We always wish to spend some memorable moments with our loved ones in some of our dream destinations. If Bali is one of your dream destinations, we guess this blog is just for you. We will help you plan your itinerary for South Bali.
As we call ourselves Travel Freaks………..
Before we take you all to South Bali, let us begin with a common notion…….
1. What is the general perception of South Bali?
The answer is quite subjective. However, we felt………
South Bali is a destination that captivates the minds and hearts of travellers from across the globe. When you step on this magical island, you will feel like you have been teleported to another world.
Every experience will leave an indelible mark on your soul. We were no different either. We were about to tick off from one of our long list of dream destinations.
We know what you might be thinking……..
2. How did we land in Bali?
If you don’t know this, we guess you are our new readers. Don’t worry…….
For a quick recap, we reached Bali the day before by late evening. Do click here to read our journey details. In case of any help related to any itinerary, do reach out to us.
Returning to our trip, we started our day around seven o’clock from our stay at Kuta. We had an amiable driver named ‘Dewa’, who drove us to our first spot, Tanah Lot Temple.
After hearing the name Tanah Lot, you will now say………
3. How was the experience of the Tanah Lot Temple?
Let’s start with a general perception, and then we will elaborate on our experience. Honestly, Tanah Lot is not exactly in the south, but a little towards the western side. Due to our tight schedule, this was planned first.
Tanah Lot, which translates to “Land in the Sea,” is an apt term for its distinctive offshore locations & sunset backdrops. It is one of the most significant attractions in Bali and is a must-visit while in Bali. It is located in the village of Beraban Kediri Tabanan District.
A Balinese Temple (Pura) perched high on the rock, facing the wide-open ocean with the crashing waves below and the dramatic colours of the morning sky in the background, is a perfect spot for sunrise.
We strolled around this magnificent temple complex & clicked snaps. However, those snaps couldn’t do justice to the beauty of this place. The panoramic vistas and cultural offerings nearby are highlights to savour, even though the main temple grounds of Tanah Lot are open only for local pilgrims and not for outsiders.
We were willing to spend more time there, but due to our packed-up itinerary, we decided to have some vitamin Sea. So, we headed to our next spot, Padang Padang Beach, which was almost 2 hours drive from the Tanah Lot. We quickly got into the car to reach our destination.
Let us guess what is now going on in your mind……….
4. How is Padang Padang Beach different from other commonly known tourist beaches?
You may or may not be familiar with the ambience of this beach. It depends on how many you have been and where you have been. In our case, it was a new experience.
Padang Padang Beach is one of Bali’s most famous surfing spots. Locally called Pantai Labuan Sait, this beach is located on the Bukit Peninsula northwest of the island.
It features a spectacular 100-meter strip of sand that can be reached by going down some stairs and via a special hollow rock entrance.
We relaxed under the shade, watching surfers surfing in the waves skillfully. After spending some time on the beach, we moved to the next place from our itinerary Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park.
Many of you might get confused after hearing the name Wisnu. It is the same as what Indians call Vishnu, the preserver of the world. Now your curiosity has increased to know……..
5. What was there in the Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park?
Better to take you to this amazing place.
We were pretty excited to explore this place. This iconic Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park monument lies on the Bukit Peninsula, the southern portion of Bali Island.
The main statue was 120 metres in height and 64 metres in width. Despite its overwhelming success since its completion in July 2018, the structure took 28 years to complete because of some local issues. The place was a 60-hectare big cultural park where various cultural performances were performed, especially during special occasions.
This grand & captivating statue was inspired by a famous story in Hindu Mythology, according to which the search for Amerta (the elixir of life) inspired this. The tale claimed that Garuda consented to be ridden by Wisnu in exchange for the opportunity to use the elixir to free his mother from slavery.
We even noticed an elevator inside the statue to take us to the top. Unfortunately, we could not go to the top due to maintenance activities that were taking place.
The park was divided into multiple zones & one could purchase the tickets as per their interest to visit; also, you could pay & opt for electric vehicles to commute within the premises.
In fact, there was a museum, and the entrance fee was included in our tickets. The museum contained many Balinese artefacts that were extinct of late. We had a great time with the premises.
The main statue of the Garuda Wisnu could be spotted from even the Bali Denpasar Airport, which was almost 12 km apart. An entire day seemed less for visiting that vast area; nonetheless, we headed for lunch then.
After having lunch at a beautiful restaurant with local Balinese cuisine, we moved on to the next spot, Uluwatu Temple.
Let’s guess what is now going on in your head……
6. How unique was the Uluwatu Temple?
In Bali, all the temples have some uniqueness or the other. You will never find any similarity. The same applied to Uluwatu Temple too.
The Uluwatu Temple was one of the nine directional temples believed to protect Bali from evil spirits and was dedicated to the spirits of the sea.
We bought entrance tickets at the counter that cost around IDR 50,000 approximately per person. It included free rent of “Balinese Sarong“, clothing for covering the lower portion of your body. The temple opens from seven o’clock in the morning till seven o’clock in the evening. The good news was there was no holiday for most of the temples in Bali.
It was time for the most famous Kecak dance performance. Wait, we know your query……..
7. What is so special about the Kecak Dance?
Even now, while elaborating, we are getting goosebumps. Let us take you all to that day……….
We enjoyed a stunning ocean view by the temple while waiting for the Kecak dance performance. As it was getting dusk, the crowd started to surge, and in the blink of an eye, it was all houseful.
Everyone was waiting eagerly for the performance, including us. And then it began with the dancers & singers entering in. We were thrilled to witness such an act. They were narrating the Ramayana story & making some unique sounds which kept the audience spellbound.
Interestingly, there were performers from all age groups equally involved in the act. It motivated us to see a few elderly persons in such a jovial mood. The person who acted as Lord Hanuman caught the audience’s attention to a large extent, especially when he enacted the part where Lord Hanuman destroyed the kingdom of Lanka with fire.
This was the first time we were spotting such a stunning performance with the ocean by the side & a beautiful sunset, but due to jetlag, we were tired. As the performance ended, we also had our day nearing to end.
We stopped by a restaurant for dinner on the way to the hotel. The meal was good. It was already 10 o’clock, so we headed to our hotel.
What else do you need on the first day of your adventure in Bali?
Maybe some might have one query…
8. Is there any other places to explore in South Bali?
Already short of words to describe the entire day’s adventure. If anyone is interested in water sports, do visit Nusa Dua Beach.
It has a lot to offer for the sports lovers. We decided to skip it as we did water sports activities at other places, and this time we were inclined to experience some local activities.
If anyone wishes to visit Bali, they can explore the various options available on their site. They provide affordable packages.
If you are planning to visit Australia, you can subscribe to their channel and get to know about their experiences. You will be able to plan on your own.
Hope we successfully gave you a glimpse of the South Bali Experience through our eyes. Yes, we don’t sign off without this question…….
9. What kind of help are we gonna provide?
Let us inform you that we prepare itineraries not only for anywhere in India but also for Asia. We have been travelling since we were toddlers. So here in our blogs and stories, we will be giving you a glimpse of our journey and also helping you to plan your trip.
Read about our Uzbekistan blogs.
Read about our Kazakhstan blogs.
Read about our Singapore blogs.
Read about our Vietnam blogs.
Read about our Cambodia blogs.
Read about our Bali blogs.
Read about our Kuala Lumpur blog series.
Read about our Sri Lanka blogs.
Read about our Nepal blogs.
Read about our Char Dham blogs.
Read about our Ladakh blogs.
Read about our day trip to Hyderabad.
Read about our Madhya Pradesh blogs.
Read about our Andaman and Nicobar blogs.
Do follow our Instagram handle @mindfulllofvacations and keep an eye out for the next destination story of Bali. For any query related to any trip, drop a mail at @mitkau007@gmail.com.
by mitkau