I hardly ever procrastinate when it comes to travelogues, but I guess this maddening summer and the backlog of television series have collectively contributed to the laziness.
This year’s first step out was owed to a work trip to a part of the world that I haven’t been to since I was in my teens. The Indonesian archipelago has 18,307 islands and I was going to visit one of the most popular ones – Bali. Known as the child star of Indonesia who rose to a life of stardom and has been on the lips of every traveller dreaming of a tropical getaway – Bali is lush, culturally unique and exotic.
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| The Indonesian archipelago – much more to see |
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| Approaching. |
I’m not the biggest fan of tropical weather, but April was mostly kind – and I was quite relieved to be a guest of
Alila Hotels and Resorts, who have fantastic properties dotted across the island.
Flying Qatar Airways, I jetted across most of Asia for over 15 hours to reach Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, with a short stop over at Singapore where I had some time to ogle over the Changi International Airport and make a mental note to temporarily forsake my love affair with Europe and make some plans to see Singapore.
On landing, and a pretty simple Visa-on-Arrival (for USD 20) process, we travelled to our first destination – the town of Ubud. Unlike South Bali, Ubud’s focus has remained on the remarkable Balinese culture in its myriad forms – healing is a very popular pursuit and I personally think it was one of the most intriguing parts of the island. On reaching the Alila Ubud late at night, the priority was to just get fed and sleep off the jet lag; but not before spotting the widely popular Infinity pool (considered one of the best in the world) and admiring the lovely little rooms that felt like a part of the immense paddy fields this property is built in.
By morning, the other journalists whom Alila would be hosting had also arrived, and after a breakfast which comprised mostly of fresh pineapple and palm sugar (by choice), we set off to explore Ubud.
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| View from the room #1 |
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| I would have liked to sit in here for a whole day. Also, there was a special ‘Bailey’s Bath’ :O |
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| Isn’t it simply stunning? |
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| Breakfast of champions, they said. |
Allow me a subtle plug in, as I mention Alila’s ‘Luxury Concierge’ – a team of local experts who accompany guests on mini adventures. San Putu, the most experienced of this team accompanied us today as we drove through narrow, almost-single-lane roads to one of Bali’s largest volcanoes, Kintamani. At 1500 metres, Mount Kintamani sits on the rim of a vast crater overlooking Lake Batur and its bubbling hot springs. En route, we made two short stops – one at the manicured rich terraces of Tegallalang which was added to the blast of green that we had been witnessing from the start of our journey.
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| Probably the only decent picture of me – but hey, who’s complaining 😀 |
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| Travelling through |
It was a hot day and we cooled off with some fresh coconut water as San Putu explained how the shape and form of these rice terraces have been spectacularly crafted by local farmers to follow the natural contours of the mountain.
We were told that while primarily, Indonesia is a Muslim county, 90 percent of Bali’s population is Hindu. On any part of the island, you will be able to smell incense wafting through the air and colourful, eccentric-looking gods poking their head out of every taxi mirror, shop door and hotel lobby. Next stop was the Pura Tampak Siring – a spring temple where the holy waters are believed to possess magic curative powers. Every year, thousands of people journey from all around Bali to purify themselves in the clear pools.
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| Welcome to the tropics! |
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| Jade and huge fishes |
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| Each nozzle was meant for a different kind of purification |
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| Ceremonial offerings, found scattered around homes and temples |
Onward to Lake Batur, which is the largest lake in Bali and lies at the foothills of the now dormant Mount Batur. The viewing area is spotted with restaurants and cafes; we chose an organic food one and sat ourselves down to a delicious lunch – feeling quite rejuvenated by the cool winds at that altitude.
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| Basil-watermelon juice, with a view of Mount Batur |
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| Lunch setting and cushion camouflaging |
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| Ogoh-ogoh statues were spotted everywhere! |
We drove back to Alila Ubud and stepped right into their dedicated Spa for a sunset pampering session followed by a quick dip in the pool and a rather rested evening.
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| Honey and lemongrass soda cooler *love* |
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| Ah, bliss! |
The next day, we set off towards the Eastern part of the island and after a five hour drive, reached Manggis. Set amidst a coconut grove, the Alila Manggis resort is nestled between the sea and the majestic Mount Agung, Bali’s most sacred mountain. Among the four parts of the island, I visited, Manggis was the most close to what this place was before the commercialisation and trashy tourism. Located right on a black sand beach, everything felt like it fit into the natural surroundings – beginning from the two-storey buildings built around a palm-fringed pool to the non-haute cuisine Balinese food that Seasalt restaurant served – I could feel what this island nation was actually made of.
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| Nasi Goreng *SLURP* |
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| View from the room #2 |
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| I couldn’t resist taking a black and white one |
Next morning, we travelled to Alila’s organic garden where we were treated to a traditional breakfast made of seasonal ingredients, sitting in the shelter of a ‘Kubukubu’ – a small hut built in the middle of the rice fields, overlooking the ocean. The rest of the day was spent exploring the surroundings, very kindly chauffeured by Sena, the General Manager of Alila Manggis and a local. He took us to a Balinese home, taught us about the culture and the language, told us stories he had heard from his grandparents and answered all our questions patiently till it was time to leave for the next destination.
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| Meet the others… |
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| Organic breakfast – course one |
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| Unbeatable Balinese hospitality |
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| Where we were seated – the Kubukubu |
Alila Villas Soori – the first of the two uber luxury resorts that we would be staying at is located on the southwest coast of Bali and is rightly called the very definition of paradise for those with an inclination for the tropics. The drive was long and very scenic as we passed though mountains and yes, more rice terraces.
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| What’s not to love! |
Allow me to gloat a little, since this was the plushest hotel that I have ever
(or probably ever will) stayed at. From the moment we were shown our one bedroom ocean-pool villas, which were located right on the beach with a private pool, I found myself devising ways of not having to sit at meetings and just call in sick to just float around in this little piece of utopia.
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| And they spelled it right! |
The following day, I woke up to the sound of the waves outside and drew the curtains to see the clear blue pool for one and of course, the ocean beyond. Unable to wrench myself away from the view, I had a lazy morning in with breakfast in the villa followed by yet another spa session (yes, this was essentially experiential public relations at work!). After a tour of the hotel with the charming Ira Malik, GM of Alila Villas Soori, I had time off to relax and take self-timed images in the pool while wading into the frame in 10 seconds before shooting off to the last destination of our trip.
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| View from the room #3 |
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| Set timer. Wade. Pose. #Win |
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| Dangle feet from the villa, or jump right into the pool 🙂 |
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| Breakfast for one, please. |
The final part of our Bali escapade was in Uluwatu, a very well-known destination among surfing enthusiasts in the southernmost tip of the island and we would be staying at the lush Alila Villas Uluwatu which, in my opinion, is one of the most beautiful destination hotels that I have ever seen. Poised on an elevated plateau that meets with limestone cliffs sweeping down to the ocean, the view from the sunset cabana is nothing less than picture-perfect.
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| View from the room #4 |
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| This will do just fine |
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| Another round. By the beautiful sunset cabana. |
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| The hanging cabana angle… |
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| Sunset from the room #nofilter |
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| Uluwatu 🙂 |
I can see myself being carried away by all this PR writing, but as I sat in the wooden cabana that appeared to be dangling off a cliff, watching the colours of the sunset and drowning everyone else’s voices – I felt an odd sense of peace. That kind when you go someplace new, meet people from all parts of the world, talk about the most ridiculous things and have people share your views, laugh for hours and fall asleep the moment you hit the bed.
The island of Bali, it’s stories and the aroma of kafir lime and lemongrass stayed with me long after I was back home; that much of green is difficult to get out of one’s mind. Although I’m not sure that I would go back again, but Indonesia is so beautiful that I will visit once more to see the rest of it…..and of course devour more of that delicious peanut sauce!
