10 Things to do in Bali

(Sunset at Single Fin, Photo taken by Akash Ranjith)

Bali is a small indonesian hindu island. Nevertheless, you can actually do a lot of things. It depends what you really want to do e.g. Surfing, Yoga, party hard, shopping and dining, beachside, snorkeling or diving. 

The Capital of the Island is Denpasar. The next most touristy place is Kuta which located next to Denpasar in the west. 

Transport:

1. You can getting around Bali by scooter where you can rent it everywhere.

Price: 50.000IDR/Day. For long term rental, you can go down to 30.0000-20.000IDR/Day. 

2. Instead of hiring a scooter, there are possibilities to get a private driver who drives you around the Island. Here you have to bargain the price. 

3. A very good alternative is to use the UBER App. Here you order a drive by the App without paying cash (paid by credit card or PayPal). 

4. Grab Taxi App is the same, but paying with cash. 

5. Go-Jec App: Scooter lift around Kuta. It always costs 15.000IDR/ride.

6. Blue Bird Taxi: Taxi Metre

10 Things to do in Bali:

1. Tanah Lot Temple

The temple you only reach if it's low tide. It is located on a small island around 30-40min (north) from Kuta. 

Entrance fee: 30.000 IDR per Person, 2.000IDR for scooter parking

(Tanah Lot Temple)

2. Ubud

From Kuta you drive around 1h to get there. Staying in a Home Stay, you can walk around this Village and discover lots of unique cafes and shops. I stayed at Suastika Lodge which I really recommend (via air.bnb, breakfast included). One of the big attractions is the monkey forest, Tegalalang Rice Terrace and the Tegenungan Waterfall. 

Suastika Lodge: https://www.airbnb.de/rooms/895289

(Tegalalang Rice Terrace)

(Tegalalang Rice Terrace)

(Monkey Forest)

(Monkey Peace) 

(Monkey Forest) 

(Hindu Ceremony Parade)

3. Kuta/Legian/Seminyak/Canggu

These are very touristy places for people who are looking for some party, busy places, shopping and the beachside. This is the southwest coast. Also lots of surfer come here to get some beach breaks.

(Bewara Beach, Changgu)

4. Bukit Peninsula: Surfing 

If you really want to surf, go to the south. 

Sunrise recommendation: Surfing at 5am in Padang Padang or Eastcoast

Popular Spots: 

• Greenball (Green Bowl)
• Shipwreck
• Sri Lanka
• Mushroom
• Gegea
• Uluwatu
• Padang Padang
• Impossibles
• Bingin
• Dreamland  
• Balangan
• Dreamland

(Surfing in Balangan)

(View from Bingin to Dreamland)

(Balangan)

(Bingin)

(Dreamland)

Party at Bukit:

• Wednesday: Single Fin Party
• Thursday: Cashew Tree
• Saturday: Padang Beach Party
• Sunday: Single Fin Party

(Single Fin) Before and after, meet people and hanging around at Padang Market or S market and drinking one or more Bintang. 

(Sunset at Single Fin) Sunset recommendation: around 5-6pm at Single Fin (Uluwatu)

5. Breakfast at Kelly's Warung in Binging

Having a super nice Breakfast, sitting in the Warung at the beach and watching the surf

(View from Kelly's Warung at Bingin beach) 

6. Uluwatu Temple. This is one of the six key temples in Bali.

7. Waterfalls:

Girgit Waterfall, Sekumpul Waterfall, Aling Aling Waterfall, Tegenungan Waterfall....and more (all located in the north part of Bali)

(Tegenungan Waterfall)

(Tegenungan Waterfall)

8. Diving in Ahmed

http://www.ameddivecenter.com 

PADI/SSI

9. Going to Gilli T and Gilli Air 

Drinking special Shakes, Relax, Party and Diving

10. Kuta

Party hard at Alleycats, Skygarden and La Favela 

Java Part III (Bromo)

My last trip in Java was awesome! I went to the Bromo Vulcan, which is located in the east part of Java. It's a long bus drive from Yogyakarta but in the end, you would be happy to see the panorama at sunrise. 

(Bintang Beer)

You have 2 choices to do the Bromo:

1. By yourself with public transport 

2. A tour from Yogyakarta or any other town in the east

For the first choice you need a plenty of time. The traffic in Indonesia is chaotic. There are trains, you can take to Surabaya (4h). From there by bus to Malang and then to Probolinggo. But please note: these busses are not scheduled! From Probolinggo there are Cars going up to the Bromo Nationalpark, where there is an entrance fee about 220.000IDR. You can find both basic and luxury accommodations up there. 

If you book a tour at the reception of your home stay or Hotel (there are also many travel agency's around the corner). They will pick you up with the minibus directly to Probolinggo and to the Hotel at the Bromo Nationalpark. It takes around 12h. You can book a tour where the entry is already included. 

In general, you arrive the Bromo National Park in the evening. There are 4x4 cars going up to the Sunrise View point at 3:30 in the morning. After that you go to the Bromo Krater around 6:00AM. This morning trip is also not included if you travel by yourself. But it's possible to book it for 100.000IDR. In some tour packages it's included.

(4x4 Landcruiser, Toyota)

There is another possibility to see the Bromo Krater without paying anything. You can hike from your Hotel to the Krater and it will take about 1h to reach there. It's pretty tiring because the ground is very sandy (looks like ash). 

(sunrise at View Point)

(Bromo)

One more thing to note for the Beomo trip: it's fucking cold in the morning! About 5-10 degrees!! But worth it!

(Warm clothes!)

(Bromo Krater)

(Landscape)

Java Part II (Borobudur)

Borobudur, one of the biggest Buddist Temple in Southeast Asia. We booked the Transport at the Reception (90.000-120.000 IDR, around 5-8€). You can also go with public Transport (which is very stressful) or with the motobike (stressful too!!). At 03:45, the driver with the air conditioned fancy minibus pic us up and we went to the sunrise view point. It was defenitly too early for me. 

After that, breakfast and entering the Borobudur Park. The entrance fee is 280.000 IDR (around 19€) which was in my opinion, too expensive. But the good thing is, you can see what they do with your money. They preserve the Temple and the facilities to save this amazing place which is one of to the UNESCO Wirld Heritage site.

Java Part I (Yogyakarta)

After 2 Nights in Jakarta, I went to Yogyakarta by train. Jakarta itself wasn't that interesting. So no more comments for this city. But Yogyakarta impressed me a lot!

I stayed at Venezia Garden Homestay. They have Dorms and Doublerooms. It's was quite hot here and I was glad they have a nice Pool to chill. Breakfast was included which was not really the best but still ok. 

The location of this place is very central. Walking distance to downtown, Kraton (Kings palace), underground mosque, Birdmarket, restaurants, cafes and many galleries. 

(Sleeping Tuk Tuk Driver)

(Tuk Tuk's everywhere!)

There is art around every corner. Many  Galleries which are in the middle of a private living room, lots of Batikshops, public paintings and statues. 

(Garbage bin, Downtown)

(Statue at downtown)

(Casa CaSinta)

(...) 

(Temporary Art exhibition of Batik and Oil Paintings)

The last picture impressed me the most. The exhibitionist told me about the technics of Batic. It's so intense and I was really interested how they make it.

Yogyakarta has many restaurants and cafes... Local food places (Warung), Street food (e.g. Sate with peanut sauce), 

Vegetarian Organic Hipster restaurants and lots of restaurants with charity backgrounds. 

There is one place I have to recommend: Milas. The concept is sooo amazing and the atmosphere is nice.

Excursions around Yogja:

- Borobudur Temple (one of the biggest Buddhist temple in Southeast Asia)

- Prambanan (biggest Hindu Temple in Indonesia, looks like a small version of Angkor Wat)

(Sunrise at Borobudur View Point, but I chose an other point in the jungle. Too many people at the View point where you can't enjoy the rising sun)

Killing the time at airports

I love to hang out at airports. 

(Photo: Zurich Airport, Edelweiss, 2014)

This is an area, where you are between borders... It's like to be nowhere... Just in Transit... No definition where you exactly are now. 

It's a very big emotional feeling to leave a lovely country and to enter an other beautiful one very soon.

-> to come to a conclusion: this is one of many sections during traveling, which can also be very excited.

So many people complain about the time they have to spend at the airport if some flights are delayed. In some kind it's understandable. But your life doesn't consist out of waiting, to be bored or to complain all the time especially at the airport. 

Use the time and do some productive activities for yourself:

1. Reading a Book or Magazines

2. I love Arts and I also draw a lot. That's why I always have a piece of paper or a sketch block and a pen. Sometimes I have to draw down all my fantasies from my head.. Otherwise it would explode.

3. Checking social networks (*Jane). A wonderful opportunity to keep in touch with the world out there. 

4. Having a nap after a brutal and incredible adventure you had in that country. 

5. Eating and watching people. This can be very entertaining.

6. Watching a movie. 

7. Talking and meeting people. Every single person I met during traveling, has this intention. Otherwise you have a big problem to get in touch with new people or you prefer to travel all by yourself without to get in contact (in my opinion, this is definitely brainless!!).

8. Shopping, but this could always be expensive or you save taxes. 

Now, I am at Phuket Airport and I have to wait 10h to check in. Today, I came all the way from Koh Tao (spontaneous trip). Because there was a storm, I decided to exit from the island 1 day before my flight will go to Jakarta.

Diving in Koh Tao

What a life: Sitting in the hammock at a lonely beach. 

I decided to go to Koh Tao and continue my PADI Advanced Open Water Diver. It's like I am addicted to discover the under water world and to go more deeper. Koh Tao is a very small island (about 3,5km long) and there are many many Dive spots. I am going to do my AOW at Alvaro Diving in Chalok, Koh Tao. 

(Studying for my AOW)

(Shark Bay) 

(Nangyuan Isand)

(Pirate Bar @Alvaro Diving, Chalok Beach)

On the last day, I decided to get a tattoo again. Instead the machine I want a Bamboo Tattoo. I chose a Thai Traditional Mandala. People from the Diving Shop recommended me this place: Koh Tao Bamboo Tattoo. Jun the owner, is well experienced and did my tattoo. He runs the shop with his sister who is a very lovely person. From the first time I felt very welcome. 

So glad to have this tattoo now. I adore it! 

Phuket: PADI Open Water Diver

I flew with a low-cost Airline called Jetstar. This is one of the low budget airline in Asia besides e.g. Airasia, Tigerair or Scoot. The flight just last 1:30h and it was comfortable. 

Phuket is located in the west south part of Thailand (Indian Ocean). It's the biggest Island of this Country and very touristy. You can do so many activities e.g. Diving, Surfing, Tanning :-), Party, Rock climbing around Krabi, Kayak, snorkeling and excursion to other Islands. Now I enjoy the low season before the high season will start next week. 

I did my first PADI certification @sssphuket. This is a Diveshop I really recommend. Tomorrow I will go to Koh Phi Phi for 3 more dives. I am so excited to see more. 

Summary: What I have done in Phuket

Diving - Beach -C ooking european food with friends - French People around me - learning stupid French words - eating Asian food - discovering Phuket with the motorbike - having a plat tire - everyday Thai Massage - having the best view of the Ocean from the flat (in the Jungle) - learning Thai words again - watching stupid tourists got transformed to a lobster (I am actually not a tourist, I am a traveller!!!) - amazing pink/orange colored sunset - eating Exotic fruits in the morning: carambola, pineapple, watermelon, guava, mango, pineapple, dragon fruit, pineapple, pineapple...