If you missed my first chapter check it out here:
http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowTopic-g294226-i7220-k6918753-1_Smedles_Ultimate_Adventure-Bali.html
As I planned this trip I had to think of places in Bali that made me feel the happiest, places that captured pieces of my heart. One of these places is Amed. It is not luxurious but it has an easy going down to earth feel good vibe to it in the simplest form with beautiful views and calm soothing water.
Finally my awesome plan was coming to life. The road to Amed from Candiasa is simply magical with the vast green hills of rice paddies and the grand views of the volcano that dominate the landscape.
There are lots of places to stop along the two hour ride in the lush country side like the bat temple, Blue Lagoon, the main street of Candidasa itself or Tirta Gagga but since we have done these things before we decided to pop into the beautiful Alia for breakfast. What a great idea that turned out to be. Ah, the Alia Hotel is a place where harmony reigns. The soothing architecutre overlooking the ocean was just what I needed to get back on track. The level of service and the quality food provided the zen that I had been missing up until now.
I have come to learn that I am not a huge fan of staying in Candisasa, the waves and the wind make me feel restless so on we went through the tree lined roads. Everywhere I looked life was singing to me, in the tropical flowers, the lush coconut and banana trees and the people who went about their day doing extra ordinary things like carrying heavy things on their heads and talking in groups.
We also stopped to check out some monkeys along the side of the road which is always great entertainment. There was something very comforting about seeing them up so close yet safely within the protection and comfort of a car.
Amed has a certain mystical energy to it. After passing the rice fields with a bird's eye view and the majestic volcano you descend through the valley before the ocean appears. After a long drive your you come alive again knowing that you have arrived to your new home away from home. A stop at Jemeluk Bay was in order as the view of the massive volcano from the beach was just extraordinary. After being there after a few minutes the pebbles on the beach did get taxing. Fumbling and almost falling over them. Another must stop is the hilltop view with overlooking the beautiful turquoise bay of Jemeluk. Ah just magic.
IMHO Lipah Beach is the place to be in Amed, so many of the other hotels are isolated due to the hills and lack of safe walking paths. On Lipah you have a few restaurants to choose from as well as a couple of small shops and of course the most calm and amazing snorkelling off a sandy beach in Bali. Many other hotels also sit up high which might look great in the brochures but it means that they have lots of angonising steps to walk up in the heat which is not so much fun after having a crispy snorkelling work out. Be warned that the sand here is black but it sparkles beautifully in the sun. We chose Bahuna Beach Cottages this time around for an easy going simple and peaceful retreat from our swimming adventures. (I do love the Coral View Hotel Villas as they have awesome views of the fishermen but we could not justify the price this time around for a no frills 2 storey bungalow.)
Next door to the Bahuna Beach Cottages is one of the oldest hotels in Bali, named Hidden Paradise. However the Bahuna is the real hidden paradise with its lush tropical gardens with almost every plant yealding multiple tropical flowers. The style of the rooms have a cool modern and romantic comforting feel. It feels like an oasis. We paid a small amount to upgrade to a stand alone bungalow which was a lot closer to the beach with an open ceiling bathroom and away from the loud music and traffic noise. You cannot beat this place in terms of comfort, value, cleanliness,lack of mosquitoes and its overall peaceful atmosphere. The airconditioning also stood up to the test of Amed's searing heat. Even the restaurant served great food. But of course the absolute stunning highlight of this place is the proximity to the amazing coral and fish that can be found just a stones throw way.
I am not the world's best swimmer, in fact I have zero confidence in the water but Lipah is one of the very few places in the world that I can enjoy frolicking in beautiful calm water at the most perfect temperature. The water was incredibly clear and the minor ripples cast the most amazing kalidescope of colours on the waters surface. Ah now this is bliss.
The peaceful and calm coast line on Lipah Beach is lined with palm trees and scatterings of vibrant bouganvillia. I have always remembered how special it was to take a sunrise boat ride in Lovina to see the dolphins but what took my breath away was seeing the coast line from the water and marveling in its beauty. I was thrilled to discover a new tour on Trip Advisor about an Amed canoe tour. The pictures of people gently paddling on the calm waters at sunrise sealed the deal. Unfortunately we were unable to make it for sunrise but we booked in for the afternoon tour. John was a pleasure to deal with from the very first contact. He will only take small groups and he was more than willing to work with our wish list. Thumbs up!
The photos of people sea canoeing look so peaceful and wonderful, gliding on that glass like surface, what I often forget to realise is that people often make hard work look easy through if they are talented and skilled at it. Canoeing is not as easy as some imagine. The lack of a rudder means that the canoe can have a mind of its own and veer off course very quickly. It takes skill and a lot of muscle to reign in that horse. Our lack of love of deep sea anything really did not help. But I guess that conquering this challenge is half the fun.
Having said that we jumped right in and made the most out of this tour to the best of our ability. John was a great guy and with great canoes. He did not seem to mind us veering of course and bumping into him a few times. LOL! He took us along the coast line and delivered the views that I craved. I would have loved to have seen some fish but I didn't. I wonder if they would have come to the surface if we had brought some bread like our guides did in Thailand? The colour of the water was simply amazing and reminded me of Capri. In the end I'm glad that we gave sea canoeing a go. It was great to be out there so close to that amazing water while seeing a hint of the hidden gems below. Please note that this tour usually includes some snorkelling time which is great for snorkellers. We chose to opt out which I now kinda regret.
They say that you have the best chance of seeing fish in very shallow water at 4-5pm on Lipah. This turned out to be sooo true and amazingly wonderful for a non swimmer like me. I must confess that the use of the sea window that we bought through Amazon helped me see what is under the water without getting my face wet helped significantly and was well worth the inconvenient hassle and space it took up in our suitcase. I was absolutely blown away by what lay underneath that peaceful glassy surface. I loved seeing fish that I would only normally be able to see in a tropical aquarium. It really makes you stop and think about the miracles of this world. Not knowing what you were going to encounter next was a wonderful surprise. Bali really is heaven on Earth.
To top off our amazing day we headed out a couple of doors down the beach to Cafe Indah for dinner. The Indah is known for its live music which creates a great friendly atmosphere right on the beach. I was not disappointed. Frankie's wide smile and passionate singing accomanied by his very young yet so talented bongo drum player was the great way to conclude an awe-some day in beautiful Bali.
Check out our photos at
smedley.id.au/Bali2013/Day2
HASSLE SAVING AMED TIPS FOR NEWBIES IMHO:
I have concluded that finding the right driver is the most frustrating part of all our trips to Bali. Finding someone who has the right enthusiasm for showing newbies an area that that driver has seen a million times is like finding a needle in a haystack.
Reseaching and reading reviews on drivers is fruitless as quite often they will send a friend, brother or cousin as a replacement as the orginal driver is 'sick' or at a ceremony. Newbies this is just something that we need to expect.
Perhaps I am just especially dismayed at how I agreed on a price with my driver, then a few days before our trip I sent him a copy of our plans which included many 5 star places. Suddenly he sent us an email saying that he did not take into account the distances and would need to charge us almost double (despite the fact that I included the areas we wanted to visit in my original email) Newbies prepare to develop a sense of humour regarding drivers quick smart and don't succum to the frustration. It also will help you to appreciate the driver you do have if they do not pull these old tricks.
If anyone knows of a reasonably priced driver, with a vehicle that does not often encounter problems, with a good and honest enthusiastic driver who speaks english please let me know!
CANDIDASA (ON THE WAY TO AMED)
Candidasa is one and a half hours from the airport.
VINCENT'S RESTAURANT is a must do for an excellent meal and a memorable night out.
LE 48 RESTAURANT is also a must visit in my opinion for it's uber cool ambience.
TIRTA GAGGA (the Water Palace) is a wonderful place to have lunch.
Many people report that Candidasa is a great place to snorkel. However we have always found the current to be too strong but we confess that we are mere amateurs. We prefer the bays of Amed (1 hr away) for our easy access to calm snorkelling adventures off the beach.
BLUE LAGOON near Padang Bai is an interesting tropical beach to visit. Many people have even had success snorkelling there. Watch out for those slippery rocks though!
AMED is two and a half hours away from the airport.
LIPAH BEACH is the best bay to stay in IMHO. It has snorkelling off a sandy beach in a sheltered bay. There are restaurants within easy walking distance.
SAILS restaurant and the BLUE MOON Restaurant will provide transport if need be.
If you have some extra cash to spare stay in the CORAL VIEW VILLAS and sit on the balcony and be a fly on the wall to watch the fishermen bring in their boats and fish with the help of their families. It was such a privilege to watch these families working together in such harmony without prying too much. They may not have material goods but their family dynamics were extremely heartwarming.
Bring REEF SHOES. Coral cuts are not fun and the shoes also protect your feet from the hot sand.
Remember that the sand at Amed is grey thanks to the volcanic activity in the area many, many years ago. To me this makes Amed even more special with its black glittering and sparkling sand.
Airconditioning is such a blessing in Amed. It helps keep the mosquitos away. It is also blissful after a major work out of snorkelling in the searing heat of the afternoon sun. Staying on the beach is also a huge bonus as you step straight into your airconditioned villa or bungalow without climbing a set of stairs.
Look for the buoys to try out the best snorkelling spots.
Amed is known for being extremely HOT. Use double the amount of sunscreen you normally would and apply it twice as often.
Semoga harimu menyenangkan :D!!