Indonesia - Kuta & Eastern Bali - Travel Story

Written by Dorothy Pan Thursday, 07 June 2012 04:13

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Kuta & Eastern Bali Travel Story

Tourist Crazy Kuta

Kuta, a former fishing village, is one of Bali's main tourist destinations and one of the first areas in Bali to develop as a result of tourism. It is well known for its beautiful extensive beaches, diverse restaurants, bars, and shops, and accommodations that range from bare minimum basics, to some of the most luxurious resort hotels that the world has to offer. What Kuta is most famous for, however, is the surfer lifestyle. Kuta's streets are lined with various surf shops and the beaches are dotted with stands that rent surfboards and offer lessons to tourists.

Getting Settled in Kuta

The goal for our first day in Kuta was to find a tour company that would take us to see some sights in the next couple of days. We headed in to town after our complimentary breakfast from Aston Kuta Hotel (which you will find most, if not all accommodations include) and started our search. Since there were 6 of us we had a fairly easy time bargaining with tour companies to give us essentially a private tour for a great price. When bargaining, know that there are tour guides around every corner so there is no need to accept the first offer. Once we found our guide we took to the streets to find some lunch.

Loving the Satay!

We weaved through the narrow dusty roads single filed (to avoid being hit by motorcyclists and cars) and came to the wooden doors that led to Poppies Restaurant. As soon as we stepped through the doors it seemed as though we had entered in to a completely different world. The noise from the bustling street magically subsided and we were suddenly surrounded by an oasis of trees and flowing water and greeted by friendly smiling faces. We wanted an authentic Indonesian experience so we ordered the Rijsttafel, which is a Dutch word that translates literally to "rice table". It is an elaborate feast of several traditional Indonesian dishes served in small portions accompanied by rice that is cooked several ways. The origin of Rijsttafel stems from the time of Dutch presence in Indonesia. It was their way of trying a wide array of Indonesian dishes in one sitting, as well as impressing visitors with a representation of the multi-ethnic make-up of the Indonesian archipelago.

After lunch we did a bit of exploring of the beaches and streets and, of course, did some shopping along the way.

Money Changing Scams

When exchanging money, ALWAYS make sure that you are the last person to touch the bills and COUNT COUNT COUNT. Also, if an advertised exchange rate is significantly better than all others around it be weary and always triple check your money before walking out the door. These places are notorious for scamming tourists, and as luck would have it, we were some of those tourists. If you can make sure that you have exactly what you should have before leaving the premises then they are great. If you are one of the unlucky victims, however, you will be paying MUCH more than other advertised rates. They will often take as much as half or more of your money.

Learning to Surf

The following day we planned to spend part of the day shopping, and the rest learning how to surf. Surfing is really just about balance and a lot of upper body strength. We spent much of the day wiggling and wobbling on our boards, ultimately patting ourselves on the back just for being able to stand. After exhausting ourselves with what seemed like hours of "surfing" (though in reality it was only about 45 minutes) we found a spot on the beach to sit and admire the beautiful sunset. This seemed to be a very popular activity, as hundreds of people started gathering on the beach to do the same thing. It was an absolutely perfect way to end the day before venturing out to find dinner.

Kuta's Wild Night Life

Kuta at night is a bit like mini Vegas – high energy and bright neon lights. You can find great food, but you have to look hard as they are often hidden amongst countless tourist-centred restaurants. A good way to make the most of your gastronomic experience (because there are so many to be had) is to go prepared – do your research. This is precisely what we did and we ended up at Kori Restaurant and Bar after the many rave reviews we read about this place. We were not disappointed. The menu is a mix of international fare and traditional Balinese cuisine, but since we were in Bali we decided to stick with Balinese dishes. The seafood was fresh, the flavours were wonderful, and the setting was charming and romantic.

Visiting the Sites of Eastern Bali

The next morning we woke up excited for our first official tour of Bali with our very friendly, helpful and quiet driver Yoyok. Our first stop was to Pura Puseh Batuan (Temple of Origins). It is one of the main temples of the Batuan Village and sits just on the side of the main road. This temple has a long history dating back to over a thousand years, but was recently restored in 1992. It is a temple dedicated to the God Vishnu and houses several stunning sculptures of Gods and demons carved with incredible detail. To enter you must wear a sarong, which you can pick up before heading in. The fee to enter is by donation. The temple also has performances of Gambuh, an ancient dance-drama, on the 1st and 15th of each month.

Tasting the World's Most Expensive Coffee - Kopi Luwak

Before getting to our next destination we asked Yoyok if he knew of a place we could go to try some Kopi Luwak, which is coffe made from coffee beans that have been selected and eaten by the Civet weasel, then defecated and processed to drink. This coffee is known as the world's most expensive coffee, fetching between $100 and $3000/pound, depending on where it's coming from. The Civet chooses only the best beans to eat, and the process takes a lot of effort and generates very little, which is the reason for the costly price tag. Yoyok took us to a farm that you could tell was built up specifically for tourists. There were small wooden signs telling us what each tree/plant/fruit was and they even had a Civet caged up for us to see. Once our tour was over they sat us down and showed us all the different beverages they had – ginger coffee, Kopi Luwak, and tea. Though we knew there was a good chance the Kopi Luwak here would not be the real deal, we decided to try it anyway. The coffee was gritty, bitter, and definitely not worth the price. Still, we had to give it a go.

Mother Temple of Besakih

The next destination on our tour was Pura Besakih, or Mother Temple of Besakih, regarded as the largest and most significant Hindu temple in Bali. It was built on the slopes of Mount Agung, the chief volcano in Bali and the highest point on the island. In 1963 the volcano erupted killing approximately 1700 people and destroying a great number of villages. The lava flows missed the temple by mere meters and thus was regarded by the Balinese people as a miracle – a signal from the Gods to demonstrate their power, while not destroying the monument that was built by the faithful.

Pura Besakih is a complex of 22 temples that sit on parallel points. The many flights of stairs and stepped terraces lead up to a number of courtyards and gateways, which then lead to the main spire called Peru Penataran Agung. This is all aligned on a single axis, which is meant to lead the worshipper up closer to the mountain, which the Balinese consider to be sacred.

There are at least 70 festivals held at the complex each year. While we were there we were fortunate enough to experience the end of a session of worship, which had the spiritual people ascending from the top of the monument. They were grouped and each group was dressed in a different traditional outfit. It was an incredible sight to see and I felt very fortunate to have had the opportunity to experience it.

Keep in mind that you will be required to wear a sarong at all religious sites that you visit. If you don't have one, they will gladly offer rentals, but if you plan to visit multiple temples you might be better off buying a cheap one away from the temples (the closer you are to the sites the more expensive they get, naturally), or make sure you bring something from home. Also note that at Pura Besakih there is a price to get in to the main area, but to go beyond a certain point you need to hire a guide. There is a wall with a set of doors that they will not allow you to pass without a guide. They say that it is so we do not photograph or do anything that we are not supposed to, but of course we were never told no for anything.

Kerta Gosa, Klungkung

After Pura Besakih we were taken to a tourist lunch spot. The food, as in most tourist restaurants, was forgettable and not terribly special, but the view absolutely made it worth a visit. Sitting there at the open air restaurant with a cold beer in hand and our tired feet thanking us for the rest, it didn't matter what we were eating as long as we were eating it in front of that view. This restaurant also had a very large pet bat sitting at the front door that you can take pictures with. Just be careful, if you get too close he could very easily reach your face with his incredibly long and sharp claws.

Last on our whirlwind tour was Kerta Gosa, the name of the former Royal Courts of Justice in Klungkung. This site is now a tourist attraction showcasing both the beautiful Balinese architecture, as well as the wayang style art that is painted on the ceiling of the main structure. These drawings depicted the terrifying war between good and evil, highlighting some very grisly paintings that show the consequences of being a sinner.

As our long eventful day came to an end we were sad to say goodbye to Kuta, but were very excited to be moving on to Ubud, considered to be the cultural capital of Bali.