The next day was a chill day since we wanted some pool time. Being able to sit in the sunshine by the pool was a treat for us since I live in Chicago and my sister lives in Alaska. We started the day with yoga, and then did a walk around the local rice fields. To top off the relaxing day, we booked massages in the afternoon. Mine was nice but my sister did not like hers so they gave her a different masseuse. This masseuse gave a fantastic deep tissue massage since she applied so much more pressure. I believe that a massage should hurt since you are getting the knots out, but then you should feel amazing afterwards! After the massage, we were given warm ginger milk, which was delicious. It was such a great experience that we booked another massage!
Later, we headed to Ubud to visit Taman Saraswati Temple where there are lotus ponds outside the temple grounds. We were not able to go inside the temple, but still enjoyed the view from the outside. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu goddess Saraswati, the deity of literature, art, and learning. Taman Saraswati’s construction was completed in 1952. The path to the temple is decorated with Hindu figures, and has a beautiful walkway. If you are in Ubud it is worth checking out, and is one of the most popular places to visit in the town.
There is a restaurant next to the temple where you can sit on the ground on a raised platform right next to the lotus ponds. It was lovely. My sister and I decided to have the local Balinese beer Bintang, and a local specialty, Nasi Goreng for dinner, which consists of rice, egg, chicken and crackers. It was delicious!
I wanted to do some shopping while I was in town, and found some pants that look there is a skirt over them; it looked “Balinese” to me since I wanted something unique I couldn’t find back home. It’s weird putting them on, but the material was nice in the heat. We stopped at Ubud market for a few souvenirs…I love magnets since they are easy to carry and a good gift for friends. My own fridge is covered with them. We found a café right next to the rice fields to take a break from the heat. Coconut water helped re-hydrate us. Later in the evening, we went back to the hotel, and had wine by the pool, ending our day of relaxation.
The next day we hired a guide again for a half day since we wanted to experience Tirta Empul, or the Holy Spring Water Temple where the locals go for ritual purification. The pond has a spring that pours fresh water into it. The temple was founded all the way back in 962 AD, and is dedicated to Vishnu. The natives go to each well spraying water on themselves, some drinking it, and others even putting water in bottles to take back home. The natives also leave offerings at each of the stations.
You have to rent a sari to wear in order to go into the water. I recommend wearing a bikini under it, and bringing a change of clothes. The fitting rooms are unisex with no rooms to change in; you can either change in the bathroom stall, which was not pleasant, or underneath a towel. My sister and I helped each other with the latter option. The Holy Spring Water Temple is an amazing place to visit, and see what the locals do to for ritual purification, and it is great that anyone of any faith can take part. You can pray for future blessings to whatever deity you believe in.
The second stop was at the Goa Gajah caves, which is a Hindu/Buddhist site that was built in the 9th century, but was only rediscovered in the 1920s. The caves have Buddhist and Hindu elements. There is a path where you will see ruins of a large statue of Buddha. The gardens were beautiful and the best part. The cave itself is small inside with a couple of shrines to Ganesha with offerings people leave. The site is on list to be considered a UNESCO World Heritage site. You can skip this site if you have limited amount of time in Ubud.
The last stop was Tegenungan Waterfall, which was a beautiful place to visit. The “I Love Waterfall” signs gave the pictures an extra touch if you are on Instagram fan. It was not a great day for a hike due to the heat, plus the waterfall was closed for swimming. Thankfully there were cafes there to rest at. I have never been so happy to get water and have a lemon Bintang, which was amazing. I was also grateful that the waterfall was only ten minutes from the Alena resort where we could swim. If you enjoy waterfalls, a good hike, and resting at a cafe then this is the place for you!
We hit the pool as soon as we got back since it was still early enough to enjoy. We decided to have dinner at the resort since we were too tired to go to town. The food there was delicious though. The ingredients are locally sourced from the village. Our breakfast was included each morning, and it was so good that it filled us up until dinner. After dinner that evening, we did some yoga outside and rewarded ourselves with some wine (I know it counteracted the benefits of the exercise but it was worth it).
Our last day in Bali was bittersweet since we were leaving late that evening. After a delicious breakfast, we headed to town to do a little shopping, and go to Maka Bunny Café. At Maka we were able to feed the rabbits while sipping our iced coffee. The bunnies were sweet and happy to be fed; they were not afraid of people. The rabbits love of food outweighed their fear. We made a short video, which you can see on my Instagram page. If you like rabbits, you’ll enjoy a visit to Maka. Plus the coffee is good too!
Afterwards, I discovered a great gift shop where I found a Wonder Woman puppet. Puppets are popular in Southeast Asia, and we had seen a water puppet show in Vietnam, so it was the perfect reminder of the trip for me. We also found a shop where a woman was hand beading items, so I could not resist the rainbow coasters. If I had more room in my suitcase, I would have picked up more items t this shop. Before heading back to the resort for afternoon massages, we stopped at Alaya Café, and had the most amazing iced chai latte. The chocolate cake wasn’t bad either. My sister has a peanut allergy so I had to finish it myself…lucky me.
We wanted to relax before our grueling journeys home so we got massages (which were excellent), and spent more time at the pool. Little did I know that would be my last day to enjoy summer weather since Chicago had been going through a mini ice age this past spring. After our last supper at the resort, we had to say goodbye to Bali, and head back home. Our flight departed at 1:00 am, but the hotel shuttle dropped us off super early since it was hard to find a driver to take us that late. Denpasar is the capital, and an hour and a half away from the resort so I understood. Luckily everything worked out. Sadly, we were on separate flights so my sister and I had to say our own goodbyes. The journey home took over a day. From Bali to Shanghai was six hours then another painful thirteen hour flight home in coach.
Bali was such a great way to end our Asian Adventure. It was relaxing, peaceful, and full of beauty. We stayed at a place that made everything easy for us since we were able to take shuttles to Ubud all day, and hire drivers to explore other sites on the island. I have a friend that has been to Bali twice already and wants to return. This was such an amazing vacation that I had a hard time adjusting when I got back home. This trip was probably one of my favorite journeys I have ever taken. I hope I have inspired you to visit Bali as well. Looking forward to sharing my next adventure with you all!
If you like my Facebook page, there are videos from the trip posted that you can check out as well. I also update the Instagram WayfaringGal page with new posts. Thank you for reading, comments and feedback are always welcome since that is how we learn and grow.
