JOIN USWhat do you do when mundanity creeps in from the daily routine of a 9 to 5 job? You take all your leaves, book a ticket, pack your bags and leave. Yes, that is exactly what I did. I chose Bali, the beautiful paradise in Indonesia, as the destination for my first solo trip. The very idea of travelling alone sounded not just intriguing but also a bit eccentric to some and I got mixed reactions from friends and family. Some applauded me for my decision and for being quite an adventurous soul while others were appalled at the thought of a girl travelling alone. But I was determined to explore the place; a decision fuelled by the excitement of travelling solo.
When the plane was about to land in Denpasar Ngurah Rai International Airport, a glance at the view from the window assured me of the good times ahead.
My tryst with Bali began from Kuta from where I took a taxi to a nearby town called Sanur as I wanted to start slow before I could make my way to a livelier beach. Sanur has a laidback atmosphere with several small beaches along the coastline adorned with various resorts and hotels as well as dive shops that offer all kinds of water sports. After exploring the shops of the beautiful beach art market, I treated myself with a Balinese massage and enjoyed my first experience of sea walking.
After two days of relaxing and rejuvenating in Sanur, I headed to Ubud which is undoubtedly the cultural and historical hub of Bali. The whole city is adorned with houses, hotels, restaurants and temples, all of which display an architectural and aesthetic finesse that gives the city a very archaic look. I was excited to see the beauty of the stone-carved statues and structures as I took a walk around the city.
The next day, I met a few solo travellers and we had lunch in a traditional Balinese restaurant.
We all enjoyed the ‘Mei Goreng’ as well as the interesting discussions around travel, history, films and of course, food.
Then we went to the ‘Sacred Monkey Forest’ which shelters Balinese macaques and has temples with beautiful carvings.
The following day we headed to a museum — ‘Puri Lukisan’ (Palace of Paintings). This museum showcases modern Balinese paintings and highly ornate wood-carved statues.
Later in the afternoon, there was a bicycle tour around the beautiful green rice terraces of Ubud, a very refreshing experience indeed.
Ubud also has some great nightlife, housing several pubs and restaurants, where one can enjoy various performances from traditional Balinese dances to jazz music.
At 3 am the next morning, I headed for the Mt Batur trek which, even though a little taxing given the hangover, was one of the most surreal and enthralling experiences of my life.
We started the climb at 3.30 am and reached the summit around 5 am which was when the sun started to rise from behind the foggy mountains and the clouds, forming faded shadows on the misty lake below.
Witnessing this breathtaking scene was phenomenal. Mt Batur, like its neighbour Mt Agung, is an active volcano with smoke emerging from its crater.
From Ubud, I decided to give myself some tropical sunshine and coconut-based cocktails, so I took a ferry to Gili Trawangan Island, one of the three islets with beautiful white sand beaches and coconut palms.
I enjoyed snorkeling in the afternoons andsoaking in the beautiful sunsets along the beach in the evenings.
During the nights, it was fresh seafood barbecues accompanied by some ‘bintangs’ (the local beer) at the elaborate night food market. After enjoying the crystal clear blue waters in the paradise, it was time for me to come back to Bengaluru with tanned skin and a refreshed mind, ready to take on the world again.
(The author can be contacted at ankita.0125.sharma@gmail.com)