..: DAY 1 :..  ..: DAY2 :..  ..: DAY 3 :..  ..: DAY4 :.. 

 
DAY 1 - ARRIVING IN KUTA & SUNSET @ TANAH LOT

Bali is a land that seems to have a magnet at its very heart. It is a feeling that is difficult to understand unless experienced but once visited you are surely compelled to come back and you may even want to stay forever, such is its pull. Maybe its Bali’s beauty, maybe the friendly people, or maybe even the influence from spirits that certainly abide in this place.

Bali is small, just 140 Km by 80 Km and lies between Java, the most highly populated and influential of all the islands, and Lombok, one of the quieter and moderately slower paced islands. Like many islands, Bali has developed a world of its own. It not only captures what is special about Indonesia but also has a uniqueness of its own. Lying just 8o south of the Equator, Bali can boast a tropical climate with just two seasons a year and an average temperature of around 28 Celsius.

Kuta in addition  to being the Sunset Site Number One, with its daily spectacular sunsets, it is also the centre of night life activities in Southern Bali and a shopping mecca, with its lines of shops, boutiques, and galleries.
 

 

The three hour flight thru Air Asia was using AK900 to Denpasar.

Avoiding oily and  spicy food. I had to live on sandwiches for most parts of the trip.

We got to Kuta 15 minutes after reaching Denpasar and check-in into Balisandy Cottages on Jalan Poppies II @ RP250,000.

 

Every room looked upon a nice garden and the pool.

The back lane brought us to Legian Street. We did a little shopping along the way. At the junction was the Sari Club Monument.

Behind us were the names of the deceased.
Mostly from Australia and Indonesia itself.

 

The entrance opened up to the shore. Beautiful it was.

The towering entrance of Tanah Lot Shrine
 
Experienced visitors will know that if one were to go to the right path before entering thru the gates and walked up hill, u'll be at a good spot height up for taking good shots of the waves and shrine. There were still time to do it as the sun was still high up. So yea... u would wanna spend some time following the path to your right before entering the archway.

Tanah Lot, one of the most popular places of interest in Bali, is located on the coast of West Bali, at the village of Beraban in the Tabanan Regency. It is also called Tanah Let which means ancient land and also Tanah Lod, which means the land to the south.

I was having throat infection 2 days before and was feeling feverish. It was too late to cancel it and was surviving on pain killers, but still enthusiastic about the trip.

The location was strategic. 5min walk to Kuta Beach and also to Jalan Legian (mid street of kuta).

Rooms were decent. Had hot water and airconditioned.

It was my 2nd time there and was used to the place.

A huge part of Kuta was still affected by the bombing. Tourism just wasnt the same after the indicent. Hmm... The Blue Bird Taxi (Vios car in the pic) was the one to choose to travel around. It uses the meter and certainly provides better service.

The actual bombing spot was across the street. Still an empty lot.
We walked a bit and roam the streets before taking a taxi to Tanah Lot for the sunset. Sun sets around 6pm and it takes around 45min to get there even with traffic jam.

The Blue Bird Taxi guy stopped the meter and waited for us while we spent time waiting for the sun set in Tanah Lot.

Keeping in mind that Tanah Lot was still a Hindu Shrine. It was good to be reminded to be respectful at the place of worship.

The temple Pura Tanah Lot, simple in its construction, is dramatic in its ocean-front location and is one of the main temples in the worship of Balinese gods. Tanah Lot has a long history in the world of tourism. The temple itself is built on a small promontory which is only accessible at low tide. During high water the rock takes on the appearance of a large boat at sea, such is its shape.

Poisonous snakes live in the nearby caves to 'guard' the temple and contribute to the temple's dangerous reputation. Sunset is the best time to visit Tanah lot, when the golden red skies frame the temple and waves crash into the rocks.
 

Pictures were simply beautiful. Clouds were plenty thus the sky was not as gold as it should be... darn it!!!
 

Mike & Osman @ Tanah Lot

The waves, the place. So serene.

Mike posing for another shot.

The sun was setting....

Mike

Waves were high bashing against the rocks

They had to guard off the place as the waves were splashing too high and became dangerous. Or else we could have gone down closer to the rocks below.

Quack .. quack

Mike & Osman

It was getting dark...

Waves were extremely strong...

Alas.... it was time to get back...

Mike & Osman
 
We got back to Kuta by the same taxi. It was around RP170,000 (still cheaper then renting a car for the day). My fever was back and i was back in agony. Feeling weak and freezing we stopped shopping and rested. Stupid me forgot to pack my pain killer and medicine (Serve me right!). I Had my salad and sandwich and quickly headed back. It was pretty bad. I could'nt regulate my temperature. We were suppose to go clubbing that night or just see the night scene.... but instead all I did was lay in bed. :(
It was around 1am when the fever subsided. It was too late to go out by then. :(

Pictures were spectacular

The background looked like posters.

Waves bashing the shores.

The sky began to turn gold... :D

Osman

The horizon was gold.

Sun were setting and we had to go down back to the shrine.

A group of ducks ... quaking their way...

Serene.

Its best to take the picture of the shrine with the golden sun behind it. But because of the high tide, it was difficult to get onto the other side of the rocks... darn it!

Nevertheless... it was still a nice scenery.

Again... the waves were strong..

baik punye..... (tis one for DAFI AF5.. ha ha )

aaaAAAhHHHHHH....run osman run.....  almost got drench...

Pics were nice :D

Osman & Mike

Nasi Campur & Salad.
 
 

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