From Ubud we started heading to Lovina, a seaside town with various water activities to offer. We rented a charter for just two people for the whole day to drive us through the mountains to the northern side of the island. On the way there we visited numerous of attractions varying from lake temples to waterfalls and hot springs.
First on our route was Taman Ayun, the Royal Temple of Mengwi Empire in Bali. It's strategically located beside the major roadway between the two main cities in Bali, the Denpasar and Singaraja. The temple is set on a land surrounded by a big fish pond so it looks like drifting on the water like an island. Inside it has a beautiful temple building with multistoried roof and Balinese architecture. The beautiful landscape of the garden in front courtyard is very welcoming. Even though it's the Royal Temple it was the most un-touristic temple we had visited on our journeys in Bali with a most calming more natural like garden.
After the temple we continued our journey towards Lovina. When driving through the beautiful landscapes of rice terraces and high soaring mountains we stopped to admire a breathtaking view opening to every direction.
The next stop on our ride was a local food market called Candi Kuning Market. It's located in Bedugul. It provides fresh fruits, vegetables, spices, and such exotic flowers as delicate orchids and roses. The combination creates an array of wonderful colors. Spices include nutmeg, pepper, paprika and turmeric. A wide variety of fresh fruit and vegetables can be found here, as well as jeruk bali (pomelo) and durian. From the food market we bought some local chips resembling snacks like dried vegetable slices, spinach leafs and flower pedals. We also bought some local strawberries they raise on the mountains all over the year due to suitable climate. The market was supposed to be only for locals but the increasing tourism had brought the small stalls with all you can imagine stuff to buy also there.
The ride continued only for 15minutes and we arrived to the lake temple of Ulun Danu Beratan. It's a Balinese Hindu Temple located at Candi Kuning countryside, Baturiti sub district and Tabanan regency. The distance from Denpasar town is about 50 km north from Denpasar towards Singaraja, so on our way. The temple is surrounded by a beautiful view of surrounding mountains on a lakeside of Beratan. It is situated in the plateau area with a cooler atmosphere. On the northern side of the temple is Pucak Sangkur mountain and in the east side there is the Beratan mountain which is also referred as Pucak Mangu or Pucak Pangelengan. On the southern side locates the Terate Bang mountain and in the westside there is the Tapak and Watukaru mountains. A part of the temple is located in the lake creating a mystical atmosphere especially on a foggy day.
From the temple we continued our way through the mountains to our next destination before Lovina. The Gitgit waterfall is a very beautiful tourist destination in north part of Bali. Gitgit waterfall is located in the plateau area with the height about 35 meters and it is surrounded by tropical tree and emits the constantly natural water debit during the year. There are some plantations protecting the rain forest around the waterfall and in this place we often met the wild monkey to get the water from this waterfall. The waterfall is free to visit. From the road it was nearly 20min walk downhill to the waterfall. When we got down and had taken some pictures we changed into our swimsuits and hopped in to the water. To be honest it was more of a scary sneaking through the slippery rocks to the pouring water. The water was coming down so hard that you were barely able to withstand it's force and balance in it to keep yourself standing. I had to hold my friends hand to get her to accompany me to the waterfall too.
From the waterfall we continued our ride through the city of Singaraja to check-in to our hotel in Lovina before continuing to hot springs. The driver took us to a quite nice looking complex of four buildings with four bungalow style apartments in each. You could always get a room for cheaper price but the room was nice enough and not too costly, in the end only 175 000 IDR for two people.
Our predefined final destination was the hot springs of Air Banjar located close to Lovina beach. The sacred hot springs "Air Panas" of Banjar are set in the midst of the jungle in a landscape of a beautiful tropical garden. It consists of three public and one private pool. The sulphuric water is of volcanic origin and has an warm temperature around 40 degrees Celcius. It's said to be ideal for people suffering from rheumatic diseases. The hot spring water gushes from the mouths of eight stone carved nagas which are mythical dragon-like creatures, into the oblong shaped upper pool.
From the upper pool the water overflows from the mouths of five more nagas into the largest of the three pools, which is square shaped and situated at a lower level from the depth of one to two meters. Adjacent to these pools is the third and smallest one from which the water pours down via three four meter high spouts, giving you a strong, reviving massage.
After the refreshing and replenishing bath we headed back to Lovina and the driver continued back to his home in Ubud. At that night we watched a beautiful sunset over the quiet seashore filled with sailboats arrived from all over the world. We had a nice dinner and a good chill night in a local club with live music. We didn't stay in the tourist filled beachside restaurant clubs but headed a bit further away. We also booked a dolphin watching ride on sunrise and morning snorkeling on the coral reefs of Lovina beach.
We woke up around 5.30am and headed towards the beach. We were picked up by a local guy with a balinese style boat and headed to the sea. There were at least 20 other boats too. We headed towards the city Singaraja while the sun was rising behind the receding island. We round a bit of circle with all the other boats trying to catch a climbs of dolphins in their morning swim in their natural habitat. We saw around 3-4 dolphins about 4-5 different times and told our driver head back to the beach. We were a bit hungry and wanted to have a breakfast before the snorkeling.
The snorkeling was amazing, even though the corals weren't so colorful the fishes and the sea stars were. I have always been sceptic about snorkeling due to the mud ponds of Finland I have snorkeled in, but not anymore. I could recommend coral reef snorkeling to everyone! After the morning we booked a new charter to drive us back to Kuta for the rest of the week and weekend.
My friend wanted to stay at Kuta for her last days and I headed towards my friends villa in Kerobokan where I could live for free. Actually my friends from Singapore were also invited but only one took the offer beside me. Other exchange students from Singapore gathered to Kuta for the last days too, mainly because the close distance to the airport.
The Villa Onga was really nice, it consist of big green yard, swimming pool, fish pool, kitchen, living room, two story with 4 double bedrooms, outside chilling balcony etc. It was a home to my friend, five other finnish girls and two german guys. By that week the girls were on a boat trip so we were allowed to stay there for free in their apartments.
I spent my last to days there chilling, having fun, surfing, scootering around Kuta, Double Six, Old Man etc. We also visited the beautiful oceanside temple of Tanah Lot that could only been reached on low tide.
We had a lot of fun that weekend jumping to the pool with the Tarzan rope I plaited from three different ropes. Actually we had a minor accident too, I was the first one to test it... We had put a small wooden stick through the rope as a handle to hang on while swinging. I swung towards the pool, in the middle of the way the stick cracked and I fell on the poolside. I was lucky not to hit my head tough. My friend got terrified because it looked so bad, but I only got a minor head smoothie and back pain and a big bruise in my left calf. My back and head got ok over the day and weekend. But otherwise it was fun jumping to the pool.
After the trip while I was stretching in the gym I noticed a huge rip in my left calf inside the muscle, but from outside there was just big bruise the size of the whole calf. I should have gone to the doctor but you know me... At the moment the rip is getting smaller and I can't fit my whole finger inside of it anymore and also it's not that touch sensitive anymore, it doesn't hurt to walk or exercise. It's good, gooood!
On that weekend we also visited the bar and club complex of Double Six, the Sky Garden which consists of 5 story with total of 10 clubs and bars. There or after that my wallet got stolen, luckily I had only some money and my credit card there, nothing else important that I could have remembered or missed. For the last two days I had to borrow money from my friend to sleep, eat, surf, take a taxi to airport and get of the country with the airport service fee of 150 000 IDR per person.
In the end amazing trip and not feeling bad about losing the wallet.
Ps. I might be going back to Bali at some point to visit my friends again and to learn to surf properly!
great place to visit.
ReplyDeleteyou can add in your bucket list, Alaska Flying Tours. the snowiness mountain and its surroundings are the mesmerizing to look at. there you can also have flight-seeing over those beautiful places.