While I was off having my first grown-up vacation in Bali (where I didn’t spend one night in a hostel), I wasn’t spending too much time thinking about blogging. Over the last six months I’ve been trying to find the proper balance between traveling and writing, to varying degrees of success, but in Bali I didn’t really care at all. It was a dream vacation and I took it in a deliciously lazy fashion.
But I did take hundreds and hundreds of pictures because my camera is surgically attached to me, so if you’re looking for a few excuses to go traipsing around Indonesia allow me to present these postcards from Bali:
Blue Point Beach, down near Pura Uluwatu. Great for surfing or making friends with Australians.Bali beaches were my first experience with that clear, bright looking-glass water. Growing up, all I had was the Jersey Shore.Morning views in Ubud.Bali is known for kopi luwak, some of the most expensive coffee in the world, but they’ve also developed a hip modern coffee scene. Seminar’s coffee was so delicious we went back a second time. Also, my latte came in a jar. With a LID. So it’s one-upped all the mason jar serving hipster places in Brooklyn.Something I didn’t know about Bali before going there was the prevalence of stone statues and stone-working. Coming from the US where we have a culture of industrialized manufacturing, I love seeing what trades are valued in other countries.From the Sacred Monkey Forest in Ubud — motherhood is exhausting across species.Monkey wisdom in those eyes.Entrance to Goa Gajah, the Elephant Cave.Gunung Kawi was one of my favorite places in Bali. These 23 foot funeral shrines lend a solemn atmosphere to the ruins.Gunung Kawi was almost completely empty when we visited.Rice paddy terraces are everywhere in Ubud and they’re so meticulously maintained they look like masterful features of landscaping more than farms!This is the private residence section of the Royal Palace in Ubud. I peeked over the gate into this inner enchanted garden.A woman laying down offerings at one of the temple ruins.You’ll see these tiny offerings everywhere — one morning I even found one on our motorbike!Mounds of offerings at Tampak Siring.Fish to match the color of your door, ma’am?A ceremony going on at Tampak Siring.Someone’s gotta get stuck with clean-up duty, even after enlightening religious ceremonies.Tampak Siring is home to Pura Tirta Empu, a temple of holy water where Hindus come to wash and purifying themselves.The springs are in these pools. At first I didn’t notice them, since the surface of the pool is calm, but look deep enough and you can see plumes of escaping water.Everything’s ornate in Bali!Sunset at the cliffs of Pura Uluwatu.Hundreds of people gather to watch the sunset each night. Just be careful with your belongings! There are dozens of thieving monkeys (and helpful locals who will retrieve stolen sunglasses and cell phones — for a nice tip!).You can’t visit inside the temple, but it’s just as picturesque from afar.Wish you were here.
Bali definitely lives up to the hype! I’d love to go back and hit some of the lesser-known areas or at least get up north to the black sand beaches and see the dolphins!
4 Comments
solosophie
The sunset over the cliffs is a particuarly beautiful photo! 🙂
Amy
Thanks so much, Sophie!
Dominique
Bali looks gorgeous! Even the monkey looks positively chilled 🙂
Amy
Bali definitely lives up to the hype! I’d love to go back and hit some of the lesser-known areas or at least get up north to the black sand beaches and see the dolphins!