Jatiluwih Rice Fields

The Jatiluwih rice fields have been named UNESCO's Cultural Landscape as part of the Bali's Subak system. A quick search in Google Maps will show you the exact location of these rice fields. It is located in the Tabanan region of Bali. It's very beautiful and in my opinion, beats most of the rice terraces I saw in Ubud!

The drive to Jatiluwih can be a little difficult because you have to go through a lot of sideroads. Some roads were very rough and filled with potholes. 

This dog was barking at us as we descended down the terrace. Probably guarding its territory. 

The rice fields here were very vast, unlike those I've seen elsewhere in Bali. 

Handheld pano, please pardon the distortion. 

-e.m.

South Kuta

My Bali adventures take us to the South Kuta region. While we didn't have the time to explore all the beautiful beaches in this area, we did make time to visit AYANA Resort & Spa as well as Pandawa Beach. 

AYANA Resort & Spa is pretty beautiful, I will stay here one day. 

The wedding chapel in AYANA. 

Beautiful blue ocean. 

The lower half of the pool area. 

The view on the way down to the famous Rock Bar. 

The Rock Bar is pretty remarkable, it basically hangs over the ocean. Quite a lineup to get down here as they prioritize their hotel guests over visitors. 

The pool you saw from a few pictures before. 

The Rock Bar from above. 

And that's all from the AYANA resort. 

Pandawa Beach. We came during low tide so the beach wasn't the most picturesque. I still enjoyed it nonetheless. 

Unfortunately, the sunset was blocked my the cliffs. 

Some objects from the ocean. 

I miss fresh coconuts--wish they had coconut trees in Canada. 

-e.m.

Gili Air

The Gili Islands are a trio of small islands northwest of Lombok, Indonesia. The largest and most popular island is Gili-Trawangan. Gili Air is a smaller island, less popular with tourists but much quieter. We embarked from Serangan, Bali via a Marina Srikandi fast boat. Two hours later we arrived at Gili Air. We stayed here for two nights at the Turtle Beach Hotel and we had a wonderful time snorkeling, scuba diving and relaxing. 

There are no motorized vehicles on this island. You either walk, bike or take a cidomo (a horse-drawn cart as pictured above) to get your luggage over to your resort. 

Saw this during an evening stroll. This could be some people's worst nightmare...

Gili Air island is not really that developed, which is a nice thing for those who want a remote island experience. 

Cool decorations made from things found in the ocean. 

The blue water of Gili. Wonderful for snorkeling and diving! 

The mountains of Lombok in the background. 

If you come here you must go scuba diving! We went on an intro dive with Manta Dive Gili Air and it was great. 

A chef awaits potential customers. They showcase the fresh catches of the day and BBQ them for ya. 

A lot of tourists here are foreigners--I don't think I saw an Indonesian or Chinese tourist during my time here at all. 

This was candid, I promise. 

Til' another time Gili!

-e.m.

Bali Botanical Gardens

Hi y'all! I just came back from a 3 week trip to my home country, Indonesia. I had tons of fun there visiting my family and seeing new places. Here are some pictures from my time at the Bali Botanical Gardens (more well known to locals as Kebun Raya Eka Karya Bali) in Candikuning, Baturiti, Tabanan, Bali.

 The park's cactus collection is housed within this greenhouse.  

 There were a lot of tadpoles in this pool of water, even a dead lizard. 

 Lord of the Rings, that is all I could think of. 

 A stray dog wanders about. 

More posts coming!

-e.m.