Bali travel guide
Why would anyone go to Kuta? It's touristy, the town is ugly and the beach is not even that nice! Well, because Indonesia's most famous beach area is pleasure zone. There is something for everybody, whether they seek style or sleaze. Potbellied, beer drinking Australians are rubbing shoulders with tattooed surfer dudes and blonde, Scandinavian girls on holiday fun. Even families on vacation are crowding up the narrow lanes that are packed with endless supplies of t-shirts, pirate DVDs and tacky souvenirs (like wooden penis bottle opener, why?). But it is Kuta, and that is how Kuta is!
Lake Batur (Danau Batur) is the largest lake in Bali. It lies in an big outer crater (a so-called caldera) between the two volcanoes of Mount Batur (1717 m) and Mount Abang (2153 m). Though the views of Lake Batur can be sweeping from the road up at the rim of the caldera, the scenery is best taken in at the bottom along the shore of the lake. Here the majestic cones of Mount Batur (which is still active) and Mount Abang are risen more than 700 m above the beautiful crescent-shaped lake which is fully enclosed by the caldera wall. Around the lake there are several villages (Kedisan, Toya Bungkah, and Trunyan) with good options of accommodation, making it a perfect place to rest after a trek to the top of either Mount Batur or Mount Abang.
Lovina is not just one place, but a collection of several fishing villages turned tourist hangouts. The coast here is fringed by beaches of black volcanic sand which are alright at the main tourist village at Kalibukbuk, but can be very trashy and littered at the less touristy villages, like Anturan. Most people are coming to Lovina for some dolphin watching and interesting snorkelling, but when those activities have been ticked off, the main thing is doing nothing - and maybe joining the local kids in the sea at sunset. The vibe is very mellow and when you first have declined the initial offers of massage/dolphin carvings/fishing-snorkelling trips/magic mushrooms/etc. you can walk in peace. Traditional life is still lived by the many friendly fishing families giving Lovina a refreshing authentic feel compared to the hectic beach spots in South Bali.
There are so many temples and shrines on Bali, literally thousands, so there has to be something special for a temple to stand out. The odd-factor for Pura Luhur Batukau is the lush jungle setting at the foot of Mt. Batukau. It is really far off the beaten track, so hardly any tourist comes here, meaning no touts/guides hang around. There are several multi-roofs shrines and the walls are decoratively moss-grown. There is a strange little put-and-take fishing pond midway on the long driveway in where locals sport fish.
Heading towards the top of the active volcano Mt. Batur (1717 m) is an easy hike. It feels a little more adventurous than it is if you leave at 3:30 in the morning to catch sunrise from the top. The trail is easy and the guides are very reasonable (if you have any common sense with bargaining). Upon reaching the top, you find a beautiful 360 degrees view, lots of other hikers, and a coffee shack. Its remarkable when the sun breaks over the ridge and shadows start disappearing off the lake. We recommend opting for the longer hike and heading around the back of the mountain on the way back. It offers sweeping views, and the backside still has active steam vents and amazing black sand dunes.
By being located at 1754 m, Pura Puncak Penulisan is not just another Balinese temple, but the highest temple on Bali. This of course means a long flight of stairs, but on a clear day the views should be spectacular, stretching all the way to the sea in the North, making it well worth the trouble of walking up... even in the mist, it is a nice exercise.
Most travellers associate Bali with endless terraces of vibrant green rice paddies. And yes, they do exist, and the little settlement of Jatiluwih up in the mountains is one good place to see them. The terraces are cut out from the lower slopes of Mt. Batukau like huge steps and seem to continue all the way down to the sea. When the rice stands tall and dense it is like a soft carpet of psychedelic green covering the hills with small islands of palms sticking up here and there. The mountain road that leads to Jatiluwih winds its way through villages and cuts through rice fields before the scenery suddenly opens up and offers some of the best panoramic views of rice fields in Bali.
Sanur is a nice alternative to the sleaze, hassle, and crowds at the Kuta-Legian-Seminyak strip and is still close to the airport. The beach is long, narrow (at high tide) and sheltered by a reef and the atmosphere is happy and low-key, which seems to be popular for the more mature holidaymakers. The beach path that goes all along the shore is actually nice and enjoyable to stroll (in contrast to the Kuta counterpart). But Sanur does also has its kitsch - the blue thing you see in the picture is the ever-so-tasteful Blue Diamond wedding chapel - yes, you can get wedded inside a big transparent diamond... how cheesy can it be?
Seminyak is the stylish and posh little sister to Kuta Bali and Legian. It stretches north of those along a beach that seems incredibly hard to get to unless you stay at one of the expensive beachfront resorts. It is here you find a lot of the architect designed boutique hotels that Bali is so famous for. Since we couldn't stretch our necks long enough to look over the fences, we have no idea how crazily luxurious they are, but based on pictures from architecture books, we imagine ultra extravagance. However, there also are more ordinary hotels squeezed in as well, and you can always go window shopping at the never-ending row of fashion shops or hang out at one of the many flashy cafes/restaurants/clubs/champagne bars and pretend you belong to the top league... at least for a day or two.
The Hindu temple Pura Tanah Lot sits beautifully on top of an offshore rock (which is land connected in low tide though). Unfortunately, all the Bali tour operators also think it is a beautiful location, so busloads of tourists are dragged here at sunset to enjoy a "magical moment" when the sun sets behind the temple. Over one third of the rock is actually man-made since the original rock was starting to crumble. During daytime, you'll see mostly local tourists and the hordes are less invasive - but you still have to navigate the endless row of souvenir stalls. If you are a temple-freak, please visit Pura Tanah Lot, but your Bali experience will not suffer much if you give it a miss in favour of other temples.