Komodo National Park

Komodo Island – the Home of the Komodo Dragon
We visited Komodo Island first, the better known of the two, but I will also tell you a little bit more about Rinca Island since the experience was quite different. Komodo and Rinca are the only two islands left where Komodo Dragons can be found in the wild, so visiting these rare and endangered animals is quite a special experience.

Arriving at Komodo Island, I think we all felt a bit scared by the eerie and otherworldly atmosphere of the island. Despite the island being located in one of the most stunning locations in the world, the amazing Komodo National Park, it looked pretty much like death itself. Dry and dusty, with plenty of trees that looked rather dead to us, charcoal black earth, and then the oppressive heat to top it off. A scene that could have come directly out of a horror movie, in particular with the constant croaking of ravens in the background.

Rinca Island – the Other Home of the Dragons
It was on Rinca Island the next day that we learned some fun facts about the Komodo Dragon which I am more than happy to share. Rinca, by the way, presented itself a bit more friendly in its natural appeal. Sans croaking ravens, and with the added bonus of monkeys. And crocodiles – but who cares about crocodiles when you could potentially also be eaten by a real Komodo dragon?

We learned for example that dragon poo tells us quite a lot of stories. The prey is eaten whole and alive, so anything that comes out again after an incredibly long digestion period is truly indigestible. This includes the white bits which are dissolved bones and dark lumps (in the first poo after feeding) the hair of the eaten animal. After this revelation I looked at poo with a whole new set of eyes.

Padar Island.
I have seen some pretty crazy views from the top of hikes in the past but the summit on Pulau Padar Island hike is out of this world. Padar Island is the third largest land mass within the Komodo National Park and can be found between Komodo and Rinca Island (Both home to Komodo Dragons). Padar was home to Komodo Dragons in the past, however, lack of food and hunting drove them away.

The island is known for having beautiful, but short treks and is a hot spot for photographers. Because of the panoramic view at the top of the viewpoint, this spot can be great for both sunrise and sunset. Either way, you will have to do a little bit of trekking in the dark.

Komodo and Pink Beach

From spectacular mountains to wholly unique island formations, these new wonders are all natural phenomena. Komodo Island is really the new seven wonders of the world with all the wonders that exist inside. Besides Komodo which is the larges ancient lizard species that exist on earth today, also the beauty of the Komodo Island is really quite fascinating for anyone who saw it, beaches, grasslands, sand dunes, sea and underwater are all very beautiful. Komodo Island or Komodo National Park is also The World Heritage Site. The island has a surface area of 390 km² and over 2.000 inhabitants. Not only that, Komodo National Park is one of the best dive sites on this planet. It has rich biodiversity with more than 1,500 species of fish and a home to different types of hard & soft corals.

There’s a lot more to see and do in the Komodo Islands other than trying to stalk a Komodo Dragon for a selfie. So, be sure to check out the best things to do in the Komodo Islands : The most everyone favorite part of the trip to Komodo Island after see the Komodo dragons in Komodo Island or Rinca Island is hike on top of Padar Island. The island is known for having beautiful and is a hot spot for photographers. This island is a great spot for sunrise and sunset making it perfect for capturing the beautiful beaches or the rolling hills catching rays of light. Second, you may don’t want to miss the exceptional beach, Pink Beach. The pink beach is a pristine stretch of beach with fabulous clear water that’s perfect for relax and snorkeling. Third, free diving in Makassar Reef where your best chance of spotting a Manta Ray. Forth, island hopping and snorkeling in Kanawa and Angel Island. Fifth, hike the Gili Lawa Island to capture the greatest sunset spot. Sixth, see the magical sunset with bats at Kalong Island. Seventh, visit Melo Village and experience the Manggarai Culture to see Caci Dance in Labuan Bajo. Eighth, adventure in Rangko Cave. And many more you can experience in Komodo Island.

Kelignking Beach Nusa Penida Island.

Nusa Penida has so many amazing views making it hard to pick a favorite. But when the cliffs form in the shape of a Tyrannosaurus Rex at Kelingking Secret Point Beach it is bound to be a crowd favorite. Kelingking actually translates into English meaning Pinkie a term referencing the smallest finger on the hand. Just like a pinkie promise, the land does also appear to take the form of a Kelingking or pinkie finger. However, it is the comparison to the T-Rex that has caused this location to become so popular.

If you are staying in Bali.. but still want to spend a day experiencing the best spots on Nusa Penida? You can take a day trip on a speedboat to Penida and tour around the sights such as Kelingking Beach and Crystal Bay for the day with a guide before returning back to Bali in the evening.
Nusa Penida Day Tour includes hotel pick-up and drop-off from Bali, lunch, boat transfers and your guide.

What you need to know about Kelingking Beach (Secret Point)
On the island of Nusa Penida, you can hire a moped and make the journey to Kelingking, which is about 30 minutes from the harbor. A restaurant is perched on the mountain with some pretty extreme views.

The safety at Kelingking is reliant on the bamboo railing. At many points along the cliff edge, there is no rail whatsoever and the grass just leads you off the edge, down hundreds of feet onto the rocks. The lack of safety should give you no false sense of security, be very careful as you walk along the edge enjoying the view.

Bali Hai Cruises

with so much to see and do on the pontoon, you’ll want to come back time and time again. We’ve created activities for all the family to enjoy, where you can take it easy and relax or be as adventurous as you like.

Our pontoon is just off the coast of Nusa Lembongan, and our cruise boat takes you there from Benoa Harbour daily. Our cruise staff are only too happy to help you work out your activities for the day and plan a fun filled day for the whole family. We take into account that everyone is at a different level in the water, so you can do as many activities as you feel comfortable with, or just one or two you really want to try out.

Once you arrive on the pontoon, you can start your day immediately in any of the activities, or you may choose to take the smaller boats to shore and relax on the beach. The smaller boat goes between the island and the pontoon regularly so you can go between the two whenever you like.
The pontoon caters for all sorts of water activities including snorkelling, a 35 meter water slide, and a diving board. The waters around the pontoon are perfectly safe and our staff are always there to make sure you are having fun and to assist should you need anything.
If you would prefer to see more of what goes on under water, try being an aquanaut. Your face doesn’t get wet as you wear a full helmet that supplies you with air, no snorkel or mask required. Then you can simply float or walk around on the ocean floor, watching fish come up close to you, and experiencing the beauty of the islands reef and corals.
Underwater viewing chamber, bali hai aquanauts If you would rather see underwater without getting too up close and personal, try our semi submarine rides or the underwater viewing chamber. Without getting your feet wet, you can enjoy all the underwater marine life and learn more about the ocean environment around Lembongan.

Like I said, with so many water activities on offer on our pontoon and on the island, you’ll want to come back time and time again….and we’re looking forward to seeing you and your family every time!
Happy water sports and island adventures!

Bali Elephand Ride

This place is situated between the rice paddies, jungle and the Ayung River and is one of the most natural places in Bali. A lot of natural beauty that will be encountered on the way to bali elephant ride (Bali Elephant Camp),  natural rice paddies, quaint Balinese villages, temples and local markets. Bali elephant ride (Bali Elephant Camp) will  presenting the surprise elephant attraction and give the experience go up the very existing and impressive full of fun.

Bali elephant ride (Bali elephant camp) is part of our effort to conserve this magnificent species from Sumatra. We want you to learn more about them. Get the experience of living with go trekking with our incredible elephants . By riding our elephants you help us and help other elephants in Sumatra by providing funds for food and land to make sure their homes remain protected.

After enjoying the drive, be welcomed to Bali elephant ride (Bali Elephant Camp) with a refreshing welcome drink at the ‘Trunk’n’Mahout’ valley-view café. Watch the elephants enjoy their morning or afternoon bath and then meet our Head Mahout to learn about the daily life of a Sumatran elephant as the elephants get saddled-up for the ‘Explorer’ or ‘Adventurer’ treks. Want to see a big appetite? Check out Elephant lunch-time.

If you want to become friends with a great Sumatran elephant, then try our shorter Adventurer Trek! You get to experience the beautiful landscape of our camp as well as venturing out for a trek along the edge of the valley. The views are incredible, so bring your camera! You may also get to see monkeys and tropical birds in their natural habitat.

Look down at the raging Ayung River and discover how much fun riding an elephant can be. Our elephant will also show you his/her pool as he wades through the water to cool off from the hot sun. Feel free to relax and enjoy lunch at the ‘Trunk’n’Mahour’ café at the end of the trek and enjoy the stunning valley scenery. You and your elephant become a part of the real Balinese experience. When you return to the camp enjoy a delicious western or Balinese 3 course menu at the ‘Trunk’n’Mahout’ valley-view café and relax in the idyllic surroundings.

Devil Tears Nusa Lembongan Island

How to get to Nusa Lembongan from Bali ?

For a small destination, the island of Nusa Lembongan offers lots of great attractions to explore. Kick back and relax on the beach or hit the waves and catch yourself some world class waves. Leisurely cruise through the mangrove forest or marvel at the jagged cliff face and natural rock formations that have been carved out of the waves.

Devil’s Tear
An easy drive from the main area in Lembongan and an easy first spot to visit when arriving. It’s basically a jagged cliffline overlooking the water. When a big set of waves come in, the water will rush up and cause a huge ocean spray that pumps out of the rocks. Not only is it a pretty cool sight to see the power of the ocean, but the water is incredibly blue! Be careful walking around the coastline here. It’s not uncommon for people to slip or for a huge wave to come and sweep you off. We definitely wouldn’t recommend swimming here, although people mo cliff jump when the waves are calm. The current below the cliffs is strong and could easily bash you against the rock wall if its rough. This is a much better spot for grabbing.

Nusa Lembongan Accommodation
There’s no shortage of accommodation on Nusa Lembongan. For us, we enjoyed staying on Lembongan because it was easy to get to the other islands and it is developed enough that you have access to everything. As we mentioned earlier, there was a lot of construction going on throughout the island when we were there, so this place is probably going to blow up in the next couple of years. For now it’s still a relatively sleepy place, with a chilled out island vibe.

boat Trip To Nusa Lembongan

Fast Boat to Nusa Lembongan

The beautiful Nusa Lembongan is part of the three Nusa-islands that lie off the coast of Bali. Nusa Penida is the largest and most pristine island, Nusa Ceningan is a small and rather undeveloped island in the middle, and closest to the Balinese coast lies Nusa Lembongan. It is by far the most developed island of the three, even though its only a little bigger than the small Ceningan. There’s quite a lot of tourism on the islands, mainly from Chinese tour groups, but it doesn’t take much effort to avoid them.

The paradise-like Nusa Lembongan is known as a resort island. It is less rugged than neighboring island Penida, which makes it more suitable for a beach holiday. Lembongan has a couple of wonderful hotels and some great beaches and restaurants. Besides that, it’s all about the easy island life. Stress? What’s that? The island is so small that you can drive from one end to the other in half an hour.

In this article, I will share my Nusa Lembongan tips with you: I’ll provide a list of the best things to see and do, where to eat and which hotels to stay at. Nusa Lembongan is a perfect destination while on a longer trip to Bali and I would definitely recommend visiting the island for a few days. Here are my tips!

How to get to Nusa Lembongan from Bali:
I was very lucky, because my sweet boyfriend took me on a trip to Nusa Lembongan for Valentine’s Day. He booked our return ticket with balitourisland.com  and paid 500,000 IDR per person (about €30). This included: our pick-up and transfer to the port of Sanur, the boat trip (return) and the transfer from the port of Lembongan to our hotel. You could also arrange all this yourself by getting to the port of Sanur and buying tickets for the boat on the spot. Know that Uber probably won’t be able to take you all the way to the port, because of the taxi monopoly. Tickets for the boat can be bought right there and will include your hotel transfer. The boat trip takes about 30 minutes.

Tip: Make sure to put your electronics in a dry bag. You will have to get on the boat directly from the beach, which means that your stuff might get wet. Make sure to bring enough cash with you as well, because there might be fewer ATMs on the island than what you’re used to.

Kelimutu Trip

KELIMUTU TOUR FLORES ISLAND

Flores in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) have interesting tourism destination in every corner of the island. But one you can't miss is the unique Kelimutu Lake at Kelimutu Island, which is known as Danau Tiga Warna (Three Colors Lake).
The uniqueness of the lake is its capability to change color during certain times. Also, the beauty of scenery around the mountain is an attraction it self.

According to local belief's, the different lake color's has its own meaning. The blue lake, 'Tiwu Nuwa Muri Koo Fai' in local dialect, believed as a gathering place of people who died at a young age. And as the red one, 'Tiwu Ata Polo', believed as a gathering place for people who during his lifetime often doing bad things. The white one, 'Tiwu Ata Mbupu', believed by the local villager as a gathering place for their ancestor spirit who died at an old age.
The discoloration occurs within certain periods of time. According to Kelimutu National Park Office data, from 1915 to 2011, Ata Polo has occurred a discoloration approximately 44 times, Nua Muri Koo Fai at 25 times and 16 times at Ata Mbupu. There is no definite schedule and changing pattern for those color change.

This phenomenon occurs due to the many factors happened in the lake such as volcano activity, reflection of sunlight, water macrobiotic, dissolved chemicals, and algae. Geo-chemical process in bottom of the lake, which produces certain chemical substances in the water, also become the reason for its discoloration.
Furthermore, local's believe that the Kelimutu's lake is a sacred lake and give fertility to its surrounding area. That is why ceremonies are often held here and locals provide it with agricultural offerings, which become one interesting ritual to see for travelers in kelimutu lake. This ritual is a national festival called 'Pati Ka' held annually on 14 August.

To get the most out of the beauty of kelimutu lake's, it takes great energy and time during your traveling session.
From Bali you can flight to Labuan Bajo, then trip to Ende by private car. Or you can fly to Kupang and continue with four hour road trip to Ende. After that, the journey continue to Moni village, a small dorp at the foot of Kelimutu Mountain, which takes about one to two hours trip.

Entering Kelimutu National Park, traveler must register themselves and get an entry ticket at the price of Rp150.000,- for non domestic traveler. To get to the top of the mountain, it'll need one to two hours trekking depending on your stamina.

To get maximum sensation of Kelimutu, the best time to track the mountain is two hours before the sunrise. This experience will give you an unforgettable memory once you witnessed the magnificent view of what it can offer.
We take trip from bali and booked on balitouisland.com

Padar Island Flores

Padar Island

I have seen some pretty crazy views from the top of hikes in the past but the summit on Pulau Padar Island hike is out of this world. Padar Island is the third largest land mass within the Komodo National Park and can be found between Komodo and Rinca Island (Both home to Komodo Dragons). Padar was home to Komodo Dragons in the past, however, lack of food and hunting drove them away.

The island is known for having beautiful, but short treks and is a hot spot for photographers. Because of the panoramic view at the top of the viewpoint, this spot can be great for both sunrise and sunset. Either way, you will have to do a little bit of trekking in the dark.

How to get to Padar Island.

To get to Padar Island you can either take a day trip from Bali to Labuan Bajo or reach Padar as part of your Komodo island. I was on two days experience explore Komodo,Rinca,Manta and Padar island. We booked on balitourisland.com is they have a big boat that has cabins and all the equipment for snorkeling and a kitchen etc. You live on the boat hence the term ‘liveaboard’. By sleeping on the boat it means you don’t have to transit to and from Labuan Bajo each day and you can be right at the base of Padar or other hikes and ready for sunrise. 

To book the trips you can go to a website like balitourisland.com and they list all of the different and trips available. They show you the cabins on each boat and also the list of activities and trip includes. They are generally the most reliable site rather and are a global brand with a good reputation.

Padar, padar island, labuan bajo, labuan bajo hike, hiking indonesia, hiking in indonesia, indonesia hiking, best hikes in indonesia, indonesia trekking, indonesia hiking

We sailed from Labuan Bajo on our Komodo liveaboard, which is one of the only ways to arrive at Padar. A liveaboard is an awesome experience, where you sleep, dive and explore from a beautiful sailboat throughout Komodo. It took us a little over three hours. Along the way, we stopped at Mesa Village, which is home to a colony of sea nomads and then we also stopped off at a couple of snorkeling spots that had crystal clear water.

We anchored our boat and took the smaller boat to the shore where the hike begins. You first scramble your way up a dusty hill, which I believe has now been replaced by stairs. This trek is definitely more about the views than a tough hike. From start to finish it took us only 20 minutes.

Some people were struggling as the hike is quite steep but it genuinely took us less than 20 minutes to reach the summit so if you are in decent shape this is a pretty mild hike.

Padar Island Hike is photography heaven

There are many lookouts and photo opportunities along the way. About halfway up there is a rocky outcrop that gives you a vantage point of 4 beaches. This is probably the most popular spot to get amazing shots from. However, it is truly an inspiring location and you can discover amazing views in all directions.

We decided to avoid the huge crowd at the popular lookout and ventured even higher. Our new spot had an obstructed view of two of the beaches but gave us a view of several others. If someone asked me what to compare this hike to I think the only thing that comes to mind is dinosaur territory.

Gili Laba is another awesome viewpoint in Komodo National Park that you should check out for sunrise.

padar, padar island, labuan bajo, labuan bajo hike, hiking indonesia, hiking in indonesia, indonesia hiking, best hikes in indonesia, indonesia trekking, indonesia hiking.

Padar, padar island, labuan bajo, labuan bajo hike, hiking indonesia, hiking in indonesia, indonesia hiking, best hikes in indonesia, indonesia trekking, indonesia hiking

Although it is quite an effort to get to Padar Island, if you are cruising around the area it is definitely worth the effort. Watching the setting sun from the top of Padar Island will be a moment from my trip to Indonesia that I will never forget.

Bali Quad Biking

Bali Quad Biking.

There are many fast-paced adrenaline sports on four wheels and you might think that quad biking falls into that category… but you’d be wrong.
Quad biking is less about speed and adrenaline and more about skills and tactics and being at one with your machine.Quad bikes are great fun and the woodland course at our Warwick site has some very challenging areas, especially during the winter. The chances are, you’ll not really get out of second gear though… but that’s the whole point.

Quad biking – fun for everyone (really) at any time of year
Like many of our activities, the misconception of adventure sports being just for men is simply not true. Quad biking appeals to both men and women, and the beauty of quad biking on our site in Warwick is that the sessions are completely tailored to the individual person or team.
Quads can be dangerous when not ridden correctly and safety is always at the forefront of our activities. If you don’t feel comfortable then neither do we.

We have many groups who are more than happy to just ride around on the grassy test area for the majority of their session and that’s enough for them. There are some cones to navigate, which is easier said than done when you’re on a quad bike for the first time. Some people will show a thirst for more, so we’ll move onto more complicated course with a few more bumps and a bit more mud before we really are certain that you can handle the woods.
We make sure that the quad biking is accessible for everyone, no matter how brave (or otherwise) you’re feeling…

When you arrive you’ll be given the normal briefing and safety talks. You’ll be reminded that riding a completely open and very heavy machine deserves respect and understanding. Luckily, it’s very easy to get into and you’ll soon be at one with your beast.
First of all you’ll need some attractive gear to cruise through the mud in. By all means wear your own comfortable clothes and we’ll kit you out in overalls and a helmet and gloves to protect your head, face and hands (mainly from the brambles and branches).

Next it’s time to get to know your quad
Our quad bikes are Honda Fourtrax 250 ES. They’re a 2x4 rear wheel drive bike with a 250cc 4-stroke engine. They’re a very capable machine offering electronic gear shift (so there’s no complicated clutch to worry about). They offer great suspension, a comfortable riding position, high-grip off-road tyres, and they’re easy to control.
The seating position is important. The quad bikes here at Adventure Sports are rear wheel drive, so sitting upfront as close to the petrol tank as possible is essential if you don’t like performing wheelies! Basically you need the petrol tank touching your crotch for maximum centre of gravity.

The quads don’t have a manual clutch, and the gears are simple to operate. The up and down electronic buttons on the left hand side of the handlebars are simple to use. Reverse (should you get stuck) can be found with a combination of brake lever and reverse button and then down on the gears. You’ll spend most of your time in 2nd gear on our Honda quads as first gear is too vicious and tends to jolt the bike.
The accelerator is a simple thumb lever on the right handlebar. The trick with a quad is to use a smooth motion and bring on the power gently - not jerking like a learner driver on their first day (kangaroos don’t belong in our Warwick woods!).

To stop you need to use the brake levers. Pull both towards you and the quad bike will stop. The brakes are exactly the same as a push or motorbike and for most people are instinctively simple to use.
A word of warning on brakes: Once you’ve been through a few puddles and gathered up some mud, they won’t perform anywhere near as well as they do on the simple test at the beginning. You won’t really need to make any emergency stops but just make sure you don’t tailgate your friend in front!
In normal situations you can just stay seated and ride but when you hit some slopes and odd gradient you will need to move slightly to the side to counter balance your quad bike. Don’t worry as again this is fairly instinctive – hopefully your own balance will come into play.

Cycling Go Down Hill

Bali cycling  Tour

Let me preface this by saying: I am usually so not a tour person. That said, I took an cycling tour in Bali and it was one of my favorite experiences of my whole 7 weeks backpacking in Southeast Asia. Despite my weariness of tours and all things organized, cycling in Bali was a wonderful experience, and I recommend everyone experience it for themselves!

The tour company picked my group of 3 up from our hotel we are booked on balitourisland.com. After loading up in the van at an ungodly early hour, we headed up north away. After I jolted awake from my nap (I can sleep basically anywhere, so long as it’s moving), I was shocked by the beautiful scenery. Lush greenery and mountains everywhere: just a taste of what I’d continue to experience for the rest of the day. As we had a long day of cycling in Bali ahead of us, we started with a buffet breakfast at a hotel overlooking Mount Batur, one of the tallest volcanoes in Bali.

We went to a coffee plantation, where we tasted a few different coffees and were told of the “luwak” coffee — more famously known as “weasel poop coffee.” Basically, they make weasels eat coffee beans, collect their poop, and turn it into coffee. Yum? But, as someone who suffers from serious FOMO, I coughed up the 5 extra bucks to try the weasel poop coffee. I wish I could wax poetic about how disgusting or revelatory it was, but it was… just coffee.

In all honesty, though, I don’t recommend you consume the luwak coffee – after doing my research, I find it really unethical in a way I had never considered prior to my tour. I guess I imagined them roaming free, eating coffee beans to their heart’s content (while someone picked up after them, I guess). But once I finished my coffee and toured the plantation, I felt rather guilty. The weasels simply are not kept in good conditions. Their enclosures, while large, had concrete floors and no real stimuli for the weasels to play with. It made me a bit depressed, and honestly, had I seen the cages beforehand I never would have paid for the coffee. I recommend researching any tour that includes a coffee tour in Bali and opting out of the kopi luwak experience.

After a quick primer on how to use the brakes (which would come much in handy, considering we biked in a single-file line downhill, with frequent stops), we were off! The tour was billed as a “downhill cycling tour” and that was pretty accurate.  I don’t think I put my feet on the pedals once until the end, when I and my friends opted for the optional uphill portion.

We biked through a beautiful remote village, where we got to explore a traditional Balinese compound. These compounds are fascinating! Rooted in Hindu and Buddhist thought, each compound houses several pavilions, a central courtyard, a family shrine, and several different stand-apart rooms such as bedrooms, kitchens, and food storage rooms. These compounds are intergenerational, with everyone from great-great-grandparents to the youngest babies living all in one property. Typically, a woman will move into the compound once she marries and becomes a part of this large extended family.

We kept biking through the village, until we reached some stunning rice terraces. Now, if you do the cycling in Bali tour, these aren’t the terraces you’ve seen photos of on Pinterest: that’s Tegalalang, which this tour doesn’t cover. However, these terraces are completely tourist-free, so you can truly soak up the peace and quiet of the gorgeous Balinese countryside.

If you want those iconic photos of Tegalalang to make your buddies back home drool, you’ll want to take a separate trip for that, either by renting a motorbike for the day or hiring a driver. If you rent a motorbike, don’t be stupid and please make sure to have an appropriate helmet.

After reaching the rice terraces and taking some obligatory photos, the group splintered into two: those were tuckered out and wanted to go straight to the buffet, and those who wanted to kick their asses and opt for the uphill portion. Raring with energy, I and my travel buddies opted for the latter.

About ten minutes into cycling in Bali heat in the peak of the day, I started to wonder if that was a bad idea. With a sheen of sweat coating me and cooling me, I finally got into a groove, counting in cycles of 4 over and over again to get me over the big hills. After about 45 minutes of an intense series of hills, I was never happier to collapse into a plate of food.

This food, by the way, also happened to be some of the best food I’ve eaten IN MY LIFE. I know the word buffet brings to mind images of subpar, lukewarm food, but STAAAHP. This food was incredible, because Indonesian food is bangin’. (BTW, if you want to take a Indonesian cooking class, Ubud is a great place to do so!) Mee goreng (fried noodles with veggies and shrimp crackers), homemade sambal (chili paste), gado gado (veggies with peanut sauce), opor ayam (coconut chicken), tempeh kecap (marinated tempeh cooked in a sweet soy and ketchup sauce)…. good god, I need to stop before I book a flight to Bali just to eat all the foods. Even better, everything at the buffet was all made in an organic garden in the back of the restaurant!

Flores Tour

FLORES TRIP

Like most people, I was guilty of only planning on going to Bali for my first trip to Indonesia. There’s just no denying that that’s usually what all the hype is about, right? But the more I researched, the more I found that there was SO MUCH more to see in Indonesia, including the amazing, Flores Island.

So I dug a little deeper, and found another area of Indonesia that especially caught my attention; Flores Island. Why? Well to be honest, I have this personal goal of going to all of the New 7 World Wonders of Nature, and Flores has one of them; Komodo Island. But additionally, all I had to do was take a peak at the Google Images for the island, and I was hooked.

Have you ever seen different colored volcanic crater lakes in the middle of a jungle before? Or hiked a hill with a birds-eye view of an island that has three different colored sand beaches? For my Game of Thrones fans, animal lovers, and everyone’s inner child; have you ever wanted to see a real dragon in real life? Flores Island in Indonesia has ALL of that, and more!

So how do you get to Flores Island? How in the heck do you get from one side of the island to the other, plus all of the places in between? Everything you could ever possibly want to know.

Let’s just say that it’s a bit of an adventure to get to Flores Island. You’ll first need to fly to Bali, which, I can also give you tips about as well since I’m basically a pro flight price hacker. From my experience, using the flexible search options on the airfare comparison site.

I’ve done full tutorials on how exactly I do this, which you can see in some of my other posts below:
–How to Find the cheapest package tours to flores ?

You have a couple options for where you can fly into, it will mostly just depend on what you want to see first (maybe also factor in weather, time of the week, etc.). We flew into Komodo first, and from Komodo flew to Ende, where we had to take a bus inland in order to see the volcanic crater lakes. Then we continued by bus to the opposite of the island, Maumere, where we caught a flight back to Bali.

Ulun Danu Tample

Ulun Danu Tample

Ulun Danu Tample is Second most populer and  important temple in Bali after Puri Besakih.
According to the concept Balinese Rwa Bhineda (The Balance of two opposites), Pura Ulun Danu Batur is regarded as Pradana (feminine) while Pura Besakih is purusha (masculine), thus the two temples complete the universal Balance. Whereas at Pura Besakih, God is worshipped to strengthen the soul of the people to achieve spiritual happiness, at Pura Batur, prayers are conducted to strengthen economic prosperity.

Lying at an altitude of 900 m above sea level, the temple is located at Kalanganyar Village, Kintamani sub district, Bangli regency, in the heart of Central Bali. Rebuilt in 1926, the temple is dedicated to Dewi Batari Ulun Danu, the goddess of lakes and rivers. "Ulun Danu" itself literally translates as "head of the lake".  Until 1917, the Ulun Danu Batur Temple was nestled in the northwestern slope of Mount Batur. The large eruption of Mount Batur in 1917, which swallowed thousands of lives and ruined the entire area, equally sorely damaged the temple. The head of the village and the residents then decided to bring the surviving shrines with them and rebuilt the temple at higher ground in Kalanganyar. In the following 1926 eruption, the entire the Batur village, including the temple, was once again buried by lava. But the 11-tiered meru shrine of Dewi Danu located in the temple compound survived. After the catastrophe not only was the temple rebuilt on higher ground, but the village was also shifted higher.

This temple is the core of all water temples in Central Bali. It is paramount among all water temple systems which has great authority over all irrigation systems that draw water from Lake Batur in Bali’s famed Subak landscape. This unique system, which is a recognized UNESCO World Cultural Heritage, comprises not only the technical aspects of rice cultivation and irrigation but is moreover part and parcel of the social and religious unity on Bali.

The history of Pura Ulun Danu also can be traced from Lontar Babad Mengwi. An Indonesia's scripture. In that scripture, there is a story about I Gusti Agung Putu, who loses in a war against I Gusti Ngurah Batu Tumpeng. After the loses, I Gusti Agung Putu meditating in mountain Mangu, to obtain strength and enlightenment. I Gusti Ngurah Agung Putu then built Bela Ayu castle, and goes to war against I Gusti Ngurah Batu Tumpeng again. This time he won.
Afeter his victory I Gusti Agung Putu, built Pura Ulun Danu Bratan and founding the Mengwi kingdom.
It is said that the construction is happen around 1634 AD (1556 saka) one year before I Gusti Agung Putu built his Pura Taman Ayun.

Main purposes :
to worship Sang Hyang Widhi and His care to the lake, river and water. It also used to worship Laksmi goddess, goddess of the lake and the river also a goddess of beauty and fertility.
Ulun Danu, means above Danau, or above the lake.
Lake Bratan it self is an important lake.

Lembongan Trip

Fast Boat to Lemobngan Island

When to go ?
Any time is a good time to visit Nusa Lembongan although the rainy season in Bali is for real! Expect frequent showers from December through February. I visited the island in March 2018 and found the weather to be nice but the traffic and main streets to be hectic. I can imagine it’s a zoo in high season from May to October, so the shoulder seasons are probably best.

When visiting Nusa Lembongan, be sure to visit the other two islands as well – Penida and Ceningan. It’s easy to pop over to both for a day trip.

I’d also probably stay on Ceningan instead of Lembongan in the future. It was more beautiful, more laid back, and had more cool things to do. It’s just a quick scooter ride away from Lembongan, which makes it an easy day trip in either direction.

Here is your ultimate guide to Nusa Lembongan, Indonesia. Where to go, things to do, how to get around, where to stay, and some other insider tips included. They say this island is how Bali used to be, so go now before it's too late.
That said, Lembongan was a lovely place to lay my head for a couple of nights, and a nice taste of how Bali used to be. Usually we book on balitourisland.com.

kelimutu Lake Flores

Kelimutu Trip

Journey to Flores Island specially to Ende will not complete if not yet visited the Lake of Three colour kelimutu Lake. Kelimutu Lake represent the lake which has a lot of story and mystery. For me that lake are the most unique of lake in the world.
This lake area is first time found by Van Such Telen, Dutch citizen in the year 1915.
Area of Lake Kelimutu about 51 kilometre from Ende Town.

The lake are recognized three colourly, that is red, blue, and turn white. Nevertheless, the colour always fluctuate along with time goes. Just now, two colour from that third lake is chocolate, while other is green.
Lake Or Tiwu Kelimutu consist for three shares matching with colour in each lake. blue Chromatic lake, the rose colored Lake and white chromatic lake.

Colour of Lake Kelimutu non-stoped to change. That change might possibly because of mineral content, influence type of moss and amethyst in the cauldron. For local society of that colour change has the separate meaning.

That third lake about 1.051.000 metre sqaure with the volume irrigate 1.292 million meter cubic. boundary beetwen the lake is tight stone wall erosive narrow. the Precipitous wall own the inclination angle 70 degree with the height of among 50 until 150 metre.

Tricolour lake in the top of crater Kelimutu becoming one of the this world miracle, is really charming with the beauty of and on the mystery in top of the mountain as high as 1.690 metre above the sea level.

Mount Kelimutu have erupted at 1886 and leave three cauldron of is in form of the lake and specified by as national park of since 26 Februari 1992. Kelimutu also represent the good place for taking a fancy to hiking and enjoy the tropical mountain countryside area.

Kelimutu represent the word merger from "Keli" meaning mount and "mutu" word meaning to boil. According to local resident belief, colour of at lake Kelimutu own the meaning of each and have the power of the very awful nature.
Morning is best time to witness the beauty of lake Kelimutu. While before high noon, and surely evening, usually view of lake Kelimutu will be blocked by thick fog.

Besides view of lake Kelimutu, we can also see dissimilar natural beauty in National Park of Kelimutu just like Protected Forest which is a lot of growed by the grove of pine and fir-tree and also birds chirp dwelling area of National Park Kelimutu.

Natural resources of Lake Kelimutu supported also with the cultural properties in the form of custom house, folk dance and crafting weave to fasten representing local citizen individuality. Others also, there are hot water source, waterfall, and countrified of custom which fun to visit. When you will pay a visit there, the most precise time is during the month of July until September.

Quad Bike Bali

Quad Biking

Here you will find an awesome Quad Bike or ATV trek that is exotic and fun. The natural environment is gorgeous and a picturesque panorama. You will get an amazing experience riding on all-terrain vehicles (quad bike) on a long and challenging track along the rice fields, jungle, rivers, and a natural Bali traditional village. It’s safe and suitable for a beginner or a professional. It’s time for you to try out the challenging track. You won’t regret or forget this experien
ce. A visit to coffee plantation and taste several Balinese coffee also including on this trip.
Itinerary this is a typical itinerary for this product Pass By: balitourisland.com, Ubud, Gianyar Regency, Bali who will pick you up, taking care of your experience, and transfer you back home.
Bali on arrival, meet your guide and have some introduction of ATV before the ride starts.Set out on a thrilling 2-hour excursion, following your guide along narrow rain-forest trails and muddy jungle tracks, zipping past tiered rice paddies and lush plantations. Splash through rivers, tackle tricky off-road sections, and glide through a bamboo forest, stopping along the way to take photos or catch a glimpse of local life in the rural villages.After an adrenaline-fueled tour, return to the starting point, where you have time to shower and change before lunch is served.Duration: 3 hoursStop At: Teba Sari Bali Agrotourism, Lodtunduh, Ubud, Gianyar Regency, Bali After the ATV ride, you will be offered to stop at a local coffee plantation to taste several Balinese coffee and tea.Duration: 30 minutes

Jatiluwih Rice Terraces

Jatiluwih 

Most tourists in Bali only ever seem to go to Kuta Beach. I’ve been amazed at the crowds in Kuta and equally amazed at how few crowds there have been elsewhere. With so many great places to see on Bali, you’d expect some people to venture off Kuta. Few do, which means you can explore the rest of the island in peace.

One of the top ten things to see in Bali and front and center in every guidebook, these rice terraces are stunning. They give new meaning to the word green. They crawl up the sides of the hills like steps leading you towards the sky.

And like so much of Bali, the terraces are equally as empty as they are beautiful. Except for a few people from nearby resorts, you won’t see anybody here. Plus, there are even fewer people walking through the rice fields. It’s just you and nature.

The Jatiluwih rice terraces comprise over 600 hectares of rice fields following the flowing hillside topography of the Batukaru mountain range. These are well-maintained by a traditional water management cooperatives dating back to the 9th century!

Jatiluwih is derived from two words. Jati means “real” and Luwih means “good” or “beautiful”. So even the name in the local language lets you know this place is beautiful. When you drive the narrow, winding road to Jatiluwih, you’ll see the beautiful panoramas along the road. This area is the only place in the world that has three annual rice harvests.

The terraces span a huge area. A day trip here will give you a good feel for them, but to really explore them I recommend a two-day trip (assuming you enjoy hiking through rice terraces, of course). You’ll get to explore different parts of the terraces, jump over rivers, and even sit down to a nice lunch in the terraces. I only got to hike around for a few hours, but I dream of coming back to hike more. Moreover, there are beautiful mountains in the area, small villages to explore, and great restaurants to eat at. you can request trips with balitourisland.com  best staff and friendly.

Kecak Dance

Kecak  Dance 
What makes the Kecak special is that the accompanying music is provided by the human voice, the gamelan suara, a choir of a hundred men or more sitting in concentric circles, swaying, standing up, lying prone as the story develops.Amongst the swaying masses the voices of the storytellers can be heard telling the unfolding tale.
The story is a fragment from the Ramayana, the Hindu epic which finds its expression in many forms, not only in dance, but also in painting and carving. Prince Rama, heir to the throne of the kingdom of Ayodya, and his wife Sita have been banished from the kingdom by King Dasarata as a result of trickery by Rama's stepmother. The story begins with the arrival of Rama and Sita accompanied by Rama's brother Laksmana in the forest of Dandaka.
The trio have been observed by the demon Rahwana, King of Alengka, who lusts after the beautiful Sita. Rahwana sends his prime minister Marica to try and isolate Sita so that Rahwana can kidnap her. Marica's magical powers turn him into a golden deer and he enters the forest and when the Sita sees the golden deer she is so enchanted by it that she asks Rama to capture it for her. Rama chases after the deer leaving his brother Laksamana behind with strict instuction to protec Sita. When Sita thinks she hears a cry for help from Rama she forces Laksamana to go after Rama by accusing him of cowardice and he goes off to help Rama with great reluctance after drawing a magic circle on the ground and telling Sita the she should not under any circumstance step out side the circle.
Sita, left alone in the forest becomes an easy prey to the trickery of Rahwana who has disguised himself has an old periest and bags Sita for some food as he is cold and hungry. Sita falls for for his trick, she steps outside the circle to give the old priest some food and rahwana grabs her and takes her to his palace.Once back in his palace in Alengka, Rahwana tries everything he can to seduce Sita without any luck.
In the palace of Alengka, Sita pours out her heart about her cruel fate to Rahwana's niece Trijata, when Hanoman appears telling her that hi is Rama's envoy and proving it by showing her Rama's ring. Sita gives Hanoman a hairpin to show she is still alive and sand him back to Rama with a massage to come to her rescue.
In the meantime Rama and Laksamana accompanied by Tualen are wandering in the forest looking for Sita when Meganada, Rahwana's son, appeares and engages Rama and Laksamana in Battle. Meganada uses his magic powers and shoots of an arrow which magically turns in to a dragon which overpowers Rama and Laksamana and they are trussed up in ropes.
The bird Garuda, King of all the bird, a good friend of King Dasarata, has observed trouble Rama is in from high up in the sky and comes to the rescue freeing the brothers from the ropes. Rama and Laksamana continue on their way to rescue Sita and are joined by Sugriwa, king of the monkeyes, and his monkeys army.
This fragmen of the Ramayana come to an end with the bittle between Sugriwa and his Monkeys Army and Meganada and his Demon Army which ends with the defeat of Meganada.
Don't forget check trip at balitourisland.com for seeing fire dance in bali

Barong and Keris Dance

Barong is a character in the mythology of Bali. He is the king of the spirits, leader of the hosts of good, and enemy of Rangda in the mythological traditions of Bali. Banas Pati Rajah is the fourth "brother" or spirit child that accompanies a child throughout life. Banas Pati Rajah is the spirit which animates Barong. A protector spirit, he is often represented by a lion, and traditional performances of his struggles against Rangda are popular parts of Balinese culture. The Barong Dance is often portraited with two monkeys

The Barong is the magical protector of Balinese villages. As & lord of the forest with fantastic fanged mask and long mane, he is the opponent of Rangda the witch, who rules over the spirits of darkness, in the never ending fight between good and evil. During the Galungan Kuningan festivals, the Barong (there are many types, including barong ket, barong macan, and barong bangkal) wanders from door to door (nglawang) cleansing the territory of evil influences.

Barong and Kris dance like the kecak dance the Barong and Kris dance is a battle between good and evil spirit. Barong can take various forms but in this dance he takes the form of the dance Barong Keket, the most holy of the Barongs. The Barong Keket is a strange creature, half shaggy dog, half lion and is played by two men in much the same way as a circus clown-horse. His opponent is the witch Rangda.

Uluwatu Tample

Uluwatu Temple, or Pura Luhur Uluwatu, one of six key temples believed to be Bali's spiritual pillars, is renowned for its magnificent location, perched on top of a steep cliff approximately 70 metres above sea level. This temple also shares the splendid sunset backdrops as that of Tanah Lot Temple, another important sea temple located in the island's western shores. Pura Luhur Uluwatu is definitely one of the top places on the island to go to for sunset delights, with direct views overlooking the beautiful Indian Ocean and daily Kecak dance performances.
Balinese architecture, traditionally-designed gateways, and ancient sculptures add to Uluwatu Temple's appeal.
Booked TOURS with balitourisland.com and see the Temple, Monkey Forest & Tanah Lot Excursion Quad or ATV ride & Tubing Excursion Romantic Aristocat Evening Cruise with 5-Course Dinner Bali White Water Rafting at Telaga Waja River Fast-Track Waterbom Bali Admission Lembongan Island Leisure Day Trip Private East Coast Tour Highlights Of Bali Full-Day Tour Interested in this tour? Book it here. Duration BOOK Without a doubt, what makes Uluwatu Temple spectacular is its cliff-top setting at the edge of a plateau 250 feet above the waves of the Indian Ocean. 'Ulu' means the ‘top’ or the ‘tip’ and 'watu' means a ‘stone’ or a ‘rock’ in Balinese. Several archaeological remains found here prove the temple to be of megalithic origin, dating back to around the 10th century. There are two entrances to Uluwatu Temple, from the south and the north. A small forest lies at the front and hundreds of monkeys dwell here. They are believed to guard the temple from bad influences. The serpentine pathway to the temple is fortified by concrete walls on the cliff side. It takes about an hour to get from one end to another as there are several fenced points along the way to stop. The views from the bottom of the water surging up against rocks and the ocean horizon are remarkable. The Balinese Hindus believe that the three divine powers of Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva become one here. That belief results in making Uluwatu Temple a place of worship of Siva Rudra, the Balinese Hindu deity of all elements and aspects of life in the universe. Pura Uluwatu is also dedicated to protect Bali from evil sea spirits.

Tanah Lot Tample

Tanah Lot means "Land [in the] Sea" in the Balinese language. Located in Tabanan, about 20 kilometres (12 mi) from Denpasar, the temple sits on a large offshore rock which has been shaped continuously over the years by the ocean tide.

Tanah Lot is claimed to be the work of the 16th-century Dang Hyang Nirartha. During his travels along the south coast he saw the rock-island's beautiful setting and decided to rest there. Some fishermen saw him, and bought him gifts. Nirartha then spent the night on the little island. Later he spoke to the fishermen and told them to build a shrine on the rock, for he felt it to be a holy place to worship the Balinese sea gods.The main deity of the temple is Dewa Baruna or Bhatara Segara, who is the sea god or sea power and these days, Nirartha is also worshipped here.

The Tanah Lot temple was built and has been a part of Balinese mythology for centuries. The temple is one of seven sea temples around the Balinese coast. Each of the sea temples was established within eyesight of the next to form a chain along the south-western coast. In addition to Balinese mythology, the temple was significantly influenced by Hinduism.

At the base of the rocky island, venomous sea snakes are believed to guard the temple from evil spirits and intruders. The temple is purportedly protected by a giant snake, which was created from Nirartha's selendang (a type of sash) when he established the island. We trust balitourisland.com for make our trips and plan to Tanah Lot tample.

Komodo Dragon / Waran

The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), also known as the Komodo monitor, is a species of lizard found in the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Gili Motang, and Padar member of the monitor lizard family Varanidae, it is the largest living species of lizard, growing to a maximum length of 3 metres (10 ft) in rare cases and weighing up to approximately 70 kilograms

Their unusually large size has been attributed to island gigantism, since no other carnivorous animals fill the niche on the islands where they live. However, recent research suggests the large size of Komodo dragons may be better understood as representative of a relict population of very large varanid lizards that once lived across Indonesia and Australia, most of which, along with other megafauna, died out after the Pleistocene (as a result of human activity). Fossils very similar to V. komodoensis have been found in Australia dating to greater than 3.8 million years ago, and its body size remained stable on Flores, one of the handful of Indonesian islands where it is currently found, over the last 900,000 years, "a time marked by major faunal turnovers, extinction of the island's megafauna, and the arrival of early hominids by 880 kiloannums

As a result of their size, these lizards dominate the ecosystems in which they live. Komodo dragons hunt and ambush prey including invertebrates, birds, and mammals. It has been claimed that they have a venomous bite; there are two glands in the lower jaw which secrete several toxic proteins. The biological significance of these proteins is disputed, but the glands have been shown to secrete an anticoagulant. Komodo dragons' group behaviour in hunting is exceptional in the reptile world. The diet of big Komodo dragons mainly consists of Timor deer, though they also eat considerable amounts of carrion. Komodo dragons also occasionally attack humans.

Mating begins between May and August, and the eggs are laid in September. About 20 eggs are deposited in abandoned megapode nests or in a self-dug nesting hole. The eggs are incubated for seven to eight months, hatching in April, when insects are most plentiful. Young Komodo dragons are vulnerable and therefore dwell in trees, safe from predators and cannibalistic adults. They take 8 to 9 years to mature, and are estimated to live up to 30 years.

Komodo dragons were first recorded by Western scientists in 1910. Their large size and fearsome reputation make them popular zoo exhibits. In the wild, their range has contracted due to human activities, and they are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. They are protected under Indonesian law, and a national park, Komodo National Park, was founded to aid protection efforts.

Rinca Flores Island

Rinca, also known as Rincah and Rindja, is a small island near Komodo and Flores island, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, within the West Manggarai Regency. It is one of the three largest islands included in Komodo National Park. The island is famous for Komodo dragons, giant lizards that can measure up to 3 metres (9.8 ft) long. Rinca is also populated with many other species such as wild pigs, buffalos and many birds.

Being less known and less visited than Komodo Island, it is a good place to see the Komodo dragon in its natural environment with fewer people to disturb them. Day trips can be arranged to the Loh Buaya park facility on Rinca Island from Labuan Bajo on Flores by small boat at the park headquarters. A jetty which marks the entrance to the park facility. A short walk leads to the local park office where there are rangers to accompany visitors on short or medium-length walks to see komodos and other animals such as monkeys, deer and buffalos.
The island's area is 198 square kilometres

Living conditions for local people on the island are often difficult. Education facilities, for example, are quite limited for children. Some non-government organisations help with the provision of books for children on Rinca.

Bali Tegalalang Rice Terraces

Tegallalang Rice Terraces in Ubud is famous for its beautiful scenes of rice paddies involving the subak (traditional Balinese cooperative irrigation system), which according to history, was passed down by a revered holy man named Rsi Markandeya in the eighth century. Tegallalang forms the three most splendid terraced landscapes in Ubud's shared region, with the others being in the villages of Pejeng and Campuhan. The Tegallalang rice terraces alone offers a scenic outlook that spreads down before you and away to the rice paddies on the slopes across the valley. The high roadside location is cool and breezy and it is a well-known spot for tourists to stop and take photos. Painters and nature lovers also enjoy visiting this spot, and there are numerous art kiosks and cafes near the ledge offering their ware.

Tegallalang rice terraces offer a perfect Bali photo opportunity with its dramatic views. The vista sprawls down and away to the rice terraces on the slopes across the valley. A local elder, a farmer who owns the land invites visitors to sample his green coconut drink, as well as to purchase woven hats that he makes from coconut leaves as well as posing with visitors for a small fee. This ancient valley has a timeless quality whether there are tourists there or not. The small village of Pakudui, a craftsman’s dominion located in Tegallalang, is a journey of witnessing the splendour of local talent at its best. Here you will find an extraordinary variety of ornamental woodwork and various carvings. The villagers here are avid Balinese craftsmen and have taken up different forms of sculptures, either handed down through generations or as a result of an ever-growing creative process using the most natural of all media – wood. But through your village tour in Pakudui you will notice the recurring presence of one particular mythical Balinese figure - the Garuda

Lembongan Island

Starting the day by buying the boat ticket at Sanur Harbor at around 8 am. Waiting for the boat heading. All big stuffs left in Bali and only an important adventure stuffs to be brought to Lembongan Island, If you have a cam action please fully charge to capture your best moments in Lembongan.

It’s time cruising to Lembongan Island, A bit shakes in boat, but that’s okay for an adventure which might never be repeated. An half hour trip which makes us arrive on this tiny island. Not long since you arrive then some guys approach you to offer some bike rentals and the tour island program. Choices depend on you. Mostly travelers take bike to ride on the island.

I opened the google map to search the resort where I stayed. Sari Nusa Inn, Yes that’s where stayed for 2 Nights. I walked for 5 minutes to get it and finally we arrived.

Before heading Lembongan island, we already pinned some locations to visit, here we go we booked the fast boat tickt at balitourisland.com… I rode the bike to visit the first spot “Dream Beach”, the beach we actually never dream about. We just could say WOW!. The beach was awesome with the white sands and the blue water calling me to swim immediately. We swam a bit; my partner bought me a beer to complete the happiness.

Finished swimming on this awesome beach, we dried ourselves then moved again to next spot which was so close one another. We arrived on the sea cliff and the name was weird “Devil’s Tear”. Absolutely no tear drops when you visit this amazing place. Tears asserted that the sea water pushed strongly by the wave, hits the rocks and when it’s blown up then it drops to
become a rains then it starts to be called a Devil’s Tears. But, please keep your distance from the cliff, some said, some accidents happened here. Don’t forget, nature which amazed you, could also endanger you!

Gili Islands

Arcing away from the northwest corner of Lombok, the Gili Islands are three idyllic atolls where the sand is still powdery white, the water a clear sparkling turquoise, and the sunsets over Bali’s Agung in the west simply spectacular.

Home to the largest Irish bar on the smallest island in the world, an authentic Japanese sushi restaurant, a turtle hatchery, ominous sounding dive sites like ‘Shark Point’ and miles and miles of white sandy beaches, Lombok’s Gilis, make a surprisingly ideal getaway destination. Getting there is easy and whichever way you chose, you will be guaranteed to see some of Bali and Lombok’s breathtaking scenery.

No motorised transport

Fortunately all three Gili Islands will not permit any type of motorised transport on them and therefore rely on bicycles or horse and carts, locally known as ‘Cidomos’. Bicycles can be rented from any of the kiosks and cost from around Rp20,000 an hour, or better value, ask for the daily rate. Cidomos (local horse and carts) are easily located all over the islands but tend to hang around the harbour and busy spots, arrangements can be made if you are staying in a more remote place on the island, for instance a late ride home…. Haggling is the norm, and always agree a price before your journey.

Families

Although originally discovered by backpackers in the mid eighties, and with a reputation as a party destination, the Gilis now boasts themselves as a great destination suitable for families of all ages. Various new hotels, luxury villas, and boutique bungalows now cater for children and offer good value, some have baby sitting services, and with lots of activities on the islands families are sure to enjoy their holidays to the full.

Kelimutu Lake Flores

Mt Kelimutu National Park is the smallest among six national parks in the stretch between Bali and the Nusa Tenggara islands. Its size obviously does not matter much when it offers one of the most spectacular wonders that nature has to offer. There are three lakes on the mountain sharing the same name, Kelimutu, meaning ‘the boiling lake’. Each has its own colors and a local name. But all are believed to be the resting place of departed souls.
Airlines
Online Travel Agent
Best offers from our Partners

Kelimutu lakes are unpredictable as to when and what color they will change into. Sometimes, the colors are blue, green, and black, and some other times they turn to white, red, and blue. The last time a traveler saw them, one was dark brown, just like a pond of chocolate. Previously, the east lake was red and the middle lake was blue.

Lake Kelimutu is part of the Kelimutu National Park, presenting a highly aesthetic value and surreal experience. The national park’s highest point is 5,679 feet at Mt Kelibara (1,731 meters), and 5,544 feet high (1,690 meters) at Mt Kelimutu. It is a national park that protects 19 endemic and endangered animals, among which, the Floresian punai (Treron floris), Wallacea owl (Otus silvicola), Floresian kancilan (Pachycephala nudigula), Floresian eagle (Spizeatus floris), and Timorese tesia (Tesia everetti).

Komodo Description

Komodo dragons are large lizards with long tails, strong and agile necks, and sturdy limbs. Their tongues are yellow and forked. Adults are an almost-uniform stone color with distinct, large scales, while juveniles may display a more vibrant color and pattern.

The muscles of the Komodo's jaws and throat allow it to swallow huge chunks of meat with astonishing rapidity. Several movable joints, such as the intramandibular hinge opens the lower jaw unusually wide. The stomach expands easily, enabling an adult to consume up to 80 percent of its own body weight in a single meal, which most likely explains some exaggerated claims for immense weights in captured individuals. When threatened, Komodos can throw up the contents of their stomachs to lessen their weight in order to flee.

Although males tend to grow larger and bulkier than females, no obvious morphological differences mark the sexes. One subtle clue does exist: a slight difference in the arrangement of scales just in front of the cloaca. Sexing Komodos remains a challenge for human researchers; the dragons themselves appear to have little trouble figuring out who is who.

Size
The Komodo dragon is the largest living lizard in the world. These wild dragons typically weigh about 154 pounds (70 kilograms), but the largest verified specimen reached a length of 10.3 feet (3.13 meters) and weighed 366 pounds (166 kilograms). Males tend to grow larger and bulkier than females.

Native Habitat
Komodo dragons are limited to a few Indonesian islands of the Lesser Sunda group, including Rintja, Padar and Flores, and of course the island of Komodo, the largest at 22 miles (35 kilometers) long. They have not been seen on the island of Padar since the 1970s.

They live in tropical savanna forests but range widely over the islands, from beach to ridge top.

Besakih Tample

Besakih is known as the Mother Temple of Bali and is simply the most important temple for the whole of the island. It's actually more like a complex of temples in one very large compound and its known and loved for is its dramatic location on the southern slopes of Sacred Mount Agung. It is known as and accepted as Bali’s Mother Temple for more than a thousand years. Besakih is quite unique as it basically consists of more than 80 individual temples. The main one is Pura Penataran Agung (the Great Temple of State).

A stone within Pura Batu Madeg suggests that the area around Pura Besakih was already regarded a sacred and holy since very ancient times. In Bali, many temples and their meaning cannot be separated from the land they are built on, the nature and the spirits and gods they believe do actually live there.
The priests let us know that during the 8th century, a Hindu monk had revelations to build homes on this holy ground. They say during the process, apparently many of his followers died due to illness and even accidents. Stories like this are the brickstones of legends so it is difficult to get the historic truth. The people called the area "Basuki". A name referring to "Naga Besukian", a dragon deity inhabiting Mount Agung.

Additional temple shrines were constructed and Besakih was established as the main temple complex around 1340.

Besakih was hit a few times by earthquakes (e.g. 1917) and also several volcanic eruptions of Mount Agung took their toll, particularly a major one in 1963. The complex did get damaged here and there but in 1963 the the lava flow did pass sparing the temple from complete destruction. This event is now of course part of the overall legend of Pura Besakih. The people believe that the deities showed their true power but without destroying the holy temple completely.
Besakih being the biggest and holiest of the island's temples plays a significant role not only for the villages and families nearby but for entire Bali. Many important festivals are celebrated here. It is a temple open to every devotee - from any caste groups. It is simply the prime spiritual centre for all Balinese.

Private Ubud and Volcano Tour

A real day trip to explore Ubud village. Through this trip enable you to see many tourist destinations such as Ubud monkey forest, Ubud rice terrace, Coffee plantation, holy spring temple, and visiting Batur volcano where you can have lunch with the valley and lake view. The journey will be started early in the morning from your hotel in Bali to visit Ubud monkey forest, next we have small walk to the traditional market and we can see Ubud king palace just in the front of traditional market. Then, we head to Ubud rice terrace to see the green of rice paddy surrounded by the jungle. After that, we drive to the volcano to see a magnificent view of mount Batur with lake. You can have a buffet lunch at the traditional restaurant just in front of the volcano. After that, we stop at the coffee plantation on the way to water spring temple. At the water spring temple you can do a holy blessing together with local community or you just have a look will be fine.

This trip is the driver will be your friend because they are friendly and experienced. This amazing tour. Stop At: Ubud Traditional Art Market, Ubud, Gianyar Regency, Bali Experience your day to explore the unique handicraft in Ubud traditional market. Make sure you bargain the price as local people will be very happy to give win win price.Duration: 45 minutes stop At: Puri Saren Palace, Ubud, Gianyar Regency, Bali Walk around the palace to see amazing architecture of royal building. There sometimes you can see some local people learn to dance and instrumental musics. Duration: 25 minutes Stop At: Tegalalang Rice Terrace, Ubud, Gianyar Regency, Bali Have a short trek to feel the real life of Balinese farmer. walk along the beautiful rice field will give you such an amazing day.Duration: 35 minutes Stop At: Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, Ubud, Gianyar Regency, Bali A real highlight of Ubud visit. Inside the 12,5 hectares forest near the center is a perfect place for the 700 more monkeys to play around. be close to them they are very nice animals.Duration: 1 hour Stop At: Mount Batur, Kintamani, Bangli, Bali having a buffet lunch over looking the Mount Batur and lake view. It is a stunning view from the restaurant spot. Fresh air with the green mountainous surrounding. Duration: 1 hour Stop At: Satria Coffee Plantation, Ubud, Gianyar Regency, Bali enjoy some local coffees and teas directly from the farm. Understand the process of production and taste the free samples. They have also the animal coffee called Luwak Coffee which processed from the poo.Duration: 1 hour Stop At: Tirta Empul Temple, Tampak Siring, Gianyar Regency, BaliWitness the local people ritual of holy blessing inside the crystal clear fountain from the spring at the main temple. You can join the ritual is you wish to.Duration: 1 hour.

Planing Trip To Nusa Penida Island

If you are going on a trip to Bali and you want a slice of real island life then please visit balitourisland.com they will tell you everything you need to know when you travel to Nusa Penida and while reading and looking at the pictures you will understand why this was one of the best places to visit in Bali. All the highlights, amazing places to see, things to do, where to stay, instagram spots and even Nusa Penida itineraries will be be discussed. Also if you decided to do a Nusa Penida day trip (not recommended) I can give you some tips. Enjoy this fabulous island before mass tourism takes over!

As you know I have traveled extensively around the world the last years and I am all about adventures and islandlife. Although I ended up in Bali multiple times over the last years I totally overlooked the magical Nusa Penida. Crazy because it is just a 45-minute boat ride from Bali.

I would have loved to show everyone all the amazing things to do in Nusa Penida on Facebook Live, but unfortunately at that time I had the wrong Indonesia sim card. There is one provider that has pretty good 4G coverage and that is Telkomsel, read more about it in my article about the best prepaid Sim Card in Indonesia for tourists.

Best way to get to Nusa Penida

Getting tickets for your boat trip to Nusa Penida from Bali please visit to balitourisland.com it is can be a little challenging and you get the best deal, it is a much better way. Find your tickets for boats from Bali to Nusa Penida from them. This trip is the way will give you all the available options to travel from Bali.

How to go to Komodo National Park

HOW TO GET TO KOMODO ISLAND & KOMODO NATIONAL PARK?
Komodo Island (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) is part of the Lesser Sunda chain of Islands in East Nusa Tenggara (Republic of Indonesia) and the closest town is Labuan Bajo on the Island of Flores. Due to the fact it is near Komodo. balitourisland.com it is the one of local agancy in Bali to choice for travelers to the region. the program included a flight to Labuan Bajo Airport with multiple other routes offering connecting flights.

If you want to make an adventure out of the journey, check out this 9 day Indo Island balitourisland.com. You’ll start in bali and travel to Labuan Bajo and the tour includes a visit to all the highlights of the region including komodo tours and flores tours, trip to Moyo Island, Pink Beach, Padar Lookout, Manta Point and so much more!

WHERE TO STAY FOR Komodo Tours
Once you arrive in Labuan Bajo (searchable as Labuhanbajo on some booking platforms) you will notice that is really is one of the tiniest towns you’ll ever visit. Comprising the port, one main street packed with dive shops and tour operators, a handful of restaurants and offering a choice of around 50 hostels and hotels in the whole town, it is the fishing town that packs a punch. Fun Fact: all water in the town is trucked in, so water preservation and conservation is a big thing here!

Explorer to Gili Island

Explore the Three Gili Paradises

The Gili islands (also known as The Gilis) are a group of three incredibly beautiful islands located near the cost of northwest Lombok. The gorgeous tiny islands ( Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, and Gili Meno) are widely known among travelers for their exquisite sandy beaches, crystal clear waters, colorful coral reefs, and tropical palm trees that create an endless feeling of bliss and joy and makes it every traveler dream.

So, as you are in Bali and probably heard a lot about these little pieces of heaven; why don’t you hope into an island adventure to the Gilis and make this trip counts?

Don’t worry, we will guide you through it!

Firstly, How to get to the Gili Islands (Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Gili Meno>) from Bali

Here’s what you need to know about traveling between the Gilis and Bali:

There are a number of options for getting from Bali to any of the Gili islands. Journeys to these tiny heavens can include fast boats, private charters, public boats, plane, and even helicopters!! It’s all about the most suitable transportation option for you, and how much you are willing to spend.

From Bali to the Gili Islands by fast boats

Leaving from Bali to the Gilis, passengers have several operators to choose from. The boat trip from Padang Bai to the Gili islands takes around one and a half to two hours, and generally departs daily between 9:00 am and 9:30 am in the morning.

You may spend the night in around Kuta,sanur,seminyak and ubud and take the shuttle bus to Padang Bai in the morning, or head to Padang Bai the day before and spend the night there, and experience a little Kuta adventure.

At balitourisland.com we deal with the best and most trusted fast boats’ operators in the region. The fast boat depart daily from Bali (Padang Bai, Serangan, and Sanur Jetty) which makes it way smoother, and give you the flexibility to choose, so you don’t get stuck in only one harbor, and simply head to the nearest.

Private Charter Boat

Unless you don’t mind spending extra cash and looking for a fancy way to slay your way down to the Gilis; you can always consider with balitouisland.com renting a private charter sailing boat. There are some operators offering you a variety of options including speedboats, cruisy catamaran or luxurious yachts.