Beautiful Bali the island of Temples
Beautiful Bali, Bali is an Indonesian island full of undeniably peaceful people. They are polite and friendly and while there I never heard anybody shouting. They have fantastic weather, the perfect place to relax and unwind. All things considered, you will struggle to find a better place.
Bali is also known for its forested volcanic mountains, iconic rice paddies, beaches and coral reefs. The island is home to religious sites such as cliffside Uluwatu Temple. To the south, the beachside city of Kuta has many lively bars. While Seminyak, Sanur and Nusa Dua are popular resort towns. We also know the island for its yoga, massage and meditation retreats.
80% of the population are Buddhists, with the remaining 20% mainly made up of Muslims.
Bali's Temples
Besakih Temple is often referred to, as Bali’s ‘mother temple’. A grand complex of different clan temples and shrines on the south-western slopes of Mount Agung. At least 70 celebrations are held at Besakih yearly, as each shrine has its own anniversary.
Exploring the whole site can take a day. Even so, most visits cover only the largest central complex, Pura Penataran Agung. Another temple, Pura Pasimpangan, lies east of Pura Penataran Agung. On the higher slopes is Pura Pengubengan, offering great vistas from 1,000 metres above sea level. Sarongs and sashes are compulsory attire when visiting the temple, available usually for a ‘donation fee’ at the main entrance. You can also buy some colourful souvenir textiles from the many kiosks that dot the parking area.
Lempuyang Temple is one of Bali’s oldest and most venerated temples. It’s on par with Besakih Temple. This temple is also believed to predate the majority of Hindu temples on the island. It’s a great addition to any travel plans to East Bali, especially for the fit and adventurous.
The main temple is at 1,175m above sea level, on the peak of the namesake Mount Lempuyang. The grander Penataran Agung temple at the slope of the mountain is very popular for Instagram shots. If you wish to reach the temple at the peak, it’s a steep climb up over 1,700 steps. Once at the top, the prize view is a sweeping panorama over East Bali’s lush topography
Rama Candidasa Resort and Spa
We stayed at Rama Candidasa Resort & Spa in the Karangasem Regency for five weeks in October 2014. It covers the eastern part of Bali, and has an area of 839.54 km² and a population of 369,320. It’s regency seat is Amlapura. Karangasem was devastated when Mount Agung erupted in 1963, killing 1,900 people. Before the Dutch conquered Bali, Karangasem was a kingdom.
The weather is perfect, pool temperature, without doubt, perfect, like a warm bath. The locals are friendly, helpful and polite. The Balinese are such lovely people and cannot do enough for you.
The Indonesian government makes it easy for you to retire there providing you have money. So Bali, is not for us. It is a pity because the locals are lovely people and the weather is perfect. Beautiful Bali, Peaceful People.
On the negative side, the roads are chaotic, drivers do not adhere to the road signs, speed limits and especially passing on the inside. Scooters pass you and then turn in front of you as they are very impatient. They probably think they will save ten seconds by doing that. It is a wonder more people are not killed, but as they have been driving like that for years. Do not expect them to change anytime soon.
So, summing up, with beautiful, peaceful people, fantastic weather, and as long as you do not get upset with the chaotic drivers. It would be a great place to retire.
Balinese is a Malayo-Polynesian language spoken by 3.3 million people on the Indonesian island of Bali and northern Nusa Penida. Also in western Lombok and eastern Java. Most Balinese speakers also know Indonesian. I felt I could never speak this language, although there are a lot of expats that do speak the language.
Four of the many temples on Bali
They also have tiered rice fields