Kalpana's Ivy Dreams: Bali trip at INR 23000 / $500 for 5 days

HIIIIII there!!!!

The 6 of us were chatty and determined to get full fun out of this trip. So we did some crazy stuff too.

When we reached the surfers beach- pantai sulban, we were so excited for many reasons, and one was to see the handsome surfers walking on the shore with the heavy surfing boats. We spoke to few of them and with the other hunks whom we felt were too hot to speak to, we tried to take selfies with them while they were just walking back after their surf. Crazy right!!!!

We did make a lot of noise and we did get a lot of attention from the surfers. Both the surfers and we ladies enjoyed the attention🙈

Six young enthusiastic and fun loving women are always liked by people. We left no stones unturned in proving our friendship.

TRIP DETAILS

Buy tickets to Bali atleast 3 months earlier. Mine was 23k including food, seats & luggage. We booked our hotel through online website and it was Bali gardenview cottages, ubud.

Awesome homely place for around 3600₹ 4 days including breakfast. If you book early you can get it even more cheaper.

The reason we chose this is that it was in the center of Ubud and Ubud is in the center of Bali. The entire street is filled with beautiful restaurants & spas. Every night we had dinner in different places for about 500₹(main course n drink)

We used to be back after the day trips at about 8 or 9PM and then after an hour of rest and changing, we used to head out for dinner. Every place has unique Balanese cuisaines to offer. I had MANGO BEER!!

Heard of it? This motherly lady runs this retaurant and this beer is a speciality here.

Slowly we used to check the menu of each and every restaurant and then decide and eat. It was usually by midnight that we would walk back and still we could find the locals playing beautiful songs in guitar and singing. BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE WITH BEAUTIFUL HEARTS. Our slow walks and smiles and laughs were always welcome there and it was bliss.

This is the sequential list of our visit. You can save time by following this. Leaving by 8.30am is recommended. We had enjoyed every breakfast served. Don't miss the rice pudding...its just AMAZING.

Places to visit:

Batuan temple, straight from airport. Its a huge temple with the same concept of any Hindu temples....Gopuras or domes inside a compound with many Gods. The only thing different in Bali temples are that they dont have an idol for worship. SURPRISING!!

I found this concept interesting and practical. Every gopura/dome will have and Simhasana/throne and it would be empty. They decorate with with loose flowers. The idea is that, you pray to the God with the name mentioned there but you imagine him or her in your own way.....how easy it is to connect while you pray!!

Tibumana waterfalls,

a very beatiful place for lovers I feel and goof photography. The waterfalls is quite dense and fierce so we didnt go into the water. But all the way from parking you will find small cozy water places and streams surrounded by typical bali achitechture and to make it interesting for tourists they have pepped up the places with placards and boards with intersting words.

Goa gajah temple, an very old temple dedicated to lord Ganesha. Here you will find few idols and they are worsipped too. The only place I found the usual Hindu method of Worhip. All over the place you will find hundreds of Shiv lings arranged, all made out of the local stones of Bali. Take a walk around the temple and you can find many fascinating things like an very old tree, another small temple up on the hill, thick forest and birds all around.

lotus temple, a very cute hidden temple among the streets of Ubud market. As you can see in the pictures below, the temple gets its name due to abundance of lotus ponds in and around.

Tannah lot, Saraswati temple to go before 4pm as you have to walk through the beach water. It was an adventurous and spiritual visit. The temple stands about half a kilometer from the shore in the waters.

We went a little and hence the tide was high. But we were determined and with the help of locals, held hands together and went to the rock temple.

The spiritual aspect is that, in the middle of the salt water, we tasted sweet water that comes from somewhere inside the rock. We touched the idol and drank the water(just a few drops to quench our curiosity) sprinkled it on our heads, the person who performs the rituals put the rice bindi on all our foreheads and gave the flower.

Luwak coffee plantation & tasting.

Very near to the temple is this cute little place with Luwaks. Luwaks are monkey like animals who eat the best of the coffee beans from the trees. The seeds that come out of their poop.....YOU HEARD ME RIGHT...POOP....are the. So these animals are grown here in the farm and they make the coffee powder out of these beans. They also give around 20 varieties of coffee to taste and we can buy if we want.

Nusa dua bali collection

Next day morning we reached this place with refreshed energy. Eat, relax & buy sovereigns. We got soaps & fragrance oils from 100₹, a perfect gift to all my friends and relatives back at home.

Uluwatu temple on top of a hill....walk n view. An amazing place for photography. Watch out for families of mokeys. The fire n dance drama just takes you to an entirely different world.

Surfers beach- pantai sulban We have to walk down hundreds of stairs. Then you will reach PARADISE. Scenic beach with rocks and caves. A very small place but once you move into the water and out of the cave with a surf board, its a surfers paradise. We explored the slippery caves. Tides are pretty strong here.

ubud art n craft market, a place to explore the local produce and art. There are many things made of coconut wood. Buy a few to help the locals and bring back memories.

DURIAN

SALAK, SNAKE SKIN FRUIT

Try the CHARCOAL ICECREAM. Out of the world texture and taste.

The Bali-style babi guling (roast pig) served at Warung Ibu Oka is most famous for the late Anthony Bourdain's loving coverage and I did it. Went to the place where my fav Anthony Bourdain sat and ate.

lunch at mount batur Its a valconic mountain, Bouffet lunch is available with a view of the mountain and lakes. There are many restaurants to choose from. This was a mind blowing experience to sit at the top on an extended balcony and have a delicious luch looking at the beautiful sleeping beauty Mount Batur.

mt. Batur trekking, book ahead & start at 2 am to trek up n see d sunrise. It will transform your life.

YEAHHHH!!!! ALWAYS WANTED TO DO THIS MARLYN MONDRO POSE😂

thir temple fresh water with valconic springs. You can take a dip at the small fountain water pool. Supposedly clears your bad karma.

valconic water

rice terrace, You look at it and just fall in love with the green and lush beauty, cut out so perfectly.

Balanese massage, You cannot leave Bali without a massage. Book a massage and just forget the world. They pamper you withrose water dips, cocktails or moacktails and sweet pastries with hot tea by the end.