After Leaving Darwin. we had 2 sea days to cross the Timor sea and arrived at Komodo National Park in Rinca Indonesia which is a tender port where they invite you to go onto the national park island to see the wold famous Komodo Dragons who live on the island. We decided to take the opportunity to do a message and hair day at the spa on board since seeing lizards is something we see every day in Florida – for those who went, said it was hot and seeing the dragons was interesting, but that’s all you did. Guests simply walked on the boardwalk with guards that had sticks in case the Dragons whose bite causes death attacked. I thought the spa was a better option.
Day 1 – Bali
After leaving Rinca in the afternoon, we had quick overnight cruise to Bali where we docked at Benoa, outside the city of Denpasar. Our noontime port arrival was a sight of young people on sail boats, jet ski’s and party catamarans. Looked like a hopping place!
We arrived and had an included tour driving through Denspasar to a traditional market, a museum and the Pura Agung Jagatnatha Temple, a sacred pilgrimage destination. Noteworthy, the Pura has an impressive tower.
The 4-story open air market showed everyone on our tour rows of fruits, vegetables and had a wet market of fish (insert smelly vision here),housewares and materials. Vanilla sticks were about one tenth of what it costs back home.
Prior to entering the Pura Agung Jagatnatha, we watch local women put on a traditional dance at the Bali Heritage Hotel and donned traditional dress of sarongs to cover our knees and walked admits the temple structures which was being prepared for the following day’s sacred holiday.
The nearby museum had many artifacts from the Bali’s Buddhist heritage with many carvings that you would wish to have more time to absorb the beauty and story of each.
Arriving back on board, the Viking culinary crew put on Indonesian dinner poolside with a traditional performance by local musicians and dancers – it was fabulous!
Day 2 – Bali
The following day we took a small Bali coach ride to Ubud which was about 90 minutes north of Denpasar. Ubud is a small, but bustling village that contains outdoor markets and rice patties embedded in deep valley with terraced fields.
The Ubud rice terrace fields are a haven for instagram photos of women in flowing silk dress on a swing over the Rice terraces below. The steps are uneven and go down into the valley can be daunting but the view was beautiful with zip liners, and trapeze bikes on wires flying above you adding to the cavalcade of visual stimulation you get standing there. A tourist spot for sure, but worth seeing.
A trip to Ubud is not complete until you spend time in the town’s street markets and stores. It takes some getting used to the pricing as 16,000 Indonesian rupee is worth about $1 USA. So When someone says an item costs 200,000 you hesitate just a bit to realize the shirt costs $12 USD. Bargaining is expected and if you don’t bargain, you will pay way too much for things. Eventually a T-shirt is $8. Traversing the narrow sidewalks directly adjacent to the busy street is another highlight, but part of the Bali expereince.
Then driving back, the roundabouts and roads littered with motorbikes/scooters with huge 5 story Hindi statues that not only are beautiful but signify the religious culture that keeps harmony among the residents. As busy as it is, the speeds are low, no accidents were seen and eventually everyone gets to where they want to go. Even crossing the streets, its’ an orchastrated procession of cars and scooters with the pedestrians. Amazing place that you have to experience.
