It's been more than 6 years since I last visited the Island of Gods, and this time I'm excited to be exploring the less commercialised areas from Bali to Gili Islands, Lombok.
Despite a busy work schedule, I'm glad we managed to take a week out to make the most out of our little getaway!
Whenever I'm traveling, I always start out feeling determined to pack light. I never liked to have any check in baggages because I dread waiting for the bags slowly roll out on that fat sushi belt, and I fear losing them too.
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| pc: almarik lombok |
Since I'm going to a beach paradise, I figured all I need are bikinis right? And maybe some light summer clothes, and my sunscreen, and a whole bunch of photography equipment, and.. Ok looks like my backpack isn't gonna be that light after all.
Our flight was really early at 5:00AM, so with barely any sleep, we checked in at the airport at 3:00AM and lazed around until our plane was ready for boarding.
I don't know how we're going to survive because we aim to maximise our precious holiday time in Bali since we don't have forever there. So, we packed in quite a bit of activities into our 6 days itinerary. Tired also must try to do everything!
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| pc: bali airport |
07:40AM
After a short flight time of 2 hour 40 minutes, we arrived at Denpasar International Airport and its still so early! Perks for clinching the first flight out of the day and also the last return flight back ;)
We actually have a good 7 hours before our hotel check in time at 2:00PM, no excuse to not dive straight into our first activity!
Which is - Yes, RIDING A MOTORCYCLE!
Haha because I must like ride in every country I travel to, and also cuz our two wheelers were gonna be our main mode of transport through the whole trip, as that is the fastest and easiest way to get around Bali.
*Little did we expect for KLOOK (platform for travellers, where we booked our motorcycle from) to screw it up with one of the most shocking unprofessional standard of service I've encountered. You can read all about it HERE (link coming soon).*
Collected our cute little Honda Scoopys!
Though it might be a far cry from my Ducati Panigale back home, it only makes sense to get a lightweight and convenient 110cc scooter to wheeze through the erratic traffic of Bali.
Besides, I'm already happy that it's in red!
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| International Driving License from AA Singapore / pc: passportchop |
Things to Note When Renting A Bike In Bali
1) You don't need a motorcycling license to rent a scooter here. Your driving license is good enough.
2) Have your International Driving License (AA Singapore) with you just in case you get stopped by a Traffic Police on the road, you'll avoid having to pay a fine or bribe.
3) Always wear a helmet whenever you're riding there. For obvious safety reasons, and so you won't get fined from the Police if they catch you not wearing one.
4) Inspect the bike you're renting thoroughly, take as many pictures of the bike at different angles and remember to note down any existing flaws you find so upon returning the bike, you could avoid any dispute on old/new damages (if any).
5) If the bike is delivered to you in full tank, you'll have to return it as so. If not, you can return the bike just quarter full or so.
6) Helmets/Raincoats are provided if you don't have your own.
With our helmets and all our baggage strapped on, off we went on a 55km journey to Tukad Cepung Waterfall.
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| pc: tripadvisor |
Tukad Cepung Waterfall
Located 30km north-west of Ubud, this hidden gem is not known to many tourists and still remains largely untouched with no commercialisation in the area. Enclosed by circular cliffs simulating a cave vision, this enchanting waterfall emerges from under the open sky with the gentle sun rays penetrating through.
We were puzzled when Google maps told us it will take close to 2 hours to get there because the distance isn't that long.
But when we were on the way there, we understood why - because traffic in some areas were slow moving and can get pretty messy, though still very manageable.
Upon arriving at Tukad Cepung entrance, we parked our bikes and carried all our baggage with us because there wasn't anywhere else we could leave our stuffs. Weather was surprisingly cooling! About 22 degrees?
There are no entrance fee, and from where we parked our bikes, it was a 20 - 30 minutes trek to the waterfall. It consisted of,
a short flat track at the beginning,
to a long flight of steep stairs,
and many more long flight of stairs. Gawd I hate stairssss.
Carrying my 7KG backpack, climbing all these stairs is a test of my back and leg muscle strength, which I have none. But for Waterfall, we pushed on!
There were a few big rocks to climb over,
narrow wet passages that we have to squeeze through,
before widening to an open rainforest wall, with the sound of water gently dripping and birds chirping. Oooh my lungs feels so good with the air here so crisp and fresh.
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| I look like some ah soh here returning from the market carrying all my barang barang |
Not too long later, we heard the sound of water splashing getting louder and louder..
and then, the enchanting Tukad Cepung Waterfall appeared right before our eyes! It was beautiful~
Swopped into our swimwear and dipped into the cold refreshing waters! This definitely woke us up as we were getting a little sleepy earlier from not having sufficient rest the night before.
The sun rays were peeping through the forested area, as all this nature around embraced us inside out. There were some people enjoying the waterfall too, as we relaxed here for a little while before making our way out.
Definitely a recommended place to visit in Ubud!
By now it was already mid afternoon, where we rode about an hour to check in at our hotel in central Ubud.
Dumped our bags, freshen up and headed out to:
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| pc: googlemaps |
Located 10KM north of Ubud, Tegallalang has a population of just over 50,000 and is most famous for its amazing views of these terraced rice fields.
Our hotel was located just 20 minutes away from Tegallalang Rice Terrace but on the way over, we were actually riding alongside endless rows of rice fields too, just not as layered as the one I'm overlooking here at the main village.
These rolls of rice fields stretch out far and wide, and you could walk through them layer by layer, appreciating the beauty of this agriculture.
Apparently the best time to visit Tegallalang is sunset where the warm sunshine would paint these rice fields golden, depending too whether it is a cloudy day.
We were so busy scooting from one place to another that we realized we have not eaten a single thing the entire day! So since we have such a gorgeous view around us, we dined in at Alon Alon and had a wonderful time overlooking the rice fields. Food here was not bad.
From a distance, we could see how several crowds were queuing for the insta-worthy Bali swing where we understand each swing ride cost USD $35, includes a drink, some bite-sized snacks and swing time.
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| pc: pinterest |
Haha we gave it a pass, not every insta-worthy pic is worth the time, money and trouble ya know :p
So much better just chilling here quietly by ourselves.
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| pc: tripadvisor |
What a day it has been and time to hit the sack early early, like at 8:00PM, because at a time of 1:30AM where some of you are climbing into bed, we've gotta wake up and do a 2 hours ride to Kintamani, where we'll be climbing 1,717metres in altitude on an active volcano - Mount Batur.
This is also where we encountered what they call the "Mountain Mafia" gangsters, and were this close to being assaulted by one of them.
[Singapore. Ubud, Bali, Indonesia]
[Mileage Clocked: 102KM]
[Weather/Temperature: 24°C/Partly Cloudy]
Next stop: Kintamani, Mount Batur
