Post Pandemic Bali, Indonesia Trip 2023

Hello again and welcome to my blog! Please pardon me for my absence for quite a while, I am sure you all know the reason why. The past pandemic has caused chaos to all of us thus affecting the lives of humankind, and at present the effect of it has been reduced and almost everything is going back to the way it was before. This blog will be my first post after the pandemic and I am sharing my experiences in Bali, Indonesia which is my first trip out of the country after the lockdowns.

 Ngurah Rai International Airport, Denpasar

Well, actually Bali was not on my bucket list of places to go to, but it was the first place that got in my mind when I heard that it was not that strict to travel out of the country. The reduction of health requirements and protocols gave me the go signal. So off we go! Honestly, I am having a hard time pronouncing their language (Bahasa) especially with the names of places where we will go, we hired a private car which was recommended to us by a friend of ours living in Indonesia and luckily he can understand English. We chose the town of Ubud as our place of destination because of its rural setting and natural surroundings. It is known for its lush rainforests, mountain landscapes and ancient holy sites. As we were heading to the town of Ubud I had a feeling of deja vu because the setting is almost the same as to some rural areas in the Philippines. The tall banyan trees along the way, the vendors on the streets, old ancient structures and the mountainous areas that I can see from afar!

 Nutmeg trees at Sangeh Monkey Forest

 Sangeh Monkey Forest

It rained when we arrived on our first destination, the Sangeh Monkey Forest. It is a sacred and protected jungle dwelt by hundreds of Balinese monkeys and tall nutmeg trees, there are Hindu temples also in the area where monkeys usually stay. I was scared of monkeys so I never had the chance to get close to them or feed them. It was very quiet when we were there maybe because it was raining and there weren't much tourists around. There is an entrance fee and a dress code, so bring a scarf or sarong to avoid inconvenience.

 Beratan Lake Resort

 Temple at Beratan Lake Resort

And because we had enough time before our hotel check-in, we headed north of Ubud into the town of Bedugul. It rained harder when we arrived and we went to a place called Beratan Lake Resort, which was then being flocked by tourists. The place is cold and foggy because of its high elevation. And the sight of the Beratan mountains and lakes gives an impression of abundance of basic needs in the region. A botanical garden in the park shows an array of plants and flowers in different forms and colors while the fruit market sells a variety of their harvests. I bought strawberry, banana and snake fruit and they were bigger than the usual size I've had. There is an entrance fee to the park but no dress code. 

 Babi Guling

Well before heading to our hotel accommodation we stopped by a restaurant for lunch and ordered the traditional food in Bali, which is Babi Guling. It is a must try if you are not a vegetarian, in case you visit Bali. It is composed of roast pig, pork cracklings, crispy pork innards and served with rice, soup and cold tea..delicious! There are a number of stores selling this traditional dish so it won't be hard to find one.

 Yes Mt. Batur!

On our second day in Bali, we woke up very early in the morning because we booked a hiking tour to Mt. Batur. Hiking was still in our itinerary since it is one of our favorite outdoor activities and it was good to know that there is a tour package for it so we won't be doing it by ourselves. Anyway, Mt. Batur is an active volcano its elevation is 1,700 meters above sea level and it last erupted year 2000. It was still dark and cold when we started hiking together with a lot of tourists from different parts of the world. It was an easy climb in the beginning, but as the slope becomes steeper our climb becomes slower. After some struggles in the dark, we reached the peak and it was a good feeling to be up there unfortunately we didn't see the sunrise because it was foggy but then it was still a celebration for another wish fulfilled! We had breakfast of egg and bread while having a chat and coffee with some new friends before the descent. There is an environmental fee for the climb and wear comfortable clothes and trekking shoes.

 Gate to Heaven at Lempuyang Temple

We woke up earlier on our third day for the next tour, and this time we will go to the eastern part of the Ubud. Our first destination for that day was the Lempuyang Temple or famously known as Gate to Heaven. This temple is one of the oldest and most admired temple in Ubud because of its beautiful location with Mt. Agung as its background. The first level is visited by tourists and where the most popular photoshoot of the gate is done, while the rest of the temple is for Hindus. I think, some tourists goes here just for the photo with reflections, and we are one of them, honestly the photography is stunning even though it was only a camera trick. By the way, there is an entrance fee and there is a long line of tourists for photoshoot, so be early. Wearing of sarong is required in the temple which is provided at the entrance.

 Tirta Gangga

Next destination, Tirta Gangga. A royal water palace constructed by the former King of Karangasem, it consists of natural bathing pools, water fountains and fish pond. The water from river Ganges that flows to the water palace is believed to be sacred and have healing powers. Tourists can feed the fishes and bathe in the natural pools.There is an entrance fee to the water palace but no dress code. You can wear clothes suited for the place for photoshoot.

 Tukad Cepung Waterfalls

 Stairs to the cave.

Our next stop is the Tukad Cepung waterfalls. This body of water is located in a cave and there's a stairway on the forest trail leading to the opening of the cave but be careful because some steps are steep and uneven. Hiking along the peaceful verdant surroundings while listening to the soft sound of stream adds excitement to see the waterfalls and witness it being lit by sunlight. By the way there is an entrance fee to get there, there are eateries in the area where you can buy food and drinks. Don't forget to bring extra clothes you might get wet.

 Tegalalang Rice Terraces

Our third day was full of fun, because I didn't realize that we have more time to visit more interesting places that was not in our itinerary, thanks to our driver and guide for his kindness and hospitality. Our last stop in Ubud is the Tegalalang Rice terraces, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The rice terraces boasts of attractive landscaped rice paddies, the traditional irrigation that comes from the rivers and mountains in the area, and the pathways that are firm and easy to walk on. Aside from taking a walk on the rice paddies, there are swings which are suspended on coconut trees, ziplines which crosses the valley of rice terraces that one can enjoy for a fee. There is an entrance fee and the best time to visit is during sunrise or sunset. Back at the hotel, we prepared our things for our next trip the following day to Nusa Dua.

 Batu Bolong Temple

 Tanah Lot Temple

Before we depart Bali, we moved to a place closer to the airport in Denpasar the capital city. We booked a room in Nusa Dua, a resort area in the southern part of Bali. It is known for its beautiful beaches, luxurious hotels and perfect place for family vacation and company conventions. But before check in time we had the opportunity to visit some places along the coast, we took time to pass by it because we don't have much time anymore! There are temples along the coasts which are very popular to tourists and photographers the Tanah Lot and Batu Bolong temples. These temples are Bali's scenic temples and have close spiritual connection to Balinese Hinduism. They are the most photographed temples especially on sunsets where it can create a dramatic composition. There is an entrance fee and strict dress code for Balinese, only Hindus are allowed to enter the temples to pray.

 Kuta Beach

We also had the chance to have lunch beside the famous Kuta Beach in Kuta a place for beach lovers and surfers in the Indian Ocean. It offers spectacular sunsets and a very entertaining nightlife for those who likes partying. There are shopping malls, boutiques, hotels and restaurant in Kuta, but I think it is already overcrowded with tourists and locals so I advise you to go somewhere else if you want peace.

 Broken Beach

Well for our last tour in Bali, we booked a day tour in Nusa Penida, and island located in Southeast Bali and to get there we need to take a 2 hour ferry ride from the port in the mainland. The main attractions are the white sandy beach, rock formations and rich marine life. The most popular are the Broken Beach and Kelingking Beach. The Broken beach is a beautiful cove with an arch tunnel on its wall formed maybe for hundreds of years that has turned to be a natural bridge. On the other hand the Kelingking Beach was awarded as the Most Instragrammable Beach in 2021 because of its unique and cute feature like of a dinosaur with its mouth opened.

 Broken Beach

 Kelingking Beach

Oh well, I took so many pictures and videos of them, I think this island is a must-see in Bali. Well, it's time to say farewell to Bali, there are still many beautiful places to explore but due to time limit maybe we will plan another visit in the future. Bali, a very romantic and unforgettable place, simple but beautiful.

Just a few tips if you're planning to go to Bali, it is convenient to book a tour package to save time and money instead of doing it yourself. Respect the locals. Bring sarong in case it is required in a certain place you'll visit. That's all for now folks and thank you for reading.

Indochina Adventure (Ayutthaya)

Bangkok was our last destination and exit point in our Indochina adventure. But before I start with my story, I would like to share my experience before crossing the border of Thailand. You know, when we reached the border, we got off the bus and proceeded to the immigration office of Cambodia (Poipet) to have our departure card stamped by the immigration officers. But it was so disappointing to know and to see how crude these officers were, while extorting money from ASEAN member passport holders, when we're supposed to be "visa free"! They were asking for $3 from each tourists and we have no choice  but to give because they won't stamp the departure card. I just don't understand why those illegal activities are being practiced! If I am not mistaken it's been going on for a long time but nobody has reported them to the proper authorities. So just a precautionary measure in case you'll travel in that part of the world, be good with your haggling skills because the price is negotiable (pathetic) or just don't haggle over a few dollars at all. We made it to Bangkok, at 6:00 PM, it was a long travel. I can't wait to get to the hotel but it's TRAFFIC! After 3 hours stuck in traffic we finally arrived in the hotel and I  was starving! Hmmp!

A bowlful of Tom Yum and a hot shower soothed my tired body and beat the stress out of my system. I slept deeply that night. The day after was the 6th day of our trip and we got up early and ready to rock and roll again!

Since the pattern of our trip is mostly temple hopping we went to the ancient city of Siam, the Ayutthaya Kingdom. Our tour wouldn't be possible without the help of Klook, as usual! They made our life easier, but the traffic going to the meet up area, doesn't seem so! My gosh, we were stuck again in traffic because of the ongoing train constructions, and our hotel was sooo far far away from the meeting place and that we were so brave to take the bus! To make our travel fast, we saw motorcycle riders on the sidewalk who transports passengers! And because we were running out of time, I thought its the best option to beat the meet up time...so we took it and flew, arriving at the meeting place 15 minutes earlier! Isn't that cool?

Moving onto the first stop in the province of Ayutthaya was the Bang Pa-in Royal Palace. It is also called Bang Pa-in Summer Park where Siamese royalty dwells during summer. The park is European  inspired which said to be a gift of the King to the Queen. The landscaped garden is accentuated with colorful flowers and the river gives off a cool atmosphere to the park.

It has a lighthouse where a 360 view of the park is seen. By the way,  the Bang Pa-in park is open from 8:30 am-4:30 pm everyday for 100 baht. Dress code is strictly observed, no short skirts or short parts, no sleeveless shirts.

After the tour we had a quick lunch of pad thai and satay in one of the authentic restaurants in downtown Ayutthaya. It was a hot day the ice cold soda cannot appease the temperature so we went on scramming into a cooler place like the air conditioned van. I wanted to sleep for a moment but we  have to get to the next destination.

The Wat Phra Sri Sanphet is in Ayutthaya's Heritage park,  it is the most important temple of Ayutthhaya and situated within the palace grounds. At present, it is being restored by UNESCO for being a World Heritage Site.

The three chedi in the park represents the three Kings who ruled Ayutthaya in the early times. The stupa were built to house the remains of the these Kings. It is also under restoration at present.

Hundreds of headless Buddhas were all over the monastery and it was a strange sight to see them all like that! And according to the tour guide, all Buddhas in the holy place were all made of gold and silver of the purest quality, they have crowns and wore jeweled bracelets. The pedestals were also made of gold and silver and adorned with diamonds!

But on the eve of Burmese invasion in 1700s Ayutthaya fell. Burmese ransacked and burned the monastery to the ground leaving the chedis. Buddhas were beheaded and was taken and burned to melt off the pure gold that encased them. Such a tragic downfall.

Another temple in Ayutthaya is Wat Mahathat, it is the center where the Buddha's relics were enshrined. A story was told by our tour guide that some Buddhas during the invasion of  Burmese were buried that some of them has not been recovered or they cannot remember where they were buried.

This bizarre site could be the answer to the buried Buddhas that remained underground and just came out embedded within the roots of century old trees. This is the most photographed area in Wat Mahathat. People taking photos with this Buddha should sit on the ground as a sign of respect, any poses higher than that Buddha like standing is strictly prohibited.

The temperature that afternoon was getting hotter! And we don't have plans of getting out of the vehicle but we got one more place to visit, the Wat Lokaya Sutha! The what? It's a temple that shouldn't be missed because of that 42 meter reclining ancient Buddha, resting on lotus flowers under the heat of the sun! It is situated within the complex of the Royal Palace. The structure is timeworn that even if its paint has already faded it still looks dignified. A beautiful Buddha that should be photographed and kept in my folder.

Well, that ends our week long adventure,  we have a lot of unforgettable memories from people we have met, places we have been, food that we ate. We learned so many things about their history, culture, and religion. We may differ from our beliefs and traditions but the common thing that could harmonize humanity is mutual respect! And I thank you!

By the way, we planned to do DIY  but again, the name of the places was really hard to pronounce and remember so we took the package, I swear it will save time.

Indochina Adventure Angkor Archeological Park (Siem Reap)

I enjoyed our bus trip to Siem Reap, I like the view of the countryside. It is a vast area of flat land and rice fields! I won't wonder if Cambodia doesn't go through rice shortages! I haven't seen any mountains and most houses are on stilts because of the flooding on rainy seasons. Six hours had passed and we finally arrived in Siem Reap, it was raining and we were cordially greeted by the hotel's "tuk tuk" driver who will take us to our accommodation. The hotel is cozy, the interior decorations obviously tells that I am in Khmer's ancient kingdom.

Sunrise!

The next day, we woke up very early for our Angkor Wat tour. We hired a private "tuk tuk" driver who will pick us at the hotel  at 4:30 AM. It was still dark but there were already a number of tourists on the road aboard a "tuk tuk" and other private vehicles going to the direction of  Angkor Wat!  Our driver took us to the ticketing center, it is open from 4:30AM until 5:30PM everyday. Our effort to wake up very early in the morning was rewarded with a glorious view of sunrise and the Angkor Wat temple!

Angkor Wat Temple

The Angkor Park is the largest archeological site that I've seen so far! Within the park are magnificent structures which dates back from the 9th to 15th century, and what's amazing is that most of these enormous structures are still undamaged even though some parts have already fallen apart! There are temples which survives to this date, they are being restored  through the funding of  UNESCO for being a World Heritage Site. One of them is the famous Angkor Wat temple, which is the largest and well maintained among the other temples. It is on the main entrance so it should not be missed! Angkor Wat is tremendous and is the perfect place to view the sunrise!

South  Gate of Angkor Thom

The walled city of Angkor Thom was the ancient capital of the Khmer empire. The South Gate is the usual and the most well preserved entrance of tourists to its perimeter. The stone figures on both sides of the gate holding a giant snake represents an ancient  Hindu story, which is quite remarkable to be depicted in an outstanding work of art.

Smiling faces of Bayon Temple

Upon entering the South Gate, a temple with towers that has smiling faces was exposed to our view. It's the Bayon  Temple. What was on my mind?  Who are they? Those four faced towers were so intriguing that I was left staring at them all the while we were there. I felt a little scared at times, as I walked closely to them thinking that they might suddenly open their eyes and yawn. Oh my God I didn't stay long in there!

Bayon Temple

The Bayon Temple is known for its composed human faces sculpted on its towers, I am not sure if they represent a God or a King, there are numerous stone faces that can be seen on any side of the temple. There are also scattered boulders on the ground which I think were some parts of the building that needs to be preserved for the restoration.

Baphuon

Within the walls of Angkor Thom are several magnificent structures which has undergone restoration which brings us back closer from what they looked during its heyday. The Baphuon is a pyramid like temple, it has an elevated walkway leading  to the entrance gate and pool on its other side, a great reclining Buddha image was constructed on the other side but it was never completed.

Preah Khan

As  we moved out of Angkor Thom we have come upon more temples, some under restoration and some are just waiting to be brought back at least on a stable condition. One of the picturesque is the Preah Khan which was built within the jungle. It is surrounded by old ancient banyan trees which roots has already overgrown. The corridors of Preah Khan is a perfect subject for photography especially when there's no people around, but I wasn't so lucky, but it's still beautiful.

Corridors of Preah  Khan

Moving on to the heart of the park , we stopped by Ta Phrom, which once became the location site of the film "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider", which the Khmers has always been proud of. The famous giant banyan trees has already gained in control of the temple, as if it has a soul and is saving the temple from collapsing.

Ta Phrom

I cannot remember how many more temples we have been or passed by and for me they are all astonishing. As an ardent lover of ancient architecture, I was caught speechless, there were so many questions that lingered in my mind as we walked out of the park. How did they build massive edifices with elaborate and intricate designs on its walls, roofs, doors, posts with perfection during the ancient times? Who made them? What technology did they use? Well, I may not know but all I can say is I am truly impressed with everything that I saw and I would like to be there again.

Bantay Kdei

I would like to share some important things just in case you plan to go to Angkor Archeological Park.

The Angkor Pass can only be bought in the ticket center, tickets bought from hotels, tour companies and other parties are invalid. The entrance fee for a 1-day pass is US$37, while US$62 is for a 3-day pass, and US$72 for a-day pass. But I think a day is enough to visit most of the temples.There is a dress code in the park, since you are visiting temples which Khmer's consider it as their holy place, please refrain from wearing revealing clothes.

We hired a private tuk tuk driver who toured us around the park. The usual tour they do is the small tour and big tour but we're just so lucky that driver took us to almost all of  the beautiful temples for $20 from each of us and $5 for the tip, maybe it was the off-peak season and there were less tourists at the time so it's a goood deal. If you're interested to hire tuk tuk you can contact Mr. Sovann in WhatsApp app at telephone # 85593863051. He can speak English.

We stayed at Suon Angkor Boutique Hotel, it's a clean hotel, they  have a pool and food is delicious. By the way, breakfast is included with the accommodation and pick up at the airport and bus terminal is free.

So there,  thank you for reading!

Indochina Adventure in Phnom Penh (Cambodia)

I wanted to skip Phnom Penh and instead go directly to Siem Reap in Cambodia but the bus in Saigon leaves early in the morning and we can't manage to catch up. I have no choice but to go to Phnom Penh since we were already booked in a hostel. I thought there's not much to see there but it was fun in Phnom  Penh! Travel time from Saigon to Phnom Penh is approximately 6-7 hours, we brought packed meals so we won't buy food on stopovers. We arrived in Phnom Penh at around 8 PM, took a "tuk-tuk" and checked in the hostel. Ate dinner and slept.

KEEP THIS CARD, DON'T LOSE IT!

Our stay in Phnom Penh was just short, because we will leave for Siem Reap on that same day, so we started our walking tour early in the morning by the Tonle Sap river. Phnom Penh is the capital of Cambodia, it is the largest and well populated city in the Kingdom of Cambodia. The Royal Palace and the business districts are mostly found in the city. I have no idea where and what interesting places they have, I checked my Google maps and yes! Again, we only chose the places we like to see so as to save time.

Chasing pigeons

We planned to go to the Royal Palace  but there was a construction going on so we just left it out. Across the Royal Palace is the riverside park which was really inviting! There were hundreds of birds flying around and alighting on the ground to peck feeds, they are nice to look at especially when they fly in unison!

ZUMBA

I think the riverside park is often flocked by locals and tourists, because it is a perfect place for recreation. I really can't help but run after those birds, oh by the way, the flags of ASEAN countries are all flapping by the riverside which synchronized with the flying birds! And they're nice to look at!

YOGA

I've seen the locals busy with their activities by the riverside, some are doing Zumba,  some are practicing Yoga and Tai chi, the others were jogging, and it is a good thing to know that Cambodians are health conscious. To continue with our walking tour, we planned to eat breakfast before going to the first temple but we can't find the restaurant we saw in the map, so we visited the first temple which is the "Wat Phnom". Wat means hill and Phnom is temple, so it's a hill temple, the home of the Bronze Buddha  found in Tonle Sap River a long time ago by a wealthy widow named "Penh", and later the city was named after her, "Phnom Penh".

This is the main entrance to Wat Phnom where two "Nagas" are found. In Buddhism, "Naga" is the seven headed serpent which is mostly found in temples and their body is carved as balustrades. They are legendary creatures in the Hindu and Buddhist mythology, which is believed to be guardian statues. Naga has a significance in the mythology in most Southeast Asian cultures, in the Philippines our version of Naga is the "Bakunawa". It is interesting to learn about the Asian mythology, maybe I could read books and write about it. To continue, there is a park upstairs aside from the temple, the place is peaceful. We went around the hill temple and went down on the other side and found a giant clock! By the way, Wat Phnom is open from 7AM-6PM daily. Entrance fee is  US$1 and free for Cambodians. Ticket booth is near the giant staircase.

Can you tell me the time?

We haven't eaten breakfast and we haven't found the restaurant listed on our itinerary and then somewhere along the way, we found an eatery full of people, the smell of grilled pork hypnotized us and brought us in.

Draining and drying the pork and fish...ready for grilling!

The waiter was talking to us in Khmer because he thought we are Cambodians and by chance, the guy who shared the table with us knows English. He smiled and translated to the waiter what we wanted! So we ordered the aromatic grilled pork and that flavorful soup, the food was so delicious and cheap! I cannot forget them, too bad I wasn't able to ask about the name of the place.

YUM YUM

We continued with our city tour heading towards the Ounalom Pagoda, but...do you know that on our way we passed by the restaurant that we are looking for? And oh my....it was so full of  people! Okay the name of the restaurant is "126 The Noodle House Factory", it is a breakfast restaurant and opens at 5AM. Try their pork buns, so full of stuffing! Okay now, so much for food!

The Ounalom Pagoda is one of the oldest monasteries in Phnom Penh, it is a home to Buddhist monks and keeps several life-sized Buddhas. The pagoda is just across Tonle Sap River, it is open to public for free from 6AM-6PM. There is a dress code in all temples, wearing of short pants or short skirts and revealing tops are not allowed, so please abide.

Just a short distance from our hotel is the National Museum of Cambodia. It is open daily from 8AM to 5PM, entrance fee is US$10 and  US$5 for audio guide which is optional. We didn't hire a guide and instead took the audio guide. There are hundreds of Khmer artifacts found in the museum, mostly sculptures in bronze and ceramics. The audio guide helped us a lot in understanding each collection. If you are interested in ancient history then this is the place to be, but if you're not you'll just get  bored, by the way, photography is not allowed, so think before you pay.

So time is running out,  we have to tidy up and pack things for our trip to Siem Reap. I would like to mention that we stayed at  RS II Guesthouse which is just okay, it has a restaurant at the ground floor, and located near the tourist spots, restaurants and riverside, it has a good location. The hotel booked our trip to Siem Reap so we don't have to to the terminal and buy ticket, a service vehicle picked us up in the hotel and took us to the (Giant Ibis) bus terminal. Travel time from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap is approximately 6-7 hours, it is long trip but you won't get bored because the view of the countryside is interesting. Bring food in the bus, so you'll enjoy the view.

THANK YOU FOR READING!