#Adiwana Arya Residences

[oddlyanne]

Our Bali Trip :)

I’ve seen and heard a lot of good things about Bali, Indonesia -- from blogs, photographs, friends who’ve been there, and different travel websites. Honestly, I wanted to go right away (if only I can go there thru the laptop screen hahaha). I’ve been thinking about it ever since. I wonder if the places and beaches are same with the photographs. I wanted to experience the life in Bali even for a few days. I wanted to feel the ocean breeze and the warm sea water on my feet. I wanted to explore places I’ve never been.

It becomes a reality when my boyfriend asked me if I wanted to visit Bali as he heard it from his colleague. So I told him that I absolutely want to visit it. He then asked me when I wanted to go and where I wanted to stay (Usually I set the dates and accommodations). After few days, we have our flight details and accommodations.

Since Bali is a huge island, it’s a waste if you’ll just stay in one place, and so we decided to have 3 days in Ubud, 3 days in Seminyak and 2 days in Uluwatu. There are lots of affordable hotels and villas to choose from. You just need to have patience and lots of time looking for the accommodation that suits your style or liking.

In terms of tour, we wanted to be more flexible so we’ve decided that we’ll just hire a private car so we can plan for the places we wanted to visit and no need to rush as you set your own schedule as well (if you wanted to leave the hotel by 7AM, you can do so as long as your activities will be finished within 10 hours). 

Day 1 - Arrival at Ngurah Rai Airport and travel time to Ubud. We checked in first at the Adiwana Arya Residence before visiting Ubud centre for restaurants and tourist spots by scooter.

Honestly, Mike and I didn’t know how to drive a scooter (but we know how to ride a bicycle). We thought that they’re just the same thing but when we were actually on our way to the town and the traffic jam is everywhere, we started to panic (then at our mistakes). HAHAHA

Once you see Starbucks Coffee, you’ll find Pura Taman Saraswati. The place is too glorious but unfortunately hidden behind restaurants and coffee shops along the road.

Ubud Palace is the official residence on the royal family of Ubud, but you’ll not see them roaming around because apparently, the King has a lot properties all over Ubud and they’re mostly hotels. Maybe we’re a bit too late that’s why there’s a lot of tourists taking photos and vehicles surrounding the area. (mind you, it’s located in the corner of the main road).

    Day 2 - Rented a Private car to drive us too Bedugul area for a whole day

First stop, Wanagiri Hidden Hills. If you’ll rent a private car, this place is outside the area that they cover, so there will be an additional IDR250,000. I just don’t know for the case of package tours.

Few minutes drive away, you’ll see this famous Handara Gate. Though this is along the main road, you have to pay for a fee of IDR60,000/person. Since we got there early, we were able to take our time and enjoy the place.

Next on our itinerary is Pura Ulun Danu Beratan. It is the major Shaivite tempe in Bali. A lot of tourists and locals visit the temple to witness the magnificent temple. Though you have to pay for entrance fee, it’s all worth it.

Taman Ayun was not in our itinerary but our driver Putu (our driver) brought us here with no additional charge (well except for the entrance fee of IDR 10,000)

Day 3 - We left Adiwana Arya Villa early so we still have time to see what Seminyak and Uluwatu has to offer. First stop, Nusa Dua.

Because Nusa Dua is a famous place to visit in Bali, our driver offered to show us around the area (unexpected roadtrip YAY!). It is the location of world-class 5-star hotels and a good location (almost for everything) near the city.

Before leaving Adiwana Arya Villa, Enik (hotel’s receptionist) mentioned that we should go visit Malisti Beach. Though it’s like 40C, we enjoyed the view from the cliff. When we got there, lot of couples are having their prenups along the beach (mostly Asians). Not sure how they survived the heat, but like what people say, “Tiis ganda lang”.

Few minutes away is the location of the Hollywood movie, “Eat, Pray, Love”, the Padang-Padang Beach. Before you can reach the shore, you have to take few plights between huge stones. The beach is not that wide but I think you’ll love the scenery the way that I do. You just have to be careful as some of the stones are really sharp and you might hurt your feet.

If you want to see the sunset in Bali and you’re around Uluwatu area, you have to visit the Uluwatu Temple. It is known for its magnificent sunset and location as it sits on top of a cliff. If you’re wearing shorts like me, you could borrow a malong from them (whether you’re a guy or girl), or better yet, bring your own. :)

Day 4 - Nusa Penida Island Tour care of our friend Putu

Most of the tour package in Nusa Penida includes 2-way transport from your hotel (depending on your location, they may charge more), a 2-way fast-boat ride from Sanur port, lunch and tour guide. The tours could include snorkeling and land tours, or land tours alone, depending on what you wanted. But for us, we chose the one with snorkeling so we could have a glimpse of Bali’s underwater wonders. :) The price usually range from 70USD to 120 USD, depending on the travel agency and inclusion.

I believe each boat has their own snorkeling equipment that you can borrow, as well as life jackets. In our boat, I think I’m the only one who doesn’t know how to swim. HAHA good thing they have a life vest. Don’t be embarrassed to wear swimsuits! They don’t care. (That’s why I love staying overseas!)

A little advise: Eat breakfast before taking a dip! Remember this isn’t a pool so expect strong waves HAHAHA Even if you wear life jackets, you’ll still be exhausted, what more if you don’t. HAHAHA

Before you can reach the Broken Beach and Angel Billabong, you have to pass thru bumpy roads and cliffs. When you get there, you need to walk at least 5-10minutes to reach Broken Beach. Well, it’s worth it. You could really see the beauty of the beach from the top. Every side is totally instagrammable. :)

Few walks away is the Angel Billabong. It’s on the opposite side of the Broken Beach. If you want to take a dip in the natural pool, there’s a stairway to get you there. We decided not to go down and just enjoy the view from above. :)

Klingking Beach is another 30-40minutes drive away from Broken Beach and Angel Billabong. Like the ones you see in the photos, it’s more magnificent in person. You’ll get to see the perfect white side of the beach from the cliff, and the crystal blue sea. If you want to experience dipping or sunbathing along the Klingking beach, a staircase will also help you to get there, BUT, the travel time (back and forth) is 1hr by feet. Soo near yet so far HAHA

Day 5 and 6 - It’s our last day in Legian, Seminyak so we decided to take it easy and just enjoy the beach. As there are souvenir shops near the hotel, we get to somehow buy pasalubong (specially for my sister) HAHA

Around 3pm, we arrived in our last hotel, Swiss-Belresort Pecatu. We never really expected that the location is a little secluded, so we weren’t able to check out what’s in Uluwatu Town HAHA. Since that’s the case, we just enjoyed the hotel amenities and took a lot of photos. :D YAY for that!

NOTE: If you want to do things on your own time, it’s better if you’ll do your research about the areas you wish to visit. Yes, research! I know you wanted to relax so do the research while it’s still few weeks away from the intended travel dates. And when in Bali, don’t be afraid to be lost and ask directions. It’s normal. Try renting a portable wifi before leaving so in cases you’ll get lost, you could just use the Google Map. 

Though I got really bad sunburn, I loved the experience and the hospitality that the locals have given us. Than you Bali! We love you! <3

P.S. If you love to dress up, it’s perfectly fine. I just chose comfort over fashion :)