Beautiful Bali: Part 2

We made it up to the mountains and checked in to our two cute little cottages at Strawberry Hill Hotel.  Beautifully landscaped with flowers, the property also had a small gazebo, a fish pond, and strawberry plantings.  I had to get out my cardigan since it was cooler up there, but the drizzle and fog didn’t stop us from strolling through the Bali Botanical Gardens.  Later, we returned to the hotel and enjoyed a meal by the fireplace in the cozy restaurant, warming our tummies with hot cocoa and vegetable curry.  Back in our rooms, we snuggled and watched Wizard of Oz on the Ipad, and Rachel kept me warm that night in our shared bed.

 In the morning, the rain had stopped so we were able to do the adventure I'd planned, the Bali Treetop Adventure Park.  We clipped, zipped, and climbed our way through various courses, some designed for even the littlest adventurers.  Everyone had a fun time and sore muscles the next day!

Afterwards, our driver took us to the Pura Lake Bratan, where we ate lunch and saw this picturesque temple by the lake.  Then we traveled south to central Bali to stay at Anahata Villas near Ubud.  I think we were the only guests at the time which was a mystery since we adored our very comfortable 3-story private villa!  We enjoyed downtime after the long drive by splashing in our plunge pool and ordering room service.

The next day after a nice breakfast overlooking the jungle, our kids enjoyed a complimentary horse ride.  We walked thru the village surrounding our hotel, past rice fields, private homes with family temples in front, and lots of roosters, chicks, and muddy ducks!

Later, we hired a driver to take us to the nearby Gunung Kawi tombs, built over 1,000 years ago.  These impressive memorials were carved straight out of the rock in the bottom of a beautiful river canyon.  Our guide then took us up to the town of Kintamani where we had lunch overlooking the lovely Batur volcano.­­­­­­­­

In the evening, we took the hotel’s shuttle into Ubud and watched a colorful performance of the Barong and Legong dances at Ubud Palace.  I particularly loved the expressive eyes of the female dancers, the colorful costumes, and the gamelan musicians we sat behind!

On our last full day, I had signed up for a bike tour through Bali Baik Bike, and this was my favorite memory from the trip!  Our guide picked us up from the hotel and drove us to a restaurant overlooking Batur for breakfast.  After, we hopped on bikes for a gentle, downhill, 2-hour ride through the countryside.  It was a beautiful blue-sky day, and we marveled at the lovely green rice fields and colorful kites flying everywhere.  We stopped frequently along the way, and our guide would introduce us to different aspects of life for the Balinese people.  We witnessed preparations for a mass cremation ceremony, were introduced to Hindu spiritual beliefs, and learned about the various stages of rice production.  As we passed villages, happy children would smile and say “hello”, and I loved getting to touch hands as we rode by!  At the end of the tour, we were taken to the owner’s house and served a lunch of traditional Balinese foods.  What a treat!

That evening, we went back to Ubud to eat dinner and do some shopping.  Bali is famous for its many skilled artisans, and beautiful things abound here.  I was particularly impressed with the stone and wood carvers, but Bali is truly a haven for all kinds of artists, and we saw amazing paintings, tapestries, jewelry, and bone and shell carvings.  I wished that I could spend another day browsing further, but alas, we had to fly home.

Our trip to Bali was incredible, and we feel blessed to have visited this beautiful island!  Now I need to watch Eat, Pray, Love again . . .