Stone statue in stone carve workshop, our first tour spot in the first morning we were in Bali. The local likes to leave the statue under shade and in moist, with moss grown on it and the darkened color and therefore the antique look.
Bali is famous for its hand craft, stone and wood carving, paintings, batik etc., a good sentence to summarize it would be; it is rich with Bali cultural. Within Bali itself you have different style of art works, different area in Bali got their unique way of, let say, weaving as an example. Heard about Bali many years back, and only when I was been driven crossing roads of Bali, watching shop after shop selling paintings and all, then I realized how abundance is the resources of cultural art works in Bali.
A stone carved statue with palms holding its broken head. Could not get a clue on what this art work depicts but the moss on it is interesting for some photograhing, or so I thought.
Rice terrace is commonly seen in undulating land surface in hills area. Perhaps a wide flat land suitable for rice farm is rare here in Bali. There are many rice terrace like this one in Tega Lalang as I have observed.
Volcano Batur, Kintamanis, Bali. Located at North end of Bali, this volcano reaching some 1,720m in height. The eruption created a ditch on the ground, spreading quite evenly with couple of kms in diameter. Roads were built along the edge of flat land surrounding the ditch and we had our lunch at restaurant located right in front of the tip. With last eruption in year 2000, lava was still very much in the form they were with no sign of plants along the flank. I read from leaflet sticked on the restaurant that "volcano trekking" tour package is available and thought that perhaps would be something interesting to do.
I remember I felt something entirely new and different when I stand in front of it and I had a good look at it; it's complete silent, seemingly-peaceful, windy, pleasant temperature, yet when it erupt the consequence is devastating.
When we were there, winds were strong and the temperature was like 20 deg C or less. We opt for buffet with initial price of Rp 90,000 per head but got that negoatiated and brought down to Rp 72,000 or thereabout. This is another thing we learned in Bali, most, or all, buffet and dinner prices at restaurants here are negotiable.
Pura Tirta Empul (Temple of Holy Water). The water comes from earth and said to have curative power. Locals came here, pray, offering, and rinsing their body with the holy water. There is a nice fish pond before this pool attracted me better, for the fish lover I always am. Stocked with Koi, tilapia, patin and others, fish feeds are available to tourists for some small fee.
I thought this retention wall at Pura Tirta Empul that built with moss-grown stones was unique, and put my self in the photo on it.
View shot from walkway, looking down at cliff at Uluwatu Temple. The view of tall, vertical cliff, breaking waves again and again, somehow was magnificent to most tourists. People here like snapping photos, individual or group, with big grins and so did we.
This place is famous for monkeys that snatch belongings of tourists, and the only way to return your property is to buy some foods from "tour guide" there and entice the snatchers in exchange of the belongings. Acquinted with news from their friends before the trip, the ladies in my famly got pretty worried with this and we get one "tour guide" with us and his job was to protect us from monkeys around. He brought along a tiny wood stick, pointing here and there when we walk, talking to the potential snatcher in his own language, do some photo snapping for us, and became Rp 60,000 richer when we finish our tour there.
I always believed by physically present in great nature will open ones heart and cheer-up.
For a family with the eldest and the youngest being 58 and 5 years old, being in such joyful mood at the same time is impossible if not we are all out in a trip like such, and that is what really precious about a family holidays trip.
For the place is basically temples, tourists with short pants or skirt will be required to wrap themselves with clothes and those with accpetable attire, yellow scarf round the waist are required.
Denpasar. I like the strong colours of this photo and put it here. Sun light from the external side brought out the colors of the clothes; very Balinese colors.
New building for Ibu Oka Babi Guling, Bali-style roasted pork, in Ubud. My brother who have eaten this many times said the business owner must have make some good money and shifted to this new place.
Heard so much about this delicacy from almost each and every friend of mine that visited Bali. I was told this is something I should not miss if I come to Bali. Basically it is roasted marinate pork with lots of herbs or spices when served. I can say the tenderness is good, indicating good cooking time, but I was not that impressed with the spices. Arhhh ... Chinese...
Well, another delicacy that was frequently mentioned was "bebek", duck, of Bali style. My elder brother tried the bebek in this restaurant before and we were therefore brought to this place too. The duck was marinated and went through some deep fried obviously, as the flesh was dry and "fibrous". You may like the texture but probably not the taste, as it was rather plain. Nevertheless, the surrouding that is paddy field was very green we took some good photos here. Mood was good, we had some real good long-lost laughter.
Before we leave Bali we had another round of bebek in another restaurant and it was mush better. Then we started thinking, how many restaurants are there in Bali serve bebek and which one is the best?
View from Restaurant di Mare in Kamal Hotel. This place normally charged something like Rp 250,000 per head per entry but was free on that day we were there because sea was choppy, as I have been told.
The only boat, a fisherman boat I presume, that appeared on the entire sea outside Kamal Hotel through out my 3 hours stay there. The size of it obviously is worriably tiny for the waves there that day.
Restaurant di Mare, in Kamal Kandara Hotel.
Taman Ayun, or Royal Family Temple. Was told that this place is where royal family spent their holidays.
Was a long drive from the place we stay, Kuta, to this place called Bedugul. A thunderstorm hit this nice highland farmers town earlier and the temple we supposed to visit went flooded. We snapped few picture and went down hill to Pacung.
Had our lunch at this restaurant, strategically located, overseeing hills with rice terrace.
View from restaurant on small huts which are said available for rental to tourists. Didn't ask how true was that but I thought an overnight in this hut would be a good experience.
We told the bus driver cum tour guide we want to have some grilled seafood on the 3rd evening, and was brought to Jukung Seafood Restaurant. When we were seated we were told that our tour guide has ordered a set of grilled seafood platter for each of us. We were further told that each platter will consists of grilled fish, prawns, clamps and veges. "Hmmm...sounds good" For the food lover we always are, we were waiting for the platter to be served with high expectation. The restaurant located just beside the shore and patrons could have their dinner on tables on sand beach if so wish. Unfortunately heavy rain in strong wind caught us not long after we arrived and tables on shore were soaking wet.
So we had our grilled seafood platter; 4 tiny prawns (2 nos. farm sea prawn and 2 nos. freshwater prawns, each approx 3 inch. in length), 4 clamps (about the size of my thumb nail but it's OK), 1 grill fish (a juvenile garoupa, 7 inch in length, approx 250g), boiled kangkong and white rice.
Mood was good during the dinner, we chat and laugh about our daily tour highlights and nobody really complain about the seafood. We asked for the bill when finished and paid IDS Rp 90,000 per head for the dinner, and off we leave the dining table. When we were waiting for the bus, the restaurant cashier ran to us and said there were some mistakes and the actual cost of the dinner is IDS Rp 170,000 per head, so the total cost has increased from Rp 1,080,000 to 2,040,000.
Understand that the bus driver will be entitled to have some commission for bringing us to this place, we asked the bus driver to join us in clarifying the fickle pricing with the restaurant. Some reasoning took place and finally the cashier agreed to give some discount and cost per head was agreed at Rp 150,000. Rp 150,000 (that is approx RM 50) for the tiny prawns and under age garoupa? Hmmmm ... not a reasonable price I would say. Anyway, we thought better keep the holiday in good atmosphere and move on with our programmes. But I could not stop thinking, if the size of prawns and fish we had was for Rp 150,000 platter, how small then would the size for a Rp 90,000 platter be? Hmmmm....???
I have to conclude fickle pricing, messy, below-standard and reasonable surrounding are my Reviews on Jukung Seafood Restaurant. Bring your guest here and order seafood platter if you want to spoil his/her evening.
An unusual strong storm visited Bali same time as we did, the tail wind brought along waves and casted this magnificent view of cliffs breaking waves, one after another, in Tanah Lot. Scent of seawater filled each of my inhale and the strategic viewing spot was stood with hundreds of folks, watching the fascinating view, waiting for next waves, again and again. I was told an ordinary day of Tanah Lot will filled with visitors came only for the temple, such character of Tanah Lot is not common sight, even for locals.
Further to the right of Tanah Lot is this unique cliff. Sea breeze was strong when we were there, added a little fear factor when one is walking on the pathway to the end.
Our government said there is no other ASEAN country that sells fuel cheaper than Malaysia. Snapped this diesel dispenser displaying diesel selling price of Rp 4500 per liter, that is somewhere near RM 1.51/liter, again they make themselves looked like a fool in front of the their own people.
So we thought we shall have a group photo at left side of Tanah Lot. While we were waiting for the shuttle to trigger, suddenly the already strong sea breeze then got stronger, and the tripod went slant, more slant and this photo was snapped just before the shuttle blink. Some trying to reach to camera to hold it, obviously.
On our last evening in Bali, we told the bus driver that we want to have a authentic Balinese food and we were brought to this restaurant.
Food was much better than we expected. We tried bebek, the Balinese Duck, that was much better that the renown, long-established restaurant in Bali.
