BEDUGUL - Botanical Garden

Since I was a little girl, I have already fallen in love with this place.
My dad often took me there (almost every weekend - if we were in Bali). Usually we walked in the forest, stepping a nature pathway, seeing various kind of plantation.
Those days, weather is a lot cooler compared to now. No many people like visiting Bedugul Botanical Garden like today.

The garden named EKA KARYA Botanical Garden.
Located about 60 kms up north on the way to Singaraja from the capital city of Bali - Denpasar.
They have nearly 16.000 types of plantation scattered on about 155 hectares area.















Bedugul Botanical Garden is a perfect place to bring your family for a short weekend holiday.
You can bring your food and have the children playing freely while enjoying the nice and clean air.

BALI SAFARI & MARINE PARK

Last Sunday, my love one joined a caricature competition.
It was the first time he agreed to join such competition.
He is very talented but always refuse to join a competition.

The competition took place at Bali Safari & Marine Park.
It was for the first time for us visiting the park.

Entering the park we were given a bracelet showing that we are entitled to enter the park.
There are 3 types of bracelets (I guess), differentiate by colors.
We got the green one which meaning we still have to pay if we want to enter the fun park.

From the main gate, we were taken to Barong Lobby by bus (they called it trem).
Passing the Barong Lobby we will find shops area and Uma Restaurant. There is also a wantilan (kind of open partition building) where traditional Balinese dance are performed on schedule.

Crossing the Dragon Bridge you will find several beautiful Cockatoo birds.
They are very gentle, you can take pictures with them.
On the opposite side of the cockatoo there is a place where you can take picture with orang utan.
You will need to pay some fee to get your picture with the orang utan.
They are so cuteeee!!

















Passing the Cockatoo and Orang Utan place you will arrive at Hanoman Stage, where the Bird and Dogs performance showed on schedule.

Across Hanoman Stage there is a pond where elephants taking bath. The elephants marching to their bathing pond. Pay a bunch of banana for Rp. 10.000 and you can feed the elephants while they are taking a bath.















Walking across the unfinished Ganesha Court (wondering what that place is going to be); you will find the trem station, where you can start your journey exploring the park, seeing their wild animals collection.










If you wish to spend night there, they also have lodge, but we did not see inside.
Maybe it will be fun too staying a night there. The rate started from USD 160++.
See the picture below, that is the style of the accommodation in the park.















Well, it was a fun day for us. My love one won the last prize for his category, he was happy.
Spending nearly a day there, sweating walking around the park.
But if you visit it near time, the marine park is not finished yet, will be ready in 2009.
We will back there by then!

One more thing! You won't be allowed bringing food from outside. The price of the food sold in the restaurant is quiet reasonable, but don't be surprised, the beverage price is 2 - 3 times more expensive compared to the price in the market. So get ready ;-)!

LOVINA TRIP

It was truly an un-planned trip.
I was not prepared to go, but my love one having problem with his left foot (swollen) and can not drive. So I have to take his duty to drive my in law to attend a wedding party in Singaraja.

Singaraja was previously the capital of Bali before it is moved to Denpasar.
It is located on the north part of Bali about 80 kms from Denpasar, having a warm and humid climate.

The wedding party was held about 18.00, but we left Denpasar early morning as my in law wanted to attend the marriage rite at the church. We dropped them at the bride's home and we headed to Lovina, a tourism area in Singaraja.

We spend our time at Bali Taman Resort & Spa.
The hotel is very well maintained, yet clean and tidy.













Since it was too hot to swim when we arrived at the hotel, we decided to have a drink at the restaurant. The restaurant is empty as it was already around 11.00 in the afternoon.
Breakfast already past while lunch was bit too early. I ordered a cup of Balinese coffee, my love one had a glass of ice lemon tea and a plate of fried banana for both of us.

The fried banana was served with palm sugar syrup.
The batter was crunchy but unfortunately, the banana was not riped enough.












I recommended this hotel, I would stay there again one day. The staff is friendly, and also honest! My in law left her precious necklace in the bathroom, but it kept save by the staff.
When she realized she did not have it and rang me to go back to the hotel, I found it kept at the safety deposit box at the front desk. Thank you so much!

It is also easy for you to go for snorkeling or if you want to take a dolphin tour in the early morning. The journey start right on the beach in front of the hotel!

LAKE TAMBLINGAN

We know there are 3 lakes actually located in the North part of Bali. The famous Lake Beratan where the most photographed temple 'Pura Ulun Danu' is located; then Lake Buyan (the biggest of the 3 lakes) and the last is called Lake Tamblingan. The last lake........ we have never explored before.

That Sunday we decided to go to see Lake Tamblingan closely which is not as popular as the other two lakes, but we thought it must be something interesting that we can find there.

As usual on the way up, we stopped at our favorite little bakery, visiting Pak Ketut and had some croissants. It was a luck! We got a fresh baked meat pie. We watched Pak Ketut's talented hands forming the pie. Yummy..........!



























To go to Lake Tamblingan, you just drive climbing up the hill following the road headed to Singaraja. After the Monkeys place, be prepared to turn left. There is a sharp left turning before the fruits kiosk where people usually stop and buy fruits. There you can also feed the monkeys.

After turning left just follow the road, signs that showing direction to Lake Tamblingan are very easily to find. Driving slowly! As you will be amazed by the view started after five minutes driving along the road.

Below is the picture of Lake Buyan. Actually the two lakes Tamblingan and Buyan are located side by side with a hill as a boundary.












We parked our car at an empty land in front of a no more operating restaurant. We took a walk down following a small village gang. The air was really fresh. On the side villager planting vegetables, fruits and flowers.

The panoramic view of mountain series in its glorious blue color was really stunning! Creating an image that we stand over clouds, but truly we did (see my picture below)! My love one told me, he ever passed the place very early morning, when the sun started rising.

"The combination of blue, orange and white that day performing an incredible natural painting just can not be explained, " he continued his story.













We continued our trip heading further north. At the last intersection, take the left turning, the road became more narrow, a typical village asphalt road, with many holes here and there. Not too long driving, the road started sloping down. You could see Lake Tamblingan on your left side.












Park your car at the parking lot in front of the conservation forest. Take a walk following a clean path crossing a very well kept forest. The pathway will take you to the Lake. The mountain breeze................., the smell of freshness after a shower of the rain.................., gave a very pleasant feeling for us. It was still raining a little bit....., but we just did not care!












If you like fishing, do fishing there! Don't expect to catch big fish, there is no big fish, just catch the happy feeling being in a wonderful place. There are 2 houses of the villagers with a small shop in front of each house selling simple snacks and drinks. Best is taking your own meal, do a barbecue or whatever to feed your hungry stomach which easily happened in a cool weather.












We spent our time until the sun went down. Driving back home we still got a beautiful view. Unfortunately........, the sky was not really clear. I can imagine how beautiful it will be if the sky is clear.

MUSEUM PURI LUKISAN

During my kidz to my teenage time, my father often took me seeing many beautiful places in Bali.
Museums were included in the places of our interests. Museum Puri Lukisan located in the main street of Ubud, Gianyar Bali which is managed under the Foundation of Ratna Wartha was one of my favorite.

Still very clearly in my mind, it has a beautiful little old bridge over a small stream as the entrance to the museum area. There was a nice grass lawn which was trimmed regularly in front of the building.

Last Sunday, continuing the tradition we took our love one visiting the museum. A bit sad, I did not find it being taken care as it was during those days. The small stream ......... gone! There is plenty of debris being dumbed there. Wild plantation grow on top of it, gave a dirty image of the place.






















After paying Rp. 20.000 / person, we continued entering the museum.
There is another bridge crossing a pond after we climb steps to the museum. It still like my imagination.

I took many pictures there, unfortunately it was a bit too late (it was 12.30 when we arrived there). Too bright already to take the garden picture. However, yesterday I found the statue that placed in the middle of the pond, has a really good shape and expression.


















I feel the safety and security towards the collection exhibited permanently there was not that good. I tried to see if there is a security cameras installed, but could not find one.
The value of the collections could not be valued in money. It is simply too worthy.

I found a sign mentioning that visitors may not taking pictures in any forms (still picture/videos) over the collections inside the exhibition rooms, but nobody there watching the visitors. I brought my camera, and being reminded by an old man (the gardener I guess) who was sitting in front of the Building for not taking picture inside. Then I walked inside following my love ones, surprisingly I saw a foreigner taking picture inside Exhibition Building I. He..he..he.....

We ended our journey in Ryoshi a Japanese Restaurant next to the Museum. There is a new lines of sushi menu, I ordered Oden Set, and the broth was really delicious!

A nice trip to be remarked!

ORGANIC FARM

In these days, many people being awaken of having a better life. Everybody seems to be directed into “BACK TO NATURE” life style. Kind of way of life style is very instantly becoming popular amongst modern and busy people.

Yoga and meditation retreat started to be fulfilled with participants who look for a balance in their life. Organic food started becoming a primary choice which deliberately bringing a good opportunity for the organic farmers.

Exploring a mountain tourism spot in Bali last Sunday, I and my love ones ended at Danau Beratan, BUT in the side which has not been ‘contaminated’ by the crowd. There is a brand new organic farm developed on that side, completed with a big strawberry farm house. I guess they try to make a kind of organic farm tour, since I looked they put several tracking sign boards. Unfortunately when we wanted to explore more, nobody was there to be questioned. So we continued our tour by ourselves.

I must say not many organic vegetables I could see that time, it seems like they have already done the harvest time. Several yards were still being prepared for the next planting season.

I only saw cucumber, bananas and cabbage.

Next to their office which also their receptionist, I saw a yard full of colorful flowers. I recognized one from the lines they have is an infinity flower like edelweiss. But this one has thousands of tiny orange – red – yellow petals. Very beautiful!

The other line of their flower collection is this bright pink flower. It has a very soft thorn on its stem and leaves. I saw purple and white flowers which usually planted in a hanging pot there.

They are using this ‘automatic’ sprinkler in watering their plantation. When exploring more inside the area further, I saw traditional farmers were also using the same system

I did not know the source of water they were using; possibly it is the water that pumped out of the lake.

Actually there are 3 lakes in the area, unfortunately the biggest one has already experienced decreasing in its water debit since the last 4 years, leaving only half of the lake actual size. Hope the experts can solve this problem quickly. I will write about this lake called BUYAN, in my other post.

Well…….., if you were in Bali and wish to get your organic food supplies, it is very easy now! Several gourmet store in Sanur, Kuta & Ubud area specializing in selling organic food has been opened. You can find many restaurants & cafes which also concentrated of selling organic food easily too!

A PLACE in UBUD

When taking this picture, I remembered a place in Ubud. It is a restaurant but I would not mention the name as I noticed the quality of the food served, decreased recently. Up to now, I have decided for not visiting the place for dining again, I only will drop by whenever I miss the atmosphere. But to get the same feeling I have to wait until the rainy season comes.

Surely, it is a lovely place! Especially its open air area which located next to a big lotus pond.

Many frangipani trees planted near the edge of the pond. They put several sets of outdoor furniture on the grass lawn next to it.

What made me stunned that day: I was there, the rain was just stopped. Plenty of frangipani flowers fell and laid at the grass lawn. Combination of the grass, the yellowish of frangipani flowers and drops of rain that still attached and rolling slowly at the frangipanis' leaves and flowers, the fresh smell of the earth and the smell of the grass after the rain pouring..................., really unforgettable.

After reading this...., close your eyes and imagine what I have written above! Believe me, you will get that atmosphere too (wink!)