Bali Tour Guide

Ms Lau (from Singapore, with Mr. Pei and Eaton) sent me a list of itinerary that she wanted to cover during their tour. I look down at the itineray she sent and it read as follow: From Harris Kuta resort - Visit Besakih Temple - Visit Kintamani with Batur Volcano and Lake - Visit Tampak Siring/Tirta Empul Temple - Stop at Beratan Lake - Visit Tamblingan Lake - Visit Gitgit Water Fall - Lovina Beach - Visit Hot Water Banjar - Visit Tanah Lot Temple - Enjoy the sunset at Tanah Lot. Wow, that was going to be a heck of loong journey..! On the tour date at 10 AM, I was ready at hotel lobby waiting for them. Mr. Pei was a very kind and pleasant person who loves engaging in conversation. On the other hand, I don't remember what she does, but Ms. Lau seems to know much about internet business. So, I told them that the itinerary for their full day tour was usually done in a 3 day tour. I told them that it was not possible to cover all places. In Bali, due to the road condition, traffic, hil...

If Kuta and Tanah Lot are so popular with its sunset, Sanur, on the other hand, is known for a great place to see sun rise. To be able to see the sun rise, you will need to go the Sanur Beach. If you stay in a hotel in Sanur which located facing the beach, then it is no problem for you to see the sun rise. All you need to do is waking up a bit earlier, at least at 5.30, and walk out your hotel room and step down to the beach. If you don't stay in Sanur, or don't stay in the hotel facing Sanur beach, and you would like to see the Bali sun rise, at least there are 3 accesses to Sanur beach. (Maybe there are more, but I just talk about access with bigger roads). Jalan Hang Tuah (Hang Tuah Street) Located in northern area of Sanur where hotel Grand Bali Beach is located. The beach is also popular with the local who spend their Sunday afternoon bathing in the beach. But, I am sure it is not crowded at all in the morning. Jalan Segara Ayu (Segara Ayu Street) Moving to the middle Sa...

I was standing in front of Wayan's house somewhere in Ubud with Richard and Vicky (from US) thinking. Waiting. A lady descended from the upper floor through a stairs in the house in front of us and looked straight to Vicky. "That's Madam Wayan." one of the staff said. Hmm, it's show time now! Now, why was I here? Vicky read a supposedly a best seller book in US (unknown here) called "Eat, Pray, Love" written by a lady Elizabeth Gilbert, telling her own journey from Italy, India, and Indonesia (including Bali) in this case Ubud. Ibu Wayan was mentioned there, in one page. "Give me twenty minutes, I can read your body and tell you what your body needs, and what your body need less, and what your body don't need." I heard Wayan saying this. So, Vicky decided give it a try. As Vicky and Richard sat on the chairs, and Wayan did her spiritual healing, I looked around. The place was small, maybe 4x4 meters, but it had two floors. There were two ta...

Working as a Bali tour guide, I also get a chance to get people to Lake Tamblingan to start their natural trekking journey. It is a great way to see Bali closer by doing trekking in Lake Tamblingan. (not in the middle of the lake, but by the lake). First, you will descend from Munduk village down to the Lake Tamblingan. There is a trekking guide association office by the lake. This is where you will pay for the local guide (trekking guide). You will start your journey passing through various plantation, such as coffee, chocolate, and clove. You will hear the bird singing in the air, and inhale fresh air to your lungs and think "what a great day." The sun glows above, the lake surface shines like a crystal by your side. After two hours trekking, you will arrive at the other side of Buyan lake. Now what? Do I have to walk back the way I came? It is interesting, but I have done that. Don't worry, here is a little secret, we will take you back on a canoe voyaging through the ...

On your tour to the north Bali , you will usually stop at this stunning waterfall. Some tour operator prefer to go there before arriving at Lovina, but some others stop after Lovina. I personally like to visit this waterfall after Lovina, on the way back from north Bali. From the picture, you can see it is multi tiered waterfall. And it is such a beautiful view. You just need to be fit to go there. The route path to the waterfall is very challenging with lots of ups and downs. You'll walk across lush plantation (tropical forest) and reach the waterfall after walking for about 300 meters. But believe me, the walk feels more than 300 meters. When you arrive in the waterfall you will astonished by the beauty of the waterfall. Note that there are some a couple waterfalls around Gitgit If you want to visit this particular waterfall, you should bear in mind that is the "multi tiered" waterfall.

Pura Goa Lawah or the Bat cave temple is located in the easte Bali. To travel there you will need to sped two hours from Kuta. This cave usually visited in a package tour to East Bali. But anyway, close your eyes, and imagine that you are in Bali, and lets; go to the Bat Cave temple. Bats, bats, bats, every where. That's probably what you say in your mind. A lot of them are Ange hanging in the wall of the cave. Some of them flying with while screaming in the air. That's right, this is the place which we call the Bat cave temple. But before going to the temple, let see some check the surrounding. First you will need to park your vehicle across the street from the temple in a parking area close to the black sandy beaches of Kusamba. You can smell the sea and feel the cool breeze on your face here. There are many little shops around the beach, and if you are lucky you can still see people making salt in the sea shore. As you walk to cross the street into the temple area , there wi...

If you go tour to Ubud or Kintamani, you will pass a village called Batu Bulan which located just outside of Denpasar. There is something special you can see along the way in this village; stone carvings. Hundreds of stone statues are displayed in front of studios along the street. These statues are made of different kind of material such as sand stone, lime stone, and volcanic stone. Sand stone is the softest and easiest to carve. It is what mostly also used for building Balinese Hindu Temple. The yellow coloured lime stone is harder than lime stone. While volcanic stone is the hardest. You will see different statues, from traditional theme to modern ones. But most of the time you will see statues of Hindu gods and godesses, temple door guardians (dwarapal), or Buddha statues. There are also statues of frog, and also people. The Balinese use the statues in the temples and for decorations in their gardens. You can also purchase the statues there for about USD 300 to 500 for a one meter...

Kuta square is a popular area in Kuta for shopping or just for hanging around and taking a stroll for windows shopping. It is about fourteen kilometres from Denpasar the capital city or five kilometres from the Ngurah Rai Airport (the only airport in Bali.) Many shops selling branded names of varieties of products ranging from clothes, shoes, bags or jewelry. There is a popular shopping centre around Kuta square called Matahari where you can buy all your daily needs and souvenirs. There is also a Timezone to relax. Next to Kuta square there is the traditional market which consists of hundreds of shops selling varieties of products. Mostly they sell T-shirts, pants, sarongs, mats, baby clothes, paintings, cushions, all tagged with Bali. This place you can bargain. (Many Balinese sellers now complained about how clever the tourist nowadays in bargaining. I think because those tourists have read my blog ) Next to the Kuta market is a DVD stores where you can try before buy. And finally ...

Traditional Bali Village Penglipuran Village is located in Bangli regency, about 60 kilometres from Denpasar the capital city. It has about 170 families living in this village, and their house have same layout. All stretched from north to South. The northern part of the village is where the village temple is located. If you go further behind the temple, you will reach the bamboo forest. They use bamboo as tiles for their house roof. They also make other things from bamboo such as walls, wind chimes, chairs or pavilions. At the back of each house, you will see their garden. They plant coffee, snake skin fruit, jack fruit or spices. They also have pig sty with a couple of pigs. When you visit the house, you can see their houses are not a single buildings. But it is divided into several buildings of different functions such as main family building, kitchen, and pavilion which serves like a living room since this is where they have their visitors to sit. The kitchen is a higher building, a...

Singapadu Village has a different attraction for visitors. Besides the stone carving area, it is also where the Reptile Park are located. Here is your chance to learn about all those slimy animals since many varieties are presented here. Many kind of snakes can be seen in their glass cages. There are the phytons, cobras, rattle snake and lots of other snakes. Lizards, from the smallest gecko to the big crocodille also joined in in the park. Frogs from different size, colours and types look at you from behind their cages. Not just from local area, but from all over the world. The setting of the park which imitates forest is also another plus point. When you walk around the park you will feel that you've been transported to a remote and wild tropical forest. There is an ancient temple like building in the middle of the 'forest' to make it more believable. Soon, you will begin to feel like Indiana Jones. At a certain point of the park, you can see the Komodo dragon. So, you do...

Tegalalang village, beside the Jatiluwih, is a village you can stop to admire the view of rice terraces. Located just north of Ubud, the rice field can be easily spotted from the main road. It spreaded to little hills and valleys by the main road. Depending on the season you come to visit Bali, the rice terraces have different colours. It's black because of mud when farmers plough the fields. It's green when the paddy is already growing, and yellow when it is due harvesting. The farmers build terraces to grow rice so they can better manage the soil. It is not suitable, if not impossible, to grow rice on a slope because rice need still water. Tegalalang village is quite busy during the days because there tourists bus stopping just take pictures of rice fields. If you want to stay longer, there are local cafes, or small restaurants where you can sit and enjoy the food and the view rice field. There are also street vendors who try to sell you pencils, bone statues, postcards, chop...

The problem of goodness versus evil is never really finish in this world. Many stories, legends, even the Hollywood movies set this theme as their focus in their stories. In Bali there are also many stories about good and bad. Barong story which is presented in the Barong Dance performed daily in Batu Bulan village is no different. It tells the story is about fight between good and bad, only this time the good does not win... Barong is a an animal which looks like a lion. Since no one has seen it in reality, it is safe to assume that Barong is a mythical character just like the leprechaun. Where do you see the original Barong? If you tour around with your tour guide or driver, you might have a chance to see a religious procession. You will probably the local Balinese who dances Barong dance on the prossesion. The function of Barong is believed to expel the evil spirit away, or neutralize negative energy (if this make more sense to you) so it will not interfere the temple festival. Ther...

To my astonishment, a reader wrote me an email asking where she can watch a "Wayang Kulit" or shadow puppet show in Bali. I never thought shadow puppets show can also be interesting for tourists, so I decided to write a little note about this matter (not a comprehensive article). Shadow puppet show, despite all these bombardment of movies with computerized special effects, still alive in the heart of the Balinese people. Thanks to the great puppet masters in Bali that Wayang Kulit is till watched by many Balinese, even the youngsters. Shadow puppet which can be a part of sacred ceremonies are prepared very carefully. Not any Balinese can be puppet master because it requires special skill for example in changing voices when talking as different character. A puppet master must also be knowledgeable in Hindu religious teaching and social matters. The preparation of a Wayang Kulit may appear very simple. All it needs are large screen, a torch, a banana tree trunk for placing the ...

Sanur is a tourist area which was a fisherman village, that you can achieve by driving twenty minutes from the Denpasar air port. What's in Sanur? Well, if you'd like a quiter place than Kuta, Sanur is the right place. There are less shops, traffics, or street vendors compared to Kuta. Along the main street of Sanur, there are shops which sell souvenirs, banks, Hardy's shopping centre, money changers, home stays and hotels which range from budget hotels to the internatioanl chain of the Bali Hyatt. To get taxi is also not a big problem, they are just wandering in the streets. If you prefer you can walk along the pavement along the main street at night time, since probably it is a bit hot during the day. From the main street, it is only a few metres to the beach. Most of the hotels are built by the beach with the beach view, so if you stay here, beach is just very close. Many Balinese, during the weekend, spend their time with their families in the certain area of the beach,...

This is another beautiful temple located at North Bali , somewhere in the Pulaki village. If you travel from Denpasar, you will arrive in three hours. If you go to the west via Negara ( a town in West Bali) you will pass the Bali Barat National Park which is ideal trekking place. Another tourist spot is Labuan Lalang, which located close to Menjangan Island, a popular diving site. The Melanting temple is located further north. You actually need to go away from the normal route to reach the temple. If you stay at Matahari Resort at Pemuteran village, you can tour around in nearby villages such as Pulaki Temple and Melanting Temple. Many Balinese visit this temple especially traders as the Goddess Melanting is popular among the Balinese traders as the one to turn for good trade. Although it is popular among traders, all the Balinese, regardless of their profession actually can go to this temple. The god or goddess is merely a manifestation of the One Almighty God. And because of His func...

Here is a list of beautiful beaches you can visit during your holiday in Bali. Kuta Beach Kuta Beach is the most popular beach in Bali. A lot of tourists and local flock during the day and it will become more crowded on the weekends and public holidays. It is perfect place for relaxing, sun bathing (not for local), surfing, or just for taking a walk. Jimbaran Beach Jimbaran is a quiet beach at some points. But this crescent shape white sandy beach is a popular place for sea food restaurants by the sea. Spend an evening here is a good way of relaxing. Enjoy sea food dinner while watching the sun beyond the horizon. Sanur Beach Sanur beach is on the opposite of Kuta. Locals bring their families to Sanur usually on Sunday evening. It is an area where you can see the sun rise and moon rise over Nusa Penida island. Candi Dasa Beach ( Pasir Putih) It is another white sandy beach and crystal clear blue water with palm trees. Located east of Bali, about 80 kilometers from Denpasar. Nusa Lembo...

Kuta is the most popular tourist area in Bali. The main attraction is actually The Kuta beach which stretches about 5 kilometres from south to north, a very popular place for surfers and visitors who wants to enjoy the sun set. Kuta is located about 10 minutes drive north of the Denpasar International Airport. If you drive north from the airport, you will first arrive in Kartika Plaza street. This is because the hotel Kartika Plaza situated. You will also see the biggest hyper market in Bali called Centro. It is a good place for shopping or just window shopping. There are many restaurants available as well as shops selling souvenirs. Heading north you will arrive in area calle Kuta Square, more shops with international brands. There is the shopping centre called Matahari standing out from those shops. Next, turning left from Kuta Square, you will see the Kuta beach. It is very crowded during the evening especially at the weekends as both tourists and local spend their time here. The t...

Twenty minutes drive south of Denpasar airport, at the southern part of Bali island, Nusa Dua is located. Nusa Dua means two islands. Though it is not really two islands, but two head lands which extend towards the sea where small temples are located in each ‘island’. It was built for the higher class tourists, though since the 2002 bombing, the price has been significantly decreasing. In Nusa Dua you will not see any street vendors, hawkers, or people selling cheap sun glasses. It is an isolated area from the Balinese community. You enter the area passing a big traditional split gate and a modern security checking stop with camera checking underneath car. Once you pass the security, you will enter a street surrounded with beautiful gardens, ponds, lawn and an 18-holes golf course. But there are drivers offering transport hiding under shady trees at those gardens. So, when you walk in the pavement beside the garden, sometimes they will jump to you from nowhere offering for “transport”...

Bali island is popular for its beauty and unique culture. No question about that. But do you know that we also have popular coffee? There are two kinds of coffee, arabica and robusta. What is more grown in Bali is the robusta type. The robusta coffee is bigger in size and contain more caffein. That's why the Bali coffee is strong. Coffee is grown all over Bali. Some of the popular villages producing coffee are Banyuatis village, Munduk Village, and Busung Biu village in north Bali. Others are in Jembrana regency, and Bangli regency. The Balinese like strong coffee.When drinking coffee we prefer our coffee to be black, without cream nor milk with little sugar. This is the common Bali coffee taste. If you are a coffee drinker, you should try the Bali coffee. There is a Bali Kopi House located at By Pass Ngurah Rai Street where you can go trying the Bali coffee. Varieties of Bali coffee are available here. The coffee "luwak" or "lubak" is a special rare Bali coffee...

There a lot varieties of sport activities you can do in Nusa Lembongan Island. Most of the activities you can do in the western side of the island where white sandy beaches stretched for miles. And, here is what you can do there: Surfing There are three most popular surf break in the island. They have English name, instead of the Balinese: Shipwreck Surf Break, Lacerations Surf Break, and Playground Surf Break. The Playground Surf Break is suitable for all level of surfers, but the other two are only suitable for experts. Best time for surfing is during the dry season between April and September, when the wind blows from south east. Diving The diving site centre is the Jungutbatu beach. The local diving operator has 5 days PADI course, and dive trips. Dive trips are available to the sites of Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Ceningan, and Nusa Penida. Cruises Cruises trips are available and departas from Benoa Harbour Bali. Bali Hai Cruise The cruise departs at 9. AM to 4 PM. There are two ways of ...