Sightseeing in and around Amed

After recovering from our diving certification, we made plans with Kadek for a sightseeing tour.

He showed us Amed and the surrounding areas. Along the way, we saw countless small warungs (restaurants). One thing is for sure... you would never go hungry here🤣. Kadek always had a story to tell about different locations. No matter what we asked, he had an explanation for it.

After about half an hour, we arrived in Culik. There was a market called Desa Culik. On the first floor, they sold typical Balinese food, both processed and unprocessed. It was a feast for the eyes for anyone who enjoys cooking. However, the smells were quite intense. Kadek let us try some of the food, and we found it to be amazingly delicious. On the second floor, they sold only clothes, mainly for ceremonies that the Balinese seem to have every day. After that, we went to Virgin Beach. It's the only beach on the east coast that doesn't have black volcanic sand. They say it's the most beautiful beach in the east, and we can confirm that. Normally, you would expect a beach like this to be located at the foot of a mountain, but unexpectedly, we were always driving uphill.🤣 Of course, at some point, we went back downhill, but it felt like it didn't take as long as going up.

The view was sensational. Turquoise water and white sandy beach surrounded by colorful jarungs (boats). We never expected to find such an amazing spot here.

We all ordered something to eat and drink, relaxed for a bit, and then went snorkeling. Thankfully, Rainer packed our snorkeling gear, but unfortunately, he forgot the underwater case for his phone at the hotel. It would have been some great photos. The water was not as murky and dark as it was in front of our hotel. We saw a lot of corals and colorful fish. Julian would have been proud of how well we behaved in the water. After our snorkeling tour, we went back to Kadek, had another drink, and then started moving again.

Our next destination was the Taman Tirta Gangga Temple. It is one of the two temples of the Balinese royal family. It is a water temple with countless koi fish. At the entrance of the temple, you could buy fish food for the koi. Kadek treated us to some fish food. So we set off, took countless photos, and fed the koi. It was truly impressive being in this temple. Kadek also told us the story behind it.

It started drizzling a bit, and we were glad that we could explore the temple without getting wet, and then head back home. After a half-hour drive towards Amed, Kadek dropped us off at Rainer's favorite restaurant, "Warung BoBo".

Now we're sitting here, enjoying a delicious meal, and we'll go to bed soon because tomorrow, at 1:45 AM, Kadek will pick us up to witness a hopefully amazing sunrise on a mountain, just in time for my birthday. 🌄

Let's see what tomorrow brings. ☀️🌄