I’m cruising on Holland America Line’s ms Amsterdam for part of the 115-day Grand World Voyage. I boarded the ship in Fremantle, Australia (near Perth) to surprise some client friends who have been aboard for the complete journey since the ship left Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on January 5th.
Today we visited one of my favorite places — Bali, Indonesia.
Exploring Bali With Nyoman Sulastra
In November, 2011 Mr. Jones and I visited Bali, staying at the amazing Conrad and visiting a friend John P. who was living in Bali at the time. During that visit, John introduced us to Nyoman Sulastra, a terrific driver who showed us many of Bali’s treasures over several days.
Through Facebook, I reconnected with Nyoman and asked if he was available for March 2 to drive me and my friends Tom and Steve around Bali during our day in port. Nyoman confirmed he would pick us up at the Benoa cruise terminal at 9 am. (We were scheduled to arrive at 8 am.)
The Amsterdam Arrives Late Into Bali
One of the things I love about Bali are the incredible sunrises. This photo is from my early morning walk around the deck.
The captain announces that there was a ferry in our cruise berth and we will be arrived late. I send a message to Nyoman, who said “No problem.” As we sailed into port, we passed by the Seabourn Odyssey.
Finally we reached the Port of Benoa around 9:15 am. Everyone wasanxious to get off the ship, including some of the Indonesian crew members from Bali who were spending part of the day with their families.
There are throngs of people are the port gate, including hundreds of drivers trying to get us to tour with them. We located Nyoman and his van and we set off to explore Bali.
Nyoman is a very “zen” driver as he maneuvers through intense Bali traffic.
One of our first stops was at a Hindu temple. Guests are welcome but they must wear “temple sashes” (known as a selendang) around the waist and a sarong (known as as kain kamben) around your legs. Temple attire is “rented” at the entrance for a small donation. Since I’m wearing a sleeveless top, I added my scarf that I carry in my bag around my shoulders.
Walking into the temple complex, different versions of the selendang and kain kamben can be seen on the steady stream of temple guests.
A sample of the offerings in the temple. Later, we asked Nyoman to explain: he said the offerings are usually based on the kinds of food the family is eating.
Our next stop was an art gallery, near the Ubud area of Bali, well-known for its artists. I liked this painting of workers in a rice field.
While U.S. dollars are accepted in some of Bali, having the local currency is preferred. We stopped at a Circle K convenience store to use the ATM. A million Indonesian rupiah (IDR) is the equivelent of about $105 U.S. dollars, making us feel like millionaires.
Besides its ATM, the Circle K was a good place to buy cold drinks, get free internet to check email, and stock up on local snacks (and Mr. Jones’ favorite Tim Tams.)
Local currency in hand, our next stop was the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary. It’s a wooded park and temple that’s home to hundreds of monkeys.
Monkeys are every where throughout the Forest.
The monkeys are cute and like to pose. But, be careful, they also like to steal any food, drink or unattached object from visitors.
Hot and hungry, we were ready for food and a cold beverage. Next stop: the place that Anthony Bourdain is rumored to have said “servers the world’s best martini”: Naughty Nuri’s, home to “wicked ribs and brutal martinis.”
There are two Nuri’s locations; we visited the one in Ubud, getting seated inside just before a major rain storm.
Steve enjoyed one of the ice cold martinis while checking his email.
After the rain dies down, we headed to our last stop: the rice terraces.
The rice terraces are one of my favorite spots in Bali. Local children are welled-practiced at smiling for the camera.
Tom gets some good photos to add to the thousands he’s taken during his cruise.
Finally, Nyoman delivers us back “home” to the Amsterdam after showing us a fabulous day in Bali.
Have you visited Bali? What places did you enjoy? Please share in comments below.
Are you planning a Bali visit? Some recommended reference books:
Other posts on my Grand World Adventure”;
- Swan Valley Wine Tour from Fremantle, Australia
- Getting from Kansas City to Perth, Australia
- A Peek Inside the Parmelia Perth Hilton Hotel, Australia
- A Walk Around Downtown Perth, Australia
- Boarding the Amsterdam Grand World Voyage in Fremantle, Australia
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