Where else should we stay in Bali… I felt like exploring a new area that
I had never been to, quiet and far from tourist buzz. It was the law of
attraction. Mr. Right wished for the same thing. Another law of attraction, by
talking to a friend, we would be in Bali for the same few days.
Thanks to Nijsen family, we were introduced to Candi Dasa. It is near to
where we stayed in the previous day, Padangbai
(Tranquil bay, Padangbai)
"Just drive along the main road, you will see a pool on the right side, drive a little bit more until the main road turning left and.. bla bla bla...."
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| Candi Dasa main road |
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| Restaurant along Candi Dasa main road |
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| What's in Candi Dasa main road |
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| Restaurant next to lotus pond, Candi Dasa |
That's the instruction
given to reach the gorgeous villa facing Candi Dasa beach"... Anyway, we
passed "the pool" which apparently to be a lotus pond.
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| Lotus pond, Candi Dasa |
Candi Dasa is situated in Karangasem district Bali, the area that I had
never been to. It is around 90 minute
drive from the airport.
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| Government elementary school, Candi Dasa Main Road |
This seaside town is growing, some hotels, restaurants and shops were
established along the main road of Candi Dasa.
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| Jump for the lovely sunset! |
Sunset
Let the pics tell everything… Gorgeous moments during sunset in Candi
Dasa…
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| Gorgeous sunset, Candi Dasa |
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| Sunset, Candi Dasa |
The weirdest thing happened? It is one
in a ten million ---- It was almost sunset, I was standing behind the fence
of the pier looking at a guy who was fishing. He pulled his string with a big
squid! Lucky him, squid for dinner!
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| Red circle: a squid squirted on me! |
I was wrong! The squid defended himself by squirting his ink. Quickly, the black ink squirted toward me who was standing quite far away!!
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| Just before sunset, Amankila, Candi Dasa |
Lovely rainbow on before the sunset was the perfect Valentine’s present
ever!
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| Valentine's rainbow was seen from Amankila, Candi Dasa |
Pasir Putih (White Sand) Beach
One morning we rented a boat and eight of us (four adults, one teenager and
two kids) boarded to Pasir Putih. Leaving
Candi Dasa, we were welcomed by big waves, splash, splash, wooo... Hari ini ombaknya bagus, kemarin lebih besar
lagi, the guy said. He, captain of
this wooden boat took us passing the big island for sightseeing… This boat can also be rented to go Blue Lagoon
in Padangbai for snorkeling/diving (15 minute drive by car).
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| Pasir Putih from far... |
Pasir Putih beach can also be
reached by car, five kilometers north east of Candi Dasa. But I was told the
road is not smooth. It took us around twenty minutes until we saw the five
hundred meter long, isolated, beautiful white sand beach - pasir putih... is known as one of East Bali's well-kept secrets.
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| Pasir Putih, Candi Dasa, Bali |
There is plenty of small wooden boat along the shore, and a few small
restaurants on (warung) the beach.
They offer local cuisine and seafood, as well as sunbeds and umbrellas for rent
provided we buy food there. Shower and changing room are also available.
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| Pasir Putih, Candi Dasa, Bali |
As soon as we arrived, a group of men assisted the boat guy to position
the boat well, helped us to walk to warungs
and even carried our belongings...
We settled in a warung belongs
to Wayan, Balinese guy who is running this business with his wife.
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| Fresh coconut & umbrella @ Pasir Putih |
A fresh of young coconut was a good way to start sunbathing… Sun, white
beach, waves, umbrella by the beach,… Balinese women offer
massage/manicure/pedicure or "kepang"
hairstyle (hair braids) walked around the beach…
So relax… Pasir putih, please
remain virgin...
Tirta Gangga Water Palace
Other than water sports activities, Candi Dasa has
other interesting attraction such as Tirta
Gangga Water Palace. In fact, this site is ranked number one in Candi Dasa main
attractions according to TripAdvisor.
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| Tirta Gangga, Water Palace, Karangasem, Bali |
Literally Tirta Gangga means
water from the Ganges. It is a site
of some reverence for the Hindu Balinese. Strictly, the name refers to the
water palace built here in 1948 by the King of Karangasem Bali.
The palace area is not very
huge but it nice to walk around, run on stepping stones and see the fishes,
take pics and even to swim in the open swimming pool...
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| Tirta Gangga, Water Palace, Karangasem, Bali |
An old lady selling local fruit called Salak, or it is known as snakeskin fruit. She did not have change
when my friend ‘Ida’ gave her Rp50,000 note. So, she told us to pay the
entrance tickets first, eat her Salaks
and pay later when we get out the palace. Only in Bali… Terima kasih Ibu, Salaknya manis...
Food!
Thanks to TripAdvisor, we found Vincent's
(Vincentsbali.com) where we dined in our first evening in Candi Dasa. Without having any reservation, we could sit
outdoor at the backyard tropical garden.
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| Fresh squid, prawn & lobster |
Jukut Urap Bali as appetizer
(Balinese salad?) and big prawn with bean (prawn
with les haricots verts) in Balinese herbs as main course were perfect. Sedap! Enak! Yummy! Miam!
Being in Bali means eating local food! Returning home, after being away
from Indonesia, means gaining a few kilos! But that’s partly the beauty of
returning home…
Psst… honestly I only started to
like Balinese food in the last few years, when my friends introduced me to Nasi Campur Bali (Balinese Mixed Rice)
and Sambal Matah (Balinese raw
sambal/chili). Since then, Nasi Campur
Bali has become my favorite.
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| Balinese cuisine; bebek betutu, urap vegetable, sate lilit, etc |
Most of our stay, we dined at the villa. Candi Dasa; seaside = fresh
seafood!
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| Pertamina oil port - tankers, view from the high hill of Candi Dasa |
Go and explore! That’s what we did in our last vacation in Bali. By exploring
new areas, we got to see new things and have new experience...
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| Ngurah Rai Airport, Denpasar Bali - Expansion is ongoing |
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| Domestic airport, Ngurah Rai Airport, Denpasar, Bali - under renovation |
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| Domestic airport, Ngurah Rai Airport, Denpasar, Bali - under renovation |
Next posting? It is still related to Indonesia as travel destination...
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