Bali is a ‘must visit’ destination for nature lovers and budget travellers. The province of Bali is a group of Indonesian islands, located close to the eastern tip of Java. The mere mention of Bali evokes the thought of a paradise. Bali has the most fantastical landscapes with its colourful sea shores, lush green forests, serene lakes, magnificent mountains and volcanoes, rich culture and a well-preserved heritage.

After a bit of research on the web, my husband and I planned a quick trip to Bali and Nusa Penida Island in the last week of February 2018. We were all excited to explore the Island of Gods, for next few days. Bali is quite a small island with an area of approximately 5780 square kilometres. Located close to the equator, Bali’s weather is quite hot and humid throughout the year. However, some parts of Bali located at higher altitudes, have very pleasant weather.

After arriving at the Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, we headed straight to Uluwatu region. Uluwatu is the south-eastern part of Bali and takes an hour’s drive by taxi. It is home to a beautiful cliff topped temple called Pura Luhur Uluwatu. It is also a popular surfing destination in Bali. With little planning, you can book a stay in one of the beautiful hotels facing the coast of Uluwatu and at a very affordable price. Searching in webistes like www.booking.com or www.tripoto.com help you get access to and compare between several stay options in Bali. It is advised to look for stays with good customer rating. Keeping some money in local currency is advisable, as most of the local shops in Bali don’t accept credit cards. Rental bikes are the most preferred commuting choice of tourists and are available for as low as INR 300 a day. We hired a motor bike and explored the place on our own. The area had good roads, was very scenic and looked safe to drive. However, if you are not comfortable riding a motorbike, you can try Uber or call taxis for short trips around your place of stay. After clicking some pretty pictures of Uluwatu temple and sunset, we headed back to our resort. Before calling it a day, we decided to pamper ourselves with a massage at a nearby spa. Balinese massage is something you should definitely not miss to add in your ‘bucket list’ list of Bali. It is a wonderful experience, helps to energise and rejuvenate you and what more! It costs just around INR 500 for an hour of massage. It was dinner time and we figured out that Balinese local food majorly consists of fried noodles (mie) or rice served with vegetables, egg, fish or meat. Vegetarians should take extra precaution to communicate their food preferences in the local food outlets, as most locals

On day two of our trip, we planned a visit to the nearby Green bowl beach, which was just 1 km from our hotel. We had to get down approximately 300 steps to reach the beach. Though you would not want to do this extensive activity on a relaxed vacation, believe me, it’s worth it. The beach is small, secluded and has a very colourful sea bed with lot of corals. After a steep climb back, we checked out of our hotel and headed to Nusa Penida islands. This island is situated very close to Bali mainland and can be reached by speed boats operating from the port of Sanur. We took one of them and reached the beautiful Toyapakeh harbour in Nusa Penida. On some occasions the boats might be full, so reserving your seats a day in advance is recommended. Nusa Islands are very hot and humid, yet very scenic and unique. It has many accommodation options of late, so you can plan to stay for a day or two to enjoy the place at your own pace. Renting bikes is the easiest way to do that, but due to bad condition of roads, we recommend people to hire a car. The island has many beautiful coastlines and unique geographical formations like Angel’s billabong, broken beach, and Kelingking beach. The Kelingking beach is the amazingly scenic and must not be missed at all. While you are sure to be mesmerized by the stunning views from the edge of the cliff, you can actually trek all the way down to the beach. It is not for the faint-hearted but is definitely worth to climb down to enjoy the serene beach.

There are many private companies conducting sea adventure tours in the Nusa Island. It is a nice place for many water-sport adventures like snorkeling and scuba-diving. I was thrilled by my maiden snorkelling attempt here and it was fascinating! The island has beautiful sea flora, colourful coral beds and a variety of aquatic animals. Spotting Manta ray was one of the highlights of my snorkeling adventure and something that I will cherish for a long time.

The next day we visited Ubud, which is the heart of tourism in Bali. Exploring Ubud by a rented bike is the most convenient option for a tourist. Monkey forest, Pura Saraswati, Goa Gajah are some of the major tourist attractions. Tegallalang rice terraces is just half an hour from the Ubud center. You are never far away from restaurants and shops in Ubud. If you are shopping for souvenirs, don’t hesitate to bargain for 30% of the quoted price! Carved wooden articles, fabric with Balinese batik prints, hand crafted silver articles and paintings are some of the souvenirs to take back home.

After exploring the Ubud city, we planned a day’s visit to Bali’s beautiful and cool region of Batur. Unlike the rest of the Bali, Batur region has cool weather like hill station. It is an hour’s drive from Ubud centre. The roads are well paved and very scenic. The picturesque view of Lake Batur surrounded by Mount Batur and the Volcanoes is something not to be missed. You can enjoy a scenic boat ride in the lake Batur or plan a trek to the top of mount Batur for sun rise. Pura Ulun Danu temple is just a ten-minute drive from Batur.

Wearing a Balinese lungi, or a piece of cloth long enough to cover the legs, is a must to enter the temples in Bali. Don’t forget to taste the local fruits like Dragon fruit, passion fruits, Durian and Manggis. We came back from Batur to Ubud on the same day and then headed to see the most scenic temple on the island – Pura Tanah Lot. As it is situated slightly away from the sea shore, it appears like a small temple island by itself. Amidst the sea water, the temple rock has a source of freshwater and the locals call it ‘the Holy spring’. You can capture very beautiful pictures of sunset along with this beautiful piece of land. Sunset is not to be missed from this wonderfully scenic place.

Next day, it was time for us to head back home, cherishing the beautiful memories of our trip. Bali should truly be a must-visit destination on every tourist’s list. You can also check with any reliable tour operators, for the best Bali tour packages. You can find nature, culture, food, and hospitality at its best in Bali. We will cherish our sojourn in this beautiful island for the rest of our lives.