Cute Nemos & traditional Balinese wedding

Our next destination in Bali, after leaving Ubud, was located in the east of the island, after a long drive through rice fields and mountains, and is famous for its great diving and snorkeling opportunities, Tulamben. We had heard a lot of good things about the area and activities beforehand, so we arrived with some ambitions. For example, we had heard that the lost Nemo had recently been staying in the local coral garden. We had not been this close to him on our nearly 6-month journey so far, so we naturally wanted to take the opportunity ;-)

For our accommodation, we booked a homestay with the warmest recommendations from Annika & Paul and were absolutely not disappointed. The Ocean Villa is highly recommended, as it has very nice rooms including breakfast, a small pool, and even its own attached restaurant. You can also rent a scooter in the Tulamben area without any additional costs, and if needed, massages can be arranged for approximately €6 per hour directly by the pool, with the entire package available for less than €20 per night for a double room.

We took the days in Tulamben a bit slower and only wanted to snorkel at the wreck of the USS Liberty just off the coast and in the adjacent coral garden. Unfortunately, the wreck is not very visible while snorkeling, and a proper diving course is recommended here. However, the coral garden can be easily explored with just snorkeling equipment. It was here that we finally found some small Nemos (clownfish) in the underwater anemones, another small highlight of our trip... =)

We also used the time in Tulamben to plan and organize our further travels. For example, we applied for a visa for Myanmar online, booked flights to and from Myanmar, as well as accommodation for Singapore and Malaysia - our next destinations ;-)

However, an absolute highlight of our time in Bali was yet to come in Tulamben. Upon our arrival at the Ocean Villa, the kind-hearted owner Komang asked us if we would like to attend a traditional Balinese wedding in her village. We naturally wanted to take this opportunity and spontaneously said "yes" without knowing what to expect. On the 3rd day of our stay, the project started right after breakfast, where we were dressed in traditional attire and driven to the celebration by Tom, the owner of the Ocean Villa. We were greeted with a high-end wedding, where everything was traditionally decorated, including a buffet, welcome package, band, etc...

The festivities can last up to 3 days depending on the wedding, and up to 1,000 guests are invited at different times, depending on how much the couple can invest in the wedding. The more guests are invited and the bigger the event, the greater the reputation in the village. Unfortunately, Balinese people often get heavily into debt for the wedding, as a wedding can cost up to $10,000, while the monthly income is less than $100. However, on average, the Balinese spend 60% of their income on their religion, Hinduism, so there is not much left to live on...

For us, it was great to see how an authentic Balinese wedding takes place, and we were very grateful for the cultural insight we gained.