This is part 2 of 2 posts that I’ll be writing about my time in Indonesia. See my first post here.
Ubud – Monkeys, Temples, Coffee & Tea Tasting, and Rice Fields
After spending a week or so in Kuta and Seminyak, I was looking for a change of place from the crazy traffic, shops and beach. Ubud was a welcome respite away from all of the hustle and bustle.
During my time there, I toured many Buddhist temples, which have their own unique style that is different from other Buddhist countries that I have been to.
Within the city of limits of Ubud, there is a monkey sanctuary that you can visit. I had seen the same type of monkeys when I was in Malaysia, but opted to see them with a few people from my hostel. It was neat to see them in this forest sanctuary, however it was sad to see how exploitative the sanctuary was with the animals. For around $5 USD, you could have your selfie taken with the monkey. Monkeys would love to take selfies out of the goodness of their hearts, right? Wrong! These are the same monkeys that will snatch your phone, backpack or water bottle when you’re not looking. To encourage monkeys to sit on your lap, the local guide has to bribe it with food and to have it sit there. It’s not my place to set a moral compass for anyone, but personally the sanctuary was not my cup of tea and I would recommend for people to avoid it, if possible.
I took a couple of day tours to explore the rice patty fields near Ubud, which are in the middle of the tropical forest, set aside along rolling hills. I’ve been to rice patty fields in China prior, but these were different, in regards to how green and beautiful the area was. What was neat was to see the farmers in the fields planting for the season ahead and the rice plants growing.
Not surprising at all, the rice fields are super popular for the Instagram influencer crowd. For $10-30 USD per picture, you could have a picture taken of you on a swing (with a large, long dress if you wanted too). While they were appeasing for a picture, I passed on the opportunity. Was it worth seeing? Absolutely, yes. Beyond the superficialness and shallowness of the influencer crowd, there was still a lot to see and appreciate. I did my best to take my pictures as quickly as possible, and to enjoy the moment.
You would never guess (or at least I never guessed), but Bali has coffee farms too. When I heard of these, I jumped at the opportunity, as I enjoyed my previous tour I had in Colombia. I was able to try multiple varieties of teas and coffees. My favorite flavor surprisingly was Bali Coconut coffee. Were the coffees anything to write home about? From my taste and perspective, not really, but I’m not a coffee snob either so others may enjoy it much more than I did. I personally found Colombian coffees much tastier.
Ubud – Balinese Cooking Class
With some folks I met in my hostel, we decided to take a cooking class together. This was the first time I’ve taken one, let alone in a new country, so it was such a fun new experience to try. I would recommend it for anyone who loves food and also wants to learn more about the country they’re visiting.
In our class, the instructor guided our group of 12 on the preparation and cooking of 5-6 Balinese local dishes. She also explained the significance and origins of them. The best part of course was being able to eat our creation at the end and enjoy the tastes of each dish!
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Gili Trawangan – an unlikely beach paradise
During my times in Bali, especially in Ubud, I met many other travelers who were telling me all about Gili Trawangan or more commonly known as “Gili T,” and how I should go. They kept raving on how beautiful and relaxed it was. I try to not to get too consumed in hype, as I have done so before and have been left disappointed in the places I traveled to with high expectations. I finally decided to go there, as I my friends David and Jenny, who I met in Malaysia, were staying there with some other friends. I was planning to do the Komodo Island tour, and that tour picks people up directly from the island, so it was a great option to stay there before heading off.
When I arrived, I was so surprised on how much I enjoyed Gili T. Gili T is a small island – it only takes about 20-30 minutes to bicycle around the island. There are no cars whatsoever, so the only modes of transport are either a horse carriage ride (which I would not take – animal cruelty issues unfortunately there) or a bicycle. With no cars, the feel of the island is already relaxed. However, Gili T has everything for all tastes – those who want to relax can on certain parts of the island, while those looking for a party and nightlight have options available as well. I was able to do both when I was there!
The great thing about Gili T also, is you can get a luxury hotel for cheap. I stayed at Scallywags Resort, a 4 star hotel, and had my own bungalow, outdoor shower with plants and a little terrace for only $40 USD a night! That price is insanely a good deal, as the same accommodation would very likely cost over $500 USD at a place in Florida or some other place in the States. Check out the video below to get a feel of the room!
My first day there, I met up with my friends David and Jenny, and we rode bikes to meet one of their friends, Kathy, for a drink in a pool to watch the sunset. Maren, who I met on the speedboat ride from Bali also joined us. It was such a fun night to grab drinks and enjoy the ambiance of the island. Later that evening, we all rode to a restaurant and finished the evening with some nightlife.
The next day I went snorkeling and saw some fish, coral and sea turtles! It was so easy, as you could swim right off the beach a few meters and could start seeing the coral reefs. Later that evening, I was able to see another sunset.
The following day, I went with Maren to ride our bikes around the island and explore more of it. What stood out that day for me was all the mushroom shake shops. While the island is a fairly religious-conservative one, they seem to look the other way when it comes this business. I did not personally consume these shakes, but I talked to some other travelers who did and it sounded like they had some interesting experiences. To each their own…
After 3 lovely nights in Gili T, I headed off for my journey to Komodo and Flores Islands. To read about this journey, check out my first post here.
Bali – Final Reflections and Thoughts
Bali is world-renowned for being a surfside beach paradise and a digital nomad hotspot. I’ve had multiple people tell me how great it was and how I had to go there. What was my final thoughts? I’ve had a couple of months to reflect on my time there. I would advise people to visit Bali, but to be ready for large crowds, tourist traps and dirty beaches. However, upon that initial appearance, I found that there is a subtle but rich culture there in terms of language, food, and customs & traditions. Not only that, but the Balinese people are very friendly. I didn’t see this right away in my first week of being there, it took a few weeks to really grasp that. I was able to grasp this through doing my yoga retreat and the Balinese cooking class.
I always tell people now that Bali grew on me over a month of being there. Would I go back? Probably not anytime soon, as there are so many other islands in Indonesia to explore and see. I would do those first before returning.
Regardless, I’m super grateful to have had the time, ability and resources to visit Bali and the other parts of Indonesia for a month. There is now so much more for me to explore and I can’t wait to visit again soon!
