 80361
Telp. 0361-765778

http://pesonabeachinn.blogspot.com/