Indonesia 101. First day.

Macao Airport

Beach in Denpasar

A small glimpse of Uluwatu Temple

One of the many statues

One of many beaches

Heya ye all! SimWrick were Counting Souvenirs in Bali and East Java in Indonesia recently. This article is about smart traveling - about worth-a-visit monuments and locations that we have visited and here you can find useful tips on how to “survive” this place and not end up in terrible tourist traps.

THE START

We flew out of Macao Airport. We spent quite a night there trying to sleep on the uncomfortable airport chairs and at the same time keeping an eye on our luggage. Macao has an unusually uncomfortable airport waiting area and we were finally sitting (sleeping) on our plane to Jakarta early in the morning. It helped that it was the first Air Asia Indonesia flight on this route ever. We got a lot of goodies and they welcomed us with flowers and flashing lights off giant cameras. Felt like a movie stars ^^

First question at immigration in Jakarta: “So… You came for the Honeymoon?”. Apparently, this was a hot destination for newlywed couples. This question was chasing us whenever we talked to locals – so if you are traveling with your SO get ready to get that a lot… Not that we mind. This is probably our 15th country together!

After a few hours of checking out Indonesian food, spas, souvenirs and being chased around by taxi drivers as if we were Hollywood stars and they were the Paparazzi in Jakarta, we were at last flying to Bali. Remember that most places in Indonesia do not take payment by card or they say that their machines are not working or there is an internet server problem. You are better off carrying some local currency called the Ribu Rupiah. Bali is a small (relative term – it depends on what part of the world you are from) island with lots to see. So, our advice is: if you are brave enough and you want to really feel like a local on the island we suggest you rent a motorbike (Cars would just get stuck you in a traffic jam in any of the winding narrow roads around the island). This was the first thing we did when we reached Denpasar - our first stop. Bikes are not expensive at all and they are way better than the private buses (run by touts and probably the only impolite people we met in Indonesia) who ask for unreal prices. You can try bargaining with them which will often end up in a small conflict. HOWEVER, the private buses are useful if you want to travel (around 150km or more) from one city to another. If you are a budget traveler, bargain as much as you can because these companies look at us as a medium for minting money. The bikes are amazing if you want to take a day trip to places nearby and have the freedom of stopping anywhere and anytime.

DENPASAR (ULUWATU TEMPLE AND BEACHES)

As we landed in Denpasar (Kuta) airport we were again welcomed by numerous taxi drivers. However, if you want to take a leaf out of our travel journal, you can order a “Grab” (Indonesian version of Uber and probably more features than Uber). It is an app you can download on your smartphone. NOTE: “GRAB” DOES NOT WORK EVERYWHERE IN INDONESIA because taxi drivers, bus touts and “Grab” drivers have fights and face-offs with each other like “Gangs of New York”. Nahh… But seriously - they do not get along. However, “Grab” in Denpasar works like a charm probably because the city has an airport and this place is infested with lazy tourists who just like to lay on the beach and take a taxi back to their hotels or a pub.

We arrived quite late in Denpasar so we just checked into our hotel (make sure you look up Balinese hotels/motels with a lot of the local architecture – fountains, pebbled floors, sculptures of Hindu gods and a lotus pool), rented a bike for the next day and went for a night walk by the Kuta beach. The nights in Kuta and Denpasar are quite noisy. Many beachside restaurants are swarming with tourists. Lots of dancing, clubs and live music but if you are into a nice meal, pint of beer and live music - you will really enjoy this part of Denpasar as well. We would rate the night life in Denpasar 7/10. Dirty streets, vendors, constant traffic and drunk tourists are taking away the charm. However, if you go to the winding beach a bit far away from the touristy city center with all the noise and rumble you can find nice quiet places to try the local cuisine (they have a fascination for fried chicken) that is not expensive and no one really bothers you. The locals are quite friendly and helpful.

***

The next morning, we woke up pretty early. Wrick went downstairs to check out the bikes to choose the best one (I let him be when it comes to bikes and cars except when he takes my car out for a spin/trip), I was finishing my breakfast (rice rice everywhere). Overall, Denpasar has nice beaches, couple of monuments but it does not really have anything spectacular to offer for the wanderers like us. You can see a bunch of travel agents who are just standing on the street corners of Denpasar and Kuta offering day tours all day long and especially at night but they are all major tourist traps. We dislike being made to follow someone else’s schedule when we are traveling and Wrick probably dislikes that even in his usual life. Hence, we decided to do some things on our own. And we rode our way to Uluwatu Temple.

You can find a lot of traffic on the roads all the time, but it becomes unbearable around 9:00am to 12pm. Moreover, if you put Wrick on a bike it feels like we never stop with the traffic - he just finds his way and gets us through the smallest of gaps in the streets, pavements, between cars, through gas stations and what not. NOTE: Do not forget your sunscreen if you don’t want to end up peeling your skin off like a snake a few days later.

From Denpasar to Uluwatu Temple is a bit more than 30 km (~19 miles) and takes about 1 hour and a bit considering all the short stops for photography and snacks.

The entrance fee is relatively cheap. You won’t believe this… just Rp 30k - everybody wins! For people who love cliffs, culture and historical sites, sound of the bashing waves against the dark igneous rocks and picturesque views - this is the place to go. We suggest you visit it before afternoon between 8AM (when the place opens) and 12PM because: 1. Lesser people (in the afternoon more conducted tourist groups come with their giant buses and a leader carrying a flag with tourists who would be better off marching for a Scouts’ group) 2. The heat sets in later – the earlier the cooler! You should come in the evening before closing up - for additional price you can see a show. We did not do it because we heard that it is not very interesting.

You must wear something long to cover your legs. If not - they give you a sarong near the entrance for free. Guys who wear shorts – you won’t escape wearing a long skirt as well. So deal with it – it is quite comfortable. Uluwatu Temple has quite large grounds. We spent nearly two hours checking out the amazing statues, taking pictures, climbing the cliffs and just enjoying the place in general. But if you are in the hurry - everything can be done within one hour or even lesser. By walking a bit farther away you can meet some obese monkeys, but be careful because they are not the friendliest primates around.

At some places, you are walking by the edge of the cliff. It’s a gorgeous site but be careful, people with acrophobia!

We give 9/10 for the Uluwatu Temple. This place is A MUST if you are visiting South Bali.

When the heat started to set in, we hit the road again and went to the nearest “hidden” beach that would be a bit more “secluded” from the tourists. However, we were not the only ones who were traveling smart. Every secluded beach has some tourists, but not as many as those popular beaches like Balangan. It was amazing. We got blue clear waters, big waves, white sand, surfers, tiki bar… and unfortunately… the rocks… We had cuts and scratches on our feet at several places. To get there, we had to climb down a hill of stairs and it’s the same way to get back to our beloved bike which made it a bit frustrating in the heat after a nice cold swim in the sea. South Bali is full of such wild yet tranquil beaches.

We were only getting started! The volcanoes and the Sulphur were getting ready to welcome us.

Read about our second day where we travel to Mount Ijen soon.