Today we have rented bikes and went to the market. It is a local market so we were the attraction! People were laughing at us and smiling and letting us take pictures of the fishes and fruits…. I think after having seen the meat rotting in the warmth I will become a vegetarian! 😉
We then went for a ride in the mountains and ended up on the seaside in the north of Senggigi. We stopped for a sun cream stop on the road side and there were a few houses… Suddenly 25 kids arrived from all sides and surrounded us. There were also old women and young mums, all curious to see the white girls. They were so funny! I felt really emotional because so far we were tourists in a foreign country looking at THEM but for once the balanced changed and we were the ones being looked at. They wanted us to take pictures of them so we did and we offered them some biscuits and cigarettes which helped starting the conversations… Well… The conversations! They didn’t really speak English and we didn’t really speak Indonesian but we sat down with them and talked a little bit…
Lombok is like Bali but more preserved as the island is Muslim is less welcoming but it is far more authentic and there are some splendid beaches and amazing landscapes! I warmely recommend it to anyone who is seeking a real experience with amazing white sandy beaches.
And hey… the sun is out! Yeah! I heard it is in London as well and I almost got jealous 😉
Oh by the way, I posted some pictures on Flickr, 5!!! But I think they are the ones from the airport in Hong Kong and the taxi at the arrival! … sorry… I’ll try again soon. Oh and I managed to post the pictures from some of the kids on my Facebook profile as well.
Ok, new test, the computer seem to work a little better. I’ve got to say, I’m that far away from regretting not taking a laptop. I can’t upload my pictures because they are too big and I would have liked to prepare this post before… Anyway!
We are now in Padang Bai and about to take the boat tomorrow to Lombok, an island further south of Bali. The first week in Bali has been amazing. Really good ambiance with Laure, Emily and Pauline, my travel mates. The weather is not great as it is the rainy season here but we still managed to take some colours and the lanscapes are so beautiful that it is ok.
Ubud was the highlight off Bali with all the lovely rice fields and the art and temples and the culture. It is more touristic but so nice it was really worthy.
We since moved to a lost village, Amed, in the north of Bali where we visited a nice water palace. I had a swim in the royal pool where locals go to wash themselves and wash their clothes (! But hey we had to swim in the royal pool didn’t we?) Amed is a black volcanic sand beach and apart from diving, there’s not much to do to be honest. We took a nice bungalow there which was good because it was raining sooooo hard that we haven’t been able to do anything but playing cards inside! (Hey hey… I’m sure you are laughing inside!)
We then moved where we are now, Padang Bai, on the seaside. Ououo! the weather is better now and we are able to go to the beach! And which beach!! Turquoise water, multicolour fishes, black and white sand… Nice. We are sleeping in a traditional bungalow made of straw (not too sure about that word but work it out! ;p) I would love to show it to you! The town is a little more animated here and we had drinks yesterday for Pauline last day as she was flying back to Paris.They have little bars and play Bob, it feels almost like home!
So tomorrow we are going to Lombok, the second Indonesian Island, Bigger than Bali but it is less touristic as Musulman and less friendly I think. We don’t reaslly know the best plans there so if anyone has tips (Molly? Sam? Any tips from our STA travellers?) and then the Gili Island, where we will do some snorkeling and maybe even diving. Apparetly there are paradisiac beaches and beautiful fishes 🙂
I’ve got to tell you about the situation here: writting this on a tiny screen on a computer that doesn’t even have a usb port and where the letters on thtrhingy have dissapeared. The man is closing and I feel a little pressurise but I just wanted to tell you how beautiful everything is here. Ubud is a little town in the centeThis is the cultural center of the island and the town of the painters and there’s also rice fields a around the town. We went for a 5 hours walk in the country side this afternoon and dicovered the most magnificent landscapes with rice rice terrasses . Everyone here has their own little temple, even t t. People are lovely and they smiole so e, it’s amazing. There are so many things I’d like to tell you but the man is closing so I take notes and I will tell you everything as soon as I can. I will also upload the pics to show you… A Alina, ta creme tue tout 🙂
Arrrggg! Too short! Thank you for the comments! Ryanb, I haven’t been where you said yet but I f I do I will lket you know. Tak
Love from Ubud!
Filed under: Indonesia, Travel diary | Étiquettes: Bali, Bali Kuta, Gin&Tonic, Indonesia
Morning or afternoon, I can’t remember! We arrived yesterday in Bali and guess what? It’s raining!!! But properly raining! This is the last week or supposedly the last week of the rainy season so I hope it will be over soon! I met up with Pauline, Laure and Emily, my travel mates for this trip and the start sounds promising! We celebrated the holidays properly with some vodka and gin and tonic (for the moskitos obviously! ;p) and stayed up till 3:00am last night (30 hours without sleep, yes!)
Bali is mad so far, very tiny streets with millions of motorbikes going everywhere andf some little shops.
Internet is slow and I haven’t got much time but promise, I’ll upload some pictures later.
Big kiss from Bali
Filed under: Indonesia, Travel Tips | Étiquettes: Bali, Midi sur l'Asie, travel guide
Bali is a small volcanic island located between the islands of Java and Lombok, one of the 17.000 islands that make up the Indonesian Archipelago. With a reputation as being one of the most beautiful and diverse tourist spots in Asia, Bali attracts almost 1,000,000 visitors a year, from all around the world although it appears that the recent tragic events have scared away many visitors.
Bali owe its success to its famed white-sand beaches, the surf, and stunning sunsets that you can watch from your deck chair with a cocktail in one hand and a book in the other. The annual average temperature is 28°C. (he he! I’ll be coming from London where the average temperature a year is 2°C!)
I have been told that this may not be the best place to stay due to the high number of tourists but, since it’s my first stop in Asia and a key milestone in my trip, I thought I would tell you – and discover myself in the meantime – the must do in Bali.
According to TravellingSqueak on Trip advisor, the lake Badur is a must do. If you manage to find your way down to the lake, the view is astonishing and there aren’t many tourists to bother you. You can also do some canoe surrounded by mountains and feel like you are inside a giant volcanic crater. You can even climb the volcano at night. Stéphanie, another frenchi give her little advice: Avoid the big restaurant with view and go to eat in a little « warung ». It’s cheap and the view is the same. I’ve got no idea what a « warung » is…
Bali is also renowned for its beautiful Hindu and Chinese temples. The Bukit Sari, the Pura Tanah and the Pura Kehen with its little monk’s tree houses are three of the numerous temples I have noticed for their beautiful architecture and their location (The Pura Tanha has been built in the sea, see picture!). There is also the Tirta Empul temple with its legendary pond said to have magical healing powers.
You can also dive and surf in Bali. I am sure there are another 10 million things to do in Bali but frankly, I think my two first days will be all about chilling on a beach, applying sun cream every 10 minutes and drinking coconut cocktails in my deck chair…
Midi sur l'Asie 