Beautiful Bali

It took me a long time to visit Bali because I always thought it was just another beach. A friend once told me that I would love it there and the beach was just a part of Bali life. 

I decided to finally go and see what Bali had to offer when Ark Travel took me on one of its familiarization trips.  I boarded the early morning Cebu Pacific flight to Denpasar to begin my Bali adventure.

Upon arrival at the Bali airport, I was brought to the Seminyak Beach Resort and Spa (www.theseminyak.com). The resort is located in the heart of Seminyak, right beside Ku De Ta, a restaurant/bar highly recommended by friends for the great nightlife and surprisingly excellent food.

After a wonderful buffet breakfast at the hotel, my guide brought me to Taman Ayun Temple, a landmark in the village of Mengwi built in 1634. This temple complex boasts magnificent traditional architectural features throughout its courtyards.

Right after exploring Taman Ayun was a visit to Tanah Lot, a rock formation home to the pilgrimage temple Pura Tanah Lot.  The temple is a very popular Balinese tourist site. It is visited by hundreds of people roaming around the temple to marvel at the amazing coastal views or to shop around the stalls selling souvenirs or the popular kopi luwak made from coffee beans passed through a civet, whose digestive enzymes supposedly make the coffee taste better. Pura Tanah Lot can be viewed from afar from the nearby Pan Pacific Nirwana Bali Resort (www.panpacific.com) where I first viewed Bali’s fabled sunset and took a wonderful Balinese dinner at its Merica (meaning chili) restaurant. Not bad for my first day in Bali.

I opted to skip breakfast the next day and had an early lunch at Ku De Ta. I could imagine what the restaurant was like at night but I went there specifically for the food and it certainly did not disappoint. My adventure for that day started at Taman Nusa (www.taman-nusa.com), an Indonesian cultural heritage center, where the entire Indonesia could be viewed in a smaller scale. The architecture of Indonesian houses is highlighted in this massive complex.

After lunch, I went to Ubud to visit the Palace and the Art Market. The palace still had restricted access to certain places as people did live there. The market was sprawling where one could buy beautiful wooden or shell containers, carved horn or bone, silver, wooden carvings and several other souvenirs. I tried the famous babi guling or Balinese roast pork. I asked my guide why pork was served in a predominantly Muslim country. He said pork isn’t popular in Indonesia but apparently, Bali is predominantly Hindu that’s why pork is popular on the island. Babi guling is like our lechon but infused with lemongrass, turmeric, coriander seeds, pepper, dried shrimp paste, chili and garlic and is served with rice and urap, a Balinese vegetable salad in coconut chili dressing. The tender meat with crispy skin is served with a fried battered chunk of pork fat. I had this unique meal in the very fancy Alaya Resort (www.alayaubud.com) in Ubud, a place I would love to stay sometime in the near future. 

Seminyak has several great beaches, restaurants and wonderful quaint shops. The W Hotel is a great place to have sunset cocktails.  Potato Head and Ku De Ta are even more popular for sunset drinks. I met up with my friends who live in Bali and they took me for dinner at Metis, another top restaurant in Seminyak.

Seminyak and Ubud are considered the more “quiet” side of Bali. I headed to the noisy and touristy side of Kuta on the third day and stayed at the newly opened Love F Hotel Bali by Fashion TV (www.lovefhotels.com). The Fashion TV brand presented its first hotel in the world with 202 rooms and suites. The hotel features the Love Café, F Love Bar and its Black Diamond and White Diamond restaurants.

Love F Hotel is located in the heart of Legian, Bali and is only six kilometers from Ngurah Rai International airport. The hotel definitely gives out a party vibe with its booming music from the lobby and pool and Jacuzzi decks overlooking Kuta. Most of the guest relation officers there are friendly Filipinas who helped me check in and out in a flash! They also gave me tips on where to shop and eat in Kuta. 

Kuta is also known for its beaches and shopping anywhere on the streets. There are also high-end malls. Shopping will always be fun as long as you bargain! A must to be brought home from Bali are sambal (spicy chili paste), small lightweight wood and batik fans and the very tasty krupuk (what we Filipinos know as kropek or shrimp crackers). Try also the equally delicious garlic krupuk.

I definitely had a blast with five days of exploring, eating and shopping. It certainly took me several years to visit Bali. I am certain it won’t take that long to convince me to go back to that wonderful island and begin more Balinese adventures. 

(For more information, call Ark Travel Express Inc.’s Makati office at 815-2296 and 816-6416 or e-mail [email protected] or [email protected]. You may also call its Pasay branch office at 831-6165 and 831-6727 or e-mail [email protected].)

(Follow me on Instagram @pepperteehankee.)