Rested for only a couple of days before flying out to Bali to join my OZ family. From Gay Paris to the beautiful island of Bali in the Indian Ocean. A midnight arrival along with many tourists at the height of summer. For many Aussies, it’s a welcome break from the winter spell Down Under.
Photo OppsOut on a boat otw to Turtle Island
Soon after checking in, we took off on a boat to Turtle Island (Tumpak Sari Bali) to see them old and slow island residents. Still groggy, sleep-deprived from our midnight arrival but yes, we hit the ground running…. errrr, boating.
Uluwatu TempleUluwatu Temple in Bali
Next stop: Uluwatu Temple. Been here twice before but it’s a first visit for my OZ family. Surprised there weren’t many monkeys in the area. Like we probably just met 4-5 monkeys, and not at all aggressive as I remember my previous 2 visits.
Day 1 with fam. Off to a good start. We are enjoying our crib in Marriott Bali Nusa Dua Terraces, just 2 years since opening in 2023. Last time we stayed in Marriott Nusa Dua Gardens, which we loved as well. I’d say either or both are perfect cribs for families. We looked forward each day to coming home for home-cooked dinners here after a whole day visiting temples, lakeview spots and some rice terraces. Day 2 was more temples and some shopping and coffee-tasting adventure. And then, 2 more days just staying in to enjoy this resort club. Maybe hit the beach, go biking or simply taking the shuttle from the club to go shopping or checking out the spa and nearby shopping outlet. Let’s see what comes up next! Here’s the blog summary link to our previous Bali adventure.
Temple Watch. Food Trip. Shopping. Beach. Cocktails. Repeat. Not necessarily in that sequence. With trips between tourist sites taking far longer because of the traffic, and with temples teeming with too many tourists, temple fatigue’s a natural consequence.
Offerings at Holy Spring Water Temple
Holy Water Spring Temple In Tampaksiring
The first 2 temple visits were welcomed with much enthusiasm and awe. I was actually smarting from how my “elves” seem to appreciate Balinese architecture, art and culture. Those temples may have sucked all energy though after the 4th one. Yup, I may have pushed them too far. 😂. Not even the healing waters of Tampaksiring proved enough to reenergise my family. Unlike the visit to the first 2 temples, it was much warmer in the Ubud area when we visited Sawasrati Temple and the Ubud Royal Palace — which is really more temples than a real palace. It’s hard to appreciate art and culture in this heat. Besides, we were having very late lunches because of the traffic situation. But no tempers flared. Just waning energies and interest. Oh, well.
Bathers praying for healing.
Pura Taman Sawasrati
The last time I went to Bali, Ubud was my trip’s highlight. I liked the rice paddies, the art galleries and yes, the temples too. But there were just too many people here now. There is an area here where you can visit the Ubud Royal Palace, Sawasrati Temple and the Ubud Art Market in onestraight and short path. You bet all corners had tourist buses and hired vans offloading tourists round the clock. The Ubud Art Market still has the few art shops but there are more bag and clothing vendors here now. And I suspect there’s only a few suppliers of these bags and clothing. They’re all the same all over the island!
Puri Saren Agung (Ubud Royal Palace)
Tanah Lot Lunch Place
Tanah Lot
I saved the Tanah Lot and Uluwatu Temple visits for last. Preferably at sunset. But traffic jams can ruin the best plans 😔 Tanah Lot was a “take 2”. We missed sunset the first time we tried to visit. Then on our second visit, the area was cordoned off because of high tide. We opted to simply have a meal in one of the tiny dining areas with a cliff view of the temple being beaten by waves as high as 3 meters. Apo thinks she had her best Nasi Goreng here, even better than the duck lunch and more we had a day earlier in Tebasari Resto in Ubud. As for me, I savoured the scenic view of the temple while enjoying my Sate Babi and banana split for dessert.
Entrance to Tanah Lot
Lunch at Tebasari Resto and Bar
We said goodbye to our last Temple — Uluwatu — earlier than scheduled. We meant to stay till sunset but once more, the crowds compelled us to head back to our hotel to bathe and scrub the dust away. Tomorrow we’ve decided to just stay in. No more temples. We’d just enjoy the hotel, maybe attend the Pilates session, some water fun activities, wait for happy hours 😍 No more sunset watch. Bintang and Bali beers for company and we’re fine.
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