Temple Procession in front of the hotel

The Tjampuhan Hotel was perfect for our needs. The rooms are spacious and spread in various buildings across a steep hillside connected by paths. Most roooms had a private porch or balcony and ours had air conditioning. Many of the guys working at the hotel approached us with offers of sightseeing tours, homemade dinners, transportation and various suggestions. Luckily we were able to get over our initial hesitation and we took one guy up on his offer for dinner. Wow, it was amazing! I have to say that none of these offers, either in the hotel or on the street, felt intrusive or aggressive. The Tjampuhan has two pools and a grotto spa which really has to be seen to be believed. The spa services cost extra but anyone can walk through the "cave" which houses various steam rooms, a spring water "pool" and a jacuzzi. The hotel is an easy 15 minute walk to central Ubud, but hourly shuttle vans are available.

We attended a Legong dance performance at Ubud Palace, and a Barong dance at an outdoor theatre south of Ubud (closer to Batuan). Both were completely entrancing. Bring your camera because it's ok to take lots of pictures. Personally I was very moved, particularly by the Legong dance, to see something so colorful, intricate, purposeful and expressive. The dance, costumes and the stories told by these performances were meaningful even though the performances were meant for tourists. Go see for yourself! Tickets are sold either on the street or the gate just outside Ubud Palace, and it seemed that performances were held most nights of the week.

We visited several temples. Pura Tirta Empul, north of Ubud near Tampaksiring, is a temple complex and natural spring, very popular with tour busses and really the only crowded tourist attraction we visited. Worshipers use the springs to perform ritual bathing and sarongs are required here.

Nearby is the archeological site Gunung Kawi. Do not miss this spot! We had to specifically request to be taken here, but Windy was glad to oblige. These carvings each represent members of an 11th century Balinese royal family. Refer to your Lonely Planet guide for more details. Gunung Kawi is best enjoyed if you read the history beforehand, but the site itself is idyllic and the long walk to the carvings discourages large groups of tourists. It's a great spot for photos and to experience the history and intimate beauty of the island, as well. Part of the ruins include a royal chamber carved out of stone. This chamber is considered sacred, and it's necessary to remove your shoes although no one is there to enforce this rule.

Windy took us, right on schedule, to Pura Tanah Lot for its famous sunset. Pura Tanah Lot is located on the sea west of Denpasar and well north of Kuta/Seminyak. The sunset is best viewed from the promontory just west of the temple itself. Walk out to the end of the promontory and climb down the treacherous steps onto the rocks. If you're lucky there will be a bunch of Balinese guys laughing and fishing, a sight that adds to the evocative glow of the Indian Ocean at twilight. Wow.

Clinton gets cleansed at Gunung Kawi

Rice terraces at Tampaksiring

There was, of course, some obligatory shopping to do during our time in Bali. I was most interested in wood carving and Windy took us to a family owned place called Daging Wood Carver on Br. Tengkulak in Kemenuh that featured wood carving and a large showroom with all kinds of wood pieces. Our favorite souvenir was an intricately carved Barong mask. We also went to a jeweler, Yoga Dharma Gold & Silver Jewelry on Br. Apuan in Singapadu. The craftsmanship on display here was really impressive and the girls in the shop were giggly and friendly! We had fun everywhere we went talking to people and asking all kinds of questions. The only relatively surly salesman we met was at the batik factory. The batik making process was fascinating, but the goods for sale weren't very interesting. I mean, how many tropical print shirts does one need in life? Our answer: zero.

Windy took us to so many cultural sites, temples, markets and special places that we could hardly keep track of all the names. The most sacred and culturally important sites on Bali are the temples. One of our favorites was Pura Luhur Batukau, which is surrounded by forest on the lower slopes of Gunung Batukau. The sign outside the temple clearly states in no uncertain terms who is not allowed to enter and sarongs are required. We watched a temple ceremony here from a distance, and Windy gave us a lesson in reading the Balinese calendar.

If possible, wander the empty backroads around Jatiluwih for some awesome rural scenery. Another beautiful temple is Pura Ulun Danu Bratan, located on the lake near Candikuning. The cooler temperatures at this altitude are extremely welcome. Clinton scored big time at the Candikuning Market in his quest for spices and seasonings. At Pacung, south of Candikuning, there's a dependable if tourist oriented buffet lunch place called Pacung Indah. The food was good and the manager Wayan was extremely kind, he spent about half an hour talking casually with us after we finished eating. The link to the restaurant/hotel website is below.

We had lunch in Kintamani one day, at a restaurant perched on the side of the crater with a spectacular view of Gunung Batur and the lake below. Unfortunately the town of Kintamani is a tourist trap and we saw a lot of independent travellers getting hassled by salespeople waiting outside the restaurants. It seemed that by keeping close to Windy and our driver Dewa, we were immune or ignored by most (but not all) of the more aggressive hawkers. I don't think these guys realized how much they helped us as we would have never been able to negotiate all of the places we saw without their help. Don't try to do it alone in Bali even if you already know you're the world's greatest independent traveller. In Bali it's about connecting to the people and supporting the economy. A good Balinese tour guide has information at his fingertips that would take you hours or days to figure out. And one look at the traffic conditions on the island will make you think twice about getting behind the wheel of a car, or god forbid, a motorcycle! Speaking of traffic, you might want to bring along an antihistamine if you are sensitive to environmental allergens. After a few days in the van I found myself pretty stuffed up, mostly from breathing exhaust from poorly regulated vehicle emissions.

Of course we would be happy to answer questions about our trip or hear about other people's experiences. We are hoping to return soon. Every day I try to spend a few moments remembering the sound of the gong kebyar (a traditional percussion orchestra), or the silliness of our impromptu skinny dip in the Sungai Ayung, or the feeling that in Bali we had left behind the world we knew and, unexpectedly, had found ourselves on a dream like ride on this beautiful gold and green chariot on the sea. Corny? Maybe. Go see for yourself.

Pacung Indah Hotel and Restaurant

Rice terraces near Gunung Kawi