The Real Bali

“There is a side to Bali that few tourists will find. Away from the hustle and bustle, there is a peace, only found by those with a sense of adventure, willing explore.”

This was my second trip to Bali. The first time I went I got caught up doing the normal tourist things. Locked in basically areas not far from Kuta. I left Bali having not enjoyed it and thinking that I would never go back.

“I made a return trip around 7 years later. To be honest the only reason I went was that Kota Kinabula was completely booked out.”

This trip I made a point to travel the way I like to travel. Away from tourists, making friends with the locals, and getting a real experience.

So it begins

When I arrived I had booked a hotel in a small Village about a 15-minute scooter ride from Ubud. The ride was spectacular going through a couple of small villages, weaving around mountains, and going past rice fields. The hotel was in the middle of a rice field, there was so much greenery, the people were great. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g297701-d8058817-Reviews-Indigo_Tree-Ubud_Gianyar_Regency_Bali.html

About a 5-minute walk from my hotel the locals meet every night to play table tennis. Whilst I stayed at this hotel my nights were spent playing table tennis with the locals. After a week or so of exploring this area and local attractions, I decided it was time for a change of scenery. I packed my hired 125cc scooter up and headed on a trip to the East Coast. The ride took me roughly 8 hours, starting on the busy streets of Ubud, moving to the highway, and slowly getting further and further into the countryside.

I ended up going through Candidasa. Candidasa is a very nice town, it reminds me of the Bali version of Fremantle Australia, just much less busy. Not far from Candidasa is a beach known by the locals as White Sands. This beach is amazing, not only is the sand white but the water is clear. There is a cliff on on side that goes into the water. It bays on both sides of the beach and there is so much foliage and greenery. I would never have known about this beach if it was not for making friends with the locals. I ended up staying 2 nights at this beach. My taxi driver friend from Ubud has a house just near the entrance and invited me to stay with him and it was a great experience.

My next move was to Ahmed. Candidasa to Ahmed is one of the rides that will blow your mind. I rode through various mountains and valleys. The scenery was endless rice fields between the mountains, and lots of greenery. The setting was around sunset which made it even more magical. When I got to Ahmed I did not have any accommodation booked. There are so many places to stay. I ended up in a bungalow on the beach, roughly 100 sqm with a private pool for only $40 a night.

Ahmed is a laid-back town. On the coast with beautiful mountains all around it. There is a lot of places to go diving there including 2 shipwrecks that are not very far out. The food was great and inexpensive, I roughly paid a few dollars a day to eat like a king. If given the chance I would definitely like to go again. My advice for people traveling to Bali, go and see the real Bali.