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 By Kierra Jones With many travel restrictions still in place, right now we’re taking the opportunity to look back at our favourite travel memories. In August 2019, Bestway communications & outreach coordinator Kierra Jones had the opportunity to visit beautiful Bali. Read about her experience and learn why Indonesia should be added to your bucket list immediately! When I learned I would have the chance to explore Bali, Indonesia’s most well-known island, my thoughts went straight to the beach. After all, Bali is famous for its white sands and surfer culture. On my 8-day tour throughout the island with Indonesia Tourism, I found the beaches are just as beautiful as I had imagined. But I was also amazed by the incredible monuments, unique traditions and welcoming people Indonesia offered. What’s more, I was elated that it was still possible to go beyond the tourist areas and discover the authentic culture travellers have been falling in love with for the past 100 years.
Sharing meals with the locals One standout from my experience in Bali was the warmth of the people. It seemed everyone we passed had a smile and a kind word of greeting to spare. In the village of Desa Les, we were invited into the kitchen of Don Raree, an exceptional chef who works to keep Balinese cooking traditions alive. We watched in awe as Don and his assistants expertly manoeuvred various types of seafood over the open flame and the traditional clay stove. The showstopper was a bamboo segment stuffed with white fish and various spices, then cooked over the fire. Don cracked the bamboo open and the delectable dish was poured onto our plates! Cooking wasn’t the only art practiced here. We were also led through the traditional processes of evaporating sea water to create salt, and brewing arak, a local spirit distilled from coconut palm trees. The highlight of the day was sitting around the table as Chef Don related to us the history and stories of his village—then treated us to a taste of his home-brewed jackfruit arak! Our 8-day Heritage of Bali tour offers the opportunity to discover the culinary and cultural traditions of this rich region: https://bestway.com/tours/heritage-of-bali/
Discovering Ubud’s unique arts community It’s also possible to get off-the-beaten track in tourist hotspots. Take Ubud. Peacefully set among rolling hills and verdant rice terraces, this region has served as a haven of traditional arts and culture since tourism began on the island. It offers close access to some of Bali’s top cultural attractions like the traditional market at Mount Kintamani and Besakih, the largest and holiest Hindu temple in Bali. Of course, others have noticed the appeal, and the main street of the town is now lined with souvenir shops. However, I took a short car ride out into the surrounding communities and was immediately rewarded by the traditional Bali I had heard so much about, with not a tourist in site. Each village here is dedicated to a time-honoured art form, from sculpture to woodcarving to metalwork. I had the privilege of exploring the village of Batuan, home to traditional painters. Here, we were invited into the homes of local artists. We talked with them, explored their small home-based shops and even looked on as they created intricate works of art. One artist explained how his family had been painting for generations. Another dug out an article clipping to show us – he had been featured in a local magazine. It was a lovely slice-of-life view into the traditional arts that are practiced in this area every day. Our 10-day World Heritage Sites of Indonesia tour provides the time to explore Ubud’s diverse arts community, as well as its nearby monuments and experiences at Besakih, Kintamani and beyond: https://bestway.com/tours/wht-indonesia/
Temples and traditional dance in Uluwatu Sometimes, it’s worth it to brave the crowds. Bali is an island of temples—more than 20,000 of them, in fact. What’s different about Uluwatu Temple, scenically perched on the edge of a cliff dropping into the ocean, is that it is home to perhaps the most famous rendition of the kecek dance. During my visit, the seating area was jam-packed. Spectators even sat on the ground in front of the stage, in an effort to fit just a few more people in. But enduring the crowds paid off. Part chanting, part pyrotechnics and part traditional performance, the kecek is unlike any other dance. Elaborately costumed dancers energetically enact scenes from the Ramayana, a Hindu epic, to a backdrop of more than 60 traditionally-dressed men rhythmically chanting “kecek kecek kecek kecek”. The energy in the air was palpable as the dance reached its peak, perfectly positioned against the background of the sun setting over the ocean. The long wait in traffic to get back to our hotel once the show was finished was certainly worth it in this case. The Kecek dance is just one unique cultural practice out of thousands. Experience the diversity of Indonesia with our 15-day Isles of Indonesia tour, which explores the ancient practices, incredible nature and modern monuments of Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan and Sulawesi: https://bestway.com/tours/isles-of-indonesia/
Nature loving in Lovina Bali offers a variety of attractions for nature lovers as well. From snorkeling and diving in the clear waters (Indonesia is the location of the Coral Triangle of marine diversity, also known as the Amazon of the ocean!), to spotting the varied monkeys and birds in West Bali National Park, there is much to see here. An activity I would certainly recommend is getting up close with the dolphins of Lovina. On this day of our tour, we woke up before daybreak and boarded a small outrigger canoe right outside our waterfront hotel. We sped out on the water and soon spotted what we were looking for—the splash of dolphins in the distance. With a few maneuvers of the boat, we were speeding alongside a pod of dolphins frolicking through the waves, with only a few other canoes for company. We giddily looked on as the dolphins leaped and twisted into the air, trying to capture the perfect shot with the stunning sunrise in the background. Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to capture a sunrise dolphin picture—but with a stroke of luck, I did manage to capture a video of a dolphin leaping into the air for a full twist, right next to the boat! Indonesia provides incomparable opportunities to get up close with nature. See the orangatans, sun bears and more, as well as the stunning rainforests they live in, with our 10-day Kalimantan & Bali’s Heritage journey: https://bestway.com/tours/kalimantan-bali-heritage/
Beaches galore Of course, the beaches were just as stunning as I had always heard about too. From ocean-side cliffs to vast stretches of white sand, the sea shores provide a lovely place to relax and watch the waves roll in. Yet even here, one can find a cultural experience. One night, as I photographed the sunset, I noticed locals picking something out of the sand. One approached me, and I asked him what he was doing. He opened his bag to show me a collection of snails and other shells inside. He explained to me how he would cook the snails with rice for his family’s dinner, then sell the shells as souvenirs, all with a friendly smile!
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Posted by Kierra Jones