Bali is a very famous destination Island for tourists from all over the world but especially for Australians. Bali for the Australians is like Cancun for the Americans. But Bali which is an Indonesian Island has more to offer than just the nightlife and beaches. The Hindu culture is big in Bali, especially in the town of Ubud, located at the center of the Island.
I took a flight from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to Bali, Indonesia. I was in Bali around 9 pm. I had already planned that I will visit Kuta and Ubud town. Kuta was the closest to the airport so that was the first town I decided to visit. I was too tired to try to find the cheapest possible way to get to my hostel, so I just decided to take a taxi for around $7.50 or 100,000 Rupiah, it felt like a I was ripped off, but the most important thing on my mind was to get to the hostel. My hostel's name was called Bread & Jam Hostel. They give you bread and jam and butter for breakfast, I guess that is where they got their name from.
I rented a motorbike the next day for only 60,000 rupiahs or $4.50 per day. I went to every corner in Kuta town.
Downtown Kuta was very nice and calm. I really liked the atmosphere. The only thing I did not like about Kuta was some of the locals. They were really aggressive and try to scam you in anyway they can.
There were many nice beaches in Bali, one of the most famous beaches was the Kuta beach. It was famous for surfers who are beginners and people who like to do Yoga in the morning. I made sure that I get to surf during my three day stay in Kuta. It was an awesome experience.
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| Inside a mosque in Kuta |
I meet so many different backpackers at the hostel, each with their unique personality. On person that stands out is this incredibly nice French women who was 41 years old. She told me that she was working and living her life just like everyone else, but she decided to go backpacking because she always wanted to do it, it was her dream. She has visited many Asian countries and told me how she now has a family in almost every country in SE Asia...they made her feel at home and she was always welcome to visit them. It was incredible to hear. She regretted that she did not take the opportunity when she was young but nevertheless it was not too late for her. For me, it was these kind of people and their stories that made my backpacking trip exciting.
After three days in Kuta, I decided that it was time for me to go to Ubud town. The transportation van came and picked me up from the hostel. Ubud was all about the Hindu culture. It was an incredible experience. They had so many temples with a unique design. The city was very green and had all kinds of tropical plants. There were rice fields on the high mountains and cocoa trees. I meet two German backpackers at the hostel in Ubud and we spent the three days exploring Ubud town together. These German backpackers were very young, around the age of 20, they just decided to take a year off and see what is out there before continuing there studies. I also meet an American girl from state of Michigan. It was nice for a change to meet a person from the same country. We talked a lot about the 2016 election. We also talked about how so many Americans don't go backpacking to experience different culture. We talked about how the average American student finishes high school then goes for University then works and works and works and that is it. We also discussed this topic with the European backpackers that shared the same hostel with us. It was very common for the Europeans to take a year off after high school or university and see the world.
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| Baby monkey having lunch. |
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| Some really long and big tree vines. |
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| Monkey just Chillin' or PLOTTING something or both |
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| Rice field 1 |
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| Rice field 2 |
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| Cocoa tree |
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| Tasty, but I couldn't finish all. |
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| A typical lunch in Ubud |
After three days in Ubud town, I took the transportation van to Kuta where I spent a night there before taking a taxi to the airport to catch a plane to mainland Indonesia (Java). My next destination was Bandung City.
Next Stop: Bandung & Bogor
