The Rice Paddies
My time in Indonesia was absolutely wonderful! I landed in Bali well after midnight and had a car waiting to take me to my hotel, Sanur House. It was very late when I arrived but I received a very warm welcome and was really appreciated my lovely room to get a great night of sleep in. Thank you so much to Sanur House for sponsoring my time in Bali! I also can’t thank Sanur House enough for how much they went above and beyond during my stay.
The next day I woke up to meet Agata, the general manager of Sanur House, and go on a tour of Bali for the day. I was so excited and appreciative! We had a tasty breakfast to-go in the car and started our trip off by heading towards Tegenungan Waterfall. On the drive there I was introduced to Pak and Ibu, two locals who were helping to drive and guide us for the day. They were both so cool and I was very glad to get to know them and Agata as well. It was an enjoyable drive through the island and I was able to learn a lot even just starting our trip.
When we got to Tegenungan Waterfall Agata, Ibu, and I made our way to the bottom. It was a lot of stairs but was well worth it to get up close - the waterfall was amazing and the entire surrounding area was beautiful! I opted against swimming so I wouldn’t be wet for the rest of the day, but there were plenty of other people doing so. The walk back up was definitely exhausting and we were all excited to get back in the car and rest.
Our next stop was the Tirta Empul Temple. Before we entered we all had to tie a wrap around our waists and pull our hair up. It was definitely interesting to learn all of the regulations to entering! I’m glad we were able to go inside, though, because it was amazing. People were bathing in the pools and the actual structure itself was very intricate. The whole complex was quite impressive. I loved the giant koi pond and we were sure to look for the fabled blue fish, though we failed to see it. After learning about the Tirta Empul Temple and taking pictures we then headed back to the car to head to eat lunch.
We ate at a place nearby where you literally sat above giant ponds while eating. It was so cool and my satay was very tasty! After a refreshing and unique lunch we headed back on our way, this time towards Tegalalang Rice Terrace. I have to say it was the most impressive rice terrace that I have ever seen! It was absolutely giant and we climbed all the way to the bottom. Not only was it deep but very wide as well. It was so interesting to see, especially up close, and to learn about the process as well.
Tegalalang Rice Terrace was, unfortunately, our last stop for the day. It was an amazing day driving around with Agata, Ibu, and Pak and I cannot thank them all enough for spending their day with me and truly showing me Bali. It was great to get to know them all and to learn more about Bali and Indonesia.
After arriving back at Sanur House and wishing them all goodbye I then walked around the fantastic property to take pictures before heading to Segara Ayu Beach. It was just a short walk down the road to get there and it is absolutely magnificent. You can see Mount Rinjani, an active volcano, off in the distance. I walked down the beach for a while before heading back into town and eating dinner at a nice pizza place. It was a perfect ending to a perfect day and I am so glad that I got to spend it exploring Bali. After dinner I made my way back to Sanur House to get a good night of sleep before my 8am departure tomorrow. I only wish that I didn’t have to leave so soon, but I can’t wait to visit Indonesia again soon!
109 countries down, 87 to go.
To learn more about Sanur House click here.
