Since Bali has loads of cheap international flights, we used it as our base while traveling in and around Indonesia and Malaysia. We got to know the island pretty well as we hopped in and out over the past several months. Our friends Grace and Kirn joined us for a whirlwind couple of days in Bali so we revisited a couple of sites that we had previously been to (Besakih Temple, Tegallalang Rice Fields, Goa Gajah Elephant Cave) but there were plenty of new destinations to explore. Highlights of our time in Bali include checking out the macro diving at Tulamben and Amed (both are fabulous SCUBA destinations for a plethora of nudibranchs), Tirta Gangga Royal Water Palace, seeing all the Ogoh-ogoh paper mâché statues sprouting up in villages throughout Bali in preparation for the annual Ngrupuk Parade, visiting waterfalls (Blangsinga, Uma Anyar, Sumampan, Kanto Lampo), witnessing the holy purification ceremony of Melasti at Masceti Beach, playing with monkeys at the Ubud Sacred Monkey Forest, and watching the fantastic Ogoh -ogoh parade the day before Nyepi. Bali never fails to disappoint and we will definitely be back again one of these days!
![]()
Shiva statue at the Gilimanuk Harbor
![]()
Macaque monkeys by the roadside looking for handouts in Gilimanuk
![]()
Traditional Balinese penjors along the street. These tall bamboo poles with decorations are set up in honor of Hindu gods prior to religious festivals
![]()
Artwork on a cafe in Sanur. These reflects the sentiment of quite a few tourists who come to Bali and never want to leave!
![]()
Fruits for sale at the Sanur morning market
![]()
Cute painted tuk tuk in Sanur
![]()
Wall decor at Shotgun Social Bali in Sanur
![]()
Walking path next to the beach in Sanur with lots of cafes, bars and shops selling souvenirs
![]()
Dragon kite for sale at Sanur Beach
![]()
Jukungs (traditional fishing boats) on the beach in Sanur
![]()
An inviting pool shower near Sanur Beach
![]()
A defunct Rasta Factory outlet store in Kuta
![]()
Enjoying the pool at Natya Hotel Kuta
![]()
Wanaku Seafood & Chinese Restaurant in Kuta
![]()
Enjoying happy hour at Don Juan, a Mexican restaurant in Kuta
![]()
Sunset over our private pool at Tulamben Dive Villa
![]()
Getting our SCUBA tanks ready for the day at Tulamben Dive
![]()
"Rush hour" during the early morning market in Tulamben
![]()
Blue-spotted pufferfish (Arothron caeruleopunctatus)
![]()
Green sea turtle munching on coral
![]()
Giant moray eel hunting at night
![]()
Spanish dancer - a very large and colorful sea slug
![]()
Robby enjoying a massage on our front porch at Tulamben Dive Villa
![]()
Swimming pool at Ocean Sun Dive Resort
![]()
Enjoying our massive German schnitzel at Chops & Hops (so good we ate here twice!)
![]()
Ornate Stiliger Nudibranch
![]()
One of 3000 species of nudibranchs
![]()
Another of Tulamben's many nudibranchs
![]()
Spotted sharpnose puffer aka Papuan Toby
![]()
Peacock mantis shrimp with eggs
![]()
Desirable Flabellina nudibranch
![]()
Donut nudibranch (Doto greenamyeri)
![]()
Goby sticking out of a hole
![]()
Posing with dive master Kadek and Mount Agung in the background
![]()
Local women carry our dive tanks at the Batu Emerald dive site
![]()
The rocky coastline typical of Tulamben's dive sites
![]()
Catching a jukung to our Batu Emerald (for an extra 150,000 IDR)
![]()
Juvenile oriental sweetlips
![]()
A juvenile Harlequin sweetlips
![]()
The first time we could finally catch a glimpse of Mount Agung although it was completely covered by clouds shortly afterwards
![]()
Becky smiling on the short boat ride out to Batu Emerald
![]()
Robby drinking underwater!
![]()
A trio of scrawled filefish
![]()
Grilled tuna at a local warung - great value and super tasty at $3 each!
![]()
Amed beach view of Mount Agung, Bali's largest volcano
![]()
Jukung boat ride out to Deep Blue dive site with Dive Master Gita
![]()
Baby tuna for sale at Jemeluk Beach
![]()
Tomato clownfish in anemone
![]()
A pair of saddleback anemonefish
![]()
A long line of jukung traditional boats lined up on the beach at Jemeluk
![]()
Soft coral has grown over the Japanese Wreck just off shore in Banyuning Bay
![]()
Becky flying over a motorcycle
![]()
Another view of Jemeluk Beach
![]()
Jukungs on a beach near Amed
![]()
Our favorite beach side warung in Amed - the tuna cooked with garlic sauce is amazing!
![]()
School girls returning home from school; Amed
![]()
Wall mural at a tattoo shop in Amed
![]()
Huge Buddha head statue at an abandoned hotel in Amed
![]()
A pair of striped pufferfish in front of garden eels
![]()
View of Mount Agung from our guesthouse room at Tira Amed Homestay
![]()
Dive Concepts shuttles us to SCUBA dive sites on this customized truck that has been outfitted for our dive gear
![]()
A blue ribbon eel emerges from its hole for some food
![]()
Linking up with Kirn and Grace at their private plunge pool; The Pavilions Bali
![]()
Water garden at Tirta Gangga
![]()
Becky posing at Tirta Gangga Royal Water Palace
![]()
A model poses in front of a fountain at Tirta Gangga
![]()
Fountains at Tirta Gangga Water Palace
![]()
Someone added sunglasses on this stone guardian outside a temple at Tirta Gangga!
![]()
Huge duck statue at Maha Gangga Valley campground
![]()
Pura Besakih is considered the holiest of all Balinese Hindu temples
![]()
Buddha face carving souvenirs for sale at Besakih Temple
![]()
Two Hindus going to Besakih Temple to worship
![]()
Carved coconut souvenirs for sale at Gunung Kawi
![]()
Rice paddy at Gunung Kawi
![]()
Tegallalang rice field scene
![]()
Becky at Tegallalang Rice field
![]()
Grace and Becky at Goa Gajah (elephant cave)
![]()
Ancient ceiba tree at Goa Gajah
![]()
Balinese ogoh-ogoh statue
![]()
Driftwood animals for sale; Ubud
![]()
Patung Bayi, a massive stone baby that was erected in the middle of a traffic circle in Ubud
![]()
Entrance to Dtukad River Club - a female figurine built entirely out of woven rattan
![]()
Statue at a temple near Tegenungan waterfall
![]()
Infinity pool looking over towards Tegenungan waterfall
![]()
A small village builds an ogoh-ogoh statue for the Ngrupuk parade which takes place on the eve of Nyepi day in Bali
![]()
Limestone carving near Sumampan waterfall
![]()
Becky on the staircase leading down towards Sumampan waterfall
![]()
One of over 10,000 Hindu temples in Bali
![]()
Colorful kites for sale; Ubud Art Market
![]()
Coconut husks drying out in the countryside near Ubud
![]()
Becky standing in between two massive statues at Taman Dedari
![]()
Robby at Taman Dedari (Angel Park)
![]()
Colorful mural painted on a building near Tegallalang Rice Terrace
![]()
Ogoh-ogoh statues started popping up in small villages everywhere in Bali a few days prior to the annual Ngrupuk parade
![]()
Beautifully dressed women carry temple offerings balanced on their heads
![]()
A long line of tourists wait to take the perfect Instagram photo at Kanto Lampo waterfall
![]()
Stream leading away from Kanto Lampo waterfall
![]()
Hindus crowded into a truck for the Melasti Ceremony (a Hindu Balinese purification ceremony and ritual held several days prior to the Nyepi holy day)
![]()
Devotees at a Melasti purification ceremony
![]()
Devotees bringing offerings for Melasti
![]()
It doesn't take too long before the Melasti offerings pile up
![]()
Offerings of fruit, flowers, rice and other symbolic objects are brought by Hindus for the Melasti Ceremony
![]()
Hindus arranging the offerings brought for the Melasti Ceremony
![]()
Arranging offerings for the Melasti ceremony
![]()
Portrait of a Hindu at the annual Melasti Ceremony at Masceti Beach
![]()
Entire village communities travel together to the closest source of holy water for the Melasti Ceremony
![]()
Devotees stand by for the purification ceremony in the sea at Masceti Beach
![]()
Men carrying the pratima shrines (the place for ancestor spirit) on their shoulders; Melasti Ceremony
![]()
Traditional Balinese Barong (creature with a lion's body which serves as a symbol of the protective spirit of Bali) at the Melasti Ceremony
![]()
View of the Barongs making their way through the crowd to the beach; Melasti Ceremony
![]()
Entire villages worship together as one unit during the Melasti Ceremony
![]()
A line of ladies carrying offerings on their heads (a procession called Mapeed) as they make their way to the sea for the purification part of the Melasti Ceremony
![]()
Close up of a Hindu woman carrying offerings on her head
![]()
Hindus line up by the water's edge and wait to enter the sea during this portion of the Melasti Ceremony
![]()
Rear view of Hindus waiting to enter the sea during the Melasti Ceremony on Masceti Beach
![]()
One of Bali's most iconic ceremonies is the Mapeed where lines of Balinese women walk together in a ritual procession
![]()
A woman shields the sun away from her face during the Melasti ceremony
![]()
Once the Hindus enter the water, they believe it washes away negative energy and purifies their souls to prepare them for the new year ahead
![]()
Once the water cleansing ritual is done, the devotees walk away from the beach to make room for the next group of Hindus to partake in the Melasti Ceremony
![]()
Men carry either a Pratima shrine or Balinese umbrellas during the Melasti Ceremony
![]()
Hindu priest blessing devotees with holy water at the Melasti Ceremony
![]()
A Balinese Hindu throws a duck into the ocean as an offering during Melastic, a purification ceremony held several days before the holy day of Nyepi
![]()
A girl flashing the peace sign at the Melasti Ceremony
![]()
Poor chicken! A Hindu devotee throws a chicken into the sea as an offering during Melasti, a cleansing ritual
![]()
Men walking on either side of a Barong (Balinese mythological creature) at the Melasti Ceremony
![]()
View of a man readjusting his Barong costume
![]()
Hindu men balancing pratima shrines on their shoulders
![]()
Female priest (purohitas) at the Melasti Ceremony
![]()
Friendly Hindu girls pose for a photo at the end of the Melasti Ceremony
![]()
School children in their own Ngrupuk parade
![]()
Big smiles on these girls' faces at a children's Ngrupuk parade
![]()
School kids carrying a small Ogoh-ogoh statue during a children's Ngrupuk parade (held a few days before the real Ngrupuk parade)
![]()
Two boys strike a pose for us
![]()
Beautiful school girls smile for a photo
![]()
Two farmers planting rice
![]()
Competition for best ogoh-ogoh statue is fierce for bragging rights and prize money! These giant papermâché sculptures can take months to create and costs must be kept under a certain budget
![]()
Balinese traditional dancers
![]()
A teenager demonstrates Balinese traditional dancing for us
![]()
Nyoman shows us his traditional kitchen
![]()
Last minute preparations of this ogoh-ogoh papermâché sculpture in the small village of Bedulu
![]()
Macaque monkey chewing on a leaf; Monkey Forest in Ubud
![]()
Carved figurines on the tunnel at Monkey Forest in Ubud
![]()
Portrait of a macaque monkey at Monkey Forest in Ubud
![]()
A family of macaque monkeys eating breakfast
![]()
Visitors taking photos with a macaque monkey
![]()
Macaque eating corn on the cob
![]()
Becky standing on a dragon bridge at the Sacred Monkey Forest
![]()
Moss covered limestone statues at the Sacred Monkey Forest
![]()
Becky takes a selfie with a macaque monkey
![]()
A family of macaque monkeys stares intently in our direction
![]()
A monkey sits on a tunnel at the Sacred Monkey Forest
![]()
Fountain statues at the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary
![]()
Statue of a monkey wearing glasses while another empties a purse; Ubud
![]()
Restaurant wall mural; Ubud
![]()
Papier-mâché ogoh-ogoh statues lined up for the Ngrupuk Parade in Ubud
![]()
It is still early but everyone is getting excited for this evening's Ngrupuk Parade
![]()
A whole line of ogoh-ogoh statues line the main street in Ubud several hours before the parade kicks off. Traffic is already being diverted away form the city
![]()
Another view of the ogoh-ogoh statues
![]()
Ogoh-ogohs are designed to be giant menacing looking sculptures used to ward off evil spirits
![]()
A mosquito ogoh-ogoh statue
![]()
Definitely check out all the ogoh-ogoh statues during the daylight because once the sun sets, it will be impossible to make out all the detail that goes into making these!
![]()
Children bring out a small ogoh-ogoh so they too can participate in the Ngrupuk Parade
![]()
The main road in Ubud gets really crowded as the Ngrupuk Parade is about to start
![]()
It takes several hours for all the giant papier-mâché ogoh-ogoh sculptures to be paraded through the streets to ward off evil spirits
![]()
Women dancers at the Ngrupuk Parade
![]()
Bali's ogoh-ogoh parade is a stunning display of Balinese creativity and culture rolled into one
![]()
Balinese gamelan (percussion-based) band at the Ngrupuk Parade on the eve of Nyepi Day in Ubud
Nitty Gritty:
Tulamben Dive (WhatsApp +62 81915699681): With over 500 glowing reviews online, we chose this local owned operator as our dive center in Tulamben and could not have been happier. We had our own private dive master (the excellent Kadek), all dive gear, lunch, and 3 dives for IDR 1100k ($70 USD) each per day. Additionally, the dive center owns Tulamben Dive Villa so they offered us accommodation with breakfast, AC, hot showers and swimming pool for IDR 350k ($22) per night. It was easy to keep extending our stay here and we ended up doing 10 dives over 3 days.
Chops and Hops: The best restaurant in Tulamben, hands down! Order the schnitzel and you won’t be disappointed.
Kubu Di-kayla Guesthouse (+62 81236803366): Need a great place to stay in Sanur? This guesthouse has rave reviews on booking.com but save yourself some money by booking directly with the owner. We paid IDR 250k ($16) for a private room with ensuite bathroom, AC, hot water shower, WiFi, flat screen TV, fridge, shared kitchen. Extremely clean and comfortable and the owner is lovely.
Bali Made Tour (https://www.balimadetour.com/): Need a private car and driver? We got a great deal booking with these guys and they are willing to create any custom tour you’d like for a good price. Our driver was fantastic and the vehicle was clean and comfortable for the four of us. We paid IDR 750k ($47) for a driver/vehicle for up to 10 hours.
Wahwik’s House (+62 81239317998): Want a clean, comfortable and budget place to stay in Ubud? Booking directly with the owner will get you a better price than booking.com. Nyoman (owner) is wonderful and prepares breakfasts for you daily on the top floor overlooking the monkey sanctuary. Our room had an ensuite bathroom, AC, hot water shower, good WiFi and breakfast. We paid IDR 729k ($46) for 5 nights which works out to $9 a day.
