Bali Off The Beaten Path

We were just in Bali for 6 days actually. I was great. However, I strongly suggest you get a guide. We used Wayan Budiasa thorugh American Express Travel Services. His English was perfect, he showed us all the cool local spots, and we could just sit back and relax until we got to our destination. There is quite a bit of traffic in Bali so it is best to take it easy and have someone let you take you around....Don't forget to go to a waterfall.
Wayan is more than a guide, he's like a best friend. His contact info is +081 79749793 dwibali@dwidayatravel.com

Enjoy!

Klung Klung the orginal balinese court this place is worth a stop if you have some time!! Rather interesting with the interal showing the levels of Karma and what would happen to you in your after life...or punishment for the crime that you have commited!!

Not a grand site but still interesting to see!!

We did another trip this time around the water palaces in Candidasa what an amazing place we will possibly go and stay here for a few days next time we come to Bali!!

This place is well worth the travel to get there it is stunning...make sure you have plenty of batteries and space for photos as you will find lots of angles to get stunning pictures while there and on the way there!! for more info see things to do tip!!

on the way you can stop at klung klung also and see where the original court was in bali...also worth a look!!

Sometimes you need to work a little harder to see the real countryside. Nothing like getting a little exercise while riding a mountain bike on the narrow paths between rice paddies and seeing remote temples hidden amongst palm trees. You can see so more of a village when you are not stuck in a bus or in a cab. The tour we went on was designed for an "in shape" crowd. When we returned we were hot, wet and muddy, but it was a blast and gave you a real feel for the country.

Know your fitness level and riding ability.

4 more images

Lemukih is a small village on the northern slope of Bali Central Mountain. It is a small village, which is known for its rice farm, coffee, clove and various kind of tropical fruit cultivation and lies on the altitude of 638 m above the sea level, it is offering a cool mountain air. Lemukih came from a word of Lembu akeh means many cows, as what the story that we have heard from the local people that the village founders found lots of cows around the forest there when they first arrived at the area.

We start our walk at around 11:00 AM following the dirt trails that have been used by the local farmers for centuries. The path goes through the local farming area where there are various kinds of crops grows well in a very fertile soil. Along the way we have seen only few simple houses of the farmers who are looking after the farm. We kept observing and recognizing various vegetation that we saw along the way while enjoying the stunning view of the mountain, lush river valley, spectacular rice terraces and lovely waterfall. We kept putting our step on the dirt trails, jumping over the irrigation streams where the clear water run continuously to the rice paddies which terracing down the river valley. The coconut trees grow sparsely along the dike of the rice terraces adding more beauty for the view.

We met a local farmer who was keeping his rice paddies from the birds, we took a rest there while enjoying the great scenery around the paddy filed and was asking him if it's possible for us to have a young coconut as he got so many coconut trees growing around his field. He was nodding and smiling then he walked to his little hut in the middle of the paddy field to get his sickle. He looked around to see one of the trees that have the best young coconut. I was lying on flat basalt on the side of the path while enjoying my clove cigarette. Gusti and my other friend Nyoman was waiting around the coconut tree where the old man is getting us couple young coconut. It was a great resting time for us with the fresh young coconut juice, it was so refreshing and giving us some more energy to continue our walk.

After finishing our young coconut juice and giving a little tip for the old man, we then continue to walk along the dike of the yellow rice paddies down to a stream that leads us to a waterfall. We sit around for a few minutes and having some fruits that we got from a friend in the village before we started our walk. It was really wonderful to sit on the riverside and hearing the sound of the waterfall besides us. Suddenly the rain comes and we ran to a little house on the hillside facing to a lush river valley. The house was empty and we sit on a gazebo around the corner of the house, which has the view over the river valley. We were sitting there for about 15 minutes to wait for the rain stop. We could just sit right out there forever because of the spectacular view over the valley and the mountain in a distance.

We continued to follow the little path which was leading us to another wonderful waterfall, and the path was ended there and we had to walk back and try to find another path along the paddy field and we got to the top of the hill we saw a great view over the northern sea and it was so clear after the rain. We kept following the path and walking through few houses of the farmers and finally came out to the main street of the village. Gusti then got a ride on a motorbike to get the car at the starting point and collecting us back. We drove back to our local friend's house where we were provided with some meal and lots of coffee. It was around 6:30 PM, I was sitting on the veranda of the house and looking up to the mountain that is so close from the house, slowly it came to a silhouette as the sun was setting behind the mountain. What a perfect day in a peaceful little village, Bali is actually still having its hidden beauty.

Puri Duangga Mountain hike we start our walk from the market of Sidemen where the local people sell home grown crops such as coconut, coffee, clove, and various kinds of local fruits. We walk up the steep hill path behind the village through the local farmland where they grow coffee, vanilla, snake fruit, clove, bananas and other local produce. The crops grow well in the rich volcanic soil. The great eruption of mount Agung in the 1963 must have imparted lots of fertility to the soil apart from the terrible damage it did to the island. We make a few stops along the way while enjoying the spectacular view over the great volcano, green rice paddies, the local villages and the great Indian Ocean. As we walk through the snake fruit farm we have to be careful to avoid the sharp thorns that grow all over the trees. We arrive at a little shrine where a local friend place little offering to pray for safety of our hike to the top, as it is considered to be a sacred mountain by the locals. We rest a bit where suddenly our friend points out a lively group of monkeys jumping over the bush on the other side of the hill. They are believed to be the guards of the holy temple on the summit of the mountain. Unfortunately we cannot get close to them, unlike the Monkey forest where we can even feed them. Our hike continues through the snake fruit farm to the top of Duangga Hill. We rest again by a small temple at the summit, enjoying the great panorama over the ocean. Mount Rinjani, in neighboring Lombok, is hugged by white clouds like pure balls of white cotton while further off; the island of Nusa Penida can be clearly seen in the distance. We take a rest for about 15 minutes before continuing our hike to the other top of the mountain where we can view Candidasa beach and Mount Agung. We relax around the temple for another 15 minutes and then continue our hike down the northern side of the mountain passing the local farmhouses. We meet a local farmer where we buy some snake fruit picked right from the tree. The fresh fruit gives us renewed energy to follow the dirt track down. The local people walk easily up and down the steep terrain while carrying heavy loads on their heads. These everyday feats of balance and strength never cease to amaze my clients. Along the way we see women getting water from the hillside mountain spring for drinking and cooking. We reach the bamboo forest and walk through it for about 20 minutes before we get to the main road of Iseh village where our driver is patiently waiting for us. The village of Iseh was once chosen as a place to live by the German painter Walter Spies. It is a beautiful village with spectacular views of the rice terraces, river, and Mount Agung. We sit under the canopy of the bamboo forest and enjoy our cold drinks. It was fantastic hike and even if it was a bit strenuous, no one complains.

It is not that easy to find a place in Bali that is still off the beaten track, and if there is one, we might keep it as a secret.

Not this one, I have been there twice this year and every time I was the only one, and still, it is that interesting, I want to share it with you.

In 1997 they have opened an amusement park on Padang Galak beach, a few kilometers north of Sanur. I remember well, I went there about a month after the opening, had to pay an entrance fee, but actually nothing was really ready yet, everything still under construction. The operation has stopped a few months later, after Suharto was pushed off his chair as Indonesia's president. I guess the owner of the park was somebody from Suharto's family.

Anyway, I went there again this year, just to see what has happened with that place. Now, almost everything is destroyed, but it still gives you a good idea, how it was supposed to look.

But still, there is one big attraction, there is a pond full of crocodiles, I have never tried to count them, maybe 40 or 50, and even though I guess, that somebody is feeding them (or do they eat their brothers and sisters?), there was nobody around to guard them.

Really amazing to see that, imagine some kids are playing around there, falling behind the fence (what is not difficult at all), they would never be found again.

Imagine somebody goes there for a walk with his enemy...

Imagine one of the trees (it's in a forest) falls into the pond and makes it easy for the crocodiles to escape to the nearby river...

Go for a look, it is interesting, but be careful with your children, don't let them alone around there.

4 more images

THE BEAUTY OF BATUBULAN WAS SWEET AND A GOOD MEMORY !!!!! Batubulan, meaning "moonstone" is the village for stone carving. Shops displaying a huge selection of interesting hand-carved stone items line the road just northeast of Denpasar. Here, mostly young people create and carve guardians for temple gateways, divinities and demons from Balinese mythology. Besides this, one will also find small shrines, garden lamps, wall plaques with relief work and many modern design concepts. Batubulan also specializes in daily performances of the traditional barong dance