Beaches, monasteries, volcanoes, rice fields, relaxation
Gesing - the other Bali
Lionair flies us on Sunday for 32.- € per person from Surabaya/Java to Denpassar/Bali. Thomas is meanwhile back in Singapore and prepares for the return flight.
The plane has hardly taken off when it lands and a driver from the accommodation picks us up. On the way to the north of the island we stop at the "showroom" of a small coffee plantation. We taste our way through all coffee and tea varieties of the plant and test the famous Kopi Luwak. The most expensive coffee in the world is made from beans excreted by Civet cats (see photo). The cats eat only the best coffee cherries (preferably only Arabica beans), thus guaranteeing the high quality of the beans. The cat itself is only after the pulp. As a side effect, the bitter substances are extracted from the indigestible bean by the stomach acid. Only 200 of these animals live on the plantation and the staff collects their "leftovers" daily to make the luxury coffee with less caffeine and protein, from them.
We both find the taste a bit flat and unexciting. Fortunately, we have no problem falling asleep and don't need a substitute for our favorite type of coffee.
Unfortunately, the rest of the journey turns out to be a bit difficult. It is Sunday, moreover long weekend (Monday is a Muslim holiday) and the felt whole Muslim Java makes short vacation on Bali. On the narrow streets, one tour bus lines up with the other. After 5 instead of planned 2.5 hours we have made it then; we reach the hotel Lesong in Gesing on 700m.
We are greeted by a cozy room with a view of the surrounding rice terraces and mountains. It is wonderfully quiet, no cars and only two other guests are sitting on the terrace. For dinner we enjoy a Balinese menu, which tastes delicious.
A hike through the rice fields and the surrounding forests should be the relaxation program of the following day. Bali consists of three quarters volcanic mountains, which rise quite steeply. The almost daily rain often makes the whole thing a rather soggy affair. In the forests you will always come across "fields", areas, mostly more or less steep slopes, where coffee, bananas or other fruit is grown
Unfortunately, the guidebook is right and the paths are neither marked nor secured in any way. We plan a hike to the waterfall. On the way Klaus becomes a victim of the wet ground and slips. The knee demands rest and an ice pack. We break off and rent a car with driver for the afternoon. This way we at least get to enjoy the surrounding sights.
Our first stop is at the world famous temple Pura Ulun Danu Beratan. On the parking lot one rice bus lines up after the other and it is hard to feel the spiritual spirit. We continue along the two lakes Danau Buyan and Danau Tamblingan through fruit and coffee plantations. Finally, we are able to hike to the waterfall (from the parking lot). Apparently we are quite late, because the stream is besieged by children, men and women who take their evening bath.
The last days of Tanah Lot ...
Where to go next? We decide to stay at the 5 * Pan Pacific Nirwana Golf Resort in Tanah Lot thanks to an unbeatable offer from booking.com. We book a deluxe room with a view of the fairway of hole 6, directly behind which the Indian Ocean breaks in imposing waves.
Back home, we had already checked out the golf courses in Bali, and Nirwana had stuck in our minds thanks to its good ratings and its golf course designer, Greg Norman.
The hotel has been in operation for 20 years and can't deny that with the decor and hotel design. However, the service is top notch and often almost too much for us.
In addition to a stunning golf course, the hotel also offers direct access to Bali's most famous photo motif, the temple "Tanah Lot". The spectacular location in the middle of the surf provides especially in the evening for large streams of visitors from all over Bali.
As hotel guests, we already enjoy the view from the breakfast table. At sunset, the tee of course 7 (Signature Hole) with a view of the temple serves as a photo point, especially for the Asian guests.
Unfortunately, we will not be able to return to this spot. In January, Mr. Trump bought the hotel property (or it was announced). He will close and demolish the hotel on 7/31/2017 He will instead build a 6-star resort with 360° bar on the cliffs; in addition, the golf course is to get a makeover by Phil Michelson (according to rumors from the pro store). The employees told us that they will probably all be laid off in 2 months. They are hoping to reapply in 3 years.
Ubud - 2 ibexes in the spiritual center.
Where is the place to go? To Ubud. This is the answer of the mostly young travelers and the guide. Temples, ceremonies, yoga and holistic set the tone here.
As Capricorns, we are rather sober and unemotional, but nevertheless we let ourselves go to this place - and I must say, the people are right.
Ubud is a fascinating place, whose true beauty only comes to light when you master the traffic chaos, ignore the many day trippers and the jumble of offers no longer distracts from the essentials.
At every corner you come across temples, shrines, offerings and ceremonies. Traditional dances are as common as traditionally dressed women, men and children.
We are slowly approaching the holistic thought with great food, great accommodation and two treatments at the SPA. There wasn't enough time for the 7am yoga class. However, I'm sure that if we had stayed longer, that wouldn't have been out of the question either.
At the moment all our energy flows into the fight for survival "by scooter through Ubud". We try to save energy and make our way into the surrounding countryside. As a destination I choose the Pura Tirta Empul, a place of pilgrimage with holy water and the rice terraces of Tegalalang. Actually, there are still several sights on the circular route but Klaus prefers the scooter ride with few interruptions.
In the temple complex we meet again the already known tourist groups, especially from France. With our borrowed sarong we are not allowed to perform the bathing ritual, but we did not intend to anyway. Above the temple there is a nice "villa" in an exposed position, where the former Indonesian dictator Sukarno lived. With corruption you can go far!
We continue through the rice fields towards the rice terraces. The drive there is spectacular, the many tourists on site are not. On the way back, stores with art, stonemasonry and woodwork line up. If you want to know where the decorative items in the design catalogs come from, you'll find it here.
Villa D'Uma - a pleasant surprise
After a less than exciting drive from Tanah Lot to Ubud, the driver drops us off at a parking lot on a side street surrounded by ugly buildings and walls. Small shock. On the Internet, our accommodation had actually looked pretty. Should we experience a flop here?
Two scooters arrive and take us and our luggage over streets with a maximum width of sidewalks, lined with rice fields, warungs, small hotels and stores to our destination Villa D'Uma. All-clear! On the pretty terrace, at the same time breakfast and dining room, the staff welcomes us with the extreme friendliness that has become a habit here. We walk around the house into a small, very well-kept garden with pool. Wow - our accommodation. There are 3 apartments, each with its own terrace directly by the pool. The equipment is in no way inferior to the 5* hotel in Tanah Lot on the contrary. The 9.5 rating at Booking.com is definitely justified. After a short rest at and in the pool, we set out to explore Ubud on foot.more of that later. The dinner menu doesn't quite meet our expectations although on the other hand it costs less than half as much as in Tanah Lot.
Sanur - holidaymaker stronghold at the sea
Last stop - Sanur. This time booking.com won against secret escapes. Small, new hotel, nice design, attractive price and many warungs nearby. Just the right thing for the end of our trip. Moreover, it is only about 20 km from our departure airport in Denpasar.
As expected, package tourism catches up with us here - and unlike Ubud (day trips), it stays. As always, we first explore the town on foot. The many small traders, warungs and restaurants see in us welcome prey and praise us everything possible. Also noticeable are the many vendors of handicrafts. Now it becomes clear, where the things come from, which are offered with us over the so-called "designer catalogs". Here you can find everything. Sanur can boast of a number of multi-lane roads, but these do not help at all to ease the traffic. The "degree of clogging" of the roads is as high here as anywhere else.
The hotel offers free bike rental, which we use for "shopping" on the last day.
Nusa Lembongan - Escape to the island
Since the beach of Sanur is rather mediocre and the beach promenade is overbuilt by luxury hostels, we are drawn to the island, as felt 1000 other vacationers. We book a return ticket to Nusa Lembongan, 30 minutes ride with the speedboat.
The "boarding" of the "speedboat ferry" first gives us wet feet (photo).
The island itself offers beach, diving and snorkeling areas and especially important - roads with only a few cars for the scooter round trip.
Hardly "stranded" we are overwhelmed with offers for the day's activities. Klaus negotiates with the private scooter rental, all clear. The guys first drive us to the dock in the harbor, where we are supposed to park the scooters in the afternoon before we check in the boat. They emphasize that the scooters are not insured and there is no police on the island. Therefore, we need neither a driver's license nor a helmet.
We take it easy, drive first to Mushroombay, enjoy a Bali coffee on the beach and watch the people being shipped to the diving bases. We stop at more beaches and viewpoints before stopping at the mangroves for lunch.
The drink and food prices are a bit higher than on the mainland. Understandable when you see how laboriously the goods are delivered. (Photo).
Unfortunately, the interior of the island is heavily littered and the mangroves make a very dreary impression with the many plastic bags in the shallow waters. Fortunately, there is still the blue water, the great beach bars, the small simple accommodations and the many nice people we meet during the day.
Bonus: I can give Sabine the "advanced certificate" in scooter riding without hesitation. (Proof photos attached.)
