11TH JULY
Today we were off to check out some of the eastern beaches of Bali. One of the things that I was hoping to discover was that Bali was just as good if not better than Thailand. Bali has so many exciting and accessible things to see within 3 hours of driving. However, the one thing that Phuket has that I wondered if Bali could deliver was the ability to see fish in knee deep water.
I confess that I am a chicken when it comes to water. I had to be rescued in Thailand when I tried to snorkel. I love the beach but I have well and truly discovered my limits when it comes to swimming in deep water.
The question remained would I see or feed fish in Bali in knee deep water in Bali? Apparently some of the hotel owners say that you can!
I had heard that July is one of the best times to visit Bali. Firstly you can escape the chilly cold winter in Australia and the weather in Bali is a perfect 30 degrees EVERY day with low humidity:D
The slight detail that I must have glossed over was the fact that this is also the windiest time of year. The kite competitions are held at this time. This minor detail kind of put a spanner in my magnificent plan as it meant that the beaches appeared to be quite windy and the waves did not make a dip in the sea appear all that appealing for this chicken. It also made seeing any fish in knee deep water virtually impossible. Nevertheless I had to keep on trying.
On this day we travelled from Ubud to Candi Dasa (Chandi-dasa) and then went on to Amed. We visited the beach in front of the Shangrila, the beach in front of Amarata Beach bungalows, the beach in front of Pondok Vienna and a few others - maybe you can identify them from the photos?
There was lots of stunning scenery along the way in this part of the world. Wayan knew the best places to stop for the most impressive views.
I was pleased to discover that the water was soothingly warm and that the visual beauty of these beaches did rival Thailand but unfortunately there were no fish to be seen for me THIS time :)
DRIVER
We chose Wayan Budiarta as our driver and guide for most of this holiday. We needed someone who would be more that just a safe driver, we needed a guide. Someone we could speak freely with without the significant language barriers and guide us in the right direction. Someone who was punctual and reliable. Someone who was pleasant to spend time with and have a laugh with. Wayan delivered on all of these accounts. He even went above the call of duty and took many amazing photos for us. This is a man who enjoys his job.:D
Wayan Budiarta
Ph: +62 812 390 5344 - text preferred
Email:roundaboutbali@yahoo.com
As I requested, Wayan took us to Asri a fixed price one stop shop in Candi Dasa. Shopping here was a breeze. We bought some souvenir soap, pottery and some supermarket items.
This would also been a great place to buy wooden carvings but I had to restrain myself as I did not want to risk bringing any plant or animal products back to Australia out of pure laziness and not wanting to line up at the Australian customs check point.
(As it turns out there were no line ups unlike last time. You never know.)
THE WATER PALACE - TIRTAGANGGA - Beautiful and peaceful
We also visited the water palace for lunch. What a beautiful, fun and peaceful place to visit. We enjoyed feeding the enormous coy, playing on the stepping stones, checking out the fountains and taking in even more gorgeous views. The restaurant was also very enjoyable although I did not see any melon carvings as seen on their website. We spent a lot more time here that I thought we would.
LIFE IN AMED - Excellent
We stayed the night at Life In Amed in the Paradiso Villa. This hotel is just fabulous. It has a lovely, relaxing and friendly feel to it. It is right on the beach with awesome views of Lombok.
The villa was beautifully presented with the most amazing view of the beach with the boats and fishermen. We thought that the outdoor bathroom was brilliant. I love hotels that embrace the Balinese culture, that are presented well and have an added extra special something. This hotel had it all.
We attempted to have a relaxing dip in the ocean as the Life In Amed beach seemed to be more sheltered from the waves and wind. What I didn't count on was all of the coral on the beach. I wish that I had brought those reef shoes that I had my eye on back home. It got so bad that we had to hire flippers which was a total disaster for me as I ended tripping myself up constantly and causing myself even more damage. I can laugh about it now but it was not much fun at the time.
Hubby had a much better time as he only went out a couple of metres further that me and he saw heaps of fish! The underwater photos he took are from the beach in front of Life In Amed. Imagine the fish that we could have seen if you went out just a little bit more.
Check out the photos at http://smedley.id.au/BaliSpoilers5
SAILS RESTAURANT - AMED
That night we went to see the sunset from the Sails Restaurant. We insisted that Wayan join us for dinner. We had an enjoyable meal but I have to admit that the food service was slow and I really wished that I had brought my jumper. The wind became quite chilly on that hill. Nevertheless it was still worth it for the view and the good food.
LIFE IN AMED BEACH
During the day the beach is fully lined with fishing boats. I was really looking forward to seeing the fishermen get ready in the middle of the night to take the boats out. I woke several times during the night to check on them as I was not sure what time they left. I eventually woke up in the morning to find out that they all silently went out as I slept leaving a bare beach! We got up early to catch the stunning sunrise and to see the activities of the fishermen and their families as they sailed back to the beach. You have got to see this for yourself.
Wayan stopped to buy some fish by the road side it was incredible to see so many fresh fish stacked in the baskets ready for sale.
WHITE SANDS BEACH - Just beautiful.
To end our Amed / Candi Dasa tour we stopped of at elusive White Sands Beach. This beach can be quite difficult to find as it is down a narrow lane way and slightly off the beaten track. Wayan wondered what we heck were getting him into:)
White Sands Beach has the view that postcards of tropical islands are made of. We were treated to white sand, magnificent palm trees and the most beautiful blue waves. We had a great time here. It would be a sensational place to have lunch.
Has anyone done this or are they just drink stalls? What was the food like?
From here we made a bee line to Sanur to catch the Scoot boat.
MY HASSLE SAVING TIPS FOR BALI NEWBIES BEFORE YOU GO...
TIP: Save yourself a lot of pain and agony by bringing REEF SHOES. We are still suffering from coral wounds.
TIP: Buy a waterproof case for your digital camera. We usually use underwater cameras but these photos turned out a lot better!
TIP: Bring a jumper even thought you think that you won't need it. But don't hide it away in the bottom of your suitcase where you will never find it when you need it (like I did).
TIP: Buy some bread from the shops outside the water palace to feed the fish:D
TIP: Apparently a great activity is to go out on a boat with the fishermen and see the coast line at Amed.
TIP: Bring your own hair dryer.
TIP: Stay at Life In Amed
TIP: Go to the Water Palace for lunch. The crème brulee at the Water palace is fabulous!