I figured as in Bali, I should go and start to check out all of the cool places that I googled before coming here. Balinese people are super cool, I went out adventuring with a young guy called Putu today and he showed me around some different places, I found out loads about local culture and also got to see some real life day-to-day experiences of Balinese people.

So, today I visited…

Taman Ayun;
This is one of the many temples in Bali, it was amazing to visit, you have to respect the surroundings when you visit a temple, no matter what faiths or beliefs you have, which means ensuring your shoulders are covered, wearing a sarong and being peaceful throughout your time there. The grounds of the temples were remarkable. Kept amazingly clean and tidy and nothing seemed out of place. There was ponds and lakes and all sorts of different parts for you to wander through and enjoy.

All around the temples were frangipani trees, I’ve always loved these flowers since being a kid. When I used to go to Cyprus each year in the Summer holidays, I used to love seeing this tree in the front garden of the villa, each evening when we would go out for dinner, my dad used to pick one off of the branch and put it in my hair for me, I’d never forget it. The flowers smell and look beautiful and it brought back some wonderful memories.

Aulundana Beratan Temple;
This is also known as the water temple. We drove up some proper steep mountains to get to this. The water temple is hidden up in the mountains in northern Bali right near the lake, so high up that the clouds almost met with the lake.

Whilst visiting here, there was a ceremony and offering taking place which was fascinating to see. There was crowds of people all dressed in pure white, with offerings to give from food, flowers, plants and more, all wrapped neatly in little baskets with incense sticks poking out. It really was an insight in to their culture, I spoke to one lad up there and he said that he attends a big ceremony like this once a week for the social side, but some others do it every day! He said that they will usually use a temple in the village or others have them in their homes to use on a more regular basis, and…

Interesting fact… When building a house, Balinese people will build the separate temple before the main part of house for living, as to them this is more important to them than having shelter for themselves.

Jatiluwih Rice Terraces;
Super pretty. The rice terraces are a must see in Bali. They are bright green and just picturesque. I had lunch looking out over the terraces then went for a walk through them to have a closer look. The rice is grown in flooded water conditions, and then picked and laid out on a sheet to be dried out. I had wild rice from the field in front of me whilst in the restaurant, it tasted incredible and I still think that this is one of the coolest things.

Tanah Lot;
This is another temple and also the ultimate place to watch the sunset. There is no other islands or ‘things’ in the sea, so the sun sets straight over the horizon and I don’t think I have ever seen something so beautiful before. I have put some pictures below but they really do not do it justice. It is truly incredible and definitely waiting around for.

The sunset…

I am completely in love with sunrises and sunsets, I’m not sure why, but I just think that the colours are beautiful and the way that nature can be that incredible just leaves me speechless. Without a doubt this was probably one of the best sunsets I have ever seen and wish I could relive it over again.