Bali

                                                                                                   29.11-15.12.2008

 

We were happy to return to Bali after 10 years, the place which can be in short described as the Paradise Island. We spent the first day in Kuta to relax after the overnight flight from Mumbai and to organise the rental car which took us 1000km around the island. The next day we drove to Munduk in the mountains, where we stood two nights in a nice resort overlooking rice fields and the clouded peaks of Gunung Batukau. Was nice to walk in the jungle and visit again the waterfall which we saw ten years ago on a morobike trip. We drove to a huge holy banyan tree, so big that you can walk and climb through íts roots, amazing. After enjoying the coolness of the mountains we head to the North for Permuteran, a small and quiet beach with some nice resorts and good snorkelling and diving.

Then again we went for the mountains, this time in the East, through green landscape, rice fields and unfortunately much fog and clouds. So we did not get much of a view. After one night in a traditional villa with great vista of the highest mountain Gunung Agung, especially right after sunrise, we went to the East coast for sea and sun. Our choice of accomodaton was a small boutique resort with beautifull villas overlooking the ocean. Michael went diving to the famous wreck of the US warship Liberty in Tulamben, Diana snorkelled above it. Diana had a wonderfull day there snorkelling with a huge school of jackfish, hundreds of big fish, which circled around her at arm lenght for a whole hour, just unforgetable!

In between we visited the famous town of Ubud with its palaces, temples and art shops. The weather wasn't too friendly, rain and fog, so we missed again the view of lake Bratan.

The last three days we relaxed and sampled different cuisine in Kuta, which is really a paradise for food lovers, with very fine restaurants at fair prices.

 

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  Delicious Bali fruits: lichee, durian, rambutan, mango, passion fruit, bananas, pomelo

 

 

  Our accomodation in Munduk at Puri Lumbung in traditional cottages with beautiful views of rice fields and the mountains around

 

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  The love of Balinese for details can be seen on the intricate carved door of our cottage

 

  A walk in the jungle, rich green colours and noisy cycades

 

3

 

  Munduk Waterfall, was nice to be there again after ten years

 

  A scramble through the roots of the biggest banyan tree in Bali

 

4  
  Rice fields like from a postcard

 

  Permuteran beach in North Bali is a quiet place for relaxing, good for snorkelling and diving

 

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  Breakfast with view of Gunung Agung Mountain

 

  Accomodation on Sidemen in a villa with view to Mt. Agung

 

 
  Gunung Agung, the highest mountain in Bali is a dormant volcano which last erupted in the sixties

 

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  The east coast of Bali

 

  Poinciana, a small and nice resort with good snorkelling a few steps from its beach

 

7

 
  Waterfall between rambutan plantations

 

  The best rambutan fruit which we ate till now

 

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  Ubud Palace

 

  Intricate details in the buildings of Ubud Palace

 

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  Temple of Dead in Ubud

 

  Water Palace near Amlapura

 

 
   Rice fields landscape    
   
  Balinese ceremony   Monsoon clouds over Kuta

 

On the way back to Mumbai, we stopped for a day in Singapore for the good old times which we spent there some years ago. There was a lot of construction work going on, new skyscrapers and malls are coming up. The town is still as we know it, clean, orderly and green. There were new additions on the landscape, like the giant wheel and the Formula One track near the Business District. We visited our preffered place the Botanical Garden with its Orchid garden, then we strolled on Orchard Road, did some shopping in Suntec City, ate nasi lemak in food courts, relaxed with an iceceam in a mall, did the usual things.

Then was time to go to the airport :-(

       
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  Singapore wheel, till date the highest in the world

 

   

 

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  View from the Wheel: left is a scale model of the future buildings which will complete the Business District, right the existing Skyscrapers

 

  Christmas tree in Singapore