#it starts in seaside next year & thats only a few hours away so like
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what if i did the scooter cannonball next year
#it starts in seaside next year & thats only a few hours away so like#assuming im able to get the ct110 im eyeballing i should be able to do it#plus i could just continue on to the east coast to see my friends since it ends in tx#idk i feel like next year is gonna be the years that im just wandering around the country#and this year too if everything lines up#heres hoping unemployment gives me more than last time 🤞
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Bato’s Backstory
ok so this is gonna be long, buckle up. This is my personal interpretation of bato’s backstory, it likely makes no canonical or reasonable sense, but canon does not exist and i make the rules. this is purely self-indulgent crack-treated-seriously. This is what all the other hcs, unless stated otherwise, will be set in.
Note about Bato: in my interpretation of him, he has teal/cyan eyes and darker brown hair than in the show, his skin tone has not changed.
(unfortunately this is not a zukka au, just a bakoda one. bato’s backstory is kind of an au in my mind, so when i do ship zukka, its not in this au)
(the bold letters at the beginning of the paragraphs are for accessibility)
‘Present’ (only a few months after zuko’s coronation) ages: Hakoda & Bato - 41 Kya - 42 Iroh - 65 Ozai - 47
under the cut because oh boy this is long, sorry asdfghfd
So, our story begins in the fire nation, about 59 AG, Iroh is the 25 year old crown prince, and recently had a child with his wife, Minami, on the coldest day of winter. They named him Shui, and they, quite frankly, spoilt him with their love. Minami stayed in the castle while Iroh was at war, and always sang to Shui while putting his hair up or putting him to bed.
One day, when Shui was 9, Azulon decided to take his family to Ember Islands on vacation, like the royal family has been doing for generations. However, there was a bad storm, and the ship got thrown near the south. Little Shui followed Iroh onto the deck, and fell overboard when a big wave hit the other side of the boat, rocking it and making him fall.
The royal family and crew tried to save him, but the waves dragged him under, and once the storm cleared, he was presumed dead. Iroh and Minami mourned the loss of their first son, who died so young that he hardly got to live life at all. Ozai mourned to a minor extent, as he was 15 at the time and wasn’t as bad as he is in the present, but not for as long as Shui’s parents, or grandfather, did.
Meanwhile, in the southern water tribe, little 9 year old Hakoda was wandering down at the seaside with his father when he came across a young boy unconscious in the snow, the cold water nearly freezing him to death. His father hurried him back to the tribe with the young boy’s body. For days, Hakoda sat beside the bed, rarely moving from the spot, keeping watch on the mystery boy. And eventually, he woke up.
Hakoda introduced himself once the boy was fully awake, but when asked his name, the boy said “i...i don’t remember...” So, instead, Hakoda decided to pick a name for him; Bato. The boy agreed to the name, and after a week, got adopted by one of the tribesmen, a close friend of Hakoda’s father. After that, the two children were an unstoppable duo, they did many successful pranks on everyone, including Hakoda’s mother, Kanna.
However, every once in a while, Bato would blurt out something without thinking, and when questioned, wouldn’t be able to remember it at all. For instance, Bato and Hakoda were once watching the stars late at night, when Bato pointed at a constellation and called it Druk. Hakoda laughed, but Bato insisted that was its name. Hakoda asked where Bato learned that, since thats not what their tribe calls it, and Bato had no recollection of learning it.
(This continued well into teenagehood, when Bato realised at the ripe old age of 14 that he was, in fact, in love with his best friend. He didn’t come out for a long time, in fear of his tribe’s reaction. Deep down he knew they’d accept him with open arms, but his anxiety said otherwise.)
At 12, there was a fire nation raid while Bato was at the seaside, and he recognised both the ship and flag instantly despite not being told prior about the Southern Raiders. He ran to tell the chief, and thanks to his quick reaction, saved the tribe to a degree. Many waterbenders still died, however.
At 15, Bato and Hakoda went ice-dodging with their respective fathers- and eachother. Hakoda recieved the mark of the wise, and Bato recieved the mark of the brave.
One night at 15, they were cuddling in Hakoda’s bed (because thats what best friends do, of course. its cold, no other reason, totally not) when Hakoda noticed Bato’s eye color; Teal. not the regular water tribe blue, not a dark blue, or even a light blue, but pure Teal. Although hakoda would still argue to this day that bato’s eyes are cyan. When questioned about his eye color, Bato shrugged and brushed it off as an uncommon trait. But Hakoda realised nobody else in the tribe had cyan eyes, just blue.
Then, at 16, the boys got into a bad avalanche that resulted in Hakoda getting knocked out. Bato woke up hours later, and pulled his best friend out of the snow. He realised Hakoda wasnt breathing, and started to cry, taking his gloves off to cling to Hakoda and try feel the warmth of his pulse, to no avail. He closed his eyes and cried, when his hands lit on fire. When he realised what he just did, he put the flame out and made a plan, carrying Hakoda to the dog sled quite a bit from the avalanche, and set them on course for the tribe while he carefully lit his hands back on fire after a few attempts, and kept Hakoda warm.
Just before they got to the tribe, Hakoda started breathing again, shallowly, and his father quickly took both of them to the healer when they arrived back. This time, it was Bato who sat beside the bed and waited for Hakoda to wake up, refusing to eat much until his friend woke up.
He never told anyone about his bending.
A few months later, Hakoda met and started dating Kya, and Bato’s heart broke. he was happy for hakoda, he really was, but deep down it still hurt him to see him with someone else.
At 20, Hakoda’s father went off to war. At 22, Hakoda became Chief, and Bato became the second-in-command.
At 23, Hakoda proposed to Kya after like 20 failed attempts at carving a betrothal necklace. Bato’s heart broke a tiny bit more, but he ignored it to be happy for his friend. Bato had to sleep alone for the first time since he joined the southern water tribe, he didn’t sleep much when alone.
2 years later, at 25, Sokka was born, and Bato babysat him a lot when Hakoda and Kya were busy. Bato admittedly vented to baby sokka quite a bit, and showed him very minor firebending tricks he practiced during sleepless nights, which was most nights.
At 26, Katara was born, and Bato now babysat two little children, both of which he adored with all his heart. He himself is infertile, so Katara and Sokka were the closest thing he had to his own children.
Things went mostly peacefully for years, until 34, when Kya got killed. After the raid, Hakoda wouldnt eat for days at a time, completely depressed and exhausted. Bato would offer him small plates of food and sit with him, letting him vent or cry or whatever Hakoda needed to do to get the stress and pain out. He also looked after Sokka and Katara while Hakoda couldn’t, and usually slept next to Hakoda’s bed, watching over the chief, along with his kids, as both children were terrified to sleep by themselves, Hakoda was scared of losing them, and Bato couldn’t bare the thought of not keeping them safe.
After years of recovering, Hakoda eventually had to head out to war with the men of the tribe, Bato included. Bato’s heart broke watching Sokka beg to come with them, but he knew it was for the best.
3 months after leaving, Bato came out to Hakoda in the Chieftan’s private room in the boat, and Hakoda accepted him with open arms, and promised to not tell anyone until Bato was ready. Bato fell a lot more in love.
At 5 months, he started very carefully dropping hints to Hakoda that he likes him, slightly-too-friendly-to-be-platonic compliments, cuddling him in hakoda’s room “because its cold” (they were nowhere near cold climates), and other vaugely homoerotic stuff like that. All of it went over Hakoda’s head.
(At 6 months he straight up told Hakoda at night on the deck “Your my stars, Hakoda. Whenever i’m lost, you always bring me home.”, and Hakoda responded “Thanks Bato, I’m happy your my friend too.”, Bato stayed awake all night in utter disbelief. He still teases Hakoda about it.)
1 year after leaving, Bato realised he might not be as much of a guy as he thought he was. He silently decided to put that train of thoughts on hold until the war was over. (In his heart he knew the war would never be over until the fire nation won. especially with sozin’s comet only a year away and- he doesnt remember what sozin’s comet is.)
When his arm got burned, he burned the soldier right back with his good arm out of sight of everyone else, and managed to shove them overboard before the pain hit him. He’s always had a high pain tolerance. After the fight ended, Hakoda carried Bato to the abbey, and they had a tearful goodbye, where Bato quietly confessed his love as Hakoda walked out the room. Hakoda thought about it until he saw Bato again.
When they reunited, Hakoda confessed his love back to Bato, and they kissed right in the open, it took a lot of self control for the other tribesmen to not cheer, they had known for literally forever, the only person in the tribe who didnt know bato was in love with hakoda was hakoda.
Somehow, it took until the war was over for Sokka and Katara to find out they had a step-dad. They already considered Bato to be their second dad, so not much exactly changed.
The day of Zuko’s coronation, Bato got talking with Iroh, and when the topic came to children, Iroh explained how both his sons were dead, one dying at 9 from a storm, and the other dying at 20 from war. When Iroh says his youngest (eldest?) son’s name, Shui, Bato remembers the storm, and Iroh notices Bato’s rare cyan eyes.
They have a nice reunion, although Bato has to sit down for a while to process all this and figure out his family tree. He decides not to tell Hakoda yet, but he does spend a while walking through the palace with Iroh and remembering parts of his early childhood. He cant bring himself to go into the room of firelord portraits.
A month after zuko’s coronation, he sits Hakoda down and explains that he’s a bender, and he’s apparently fire nation royalty. Hakoda gets temporarily mad, but eventually calms down and hugs Bato when his friend told him that his firebending saved both himself and hakoda, and that he would never be like his forefathers or uncle. Hakoda takes a while to fully accept it, but eventually warms up (heh) to the concept, and continues to use Bato as a personal space heater.
Two months after zuko’s coronation, he finally decides to tackle the “i’m not as much as a guy as i thought” issue, and he decides to go to Iroh and Toph for advice over tea, where Iroh suggests some wise stuff, but Toph simply explains what non-binary is, and suggests Bato may be Demiboy. (Although Bato prefers to call himself Demiguy, he doesnt like being called a boy) The Gender Crisis continues for about another week, and takes another half a month for him to come out to Hakoda. Bato was somewhat internally afraid he wouldnt be counted as one of the men, but Hakoda was overwhelmingly supportive, and admitted that he knew Bato wasn’t exactly cis, he just never knew the words to use.
Bato spends a while at the palace after the coronation to get his bearings on being half fire nation and a prince, he learns purple is a very good color on him.(Hakoda later jokes that it was foreshadowing for Bato realising he was enby, as he wasnt blue or red)
He bonds quite a bit with Zuko, Iroh, and Toph during his stay, but eventually goes back to the southern water tribe, the place he truly considers home. Although, he does go and visit the fire nation every once in a while. He even goes to Ember Islands and has a vacation day with both of his families.
After about two years, He finally makes a betrothal necklace for Hakoda, with the symbol of the water tribe on it and flames coming up from the waves, both of them totally cry happy tears when he proposes privately under the light of the aurora.
#Bato#Bato of the water tribe#Water Tribe#SWT#Southern Water Tribe#Zuko#Iroh#Firelord Zuko#Toph#Enby Toph#trans bato#(?)#enby bato#gay bato#hcs#backstory#atla#avatar#avatar the last airbender#avatar: the last airbender#au#canon? whats canon#never heard of her#bakoda#kya#hakoda#sokka#katara#kanna#tw drowning
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Fire Escape (Bucky Barnes x OC)
“The Netherlands it is” Bucky muttered to himself. It’s taken him a few days to decide, to toss over the logistics and the details of the next country he might take shelter in. The Netherlands came up as the best solution to a terrible situation. Small country, making it easy to cross multiple borders within hours. He didn’t speak the language but could learn quickly. From his research, he found that most of the population could speak English anyway.
He needed to find somewhere close to a major city but not so close that it was too many eyes on him. Too many innocent victims if he lost control. He eyed the map in front of him, noticing how tight his metal fingers were gripping the page underneath his glove. He decided on an area near The Hague and Rotterdam.
He packed the last of this clothes and notebooks into his backpack, scanning the apartment one last time, making sure there was no sign of life left.
It needed to look like he was never there, like Bucky Barnes never existed.
----
Bucky Barnes is still in hiding after the events in Washington. Needing to run again, he decides on The Netherlands.
He just needed to hide, to stay out of trouble. He wanted to be a ghost again. He wanted to find somewhere to disappear. Meeting her was never apart of the plan.
(Trigger warning - mentions of suicide)
Chapter One - Hoek Van Holland
It took a few weeks of travelling to reach the Dutch border from his previous hideout in Slovenia. As he got closer to the city limits of Rotterdam, he stopped to decide on a suburb. Somewhere to start scouting and hopefully find a place to live. He pulled out his map and decided on his next location, Hoek van Holland.
It was a small, seaside town not too far from The Hague. Not a huge population and at this time of year it was mostly tourists enjoying the last of the summer sunshine before winter stared to roll in.
He still had enough money left over for working in Slovenia to get him through a few weeks without work. He was strong and physically young and the docks and industrial district where close by so finding work in manual labour shouldn’t be too hard to come by. He can get paid cash in hand, doesn’t need to show any identification, can give a fake name. No one needs to get hurt.
It didn’t take him too long to find an apartment block with a ‘for rent’ sign. He wandered through the lobby of the building, marking the exits and burning the layout into his memory. He found the landlord’s office easily enough, knocking on the door hesitantly. Every new interaction he had to make was another chance to blow his cover.
The landlord opened the door slowly. Bucky took one look at him and knew he wasn’t going to be any trouble. He was short and stout, thin grey hair covering his head, probably in his late eighties. He looked up at Bucky and squinted, reaching lazily for the glasses hanging around his neck.
“Kan ik u helpen?” He asked in Dutch. Bucky froze for a second, trying to come up with a plan. He knew German, and while it wasn’t the same, it was worth a shot.
(Can I help you?)
“Ich möchte das Zimmer zu vermieten?“ He said slowly, hoping the man could understand what he was saying. The Dutch man blinked a few times before giving Bucky a look of recognition.
(I want to rent the room?)
“ach ja natürlich. Tut mir leid, mein Junge, ich musste jetzt schon eine Weile Deutsch sprechen. Hast du alle Papiere für die Wohnung?”He asked and Bucky could feel his palms start to sweat. This shouldn’t make him so nervous, but it does.
(Ah yes of course. I’m sorry, my boy, I haven’t spoken German for a while. Do you have all the paperwork for the apartment?)
“Nein. Ich hatte gehofft, ich könnte bar bezahlen. Ich gebe dir gleich sechs Monate“. Bucky pleaded, holding out the envelope of money he’s kept in his pocket all morning. The man looked him up and down, trying to judge how much of a threat he might be. After a moment of consideration, he turned and grabbed a key off the wall behind him.
(No. I was hoping I could pay cash. I can give you six months straight away)
“Lass es mich nicht bereuen” He said, placing the key into Bucky’s open palm and taking the wad of cash in return. Bucky breathed out a sigh of relief. He thanked the man before turning and quickly heading towards the stairs before he could change his mind.
(Don’t make me regret this)
--
He was glad to have the only apartment on the top floor. It meant he had time to hear someone coming, and the fire escape gave him another route of exit when the time came. It almost reminded him of the apartment he had back in Brooklyn, or at least what he could recall of it.
The neighbouring apartment block was close, almost too close. A quick jump and he would land on their matching fire escape, which upon reflection wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Another way to get out whenever Hydra or Steve or someone came to take him.
He pulled out the contents of his backpack. All he had was a few pieces of clothes, just enough to get by. He had a few notebooks, which he placed on the kitchen table.
Luckily, the apartment came furnished, so he didn’t need to go out and purchase anything. Helps reduce the risk of being spotted. If all goes to plan he should be able to stay here for at least six months, maybe nine if he’s lucky.
Bucky flopped down on the couch, taking in the silence around him. He knew he needed to sleep. His body was screaming at him, begging him to close his eyes. He had barely slept in the past 2 weeks and he could feel it in his bones. He rested his head down against the back of the lounge, closing his eyes and trying to let sleep consume him.
He knows the peace won't last long. He knows he will wake up again soon, shaking and covered in a cold layer of sweat. He’ll wake up, face scrunched up in pain as he remembers what they did to him. The fighting, the blood, the broken bones, the wiped memories. It all comes flooding back to him by morning.
---
It only takes him three days to find work at a shipping company a few minutes from his apartment. It’s night work, which is perfect. Less people to see his face in the cover of murky darkness and shadows.
He finally lets himself settle a little after this, just enough to be able to breathe a bit easier. He is still on edge, waiting for someone to recognize him, someone to come and try to kill him any second. It’s like his nerves are turned up to one hundred. Like any creak of the floorboards or low flying plane could set him off.
He’s paranoid and he knows it. The threat of Hydra finding him is overwhelming. He knew what would happen if they found him. Thats one memory he could always recall in an instant.
He decided long ago that if it happened again, if Hydra came back and forced him to become the Winter Soldier once more, he'd put a gun in his mouth the second he got the chance.
Even though everything is still up in the air, he feels like he’s able to get into a sort of routine this time around, and routine is not something he’s experienced much in his life. You could almost call it peaceful if you were a stranger, inspecting from the outside looking in.
Work, sleep, eat, shower, work, sleep, eat, shower. It was three weeks of undisturbed mundanity.
If Bucky knew how everything was able to change, maybe, just maybe, he would have run away when he got the chance.
#Bucky barnes#bucky#winter solider#marvel#bucky x oc#bucky x original female character#angst#sad bucky
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Top Things to do in Bali
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Sunrise Trek to Mount Batur (Bali)
Chantell from Travel For Your Life
Mount Batur in Bali has one of the most incredible views you can find on the whole island.
It’s best to do the trek to arrive just in time for sunrise. On a clear day you’ll even get to see Mount Rinjani in Lombok from the top. And since it’s an active volcano you can see steam coming from the rocks.
If you’d prefer to organize the trek yourself, just go to Kintamani and ask at the tourist station at the base of Mount Batur to book a guide for the next day. There’s plenty of accommodation in town to stay for the night and you’ll only be sleeping a few hours before starting the trek anyway.
You have to have a guide to do the trek otherwise you’ll be blocked from starting the climb.
Another option is to book a tour from somewhere not too far away like Ubud which will mean your transfer to Batur is included in your ticket price, as well as the guide. They’ll pick you up the night of the trek and drop you back straight away afterwards so it removes the hassle of having to organize anything else like additional accommodation.
The climb itself is relatively short and easy for such a spectacular view.
View from the top of Mt Batur during Sunrise
Riding the waves at Kuta Beach (Bali)
Lydia from Lydiascapes Travel
If you are someone who loves the sun, sand, sea and most importantly surfing, then Kuta Beach in Bali is the place to visit!
There are many great surf spots around Bali island to ride the waves, but I would recommend Kuta Beach if you are between a beginner to intermediate surfer, as the waves are not too high and there is a decent number of surfers around to not feel isolated or too remote from other people in the event something happens to you.
Given this is a rather popular beach amongst locals and tourists alike, there are multiple surf shops and beachside bars along the entire beach that you can compare the prices to rent a board with a rashguard provided too ( this is a wet suit you should put on to keep you from getting injured or hurt by the board – very important especially if you are a beginner surfer).
There is always the option of getting a personal coach to train you on the basics and safety tips to note before you head out. Mind you, surfing is a very tiring sport and requires a degree of technique mastering, balance, endurance and loads of energy. So don’t neglect on the refueling of water or fresh coconut before hitting the waves Cain.
Do some prior research on when is high or low tide, and do try to avoid the hottest time of the day between 12-1pm to surf to minimise the chances of getting burnt or worst still, suffer a heat stroke.
Kuta Beach is a great place also due to the convenient continuation of activities you can enjoy at night. The sun sets right over the horizon at this beach and the restaurants, bars and cafes along this beach comes alive at dusk.
So after a full action day of surfing, it’s great to relax and unwind with a drink at your choice cafe and listen to the waves while watching the sunset. The perfect type of experience for all outdoor adventure lovers!
Witnessing a cremation ceremony (Bali)
Wendy from The Nomadic Vegan
Ngaben, which means “turning into ash”, is a cremation ceremony that is part of the intricate Hindu funeral ritual followed in Bali. If you ever have the chance to attend one of these ceremonies, don’t miss it. They take place in villages all over the island, usually once a year.
The one that I attended was near the fishing village of Padang Bai. All of the people from the village who had died in the past year, which in this case was 153 people, were cremated together.
The families placed the bones of the deceased in a multi-tiered, tower-like structure called a waddhu. It looked very much like a pagoda but was a temporary structure made from bamboo, paper and wood.
Dozens of men then carried the waddhu to a cemetery, where the bones were transferred to a sarcophagus, called a lembu, which was in the shape of a giant lion. Then the lion was set on fire and the bones of 153 people and all the offerings placed inside for the gods went up in smoke.
A ngaben is a spectacular sight, and foreigners are usually welcome to attend as long as they are respectful. It’s actually quite a festive celebration, so expect lots of music and dancing.
Tirta Gangga (Bali)
Clare from Travels in Peru
One of my favourite places I visited while in Bali was the Tirta Gangga Royal Water Garden. It is a former royal palace and was built in 1948 by the Raja of Karangasem. The translation means water from the ganges.
As you first walk in it is an amazing site, very beautiful. There are water fountains, bridges and stepping stones that you walk along to cross certain parts of water.
On a sunny day it is beautiful and certainly a place you can spend some time, whether just sitting on a chair and looking at the fishes swimming or the beautiful flowers or enjoying lunch in the restaurant overlooking the gardens.
If you do not want to do a tour then there is a bus that runs from Kuta to Tirta Gangga daily, normally departing Kuta at 7am and takes around 2 and a half hours. I personally decided to stay 2 nights in Tirta Gangga village so that I could explore the gardens and also the area, which is beautiful. I managed to explore when there was not bus loads of tourists which was great and to see at sunset too with the reflections on the water is amazing.
If you are in Bali then make sure you visit this magical place.
Tirta Gannga
Cafe hopping in Canggu (Bali)
Maire from Temples and Treehouses
Canggu is a laidback beach area renowned for its surf spots and cafe culture. It’s more relaxed than neighbouring party hotspots Seminyak and Kuta, but instead you’ll find trendy coffee shops, bars and restaurants. Canggu is all about dreamy beach vibes and cafe and bar hopping. The focus is on smoothie bowls, vegan treats and Instagram-friendly decor.
For brunch, visit Monsieur Spoon, Crate or Cafe Organic. Or if you’re looking for a fashionable bar for cocktails and seaside chic, you can’t go wrong with La Brisa or The Lawn, where you’ll feel a bit like you’re in a music video. My favourite was La Laguna, a Spanish-style beach bar that features incredible views and photogenic gypsy caravans.
Cafe Organic Canggu
High or Afternoon Tea (Bali)
Jacklyn from Get Lost With Jackie
One of the best things to do in Bali is indulge in the British tradition of high or afternoon tea. While it may be a bit confusing (British Tea – in Bali?) the fact that Indonesia is the sixth largest world exporter of tea – might connect some dots!
Many of the luxury hotel properties have taken a “Balinese spin” on the British tradition and serve up small Balinese desserts such as “Godoh and Pisang Rai” (fried and steamed bananas) or Bantal (pillow cake) instead of the classic scones and chocolate cake bites that are traditionally served with Afternoon Tea. Being that Bali and Lombok can be hot and humid, you can also expect to be able to order various iced teas, as opposed to the traditional hot teas.
While the Tea services are typically offered as a service alongside a hotel booking – almost any of the hotels that offer the service for their guests, are more than happy to welcome daily visitors to indulge in their High or Afternoon Teas!
Jatiluwih Rice Terraces (Bali)
Arnav from HighONHimalayas.com
If you are looking for an authentic Indonesian experience with less crowds, Jatiluwih Rice Terraces is the place to be. Declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Sight in June 2012, The Jatiluwih rice terraces located in the middle of Bali near Ganung Batukaru, are the best example of Bali’s outstanding picturesque rice fields.
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The Jatiluwih rice terraces comprise over 600 hectares of rice fields following the flowing hillside topography of the Batukaru mountain range. These are well-maintained by a traditional water management cooperatives dating back to the 9th century and passing down the generations, known as the Subak irrigation system.
Luwak Coffee Tasting (Bali)
A lot of people don’t have this on their list, but it gets added somehow. There are plenty of small coffee plantations scattered around Bali, where one can not only go and taste the most expensive coffee in the world – Luwak coffee, but also a variety of different teas, and coffees.
For beginners Luwak coffee is basically cat poo coffee. What basically happens is that the civet cat, feeds on the best coffee berries in the wild. These beans remain intact, but pass through the cats digestive system, where fermentation occurs. When the cat poo’s, the beans are intact, and are collected by locals. After a thorough cycle of washing, cleaning and drying off, the beans are pounded, and dry roasted. And thats how the most expensive coffee in the world is made.
Kecak Dance At Uluwatu Temple (Bali)
Mariza from Hop On World
Uluwatu might be most famous for its centuries-old Pura Luhur Uluwatu temple, stunning clifftop views and remarkable sunsets, but one thing to add to your list of things to do whilst here is to watch a Kecak Fire Dance.
The mesmerising performance depicts a battle in which a prince and his helpers defeat an evil king. With more than 75 dancers, it’s a great performance which will leave you sitting at the edge of your seat whilst enjoying the chants, traditional dance and fire tricks.
Tickets can be bought right at the ticket office on the grounds, so there’s no need to book through a third party. Sales start at 17:00 and tickets go for IDR 70,000 – IDR 100,000 (USD$ 5-7), depending on when you visit. The show starts promptly at 18:00, so if you want to get a good seat in the little amphitheatre try to head in a bit earlier.
Oh and travel tip – there are a few sneaky monkeys outside the amphitheatre, so keep your valuables safe in your bag or backpack!
Sunset at Tanha Lot (Bali)
Ferna Mae Fernandez from Everywhere With Ferna
Sunset in Tanah Lot is one of the best things to do in Bali, Indonesia. This is why it is packed with tourists during sunset time because of the rich in colour with a bright light that disseminates over the water. In addition to this, Tanah Lot is also the most sacred temple in Bali which is formerly known as Tengah Loh that means “in the sea”, thus the beauty of the temple behind the ocean gives a different feeling when visiting. Exceptionally a sunset backdrop that gives a spectacular silhouette image.
It has a huge size in the area so being the most visited temple in Bali, no matter how crowded, a traveller can still do a lot of the things as there are so many spots to stop by and corners to get the full view of the sunset. Like their cave situated at the base of the temple where a donation is a way to get the priests blessings, apart from which a Clifftop restaurant is also open to grab some beers, sit and relax while waiting for the sun to set. This and more are just one of those that you can do while embracing the beauty of the sunset in Tanah Lot.
Sundowners at La Plancha, Seminyak (Bali)
Mariza from Hop On World
It’s no secret that Indonesia has some of the best islands in Asia to add to any destination hit-list. And, one of the most diverse islands not to miss here is Bali. With plenty to do, see and love, it’s the perfect getaway for solo travellers, couples and even families.
One of my favourite things to do in Bali is to enjoy the sunset, right on the beach! And the perfect place to do just that is at the trendy La Plancha – a hipster bar in Seminyak.
The bar has plenty of seating both inside and on the beach. But the best spot to enjoy the vibe is undoubtedly stretched out on one of the many brightly colored bean bags, feet in the sand and cocktail in hand!
La Plancha gets very crowded just before sunset, so be sure to grab your spot early. They have a wide selection of tasty meals and platters, as well as an extensive drinks menu (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic).
USS Liberty Wreck Dive – Tulamben (Bali)
Henry Wu from This Life of Travel
The USS Liberty Wreck is one the most famous dive sites in Bali for good reason. If you come to Bali and are an advanced diver, this one is a must! Some history on this ship – The Liberty was a United States Army cargo ship torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-166 in January 1942 and beached on the island of Bali. In 1963 a volcanic eruption moved the ship off the beach into the water, making it the dive site it is today – lying on a sand slope in 9 to 30 m of water.
The wreck is approximately 130 m long with the shallowest part at about 5 m deep and the deepest on the other side of the wreck at about 30 m deep.
If you go very early in the morning, you will see Bumphead parrotfish who sleep there overnight. It’s also the best time to see Mola-Mola, Manta rays, turtles and any Whale Sharks passing through.
Otherwise, the ship is completely covered with anemones, gorgonian fans, and coral. There is an amazing variety of marine life everywhere here such as anglerfish, nudibranchs, ghost pipe fish, shrimp/goby, eels, reat barracuda, Giant groupers, batfish, sweetlips, batfish, fusiliers, and butterflyfish.
It is also an excellent place for a great night dive where you’ll see Spanish dancers, sleeping Bumphead parrotfish in their cocoons, flashlight fish, Bobtail squid, and possibly even phosphorescence!
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Monkey Forest Santuary (Ubud)
Cazzy from Dream Big Travel Far blog
If you love monkeys, then you’ll love Monkey Forest in Ubud. A visit to the amazing Monkey Forest will give you a unique opportunity to get up close and personal with various monkeys, including cute baby monkeys! This is quite an interactive experience and there are around 700 monkeys in the forest.
You can purchase some bananas and the monkeys will eat them out of your hands, or they’ll even sit on your head or shoulder whilst eating. Monkeys can be random creatures so move slow with them and don’t try and touch the babies or their mums won’t like it. It’s such a fun experience and something everyone should do. Don’t wear any glasses or have anything on you that a monkey can steal- they are crafty!
The Monkey Forest itself is considered sacred by the locals, so definitely treat it with respect. You could easily spend up to two hours here walking around and playing with monkeys. You’ll probably spot other wildlife there too and there are over 150 species of trees. There are lots of eateries, coffee shops and souvenir shops if you need a bite to eat afterwards. This is definitely one of the best things to do in Bali and you’ll get some awesome pictures.
Tegallalang Rice Terraces (Ubud)
Amanda from Fly Stay Luxe
No doubt you’ve seen the photos on Instagram of beautiful Balinese rice paddies, stepping down a steep mountain with early morning sun rays peeping through the tall palm trees, and a beautiful lady twirling around wearing a flowy tropical maxi-dress. There are literally hundreds of rice terraces dotted around the mountains of Ubud, but the Tegalalang Rice Terraces are undoubtedly one of the most beautiful in all of Indonesia.
Located 20 minute’s drive north of the artisan town of Ubud, the Tegalalang Rice Terraces are easily accessible by car or bike and is a wonderful place to explore in the heart of Bali. The best time to visit Tegalalang is early morning. The tourist buses tend to start arriving after 10am.
To enter the rice terraces, you will need to pay IDR 15,000 per person (approximately USD 1.20) plus IDR 5,000 for parking. As you explore further into the terraces, you will also be encouraged to pay a small donation (equivalent of 50c) to the farmers that work in the fields.
If wandering around the steep rice terraces is not your thing, there are also many small cafes located on the side of the road, where you can savour a traditional Indonesian meal while enjoying beautiful views over the rice terraces.
Yoga Barn(Ubud)
Amanda from Fly Stay Luxe
If there’s one thing Bali is well known for, it’s the relaxing and mindful practice of yoga. Located in the heart of Ubud, Bali’s cultural centre, Yoga Barn offers a calming respite from the bustling streets and markets. A place that is focused on bringing together community and giving back to the island, Yoga Barn has become a popular hotspot amongst local expats and travellers passing through.
Yoga Barn offers 10+ yoga classes daily, including Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Beginners Yoga, Power Yoga, meditation classes, workshops and much more. There is also an onsite Holistic Healing Centre and they host weekly community events, such as movie nights and community buffet dinners. The delicious organic Garden Kafe is one of the best places to eat in Ubud. Guest House accommodation is also available.
Whether you’re a seasoned yogi or absolute beginner, Yoga Barn offers something for everyone, with world-class teachers from countries all over the world. So, if you’re looking for an authentic, cultural experience during your visit to Bali, be sure to check out the Yoga Barn.
Diving with Manta Rays and Mola Mola ( Nusa Penida)
Campbell and Alya from Stingy Nomads
Nusa Penida is one of 3 islands separated from Bali on the east side by The Bandung Strait. The nutrient rich upwelling here brings exiting marine life over the beautiful coral reefs making for excellent diving. The water around Nusa Penida is fairly cold and the deep-water trench here is renowned as one of the top places in the world to spot mola mola, the giant oceanic sunfish. The strange looking mola mola looks like a big head swimming around without a body and is the heaviest known bony fish in the world. These fish usually live very deep but they come up to shallow waters from August to October to be cleaned of skin parasites, divers from all over the world come to see this. Nusa Penida is also an excellent place to dive or snorkel with Manta rays.
We saw plenty of Manta Rays every time we went to the famous dive spot, Manta Point, they often swim close to the surface and I enjoyed snorkeling with them more than diving. Mantas can be seen here all year round, with the peak season from August to October. The pumping currents around Nusa Penida makes for excellent drift dives with beautiful scenery floating over hard and soft corals, gorgonian sea fans and amazing marine life, we saw turtles, reef sharks and some big marble rays.
A Trip to Nusa Lembongan
Ron and Michele from Legging It Travel Blog
The perfect getaway from the Bali Mainland is a trip to Lembongan. This can be done as a day trip through many of the transport companies where you go over and spend the time mainly on the boat but also get the opportunity to explore small parts of the Island.
However, to really take in the island it is well worth getting the ferry across from Sanur, and staying for a few days. Ferry companies will pick you up from your hotel and drop you back on your return. Transport around the island is minimal as there are no cars on the island, so you can get the taxi/ buses (open topped trucks from place to place or it really is the perfect place to try a scooter (I do recommend you check your travel insurance).
It costs about $6 Aus to hire a bike for the day and this gives you the freedom to see the whole island. If you do not feel confident enough to do this, there are days trips available as well. Renowned for its surf you will see plenty of bikes rigged up to carry surfboards to the waves but there are many other interesting places to see as well, stunning temples, amazing beaches and really quirky bars.
During the day the Island is busy with day trippers but after about 4pm the area becomes much more relaxed and there are plenty of lovely restaurants and bars to enjoy a cocktail and the stunning sunsets.
A trip to The Gili Islands (Lombok)
Sharon from Dive Into Malaysia
Visiting the Gili Islands is the perfect thing to do when you are visiting Bali or Lombok. Located between these two islands, they are convenient to get to from either location but they are much closer to Lombok. There are ferries and boats to take you across. You can take a day trip, especially from Lombok, but I recommend you stay on the islands and explore them all.
There are three Gili Islands: Trawangan, Meno and Air.
They each have their own vibe and I recommend visiting all three. There are many boats between them or you can hire your own. They all have nice beaches, water sport and diving opportunities and plenty of places to eat and stay.
Gili Trawangan is the most popular and known as a party island. It’s the place to go for action and lots of choices. They even have a night market and stick fighting tournaments. Gili Meno is the least busy and populated. It is calm and peaceful and has some extra attractions like a bird park and turtle sanctuary. Gili Air is in the middle of the two. No island is a bad pick and it’s best to base yourself on the island that has the level of popularity that you will most enjoy.
Scuba Diving in the Gilis (Lombok)
Arnav from Eat Travel Live Repeat
The three Gili Islands, are literally a scuba divers paradise. With around 30 dive sites surrounding the three Gilis, you can have all sort of dive experiences here. Be it diving and finding yourself surrounded with 20 odd turtles, or seeing some reef sharks casually swimming around, or getting swayed in a current and discovering what flying in water is like!
You can have all sort of amazing experiences here in the waters surrounding the Gilis. There’s definitely a reason why you’ll find that almost every one on the island is a scuba diver, and has experienced the joy of exploring the pristine waters surrounding the three Gilis.
Some of the popular dive sites are Marlin Hill (for turtles), Shark Point (Wreck and Sharks), Seahorse Bay (Macro stuff), among 20 odd other dive sites.
While you are there, I would definitely recommend diving with Manta Dive Gili Air.
Mt. Rinjani Trek (Lombok)
Michelle from Full Time Explorer
The best thing I did in Indonesia was the 3 day/2 night Mt. Rinjani Trek on Lombok. Mt. Rinjani is a volcano that stands at 12,224 ft. To this day, it’s one of the most mentally and physically challenging things I’ve ever done. The first day is a steep uphill climb to the crater rim. I’d only seen volcanos from a distance, and now, I was standing on the rim of an active one! The following morning, we climbed to the summit. I was told that not everyone makes it and people are known to cry at the top. I couldn’t understand why. It didn’t look that difficult from afar.
Sunrise during the Mt Rinjani trek in Lombok
We woke up at 2:00am ready to climb the remaining 3,370 feet to the summit, and it was brutal. The entire trek is made of volcanic ash. Each time I took a step forward, I slid two steps back. I felt like I was on an elliptical made out of dust. It took nearly four hours to walk a distance I could normally do in less than one hour. Every single step I took I wanted to give up, and I had to mentally fight myself to keep from stopping. When I made it to the top, I looked out over the volcano and the view was stunning. The sun was just starting to hit the mountain and tears formed in my eyes. I’d made it to the top.
Trip to Komodo National Park
Sara from Our Kind of Crazy
One of the most exciting experiences we had near Bali was going to see the Komodo Dragons. It’s one of the only places in the world where you can see them in the wild, and they are very cool.
First, you fly to Labuan Bajo island to stay the night, and take a boat to Komodo National Park from there. You can choose between several tours to get there. We recommend taking a few stops along the way to check out Flores, the pink beach, and swimming with manta rays on a full day tour.
When you get to Komodo Island, you purchase your ticket, and you decide which hike you want to go on. We did the easy hike, since we had more stops on the way, but that was enough. We saw 5 and even saw a couple babies as well.
The tour guides were great and taught us a lot about them. They also posed us by the Komodo Dragons and got some great pictures for us. These beasts were awesome to watch in the wild, and even more exciting when they were walking through the trees. It’s definitely a stop to add to your list!
Take the ferry across to Java and see the “blue fire” (Ijen)
Chantell from Adoration 4 Adventure
One of the most memorable and exciting activities I did while in Indonesia, was seeing the “blue fire” of the Ijen Crater. The colored flames are caused by sulfur gas and can only be seen at night. They burst out over the top of the volcano, which sits beside the world’s largest acidic lake.
This phenomenal experience is only a half day trip from Denpasar, Bali by bus and ferry to Banyuwangi in East Java. You could either book an all-in-one package from Bali or travel to Banyuwangi yourself and then book a guide once you arrive.
As you will be hiking in the dark, a professional guide is highly recommended. However, if you join a group tour you can negotiate your entrance and tour fee for as little as 270,000 IDR (approximately $20 USD). We paid 13,000 IDR each for the ferry from Gilimanuk, Bali to Banyuwangi, Java then (less than $1 USD).
After two hours of trudging uphill, the guides provide gas masks to make it easier to breathe while staying close to the volcano. The groups descend down into the crater, passing local miners carrying sulfur on their backs. After witnessing the spectacular night-time show, visitors will be further amazed by the sunrise over the turquoise-colored lake.
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War tourism: dutyful or distasteful?
So its been a while since I was active on this social media forum. Read "a while" as almost a week ago. It has been a productive week, one that has seen us discover Bosnia, learn about recent travesties and eat copious amounts if grease, yum. Bosnia it is safe to say has blown our expectations and left us suitably whelmed (yes the word whelmed is a thing in our vocab. It is when you are not over nor under whelmed so you are merely whelmed.) Having dithered about actually coming to Bosnia having bit heard much about it, our decision to come has proved very right and we're very glad we've come. Coincidentally, we're still actually in Bosnia and Herzegovina (currently in Herzegovina) at the seaside yaaaayy the sea. Its mid thirty degrees, finally we can see what everyone is england and Germany has been complaining about, and were camping for €5 euros each a night, perfect. The Bosnian coast is pretty funny cause its sandwiched in between two parts of Croatia, split and Dubrovnik and is only 12km long, luckily for us though it is 10 times cheaper than Croatia, which is why were here obvs, same coast but way cheaper. We are heading to Croatia next tho woooo but only to Dubrovnik to see some game of thrones, yeah baybey. But that is for a later post at a later time. Back to the present I am writing this currently sat on the stone beach overlooking the beaut sea under a palm tree. So let's recap the last week xoxoxo. The title should give a nice indication for the flow of this piece I believe. Bosnia has been tormented in living memory by the plight of war, siege and ethnic cleansing. The two cities we visited: Sarajevo and mostar are two of the main examples of these with the town of serbrencia (or something like that) being the third most eminent example of this. We went to a photo gallery/museum on sebrencia to gain an idea of the horror that occurred there. It was striking in Sarajevo how central war tourism was to the city and its culture. Unsurprising when the city has undergone a 44 month siege under 25 years ago. But every shop is selling bullets, guns, used helmets and some of the hostels are even called the Franz Ferdinand hostel (as ww1 started there) and the war hostel (a bit morbid eh?). The wars have dictated the tourism and a lot of the city. So, we decided to do a walking tour (free obvs. Who do you think we are?! Rich. Uh no.) It was good, we were the obly two on it, the guide was nice, it was chilled and we had fun although it didn't mention the siege much at all, you had to do a 20 euro tour to hear about that, no thanks. So we took history into our own hands and visited two museums, cultured AF I know. One as mentioned on the serbrecnia genocide and one on the siege of Sarajevo. They both helped impress the horror and death and destruction of the two events into our brains. It was all quite morbid and depressing really but also eye opening how such awful things could have happened in Europe in the age of the un during (just) our lifetimes. Mad. And we've barely heard anything of it. My degree was international relations and I'd only even heard of Bosnia because of a single case study I'd done in lower sixth, madness. Anyhow we feel a duty to preach the terrors we now know to be true. Expect a much more serious George when I return. The city of Sarajevo tho even after these atrocities was beautiful in the old town centre. Very ottoman Turkish styles with small stores, nice restaurants and cool bars with a lot of shisha. Everywhere had shisha. We wandered around d the outer parts of town too which bore much more of the remnants of the war. Bullet holes were a standard in most building and whole, empty and abandoned buildings were a norm, really sad but very striking. Im glad we saw it all. Oo last thing on Sarajevo. We wandered to a fort. The fort wasn't that exciting but the view was immense over the town and across a graveyard of identical white tombstones, another foreboding reminder of the past. It was jokes tho because there was a wedding photoshoot going on and twice we we in their shots and asked to move with the second time us actually having them taking our spit that we were in first, obvs we just know the best spots and they were jealous he he he. The last part of our time in Sarajevo was catching the bus to mostar, should be easy its just a train after all. Firstly we got there 1.5 hours early having got the wrong time for the train. Secondly we had no idea what platform to use as there were no signs and they were so unfriendly. It was deceptively stressful but we got our train. The reason we took the train by the way, not the bus, was cause it was cheaper, shock, and it was meant yo be very picturesque. Spoiler alert: it was. Mostar. We'd been recommended a documentary on the war in mostar as some homework so we'd understand the situation there fully. We did. It was grim. Mostar was massacred and when we saw the resultant city, we got it. Our hostel there was nice. It was small, cheap and had nice owners. The old town if mostar is beautiful. It was completely destroyed in 1995 but was removed with 11 million euros donated by sine eurozone countries. Its very small, cobbled streets and cramped shops. It had an old style beauty to it. Very touristy, thats a given and it was this very busy on these tiny winding roads but that didn't take away from its boutiquey prettiness. What is the main mostar attraction? The old bridge. Built by the Ottomans it was the only bridge, and had the longest arch, 30m, for a long time. It was nice. It was also the spit where locals jump off it Into the river 22m below. Thats very high. I get scared jumping off like 10. Some tourists also do it after a little intro course. It was funny, people give them money, its all good sport. A nice little watch. It was also well hot there, mid thirties. The water was freezing, maybe 10 degrees or lower, very refreshing but bloody freezing. We went for a few swims. We did another walking tour here, shock. It was good but not overly exciting. It was a nice few days capped off by me buying some new trainers. Fake adidas all stars. They look nice let's just hope they dont die on me. Bosnia has recovered a bit from its horrible recent history but is still baring a lot of the brunt of it. They have used the war to promote tourism which, while distasteful in that it caused so much damage and was so recent, has brought in money and promoted awareness of what happened here, or at least in our case. Its been good and I'll write another post after we've left Dubrovnik. What is dead may ever die. G.
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