Bali – The Island of the Gods (Travel Series Day 1)

My mom told me to travel, A LOT, and to see every corner of the world as much as I can. She said that it’ll help me discover some things about myself, and expand my perspective about the world. And so I crossed out one place off my bucket list. And since I am an island girl, the first thing I explored in Indonesia is Bali.

Bali is the most famous island in Indonesia which lies 3.2 km east of Java and approximately 8 degrees south of the equator. It is surrounded by coral reefs, with white sand beaches on the south and black sand beaches on the west and north. The island also offers everything: sandy beaches, countless waves for surfing, natural beauty of looming volcanoes, lush terraces of rice fields, exotic food, unique temples and palaces, lively bars, even yoga retreats, and resort towns. No wonder it was named as Island of the Gods.

Mostly on our trips, I am the one who arranges the itinerary so on Day 1, I urged my cousin and her bf to see places with our own eyes than just see it on TV.

LUWAK COFFEE

Kopi Luwak or Civet Coffee is coffee that includes partially digested coffee cherries, eaten and defecated by the Asian palm civet. Many mentioned Kopi Luwak as being the highest of the tiers, the rarest and most expensive coffee on the market.

You will see stores and farms promoting this kind of coffee in Bali. They even offer free teas and coffees in which we tried, but seeing the horrible conditions of the civets due to intensive farming, living in battery cages, with poor diet, and high mortality rate… I’d rather drink water.

WANAGIRI HIDDEN HILL

Bali is known for its high, scary swings, and because we long for an adrenaline rush, we tried one in Wanagiri. Note that this swing is not the one you usually see on Instagram posts from Ubud. It is much scarier than you thought, and wearing the safety belt is a must.

BALI GATE 

You will see lots of photos of the iconic Bali Gate anywhere in the social media. All Balinese gates look the same, yet those people with an artist’s eye would look for a gate with a nice background. Some took photos with the nice volcano at the back, some in a nice resort, and ours was in Handara Golf and Resort with a nice mountain supposedly. Unfortunately, it rained that time so it gave us too much fog instead of sunshine. Nevertheless, still a thumb up!

STRAWBERRY FARM

Bedugul is on higher ground. Thus, the weather and the soil are perfect for growing crops and fruits. Fancy a strawberry smoothie? Of course, Bali got you covered!

ULU DANU BERATAN TEMPLE

I’ve seen a photo of this temple in a BTS station in Thailand. The moment I booked the flight and saw the same photo on the ad, I was like… “I will see you soon.” And I did!

This water temple sits on Lake Bratan which was also known as Lake of the Holy Mountain. It was built in 1556, rebuilt in 1663 and used for offering ceremonies to the water goddess named Dewi Danu.

This place is absolutely beautiful, with flowers, trees and stripe bamboos anywhere. I suggest that you visit on the dry season. But if you insist, then please bring an umbrella.