19-Sep-2024, My previous story ended in Kintamani and today we are checking out here and move to the next place. For one last time we enjoy a morning coffee with the iconic view on the mountain. Within an arm’s reach there is a nice museum that I have been wanting to check out, the Museum Geopark Batur. It’s a very interesting and educational museum about volcanoes around the world and how this planet is formed (millions of years ago). It also gives more insights and more information about how the Caldera’s and Mt. Batur is formed in the past thousands of years. Mt. Batur and its surroundings are now listed as a Unesco Geosite and definitely worth a visit.

We spent almost two hours in the museum, which is more than enough and subsequently we have plenty of time today to explore other areas. Next we drive to the mother temple of Bali; Pura Besakih (see banner photo). This temple  is located at the foot of Mt. Agung (Genung Agung is the tallest mountain in Bali – and one that is still on my bucket list to climb). At Besakih a wonderful guide takes us around and shows the 22(!) temples, built on six terraces with different heights. The first stones of this temple have been laid all the way back in the 8^th century (during this time Bali was still a kingdom), and parts of these stones can still been seen today. In the last centuries, the temple has undergone several restoration and expansions with the last in 1960 after a devastating eruption of mt. Agung. This time they use beautiful black lava stones, for their signature black look. The guide explains us more about the different levels of the roof of the temples where they are always in odd numbers and 11 being the highest number; representing nature. Another topic the guide talked a fair bit about is karma. The Balinese people believe in good karma and pray every day to keep the balance between nature, the people and the Gods. It is a beautiful visit and because we come in the morning and outside peak season, it is not overly crowded.

We have late lunch at the temple and we go to the next spot for sightseeing. When browsing on Google maps I randomly find the waterfall; Grudugan. The reviews are good and we embark on the forty minute drive to get there. It is still a relatively unknown waterfall but it is absolutely gorgeous. I shouldn’t promote it too much, to keep it a hidden gem, but it was definitely the highlight of the day. It’s a steep walk down until we reach a small and shallow river. From here it’s another 100 meter but in order to get there we need to walk through the water. We are ankle deep in the water following the water upstream. We walk through the natural narrow and tall canyon until we reach the waterfall. This place feels like being in a scene of an Indiana Jones movie, going on an adventure deep in the wilderness. And we were the only ones there when we reached the waterfall, it is a magical place! I love such nature trips. See the video below:

The last stop of the day is at Penglipuran village, a traditional village where people carry out and preserve the traditional Balinese culture. Or at least this is how it is promoted. To be fair it is a beautiful place and I have no doubt that historically speaking this a this is a very traditional village but these days it seems more like a tourist trap than an authentic experience. There is an entrance fee and almost every house has been turned into a small shop. It is nice to see traditional arts and crafts, but they cater mostly to the tourists than anything else. It’s my first time here, but I can imagine it has lost some of its former glory  (with all these tourists around).

We call it a day and we check-in at a nearby guesthouse Kresna Asih house to spend the night. It is a cheap place but surprisingly spacious, clean and beautifully located. I like the style of the room and the view on the rice terraces is magnificent. Both me and my parents were very pleasantly surprised with the room and hospitality of the staff.

The next day, my parents are visiting the holy spring temple Pura Tirta Empul, a beautiful temple where people have the opportunity to be blessed and purified in the holy water. I have been to this temple before but I wanted for my parents to have this experience. I dropped them at the entrance and I walked to a nearby café (Sukabali Agro) to enjoy a cup of Luwak coffee. This area is famous for its Luwak coffee sellers and farmers so I wanted to try again. The reason I picked this café in particular is because the animals (the Luwaks) is free to roam around and they are not being held in cages (like in many other places). Moreover they rescue other animals, like bats and owls, and they will be released once they are strong enough. The staff and their philosophy of being kind to animals and rescue them is awesome and something I gladly support. Therefor I can highly recommend going here.

Besides the positive attitude towards animals I had a good time enjoying the view on the rice fields while writing this story. Mom and dad did some sightseeing around the temple but the que for the purification turned out to be very long. They just watched other people doing it, and they were fine with that. Shortly after their temple visit they joined me in the café to try the Luwak coffee as well. We even got a little demonstration on how the Luwak coffee is gathered, prepared and roasted. This was nice.

In the afternoon our journey around Bali had come to an end. We are now on our way back to Sanur to relax for a few more days and not really do much, except enjoy the sun, the beaches and delicious food.

I had an absolute wonderful time showing my parents around. I am honored that I was able to give them a great experience being their driver and tour guide at the same time. For all the things they have done for me while growing up, it’s a small price to pay them back. It also makes me realize how important and nice a loving family is. Just the more reason for me to start my own family; I would love to have somebody touring me around on my old age.

On a final note I would like to thank Ayu very much for making this trip possible. She helped me picking out some nice places and she was kind enough to let me borrow her car to drive around. Without her help and kindness the trip wouldn’t be as memorable as it is right now. We invite Ayu and Eric for a nice dinner at Made’s Warung in Seminyak, where we can enjoy a cultural Balinese show/dance during dinner at the same time.

It is the final supper for me in Bali, at least for the time being. My parents are staying two more nights in Bali and Ayu will take them to her hometown for a big Balinese festival (Galungan). I am flying back to Amsterdam the next day for my next project. And this also marks the end of my stories of traveling with my parents in Bali. I had an amazing time and now on to my next adventure.

~ THE END ~