It has been a week since I experienced Bali, the richness of their culture, the familiarity of words, the traffic, and the peace. Hearing about Bali, first thing that comes to mind are the temples, beaches, and motorcycles (YES!). One thing that stood out during our trip was the flavor of their cuisine, and the history that comes with their religion.
Our day started off after lunch in time for our flight. We checked in online a few days ago to save us the hassle. As best practice, we arrived at the airport 3 hours prior to our flight, as lines can get long. We’ve witnessed someone who got offloaded, because she arrived late at the Departure Gate. While our whole experience with bag drop off and immigration was a breeze, the waiting time was a pain. There were no sleeping pods nearby to catch some zzzz. Oh well.
We boarded the plane at the exact time, but had to taxi for a bit longer. As usual, traffic. Once we’re off, everything was smooth.
Pro tip: Never ever choose a seat in between 2 emergency exit doors, THEY DO NOT RECLINE. We were not aware of this prior to boarding, and only found out when we were trying to catch some sleep. Our total flying time was 3hrs and 40mins, landing at Ngurah Rai International Airport, previously known as Denpasar Airport, at 50 mins past 10 in the evening.
Since we’re not in a rush, we obeyed the plane rule of not standing up when you’re still far out from exiting. This allowed people in front of us to move freely, and faster. Once we’re out, our goal was to 1) withdraw money from the atm; 2) pick up our pre-booked Klook simcards.
ATM VS. Money Changer
Klook Activities
- Local Sim Card powered by 3 – For convenience and connectivity, we bought sim cards instead of the pocket wifi. Each sim card had a 12gb allotment, consumable within 30 days. It was good to stay connected all throughout the trip, and it also helped us locate stores within Kuta (or main cities). The Klook personnel was not that visible when we arrived, so we had to ask around. He was standing at the backmost chatting with other personnels. As for the signal, it works best within Kuta and main Ubud area, but for the other parts – nada. If I would to choose again, chose a simcard that allows you to text local numbers. In this way, even if the data drops, you would still have other means to contact your driver.
- Private Chartered Car – This is the most affordable and easiest way to go around Bali, considering that we’re a party of 3, and none of us have an international driving license. We were able to roam around Ubud, and admire Tegalallang Rice Terraces from a restaurant. This also ensured that we have a ride home after all the shopping in Ubud Market.
- Uluwatu and Kecak Fire Dance – Among all our activities, this was the best in terms of cultural immersion. The temple in itself is a beauty, as it is situated in a cliff that provides a stunning sunset view. The Kecak Fire Dance tells a story of the Gods, which I will not detail here. Watch for yourself. Pro tip: arrive early at the arena to get the best seats. We were okay with our seats, simply because we skipped exploring the whole temple (sad). After the activity, we asked our driver to drop us off to the airport for our late night flight.
Auto Bali
Accommodation
food
What is a trip without food? We were happy to have chosen a hotel with not just 1 but 4 warungs around. Warungs are small shops that can sell anything from food to grocery items. It’s their own version of our sari-sari store or carinderia. If you dine in any of these warungs, your 100,000 IDR (375 PHP) will go a long way. We always look for these places, as they offer good and cheap food. At Warung 99 Jack, we had the chance to sample a home-made Sambal. It’s a dipping sauce made from tomato and chili. It wasn’t too spicy, unlike the one that we bought from the grocery. I can also recommend Lumbung Sari Warung in Tegallalang area, as they provide an exquisite view of the rice terraces, not to mention good food too! Souvenirs | |
Ubud Market is the place to bargain, test your skills and go home happy.
Aside from the usual rattan bag, must try souvenirs are Pie Susu, Pia Legong, Sambal, and Coconut Coffee (from Intan Sari – free coffee tasting!)
Final Thoughts...
WILL I GO BACK TO BALI?
Maybe, if I get a seat sale again to explore Nua Penida and other temples we were not able to visit. However, this time, I might try to stay in one of the villas that Ubud is known for.