Once you arrive at Denpasar airport, you will be welcomed right away by colorful brochures offering numerous tours and excursions to the major sightseeing places in Bali. Various travel agencies are “fighting” to offer more and more activities within one or half day tours. The diversity of places of interest is really enormous and for sure there is something attractive for each tourist here on the Indonesian island. It’s a matter of personal interests, adventurous spirit, physical condition and of course – time. For one day, for example, traditional travel agencies will offer you to discover the following: Barong and Kris Dance in Batubulan, Batik painting and hand weaving in Tohpati, gold and silver smith in Celuk, wood carving in Mas, the elephant cave tample Goa Gajah, lunch with a view towards the active volcano and lake Batur, rice terrace view in Tegallalang, Ubud monkey forest, the holy temple Tanah Lot at sunset, and fresh seafood dinner with Balinese dances in Sanur. Imagine all these activities in less than 14 hours. Sounds a bit exhausting to me, don’t you think?
Following our motto “In constant pursuit of the extraordinary” however, we wanted something more personalized, custom made, special, different and exciting. We ended up meeting and talking to the guest assistant manager at Amandari – the exclusive Aman resort, hidden within the green scenery of Ubud.
He kindly helped us create a list of the top 5 activities when you are in Bali, that will create unforgettable and vivid memories. Constructed and designed as a typical Balinese village, Amandari means “peaceful spirits” and that is absolutely what you experience during your holiday here – peace and true happiness. The resort welcomes its guests in charming and spacious villas, offering exclusive privacy behind the magnificent stone walls and the lush tropical trees. The experiences that are recommended are developed with careful attention to every detail and the desire to meet the diverse expectations and interests of the international guests of the resort. You will still discover all the key spots on the island but in a different way, custom-made according to your schedule and with individual attention to all your preferences. There’s one thing we can promise – your choice of activities won’t be an easy one, but the experiences will be absolutely extraordinary. Here are our top 5 recommendations in order to experience Bali with your soul and discover truly the culture and the spirit of the local smiley people.
SPA Treatments
The traditional Balinese treatments are famous all over the world with the holistic approach and complete purification. Your holiday here will not be complete without at least one body and facial massage at the open-air bale. The techniques of the therapists are smooth and completely relaxing your body and soul. The sound of the running water from the lotus pond right next to the bale and the calming exotic aromas will make you feel peaceful. The final result after the treatment with natural products – all the stress and tension in the body is released, your face is glowing and your soul is filled with joy.
Pura Gunung Kawi Temple Visit
Bali is famous as the Island of 1000 temples and for sure you would like to see them. You can spend days and days discovering the magic beauty and energy of these holy places, but if you have time to visit just one temple, we recommended the Pura Gunung Kawi. This is a 11th century temple, located around 30-minute drive away from the resort. The experienced and friendly driver will take you there via a picturesque road through the rice fields. He will explain you a lot about the culture, the traditions and rites of Balinese people. The funerary complex is located on the two banks of Pakerisan river and includes 10 temples (called candi), carved in 7-meter high niches in the rocks. It’s impressive and you remain speechless. You can only listen to the sound of nature here and feel the special balancing energy of the holy place.
Ayung River rafting adventure
White-water rafting down Ayung river, with the black and glistering gorge walls rising high on either side, presents another aspect of Bali – that of beautiful nature interrupted. Are you ready for some adrenalin and enchanting views while in the rubber boat? Endless waterfalls and streams empty into the river from on high, and in places you loose sight of the rock sides for all the trees – palms, banana trees and bamboo. When the banks open up, so does the vegetation – orchids, hibiscus, and frangipani, and plots of tapioca and sweet potatoes. The 11-kilometer trip takes less than 2 hours.
Morning Market Visit and Walk in the Rice Fields
Combine a country walk with a visit to one of the island’s indispensable institutions – the morning market. Be there preferably before 7 am. The driver will take you to a market town where you can soak up the sights, the colors, the aromas and the fresh morning air.
Your bargaining skills may be tested as you discover the labyrinth of stalls with exotic fruits and vegetables, produced by local farmers, coffee, fish and strange seafood, chickens, fragrant spices in bamboo baskets, coconut oil in plastic pails and many more. The sellers are usually kind and smiley women, ready to help you with the selection of goods. Actually, the Balinese market has been called “the ladies club of Balinese society”. After this colorful experience, get ready to calm down your eyes with all the nuances of green with a walk through the rice fields.
Cooking at a typical Balinese house
Even if you are not the biggest fan of cooking, I can guarantee that this experience is worth and it will reveal many interesting details about Bali, local people, products and traditions. And also – you might discover some of your hidden skills, who knows. The Amandari team will give you a small booklet with all the recipes for your delicious traditional Balinese lunch, as well as the list of all the required ingredients. You can buy them at the local morning market and your driver will help you to choose the best chili or the sweetest palm sugar. After that, a short ride will take you to the traditional Balinese house, where it’s time to work in the open-air kitchen.
The chef will greet you with the typical big smile and will start enlightening you in the techniques for preparing the ingredients – chopping, smashing, grating, grounding, squeezing and blending exotic local products. Your movements with the sharp knife will soon become sort of meditation and the fragrances will help you get deeper in this state of being present. From time to time you will be distracted by the funny comments of the chef, while he’s showing you the cooking steps by the traditional stove. The preparation takes only few minutes and the chef uses mainly coconut oil, high temperature and rhythmical stirring for all the dishes. Before you can enjoy your delicious and fragrant lunch, you will be guided to the family temple to make the offerings – decorative flowers, food and banana leaf vessels. Lunch will be served at a typical bale in the nature. Enjoy your meal – I am sure you will want to be a long lunch!
