This post was originally from February 18, 2025

Sunday we bid farewell to 2 of the 7 of us Java folks and then met another 11 for the next leg of our tour. This is where our friends Ally and David join us, so I’m definitely looking forward to traveling with them as well. 

Monday we set off bright and early to go to the Jatiluwih Rice Terraces. Spanning about  53,000 hectares, it is located in the highlands and close to the second largestvolcano in Bali – Mt Batukaru. The landscape is a tapestry of vibrant green levels of rice terraces that truly take your breath away. I have said this a lot, but my breath has been taken so many times that I’m turning blue! The Jatiluwih area is known as one of the best regions to grow high quality rice and today is a UNESCO Heritage Site. 

From there we made our way to the famous Pura Ulun Danu Beratan Temple that was built in the 1500’s.   This Hindu temple is actually made up of a complex of temples on the shores of the second largest lake in Bali, Lake Beratan and surrounded by the mountains near Bedugul. It was built in adoration of the Goddess Danu – the goddess of water, lakes and rivers. It’s such an iconic place that it is even on the 50 000 Indonesian Rupiah bank note!

Although beautiful, it felt like more of a tourist trap with so many people and the most random gigantic cartoon looking animal statues. See below one of hundreds!

One thing that was super cool was that there was a ceremony going on within the temple where locals were behind gates praying. We were at the perfect spot because just as we were at the exit, they came out in a procession with all their drums and offerings. It was a beautiful moment that felt authentic among the Balinese Disneyland. 

We eventually made our way to the northern part of Bali called Munduk. Before heading to our guesthouse we stopped at the Munduk Waterfalls. Nestled deep in the jungle we trekked down to a stunning and powerful waterfall. Apparently this is one of 4 in the area. There is a 5km moderately challenging loop that you could do, but clearly our guide knew our limits.

We were told that the next place we were staying was another homestay and to be honest, although I cherish the memories from the last one, I really wasn’t up for being uncomfortable again. But to our surprise, Meme Surung Homestay was more of a guesthouse perched on the side of a lush green mountain with the most beautiful panoramic views. 

Yesterday was another full day of traveling around Bali and seeing more of the north and highlands. Our alarm clocks were the roosters which was far earlier than when we wanted to get up! First stop was a hot springs, but Liza is now not feeling good so we opted to just watch the others frolic away! She’s developed a terrible cough and body aches so we are crossing our fingers that it doesn’t take her down too. 

After that we went to a small village where they not only made us the most delicious lunch but also taught us about Balinese traditions and customs. Before participating in a water purification ceremony, they chose a traditional outfit for us to wear. Not gonna lie,  the women got the shit end of the stick cuz we had to put on a tight, lace, long sleeved top that made me feel like a steaming sausage! Ps. I’ve never seen Liza wear pink or lace! 

Anyway, we were then shown how to make a Balinese offering called a canang. It is a small woven basket made from palm leaves where we then put three types of flowers and greenery inside. Each offering contains flowers which represent divine energy and blessings, betel leaves which represent sincerity and respect and rice & incense which carry prayers to the heavens. Each flower colour represents a different god in Balinese Hinduism. White is Iswara, which represents purity and enlightenment, red is Brahma, which represents energy and strength, yellow is Mahadeva, which represents prosperity and wisdom and finally blue/green is Vishnu, which represents balance and harmony.

We went down to the temple and the local priest took us through the ceremony by blessing us with 3 different jugs of water while walking us through some prayers. Rice was then put on our forehead, temples, throat and head. It was a beautiful glimpse into the Balinese culture and i feel lucky that the locals were open to share such a sacred ritual with us. 

After all the festivities and blessings we were shown around their village, which once again was a beautiful testament of the incredible architecture I so admire on this island.