First of all, this is a very late post.
So here’s the thing. I have been to Bali couple of times. But I have never been REALLY in Bali. Most of the times, I was in Bali only for transit. Haha. My friend once told me that I am not real Indonesian for that reason :D.
Luckily, on November last year, my office held a family gathering in Bali so I finally had a proper chance to enjoy the beauty of the God island.
The journey was started by taking a train from Yogyakarta to Banyuwangi. We almost missed the train because our motorcycle got a flat tyre. But God is good, we managed to arrive at the station just in time. It was like the popular TV show: The Amazing Race. Hahaha. The train were moving right after we entered the train.
Taking train is one of the cheapest way to get to Bali. You only need to pay for Rp. 100.000 for economy class; (around $8) per person for the ticket. The train took around 14 hours and the bench was not so comfy (not much room for your legs either). However, as I travelled with my family, friends and colleagues, those facts did not create so much hassles. And the trip was full of service. My office used the service from a travel agent and their crews were really helpful. They gave us lots of food. We didn’t stop chewing on our way to Bali. Haha. Once we arrived in Banyuwangi train station and had a very late dinner in nearby restaurant, we boarded to the ferry and crossed the strait. The cost for the ferry is also very cheap. Only Rp. 7000; (50 cent) per person.
We arrived in Bali just after mid night. Our journey was continued by bus. Tanah Lot was the first destination. We sight-seed and shopped a little bit then moved to Sangeh to meet hundreds of monkeys in their original habitat. I’m not a fan of monkey (not to say that I’m bit scared of them 😀 ) so I didn’t take any photo with them. But I loved the scattered leaves in the forest so that’s my favorite picture in Sangeh :D.
After that, we checked in at Kuta Station Hotel, a strategically located hotel in Kuta, only 5 minutes drive from Ngurah Rai International Airport. Being in Kuta means nothing without enjoying the vibe and of course going to the famous Kuta Beach. So after resting for a while, we went to the beach by walk and sat by the sea to enjoy the stunning sunset.
The next day, we watched the Barong dance performance in Batu Bulan and had sunset dinner in Jimbaran. Both were awesome and I enjoyed them a lot. We also stopped by at Nusa Dua Beach for a while. Enough time to take some pictures. Haha. Watching Barong dance live was new for me (where have I been?) so I was really excited. As for Jimbaran, I had a dinner in Jimbaran once before, but it was not so special because I was in a rush transit and the beach area were closed due to bad weather so there wasn’t much to explore. But this time, the weather was perfect, so were the foods and the scenery. I was more than just happy. I was satisfied. I thought things wouldn’t get any better.
But I was wrong! The following day we went to Tanjong Benoa and Pandawa Beach. I wanted to try the parasailing but too bad, we ran out of time after visited Pulau Penyu and took some pictures with the sea turtles. I wasn’t really disappointed because my daughter enjoyed her time in Tanjung Benoa a lot. She loves turtles and her happiness is also mine, so the day was still good (Parasailing is still in my bucket list though. Next time, Bali. I promise 😀 ).
After having a quick lunch in Tanjong Benoa, we moved to Pandawa Beach, the currently most popular beach in Bali. This was the highlight of the day. The beach was so beautiful. And clean. And not too crowded. We did the canoeing. My husband and my daughter were also swimming while I was reading a book and talking to the local guys who rented the canoe and umbrella.
Based on the itinerary from my office, we were supposed to go to Ulu Watu after visiting Pandawa Beach and leave Bali that night, but since we decided to stay bit longer, we didn’t go to Ulu Watu and went to Legian instead. We stayed for two more nights and enjoyed Legian and surrounds. Legian was full of tourists and bit noisy but it was still interesting. We ate, and shopped, and swam, and lived a life to the fullest. I even had foot massage in Legian beach. Haha. What a perfect way to wrap up the day. Bali was just so good we didn’t want to leave. And I’m just thrilled with the fact that I am now OFFICIALLY Indonesian :D.
Hayu Hamemayu 
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