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Posts from the ‘Bali’ Category

Sep 9

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Snapshot Sunday: Monkeys in Ubud

Today marks the first day of a new series for my blog! A lot of photos that I take don’t make it into my blog posts and I’ve decided to feature one of these photos a week in a series called Snapshot Sunday. Today’s photo comes from my little blogged about trip to Bali.

I was mostly terrified of the monkeys at Ubud Monkey Forest, but managed to get close enough to snap this shot of this family picking bugs off each other.

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May 23

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Why I Regret Riding an Elephant

When I was in Bali last year I rode an elephant.

This is something that I now deeply regret.

While planning our trip to Bali, my friend proposed a visit to an elephant park outside Ubud. I thought that being able to ride an elephant would an incredible experience. I did some research on the park and it mentioned that the animals had been rescued from areas in Sumatra where logging was destroying the natural habitats of the animals and where many elephants were forced to work in harsh conditions. In my naive state, I thought they must have it much better toting around tourists all day in Bali. Without a second thought, we booked an all day tour to experience the elephants.

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Sep 22

Taman Ujung Karangasem: A Palace in a Pond

Taman Ujung Karangasem, or Karangasem Water Palace, is a short drive from the villa near Amlapura.  This palace was built in 1919 by the king of Karangasem.  He and his family used this ornate palace as a place of relaxation.  Unfortunately for us, the majority of the palace was destroyed in an earthquake in the 1970s and today only a few buildings remain.  In spite of this, visitors are still able to enjoy the grounds and can wander through the ponds, ruins and buildings that are still standing today. Read more

Aug 22

Out and About in Candidasa

Candidasa is a charming little town in East Bali that offers many amenities for tourists without being touristy.  The main road is dotted with small hotels, guest bungalows, and restaurants serving a wide array of culinary options.  Being only a short drive from the villa, we would hop over to Candidasa when we needed a little break from the tranquility, or in some cases when we needed to achieve an even higher level of calmness. Read more

Aug 11

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Off the Beaten Track and onto Unpaved Roads

I spent the majority of my first full day in Bali white knuckling anything I could get my hands near in the back of a Jeep.  My friends and I had rented a car and we were making the journey from Amalpura to the coastal fishing town of Amed.  Being the adventurous (or, in my mind about half the time, stupid) souls we are, we decided to venture off the paved main road and take the more scenic route along the coast.  Lonely Planet describes this as the “longer, twistier, and more adventurous road”.  A more apt description, in my opinion, would be a harrowing, sometimes paved, sometimes not cliff side lane full of hairpin turns and oncoming traffic.  Did I mention I have a serious fear of driving in these types of situations?  Well, I do.  Heart palpitations and sweaty palms aside, the day turned out to be an experience I would have been upset had I missed. Read more

Aug 9

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A Peaceful Paradise in East Bali

I started off my trip to Bali with a 3 night stay at Villa Surya, located in Amalpura on the eastern side of Bali.  My friend’s parents built this place last year and were kind enough to offer it up to us in between rentals.  After about 2 hours in the car from the airport, Made, the villa driver, pulled off the main road and started down a narrow, unpaved, and bumpy path.  I was unsure of where we were going but as we arrived at the house, I knew I was in paradise. Read more