Beautiful Bali

The return trip to Bali from Gili Air by speedboat, as well as the subsequent bus transfer to Ubud, went smoothly for us and was relatively short, taking about 4 hours in total. Upon arrival in Ubud, we checked into our new accommodation for the next few days. This was our first homestay in Indonesia, meaning we stayed with private individuals who rent out rooms to tourists, including breakfast.

The rating of 9.8 on Booking.com was absolutely accurate, and the accommodation turned out to be a stroke of luck for us. In addition to the approximately €17 we paid per night for our room, including a delicious breakfast, we had the fortune of getting to know extremely friendly owners who anticipated our every need. We also had the opportunity to rent a scooter for about €3 per day and were situated on one of the most beautiful streets we had seen in Bali. For those we have already convinced, the accommodation was called Umah Dajane Guest House and is definitely worth a visit ;-)

In the evening, we had the joyous reunion with our friends Paul and Annika, which we had been looking forward to. The program included a cozy evening where we watched a traditional Balinese dance, including a traditional show (Women Kecak & Fire Dance), in a temple complex in Ubud. The show cost about €5 per person, which wasn't expensive, but also not incredibly spectacular. After a pleasant dinner and a few drinks, we went to bed so we would be well-rested for the upcoming Bali sightseeing tour the next day.

The tour promised to show us some of the island's biggest highlights, for which Annika and Paul had already arranged a private driver so we could choose the highlights and sights we wanted to see.

First, we visited the so-called Elephant Cave Goa Gojah near Ubud, which was the first smaller temple complex we saw. The chic sarongs for this visit were provided for free at the entrance, and you can confidently decline any previous sales offers.

Next, we visited Ulun Danu Beratan, Bali's most famous water temple, where we were able to take some beautiful photos. Unfortunately, the ambiance and the picturesque setting were somewhat ruined by the large number of tourists, some of whom were even paddling around the complex in swan-shaped pedal boats.

After a brief stop at the Twin Lakes, our journey took us to the Jatiluwih Rice Terraces, which also offered a spectacular view unlike anything we had seen on our trip so far. The great thing about these rice terraces is that there is a short hike through the huge and expansive rice fields, which takes about 30-40 minutes. All you see is green as far as the eye can see...

We ended the tour just in time for sunset at Bali's most famous temple, Tanah Lot. We'll let the pictures speak for themselves, as the view left us speechless at times...

We rounded off the truly beautiful and eventful day, filled with many unforgettable highlights, in Ubud at a very good pizzeria with delicious wood-fired pizza and beer :-). Many thanks to Paul and Annika for the amazing day we spent together =))