Life Abundant

Melasti Beach

We. Loved. Bali.  I don’t think that I can say it enough!  A long 5 day holiday weekend was just enough to wet our appetite for its beautiful beaches, friendly people, natural wonders, and tasty food. Our final two days in Bali were spent exploring the southern peninsula of the island, that juts out into the Indian Ocean just south of the city of Denpasar.  We stayed in an Airbnb for about $20 a night, which was hidden in one of the lush green neighborhoods just south of Jimbaran and rented a moto for $5 a day as our transportation around the peninsula.

Our favorite spot on the peninsula was our stop at the cliffs that overlook Melasti Beach.  We drove our moto down the winding road that travels along the cliff’s edge, providing the most incredible views of the rolling waves breaking over coral reefs, and crashing onto the white and black sand beaches below.  You can see for miles along the coast in either direction of a seemingly untouched landscape, besides a few massive vacation homes dotted on one hillside and a beautiful hotel overlooking the ocean.

You’ll find local fisherman fishing on the pier at the bottom of the winding road, casting their lines into the waves, and on occasion getting wet with sea spray as the waves crash onto the pier. There’s also remnants of an old traditional entrance to a temple or other site with a bright red door and beautiful traditional architecture.

 

The Water Blow

Bali seems to be full of natural wonders, things only explainable by the effects of time, natural elements, and the ultimate creativity of a divine creator.  One of these unique sites on Bali is the natural Water Blow at Nusa Dua Beach.  Waves from the Indian Ocean come crashing onto the limestone rocky coastline, and into a small cove of rock that with large enough waves, creates a natural geyser, blowing water hundreds of feet into the air. There’ss a small platform nearby that you can stand on to watch the water blow, and a nice boardwalk that you can walk along the shoreline without having to climb over the jagged rocks.

Tegal Wangi Beach

Another natural wonder of the southern peninsula at low tide are the “natural jacuzzi” pools at Tegal Wangi Beach.  These little tide pools are deep enough to swim in, and have sandy bottoms, so you won’t get cut up if you decide to hop in.  These pools only surface at low tide, so be sure to check tide times before heading to Tegal Wangi beach to soak in one of these natural tubs.  The beach itself is absolutely stunning, and it’s cliffs are a great spot for sunset photos!

Uluwatu Temple

On our last evening in Bali, we spent at the Uluwatu Temple.  The temple is built on top of a 70-meter cliff overlooking the ocean below with some of the most picture-perfect waves I’ve seen.  The temple grounds are vast and beautiful, with well-kept gardens, walkways, and views, well worth the few dollars that you pay to enter the complex.  The area is also well known for the monkeys that live there and like to come check out the tourists who seem to be coming to see them.

We ended the evening going to see the traditional Kecak Fire Dance, which is performed every night in an open-air theater in the temples complex at sunset.  The performance is unlike any other, with a choir of men who chant and sing as the background for the few actors who perform a mythical Hindu story of Ramayana, which you’ll get a description of with your ticket and entry to the dance.  I would recommend getting there early and sitting high up in the theater so you can get the best view of the actors and the sunset in the distance.

Bali was a blast to visit, and we hope to make it back someday!  Let us know if you have any questions about our trip, or if you plan on visiting or have visited Bali and what you loved about this magical place.