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Just back from an interesting and
enjoyable holiday in Bali with our 2 sons, 16 and 18 yrs.
When we told family and friends we were going ahead with our plans for a
family holiday in Bali in January, people were surprised and somewhat
concerned. However during our 2 weeks there the only time we felt at all at
risk was on the roads sometimes. By the end of the stay though we felt that
the drivers actually did a good job to avoid so many hazards like people,
dogs, chickens, ducks, weaving motor bikes, piles of rocks, drying rice,
food carts, overtaking cars and yet more dogs.
Our last trip to Bali was 27 years ago on the "hippie trail" when we
travelled everywhere by bemo and bus, stayed in small losman, ate at cheap
warungs and bargained hard. This time we stayed in hotels with pools and air
con, travelled in taxis and hired drivers (our old selves would be
disgusted) ate in restaurants and better warungs. We bargained
half-heartedly - sometimes not at all - and tipped generously because
business is so bad and people are getting by on greatly reduced incomes
since the bombings.
We stayed 4 days in Sanur as part of our flight/accommodation package with
Garuda . The hotel was Peneeda Beach Hotel which we really liked. It has an
old-fashioned, sleepy, colonial feel to it with Balinese style bungalow
accommodation in lovely, well-maintained gardens. The hotel was perhaps a
third full, mainly with middle-aged to elderly Europeans (mostly Dutch). It
didn't seem to bother my sons too much though if you were a young single
Aussie traveller after the night life, you would find it far too quiet and
sedate. It has a delightful beachfront restaurant/lounge and is located on
the quieter end of Sanur beach next to the Bali Hyatt. Further along,
northwards towards the busier stretch there are noisy building works going
on to create a new breakwater. The price for an aircon family unit with 2
interconnecting bedrooms ( one kingsize bed and two twin beds) ensuite, TV
and garden terrace was US$60 a night for 4 people including breakfast.
We enjoyed the position of the hotel. It was full moon during our stay and
the moon shining over the water at night was beautiful. At dusk flocks of
swifts (swallows?) would swoop above the trees lining the beachfront,
catching insects. As darkness fell they were replaced by bats. We spent most
evenings in the beachfront lounge playing cards and Scrabble and looking out
over the moonlit water.
One morning I got up before 5am to see the dawn as Sanur faces east and we
didn't get the great sunsets. On the beach although it was still dark I had
a surprise to find a hive of activity. People were wading about the shallow
lagoon with lamps and nets looking for fish. As the sky lightened more and
more local people appeared; jogging along the beach, walking dogs, doing
exercises, bathing, talking and walking. The air was deliciously cool at
that time of day but as soon as the sun came above the horizon the heat
built up quickly. I would recommend an early morning walk to anyone staying
there as you see a different type of activity to later in the day. The
stalls and little shops are still closed so you don't constantly get asked
to buy and the temperature is perfect.
It was sad to see how quiet Bali was as although the scarcity of tourists
may seem pleasant to those few tourists there, the effect on business is
devastating. Most restaurants were empty or nearly empty and it was a
strangely depressing feeling to eat day after day in largely empty places.
When the four of us would walk in delighted smiles would greet us.
Everywhere when we talked with shopkeepers, waiters and drivers the story
was the same. Everyone is very worried about the future and wants
Australians to come back to Bali. They said "Please tell your friends Bali
is safe. We want people to come here". Most of the tourists we saw and met
were middle-aged and elderly Europeans or young Japanese and Singaporeans
with a few older Americans as well.
We visited Waterbom Park in Kuta which was very quiet - no queues for the
slides so very pleasant and we had a great day.. Although they say you can't
take water in nobody checked our bags so I would advise taking some bottled
water as it is expensive to buy inside. We liked the food though.
We didn't visit the site of the bombing. I wondered whether we should
perhaps
pay our respects to the dead but I also felt going there was a bit like
sightseeing and it seemed a ghoulish and inappropriate thing to do. I guess
everyone has to make up their own minds on this point.
We didn't spend much more than a couple of hours in Kuta as we were
inundated with people trying to drag us into their shops, sell us time share
units etc. My sons found it all a bit too much and the desperation of the
people was very sad and depressing to see. It's one thing to deal with
persistent touts and hawkers when times are good and the streets are full of
other potential customers for them, but most of the time we were the only
tourists in sight and everyone made a beeline for us. I felt bad that I
couldn't possibly buy something from everyone. As it is we have returned
from Bali with far more sarongs than I will need in a lifetime and having
paid far more for them than usual. It's hard to bargain when you know many
of these shopkeepers have had no customers for weeks. Even though Kuta has
always been more hasslely than Sanur .I would think that Kuta has been
affected more than other areas by the lack of Australian tourists.
There are some friendly English speaking drivers who hang around down the
drive outside the lobby of Peneeda View and we used several of them. They
seemed to take turns and share the work. We went to Uluwatu - if you go you
must hang on to your glasses as the monkeys try to grab them off your face -
and to Jimbaran Bay for the sunset and a fish meal. We were greatly
disappointed by Jimbaran Bay. The beach had lots of plastic litter washed up
on it. Perhaps it is worse in the wet season. And the "simple fishermens'
huts" were not what I expected. The beach was packed with them and the
tables stretched down to the piles of plastic flotsam and jetsam and rotting
organic material. Not terribly romantic. The seafood also was very expensive
- much more than in Australia. It is also sold by the kilo and when I went
to look at the fish and weigh it I reckoned the scales were rigged as there
was no way the small fish in my hand could weigh one and a half kilos as the
scales indicated. In the end we didn't eat at the beach but just had a
drink.
After 4 days in Sanur we headed north to our next destination which was Klub
Kokos just outside Ubud. On the way we stopped at Celuk to look at silver
but I would advise people to avoid the big, new flashy showrooms on the main
road and buy instead from the smaller workshops up the side streets or even
in fixed price shops in Ubud. The big places are way overpriced even with
bargaining. I paid far too much for some earrings at one of these big places
despite bargaining to a third of the advertised price. In a fixed price
silver shop in Ubud where I later bought quite a lot of jewelry I could have
bought them for a quarter of what I paid. Oh well I guess our driver got his
commission and we made a few other people happy in these hard times. You
have to keep these mistakes in perspective - it's not the end of the world.
Klub Kokos is in a delightful rural setting near Bangkiang Sidem amid the
rice fields about one and a half kms walk to Ubud or 7.5km by car along a
rather rough though interesting road/track! It's a good location if you want
R&R off the beaten track but a little inconvenient if you want close
proximity to shops and restaurants.
There are 7 spotlessly clean bungalows with all mods cons. We had a large,
light and airy two bedroomed upstairs family unit with a huge L- shaped
balcony (big enough for a large dining table and comfy cane settee and
armchairs) which looked out over the saltwater swimming pool and garden on
one side and over the neighbouring rice terraces behind.
Every day we could watch the farmer at work - he would smile and wave to us
.It was fascinating to watch him tend his terraces, changing the water flow
and repairing the edges. I loved to see the ducks waddling along the edges,
watch the cow grazing, and at dusk hundreds of white herons ( egrets) would
fly overhead in perfect V formations to roost in the trees at nearby Petulu.
Also at dusk the croaking of a thousand frogs and chirping of crickets would
start. I have never heard such a volume from frogs before and was amazed. I
thought it might keep us awake but being a regular, rhythmic pulsing I think
it lulled us to sleep. The early morning roosters and infamous Bali dogs
barking were something we're not used to but it was all part of the rural
Bali experience and you do get used to it.
The staff at Klub Kokos were very friendly and helpful. It is owned by Cathy
from Australia and her Balinese husband Krishna. Cathy is a mine of
information and can help you with making plans and booking other
accommodation, trips etc. She can also organise activities for children or
adults like learning how to make offerings, make baskets, carve wood, paint
and so on. Profits from Klub Kokos are ploughed back into the local
community and at the moment they are helping with new school buildings for
the village.
If you are travelling with children Klub Kokos would be a great place to
stay. There is a well equipped playroom with dolls, duplo, puzzles, baby and
toddler toys, blocks etc as well as a separate library with hundreds of
books, both for adults and children. If you are into games and jigsaw
puzzles there are enough to keep you there for a year- Trivial Pursuit,
Chess,Scrabble, Mastermind, Monopoly, Cluedo and loads more. We spent 8 days
at KK and really appreciated the library. There's also an electric keyboard
and table tennis for guest use.
Cathy has high hygiene standards for the restaurant kitchen and there is an
excellent choice of meals available as well as hot water for tea and coffee.
You can eat in your room at no extra cost too which is handy if you have
young children. Prices for 4 people in a 2 bedroom bungalow are US$64
including breakfast but I'd check out their website for the latest deals.
They have plenty of vacancies at the moment like most places.
You can walk into Ubud along the ridge between 2 rivers. It's a pretty 30
minute walk and we also did it at night by torchlight seeing lots of
fireflies, giant snails and even a green snake! We didn't meet a soul at
night and felt very safe in this quiet, rural location. We were amazed that
artists would leave some painting out overnight at their little padi field
galleries. In other countries they would probably be stolen but we were told
the only people who might take them would be a tourist. The Balinese would
not steal another's work. Several shopkeepers and drivers when talking to us
about the Kuta bombings also said there was no looting in Kuta unlike in
many other places when bombings occur.
I did feel far more relaxed about my belongings and money in Bali than I do
in Europe where bags are frequently snatched. We didn't encounter anyone in
our 2 weeks who was unpleasant or aggressive or gave us cause for alarm
which is not to say they don't exist. But generally the Balinese we met were
gracious and friendly. Even the pushy sellers you realise are just trying to
make a buck in very difficult times and we are rich in comparison with what
the locals make. We saw some women labourers carrying rocks on their heads
and after asking found out that they earned about US$2 a day. Think about
that next time you order a Bintang.
We liked Ubud and had fun noting the changes from 27 yrs ago. How it has
grown! We went back to Canderi's where we used to eat on our first trip and
chatted to her about the changes. When I said on leaving that we'd see her
again in 27 yrs she thought it was a great joke. We also paid a nostalgic
visit to Wayhu Losman near the soccer field which had only just opened when
we stayed there before, Then it was surrounded by rice fields. Now the rooms
we stayed in then are just used for storage. We ate next door at Arie's
Warung. What a character Arie is. He greets you with copies of all the
recommendations he's had in Lonely Planet, Michelin Guide etc and gives you
his notebooks to read with comments from previous satisfied customers - he
even turned almost immediately to comments written several years ago by a
workmate of my husband's. when we told him where we were from. Incredible!
Everyone, just everyone, raved about the smoked duck and black rice pudding
so we ordered it. Usually it has to be ordered 12 hrs in advance but he had
2 extra ducks available - 'just in case.' We were not disappointed. It was
superb. Everything written about it was true and you get a banquet with
loads of accompanying dishes ( R88,000 for 2 persons and a snip for what you
get) Arie will also refill your Aqua bottle - cheaper than buying another
and saving the planet from plastic. They certainly have a problem with
plastic in Bali.
The shopkeepers in Ubud were far less pushy than Sanur (and Kuta!!) Mostly
they just smiled at us as we went past and even when we went into shops to
have a look they stood back and let us browse. A far better tactic as too
much attention and pushiness drives people out of the door. I do wonder
though how much longer they can remain open with so few customers. We
stopped at a shop to look at shirts. My husband liked one and bought it and
got chatting to the guy. He was very worried for his family and angry with
the Javanese who planted the bombs. 'Why did they do this to Bali and our
tourists?' he asked. He said the Balinese were surviving by living on
savings and helping each other. There was also a huge area in the shop full
of woodcarvings. He said that he had not sold one for 3 weeks and asked us
to look around and name our price.. Being softies we had a look around and
bought a few small items. At this his wife who was nursing a small child
dashed up and he showed her the money. She smiled and nodded at us as she
counted the money carefully.
Part of the problem must also be that there are hundreds of shops in Bali
(too many?) all selling the same stuff. The competition must be stiff even
in good times.
One of the things we all wanted to do while in Bali was whitewater rafting.
Although some people on the forum said it was cheaper to book in Australia
and pay in A$$ than pay US$ in Bali, we did leave it until we got to Ubud.
We enquired at a couple of tourist agents in Ubud and finally after
negotiations on the price, because there were 4 of us, booked a rafting trip
with Bali Rafting. Although their brochure price was US$65 we paid A$50 per
person - in rupiah .The agent seemed very happy with this. This was
considerably cheaper than booking a Sobek trip from Australia. There are
several firms to choose from and in the end we chose Bali Rafting because
they go down the Telaga Waja river rather than the Ayung and we had heard
this river had better scenery and the trip was a bit longer Not having done
any of the other trips I can't really compare them.
We were picked up at Klub Kokos and after a drive through typically pretty
ricefields, walled villages and hills, we arrived at a village where we were
issued with our lifejackets, helmets, paddles and given the safety talk. It
was then down to the river and down steeply we went! - lots and lots of
steps. At the bottom we were rather taken aback to find the rafts were being
still being unfolded and pumped up with a handpump. At this point I did
think "Oh dear perhaps we should have gone with Sobek. This looks a bit
amateurish". It turned out they had a problem with the power cord connecting
to the electric pump and we watched with incredulity and bated breath while
a couple of guys calmly fiddled with bare, live wires. At least they were
wearing rubber thongs!
Several women from the village did most of the hand pumping and once the
rafts were inflated we were off in two 2 person rafts plus a guide sitting
on the back of each who paddled and steered.. A larger party of Japanese
were to follow in 4 person rafts. We had been assured in the safety talk
that we would not drown (!) but having done some roughish whitewater rafting
in Australia I was feeling apprehensive and thinking belatedly "What happens
if there's an emergency? We're in the middle of nowhere. There's no rescue
helicopter in Bali etc etc." (As you can see I'm a bit of a worrier.)
However as it turned out my fears were groundless. The whitewater rafting
was hardly white knuckle stuff as the river is very shallow, the water being
only knee deep most of the time. Our rafts frequently went aground on rocks
or stones and the guide would hop off and pull if free. However, being the
wet season, some heavy rain could have changed this rather rapidly I
imagine. It was fine and sunny that morning.
I have to confess that when I saw how relatively gentle a trip this was
going to be, one part of me gave a mental sigh of relief and I relaxed back
for an extremely pleasant morning of spectacular scenery and journeying down
the river. There were patches of white water, but nowhere near as wild as on
my Australian rafting trip - othertimes shallow rapids.
We passed through steep sided cliffs hanging with vines, overhanging jungle,
and verdant rice terraces. A naked old man was taken by surprise, crouched
down and washing himself behind a rock. He placidly gazed at us as we
floated past and splashed a little more water over his back. I wonder what
he thought about these strange foreigners and their unfathomable pursuits.
Rice farmers looked up as we passed, small children shouted and waved,
people carried on washing their clothes by the river bank, spreading them to
dry over bushes and on the grass. Fleeting glimpses of a Bali unseen from
car windows. Only the sound of the water and bird calls.
Our guides stopped by an impressive high waterfall cascading into the river.
We had a drink from the Aqua bottles they had provided and were encouraged
to wade out under the waterfall while they photographed us. They were very
good humoured and looked after us well. They certainly knew how to handle
the rafts. A few other rafts from other companies came along and some
frantic, friendly splashing of the opposition went on. The trip ended with a
3 metre plunge over the Bajing dam which was good fun. Then it was up, up,
and up lots of steps to a shower, clean towel and delicious buffet lunch
washed down with a welcome Bintang or two (lunch included, beer not).
Coming up the steps my unfit, middle-aged knees and lungs were protesting
just carrying me and so I was amazed and humbled later on to see women (and
men ) carrying a folded up raft each on their heads, climbing up - and they
weren't even out of breath. Those rafts are very heavy! When it was time to
leave, our 2 guides accompanied us to our minibus to say goodbye and it
looked like they were hopeful of a tip. Tipping is not an Australian custom
generally and we rarely tip in Australia. I also had read conflicting
opinions on whether to tip or not in Bali. Some books said it should be
discouraged, others said it would be appreciated. Dilemma. However as Bali
is suffering so much at the moment we had decided we would do our bit to
help. Also you are never sure how much people get paid . A tour may be
expensive but it doesn't necessarily mean your driver or guide is getting a
lot. (We were told Sobek is an Australian company. Is it?) So we tipped. I
would be interested to hear other people's viewpoints on this. Also once you
make the decision to tip there is the question of how much? We generally
tipped drivers, waiters, room attendants, guides between A$1 to A$5
depending on what it was for, but I honestly didn't have a clue what was
appropriate.
We returned 'home' through beautiful countryside and the pleasant town of
Klungkung, suddenly driving into torrential rain as we reached Ubud. It was
one of those real tropical deluges. Flights of steps were almost instantly
converted into raging torrents, gutters overflowed, water flowed down the
street ankle deep and streamed from rooves and canopies. There seemed to be
more water on the road than in the Telaga Waja river and we were almost as
excited by our car ride back to Klub Kokos along flooded roads as we were by
our day of rafting. The driver like our river guides did a great job.
I would reccommend the Bali Rafting but if you're an experienced white water
rafter looking for thrills you will find it pretty tame. I think most of the
commercial rafting trips in Bali are. But it's a highly enjoyable and
different way to appreciate the scenery, have some fun and suitable for kids
from 7 to 70+ ( as long as you can manage all the steps) Great lunch too.
I had read about the cycling tours in Bali before leaving Australia but as
with the rafting we left booking a tour until we got there. At Klub Kokos we
learned of a small local group who were running there own eco-cycle tours. I
believe an Australian who had lived in the area had encouraged them to set
one up. After talking to Cathy and hearing her reports of guests who had
done it and been happy, we decided to support this small local venture.
Consequently we did not investigate the other tours and so once again have
nothing to compare it with, but looking at the brochures, I think they have
modelled it on the other tours. The cost of the tour booked through the
hotel was just under A$60 per person. I suppose you could find a cheaper
tour through the tourist agents in Ubud but we didn't look. It sounded good
value to us as it included breakfast and lunch and was a day long activity.
It was an early morning start (groans from my 2 teenage sons) with a pick-up
from the hotel at 7am. Then we headed up to Lake Batur for breakfast before
starting the downhill tour. My husband and I had mixed feeling about
returning to Lake Batur after our absence of over a quarter of a century. It
is a stunning location but our memories of the people there were
unfortunately somewhat negative. On our first visit to Peneloken all those
years ago, the hawkers had been extremely hostile and aggressive. I can
remember a girl pursuing us after we arrived, waving a necklace in front of
my face and lowering the price as I shook my head. Eventually she had
shouted at me and thrown the necklace on the ground at my feet and stormed
off, leaving me stunned and shaken. We had also been badly conned and
fleeced over a canoe trip across the lake - but that's another story...
One of my guide books this time said that things got so bad at one stage
with tourists being ripped off and hassled that the government stepped in to
fix prices for trips on the lake. The inhabitants of Peneloken and Kintamani
were driving people away and in danger of killing the goose that laid the
golden egg.
So we arrived at Lake Batur interested to see what changes had taken place
in our absence. Quite a few! Whereas it was once a small village, there are
now lots of restaurants, shops, and hotels, with electricity and flush
toilets. The volcano and lake looked as impressive as ever, shrouded in
their wet season cloud, although the crater smoked less than we recalled
from 1977. There is also more vegetation covering the lava flows now,
whereas before they were very black and bare. We were astounded by the
Lakeview Restaurant where we went for breakfast. What a transformation. It
is huge, and obviously before the bombing catered to large tourist buses. On
that day there was only one other table occupied and the numerous staff
stood around restless and waiting for customers. We had eaten at the
Lakeview in its early days when it was just a small losmen but already
building a reputation amongst travellers for having great food. We remember
chatting then to the woman who ran it, who was very friendly and enjoyed
talking with the travellers. Referring to our old travel diary I can tell
you that on the 10th March 1977 we had for breakfast roti gado gado, soto
satyuran, two bananas, drinks and it cost Rp550 (Rp440 to A$1).
But let's return to the present. Our guide, Wayan, was a delightful young
man - articulate, knowledgeable and affable. He led us to an outside table
overlooking the crater where we enjoyed our breakfast of banana pancakes.
Not the best I've had as they had been sitting in a warming dish, but quite
acceptable with plenty of syrup. We discussed the volcano and its various
eruptions - my husband was a volcanologist in Papua New Guinea before our
hippie trail days, Wayan shivered in the cool morning, mountain air while we
felt wonderful relief from the oppressive heat and humidity of lower
altitudes. He told us that the hawkers were still very persistent down by
the lake but we were keen to examine the lava flows, which was all part of
the tour and we set off to descend the steep, narrow, winding road down to
the lake. Before the descent however our driver stopped to buy an offering
to put on the dashboard, from a woman by the side of the road. She flicked
him with water, pressed rice on his forehead and said words - "to keep us
safe on this dangerous road" Wayan told us. I was comforted by this but also
hoped that the brakes and steering were in good working order!
When we got to the lava flows Tim, my husband gave us a rundown on the
geology of the area and how the volcano had erupted. Wayan was very
interested and keen to learn new words like 'pyroclastic' and 'stratovolcano'.
We were accompanied on our walk by a couple of men who obviously wanted to
sell us something, but they waited at a distance until we had finished,
before showing us some paintings. When I politely declined them they just
walked back to their bike and went off. Very different from before.
Then it was slowly back up to the top of the caldera, behind lumbering
trucks full of volcanic rock, and out to the countryside to start the bike
tour. We met up at a small village with a chap in a truck with our mountain
bikes and helmets. As I know nothing about bikes all I can say is they had
great suspension and lots of gears. It had been many years since I had been
on a bike but I was reassured by the words "downhill" and "backroads" in the
description of the tour. We set off ( indeed downhill ) behind Wayan on
extremely quiet and pretty small roads which had a surprisingly good surface
- yes, there were holes but even I could wobblingly steer round them.
It was a superb way to travel and see the life of rural Bali. No pedalling
required for the most part, a cooling breeze in our faces and lots to look
at. Wayan kept an eye out for cars but I would think we only saw half a
dozen in total, though there were more motor bikes. We must have made a
strange sight these few Westerners on bikes, followed by an entourage of our
minibus and the truck in case either the bikes or riders conked out.
As we passed children coming home from school at midday, always so clean and
smart in their spotless uniforms, we were greeted with squeals and giggles
of excitement, waves and outstretched hands for giving high-fives. The
others managed to tap their hands as they went past which delighted the
children, but I'm afraid my lack of recent cycling experience and precarious
balance meant I was forced to keep both hands firmly on the handlebars.
The local dogs also came out en masse to greet us with a frantic, though
harmless barking. People going about their daily tasks or lounging on wooden
pavilions, or sitting besides piles of produce for sale, smiled and waved as
we freewheeled past. Occasionally a bare breasted old woman would be
sweeping down the steps by her house or tying up bundles of palm leaves.
They must have seen many changes in Bali in their lifetime. I noticed the
power lines everywhere. On our previous trip, many places outside Denpasar
had no power. We had used oil lamps and torches when we stayed in losmen in
Ubud, Peneloken and Lovina, though some parts of Ubud did have power.
Whenever we saw anything of particular interest, Wayan would ask if we
wanted to stop. So we stopped and watched rice farmers in various aspects of
their work. Because Bali is so fertile, there are two rice crops a year and
you can see rice cultivation in all its stages. A lean old man was ploughing
his padi with an ox . He walked through the knee deep water as if on the
moon or in slow motion, with his knees wide apart, lifting his legs from the
mud as he slowly steered the plough and guided his ox. It could have been a
scene from a century or more ago.
Further on a very old woman was threshing the harvested rice stalks against
a wooden board to remove the rice grains which were collected on a spread
out sheet. In Australia she would have been playing bowls or enjoying her
retirement in some other way. Here she was standing out in the midday sun
engaged in hard physical labour to put food on the table. No social security
system here.
After a drink stop by a village temple where Wayan explained in some detail
the Hindu beliefs and traditions and happily answered our questions, we
cycled to a patch of land where he stopped to show us a typical Balinese
smallholding of the area. We walked amongst the trees and plants while he
pointed out the crops and described their uses. We learned that the three
magic plants are the coconut palm, bamboo and the banana tree because you
can use all parts of them. Nothing is wasted. There were also a few cocoa
trees too. Beneath the trees taro, cassava, corn, coffee and local greens
are cultivated. Then he showed us the medicinal plants used by local people
because modern pharmaceuticals cost too much - a leaf for rubbing on cuts to
stop the bleeding and other bush remedies.
More cycling through lovely countryside - rice padis and wooded areas, over
bridges and through old villages bristling with shrines and temples,
avoiding chickens, dogs, holes and rice laid out to dry on the road. All the
way Wayan would point things out and answer our questions - such as telling
us about the significance and sacredness of the banyan tree, why they are
near temples and how only certain people are allowed to trim their hanging
roots which must never be allowed to touch the ground.
One of our stops was at a village where we were shown a family compound with
buildings for different family members. Inside the smoke-blackened gloom of
the small building for cooking, was a stone ledge with a basket of uncooked
rice (beras), a basket of cooked rice (nasi) and some cooked greens. The
food is prepared early in the morning on a coconut husk fire (or gas burner)
and then family members can help themselves to it throughout the day. The
cooking set up was so very basic compared to our modern kitchens. No
appliances, no recipe books, no well-stocked pantry, no Spray 'n Wipe. It
looked fairly poor and I wondered how the people felt about being a tourist
attraction. Wayan explained that they were happy to have us look around as
it brought some cash to the family. It did make me wonder about our mania
for home improvement in the West and the money we spend on simply changing
the look of our homes.
By now we were feeling rather hungry ourselves and our bike trip was coming
to an end. We crossed a river and started to go uphill. This was the
official end of cycling and I needed to abandon my bike and climb into the
minibus. The rest of the family, being fitter than me, carried on for a
short distance until they reached a busy road and it was time to load all
the bikes on to the truck.
Our lunch stop was the garden of a lovely homestay near Ubud and we were
presented with a veritable banquet. There were only the four of us and the
food presented to us comprised; 1 chicken, 1 smoked duck, a large plate
piled high with chicken satay, gado gado. peanut sauce, mee goreng, urab
(salad vegetables with coconut and spices), fried tempe (made from soy
beans), sambal and a mountain of rice. Extraordinary that they thought we
might actually eat that much. I insisted that our guide and driver have some
too (they weren't going to). Our hostess constantly urged us to eat more but
after 2 helpings each we had to concede defeat. l hope someone else got to
eat the rest.
Our trip then included a visit to the monkey forest in Ubud and back to Klub
Kokos by about 3.30pm. It had been a fantastic day (the best so far
according to my 16yr old). Wayan was a wonderful source of information and
good company and the route we took, opened up to us a very peaceful and
little explored part of Bali. Highly recommended. ****
You could get more information if interested from Klub Kokos or Bali Eco and
Educational tours
email ; bulanindah@dps.centrin.net.id
Fax/tel 0361 975557
In between active days of rafting, cycling and sightseeing, our time at Klub
Kokos was spent lazily relaxing with no particular purpose in mind other
than to enjoy our holiday and the lush, green tropical surroundings - so
different from the sun-scorched, dry Tasmania we have returned to.
One day a leisurely stroll between the elephant grass along the ridge to
Ubud, to have lunch 'in town' and do some shopping. Other times the pool
seemed to be the right place to be or we would embark on yet another lengthy
and contentious Scrabble game. Our travel Scrabble was the very same set
which had accompanied us across Asia in 1977. It seemed appropriate to bring
it back with us this time, as it had proved to be a great way to pass the
time on long journeys and in dimly lit rooms where reading was too
difficult. Now we became Scrabble junkies, playing it nightly, challenging
each other's unusual words until we thought to look in the KK library and
were saved by the discovery of a Scrabble dictionary there. New and
intriguing words came to light for all those difficult and high scoring
letters, solving lengthy (though good-humoured) disputes.
Novels were read, crosswords completed and most afternoons the sky would
cloud and the air become heavy and unbearably cloying with moisture. When it
seemed impossible for it to be any more humid, the rain would come, bringing
with it sudden cool relief. Sitting on our balcony looking out at the wall
of water was rather like being inside a waterfall, such was the power and
quantity of the downpour. Like many aspects of nature the sheer excitement
of it, lashing the trees, thundering on the roof, bouncing off the water in
the padi would send a thrilling shiver down the spine. It was impossible to
ignore; the eyes and other senses drawn to the energy of it. Out in the padi
behind our bungalow the farmer and his dogs would retreat to his nearby
house, while the ducks, splashing and quacking, were in duck heaven. (Now I
understand first hand the origin of the expression, "nice weather for
ducks"). Long after the rain had stopped, the water would pour continuously
from the terraces. I'd wake in the night from a dream about water to hear
the steady trickling and a myriad frogs croaking, feeling the cool dampness
all around me.
After these hazy, lazy days, we felt the need to head to the coast, do some
snorkelling and explore new places. KK arranged a driver, Ketut, to take us
up to Pemuteran via Lake Bratan and Bedugul. Our fellow guests at KK, an
interesting and very friendly American couple who are building a house
nearby to retire to, recommended the North West and the trip to Menjangan
Island.
Ketut knew the quiet and scenic back roads and was a very careful driver -
he was the only driver we had who used indicators before overtaking and who
would wait for a safe opportunity to pass. So we felt very safe being in his
care on this long trip. The road passed though miles of villages and rice
fields with their small shrines to the rice goddess and plastic bags
fluttering on sticks. There wasn't a lot of traffic on these smaller roads,
mainly motorbikes and the occasional minivan. Large areas of road were taken
up with drying rice which I assume is spread on the black road surface
because it heats up quickly. As the road climbed higher and the air became
cooler, the agriculture changed with vegetables replacing rice. What looked
like market gardens lined the road growing onions, tomatoes, cabbages,
peppers and various fruits. The downturn in tourism and reduced demand from
hotels and restaurants must make an impact on these farmers you would think
- unless this food is just grown for the local markets.
At Candikuning, near Bedugul, there is a large market where my husband
bargained for limes using his high school Indonesian. The women thought this
was highly amusing and it caused great entertainment. When he returned to
the car, Ketut asked how much he had paid for them. Upon hearing the price
Ketut said, "You did much better than me. I think I paid too much for my
tomatoes - they are this price in Ubud."
The Bedugul area has Bali's only botanical gardens and we were keen to see
them. Unlike botanical gardens in Australia you can drive your car in for a
small fee. As we were pressed for time this meant we could check out the
gardens before deciding where to walk. Then, while Ketut relaxed on the
grass in the shade of a tree, we had an all too brief wander in the lovely
woods and parkland. which make up most of it. During the week it would be
almost empty we were told, but being a Sunday there were Balinese families
and couples picnicking on the grass, fathers kicking balls to their toddlers
and children playing hide and seek.. It was truly delightful seeing ordinary
families doing ordinary things. Nobody asked us to buy anything; we were
just another family out for a Sunday walk. Why Sunday is a holiday in this
non-Christian country, I am not sure.
You could spend a whole day there enjoying the walks and views but we were
only passing through and so we continued down to the edge of Lake Bratan to
the Pura Ulun Danu Bratan temple. This must be one of the most picturesque
temples in Bali, situated on the lake shore and a tiny islet, with a
stunning backdrop of tranquil water and misty mountains. It is dedicated to
Dewi Danu, the goddess of the lake, because the lake is a source of
irrigation water.
Near the temple are immaculate, manicured gardens with flowerbeds, lawns and
pathways. As this area is a very popular holiday spot for Indonesians, there
were more families out for the day, walking, eating ice cream, pushing
strollers, taking photographs. I exchanged shy smiles with a Muslim mother
who was discreetly feeding her baby on one of the benches. Nearby a group of
young men were playing Bob Marley and having races. A few foreign tourists
like us wandered about but not many, and no hawkers or touts intruded on our
quiet enjoyment of the place. There was a real holiday feel, of people
having fun, relaxing and enjoying the day - quite different from the hassle
of many places geared to Western tourists. We looked at the scene of
Hindu-Buddhist temple and nearby mosque, at the mix of peoples and religions
relaxing together in the cool mountain air and wondered why there is so much
hate, fear and talk of war in the world at the moment. It seemed a long way
away on that day.
We liked the place so much that we vowed on our next trip to Bali we would
stay several days in the area. There is much to do - trips and water sports
on the lake, trekking in the forested hills and around the lakes and the
scenery is gorgeous.
We continued north-westwards skirting Lake Buyan and Lake Tamblingan. The
three lakes (with Bratan) lie in a huge caldera and the road follows the
high ridge with stunning views down over the lakes on one side and I should
imagine across the plain to the coast on the other, though it was too hazy
to see clearly. Dense tropical rainforest plunges to the shoreline of the
lakes. On our next visit, this ridge road would be a fabulous walk to do.
We stopped for lunch near Munduk. The setting of the restaurant (Ngiring
Ngewedang) was lovely -up high overlooking the coastal plain. It's a spice
growing area and the waiter at our restaurant, having no other customers to
attend to, showed us the clove trees surrounding us. While we ate a
delicious lunch we discussed politics with Ketut who was as interested in
our country as we were in his.
The whole Lakes region is very beautiful and unspoiled and if you want to
get away from the touristy south it would be a very pleasant change. I
gather there are even old Dutch colonial guesthouses you can stay in which
we might try out next time!.
From the lakes to the coast we continued to pass through spice growing
country, the winding road edged with clove and vanilla trees hanging with
pods. Ketut our driver, was very patient as he answered questions and
responded to my comments about unfamiliar plants. There were jackfruit and
durian trees with spiky fruit as well as small coffee plantations. After
Seririt, as we went westwards along the coast road the look and feel of the
countryside changed. I commented to Ketut that it looked quite unlike the
Bali down south and he said that he always felt as if he was in a foreign
country when he came up to the North West. The walled compounds and villages
had disappeared and instead rather scruffy concrete block individual houses
and warung/shops were strung along the side of the road interspersed with
fields growing corn, coconut trees and - to our enormous surprise -
vineyards. Ketut told us that Bali has a wine industry but we never did get
to try any as we always seemed to be quenching our thirst with large bottles
of Bintang.
Along this road the steepsided, deeply etched hills are very dramatic coming
right up to the coastal strip to form a striking backdrop. After a day of
travelling and sightseeing we were all very hot and tired by the time we
arrived at the Pondok Sari in Pemuteran. I felt very sorry for Ketut who had
to drive all the way back to Ubud again but he said he was pleased to be
earning money after not having much work since the bombing.
The Pondok Sari looked very quiet - not surprising as we soon learned we
were the only guests there. Rather sad and also strange to see all those
staff and know you are their sole guests.. Our two bungalows were attractive
but had a shut-up, musty smell about them as if they hadn't been used for
some time which was probably the case. Although they were airconditioned
they were equipped with mosquito nets which puzzled me. By nightfall however
I could see the point of these as a few mozzies seemed to have snuck in
through the thatch roof or via the indoor-outdoor bathroom adjoining. Then I
noticed an enormous gecko about 23cm in length chasing them about on our
ceiling and I realised then that the netting was excellent protection from
gecko poo dropping on you in the night.
The Pondok Sari faces onto the beach at Pemuteran and after dumping our bags
in our rooms we headed down there for a late afternoon swim. I had heard
about the problems with hawkers on the beach in Lovina and wondered if it
would be the same here. However I need not have worried - the beach was
almost deserted apart from a few fishermen, some local children playing
soccer on the sand and swimming, and under the trees white-clad staff from
the few hotels, patiently waiting for guests to attend to. The nearby hills
which dominate the skyline shorewards were shrouded with mist and clouds and
there was an almost dreamlike feeling of utter peace and tranquillity to the
place. Nobody approached us to sell us anything: it was wonderful to just be
another human being on the beach and not always a potential customer.
After a leisurely swim we walked along the beach a short distance. Going
westwards there are a couple more hotels fronting the beach and outside
these you can snorkel very close to the shore. Attempts are being made with
some success it seemed, to help regrow the coral on metal frames with
electric currents running through them. Much of the coral here has been
damaged and we saw quite a few crown of thorns starfish. Although it is not
the best snorkelling there are still a lot of different fish and some pretty
coloured coral on the metal frames attracting them. And it is very
convenient to just stroll down from your bungalow and hop in the water for a
snorkel whenever you feel like it.
If you want better snorkeling then I would recommend the trip to Menjangan
Island. We organised it through the dive centre at the Pondok Sari
(Rp400,000 for 4 of us, including transport to the jetty about 20mins down
the road, the 40 mins boat trip over to the island, a lunch pack and drink
each, snorkelling equipment and a guide to snorkel with us for a couple of
hours). We thought it was good value and much cheaper than the price quoted
by the hotel next door - Teman Sari. They also do diving trips too (US$40
pp. for diving).
There is nothing much on the island apart from a temple and while we were
there several boats arrived with people dressed in temple clothes who
smiling and waving to us made their way up to the temple.
Our guide, Wayan, took us out over the reef and to where it drops away in a
wall. Although it was the wet season and the water was not crystal clear,
the visibilty was still good and there were hundreds of fish to see. In the
dry season it must be fantastic with better visibility down the wall.
Wayan pointed out lots of beautiful and interesting sealife including at one
stage a repulsive and highly dangerous stonefish, perched on a rock
masquerading as another piece of seaweed-covered rock. I have always had a
great fear of accidently touching one of these since my PNG days when horror
stories abounded of the unbearable pain they inflict. Stories of people
drowning because they were in too much pain to swim or of people plunging
their foot into a pot of boiling water in a beach village because it
lessened the pain!! The stomach sickens at the thought of it. I had already
warned my sons to touch nothing while snorkelling, and to keep their feet
away from the coral, even though I had never seen a stonefish outside of an
aquarium. So it came as quite a shock to have Wayan gently take my arm and
show me not another beautifully coloured fish but that horror from my
nightmares, less than a metre below me.
Although there was an abundance of brilliant fish, I was a bit disappointed
by the coral which was not as colourful as I had hoped but I guess bleaching
from warming seas is becoming a widespread problem in tropical seas. Having
said that, it is still great snorkelling and having a guide who can show you
things of interest and keep an eye on you is a bonus. The current off the
reef was quite strong and Wayan made sure we kept together and did not go
too far ahead.
Our lunch was a delicious Balinese takeaway in a cardboard box - mee goreng
with fried chicken cooked by one of the small warungs in Labuhan Lalang
(where the boat leaves from). After lunch we had another snorkel but by then
the wind was getting up and the visibility was less good. Wayan indicated a
storm was approaching and we hurried back to the beach and boat just as the
rain came down, We had to wait for those who were diving to resurface- we
followed them by the bubbles - and then we headed back through the rain and
tossing waves to Labuhan Lalang. It had been another good day.
The problem with being the sole guests in a hotel is that you feel obliged
to eat there. When we walked past the restaurant in the evening to walk
along the beach, we saw "our" table from breakfast already set and about
three staff looking eagerly at us with big smiles. Although I would have
liked to check out the other hotel restaurants, we didn't have the heart to
disappoint our hotel's staff! Fortunately a young Japanese couple booked in
that night so it wasn't quite so deserted as when we arrived.
We liked Pemuteran for its tranquility, laidback friendliness and lack of
touristy shops and development. It was such a totally different atmosphere
from Sanur - no hassles, no pressure. We were left in peace to swim, walk,
laze about and watch life go by - fishermen going out in their boats,
children playing after school, parents carrying toddlers into the sea for a
splash. The setting with the green hills so close behind is stunning
although if you are hoping for a soft, dazzling white sand beach you won't
find it. The beach is a mixture of coarse coral sand in places and black
volcanic sand elsewhere.
Just two minutes along the beach from our hotel is a small eco-hotel called
Reef-Seen, which runs a turtle project. Local fishermen who accidently catch
turtles in their nets are encouraged to sell them to the project so they can
be released back to the ocean. The project also buys turtle eggs for more
than the going rate so that instead of eating them, people can sell them.
Then the eggs go in the hatchery and after hatching, the baby turles are
raised to a certain size before being released. Visitors can make a donation
or even sponsor a turtle's release.if they like. You can also go horesriding
along the beach from Reef Seen but we didn't have time.
After our stay in Pemuteran, Ketut came and picked us up and we returned to
Klub Kokos for a couple of days before returning to Australia. It was a
wonderful holiday and I would urge anyone wondering whether to go to Bali or
not, to just go. There are lots of places off the beaten track, away from
crowds if you feel nervous but we never felt uneasy at all. Go, Bali needs
you and you will have a good time. And if you want to see the tourist sights
now is the time to go while they are still uncrowded.
The End.
P.S Many thanks to all those kind people who said nice things about my JBRs.
I haven't written descriptive passages since I left school a long, long time
ago so I was very surprised and pleased by your positive comments. I'm glad
I was able to bring back happy memories for those of you missing Bali.
Anna
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