In Reply to: Question for Baliphiles.. posted by essg on Saturday, 6. September 2008 at 21:23 Bali Time:
1. Dinner and drinks at the Pantai on Tuban beach. The food's not bad, the toilets are good, the cost is on the low side and the view from the front overlooking the beach, the planes coming in to land and the lights of the Jimbaran fishing fleet on the horizon is just magic - worth a million bucks and it's free.
2. Pura Luhur Batukaru. A temple about half way up Mount Batukaru about the middle of the island and just left (west) of the main north road to Lovina/Singaraja surrounded by native forest. Not a popular tourist temple because it's not spectacular in a gaudy way but if you're there when there's no ceremony on the atmosphere grabs you and goes right up your spine!
As you leave pause about a kilometer from the entrance, just before the road intersection near the start of the village. Try to block out the bitumen road and you might imagine Bali a hunded years ago, of a scene from your favourite James Mitchener novel of the South Seas.
3. While you're up this way go a little cross country towards Pacung and relish the views across and around some of the best and most spectacular rice fields around Jatiluih.
4. On the way home, or on the way up if you like, make a small diversion to the little village of Marga and visit the war memorial at Margarana. The site commemorates Bali's greatest modern hero, Captain I Gusti Ngurah Rai (after whom the airport is named) and his band of soldiers who were all killed resisting the second Dutch take-over of the island after WW II. This will be your little bit of history on this tour.
5. This will be your little bit of madness on this tour - go to the matket at Sukawati. Even if you don't buy anything (and I bet you will) you will forever say noy only that you've been to Bali but that you have also survived Sukawati.
If you want another 5 I'll have to talk about the caves on the beach under Pura Rambut Siwi, the beach and salt works at Padang Bai, the coffee plantation and restaurant and the waterfall at Munduk, sunrise on Sanur Beach, The Jayaprana grave site (Bali's Romeo and Juliet story), Gondol Bay on the north coast, Amlapura, Iti Point near Candi Dasa, Tampaksiring and Gunung Kawi - - - - - -