There’s something to Bali. It may not be easy to describe the crux of it. Maybe, it is nothing but a general feeling of contentment that pervades your mind. It probably has something to do with a whole island seemingly designed for a holiday state of mind. The architectural ambience props up the down-to-earth feeling of relaxation too as high rises are not at all considered prudent in the land of blazing volcanoes and feared tsunamis.
The general scenery can be spectacular enough for Kollywood and Bollywood to think of shooting movies more often here. Take the Uluwatu temple, a must visit destination even if the drive is long and tiring. It sits on top of the cliffs over the Indian Ocean whose waves crash into the base several hundred feet down in vertiginous manner. The temple was built by a 11thcentury king and his ancestors are worshipped here in the difficult to define kind of monotheistic Hinduism in Bali, but it’s the location which makes it unique.
It’s probably not worth it on a holiday to try and understand or unravel the essence of such a form of Hinduism with a strong belief in a single god and in which there is always an empty chair at the top of the ubiquitous padmasana shrine found outside virtually every house and temple. There must, however, be something principally beautiful about all Hindu gods like Brahma, Vishnu and Siva being worshipped and still primacy being reserved for Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa or Brahman — the ultimate reality.
What made it even more difficult to understand it all as we visited Uluwatu as well as the modern Saraswati temple in Ubud, the scenic region in central Bali about 40 kms off the coast near the capital Denpasar, is no visitor is allowed to enter the temple and worship, such a privilege being reserved for locals or just the members of the families that own the shrine. This must seem strange for Indian visitors, who might have been led to believe worship at ancient shrines of Bali may constitute some kind of pilgrimage. The holiday island of Bali is not about pilgrimages.
History comes alive in the heart of Ubud where the Pura Taman Saraswati temple, the museum and the palace are within metres of each other. You are transported into another era as if on a time machine when you enter the Saraswati temple – that is, if you forget the Starbucks in the property protruding right into the temple premises – with its lotus pond and its stone structure lovingly crafted to make it look ancient.
This is a tribute to the overall sense of aesthetics that distinguishes the Balinese people.
Hordes of tourists come through to admire the pond and take pictures of their kin in front of the temple doors and walk on without a sighting of the padmasana dedicated to Acintya, the highest deity in the Balinese Hindu pantheon. No rituals are seen by the tourists and yet the very act of stepping into the modern temple that recreates ancient art seems to suffuse visitors with a sense of inner peace. This is also largely the underlying theme of a peaceful Bali far removed from the strains and stresses of existence.
The Peliatan Palace, the central point of Ubud, is a more ancient structure that is set attractively amid a garden. Even as we contemplate the beauty of the palace garden, the kids come with their dragon dance to earn a few Rupiahs as pocket money. No sooner they are gone then come the palace staff to move the ‘furniture’ from the pillared halls into the well of the palace grounds to set the stage for the evening’s entertainment of song and dance.
Beyond the Jalan Raya that houses the great attractions of Ubud lies the Tegenungan waterfall, a scenic spot that is a feast for the eyes and an Instagram-worthy site as the tourist guides of today call it. It is a scenic waterfall located within minutes of the town centre in an area that reminds you of southern Indian hill stations when they were in a more pristine state than they are today. The green of it all is stunning and the views down the ridges are fascinating as the roads snake around beyond the town centre.
A visit to the Tegaalaland rice terrace is a must. It has a scenic splendour not quite associated with the flat nature of rice cultivation that we see in the Cauvery Delta. The monkey forest appeared a little overrated for Indians so accustomed to seeing hordes of them at temples, but there are so many places to see and things to do in Ubud – yoga, spa, white water rafting — that spending at least a couple of nights, preferably in a villa amid the paddy fields, is highly recommended.
A four or five-bedroom villa with swimming pool, modern kitchen and big living room area at around '25,000 a day seems to be a steal for a family or group of tourists. One of the great attractions of Bali must be the pricing and the value of the US dollar against the Rupiah. It is perfectly possible to have an international quality meal for 6 adults at around '5,000 and a hearty breakfast at half that.
In fact, our six-day trip to Seminyak and Ubud was a continuous gourmet experience, beginning with organic breakfasts with incredible smoothies and cereals, leisurely 4-course lunches through to dinners of different cuisines. I doubt there is any tourist spot in the world offering such a vast variety of restaurants and eating places and you don’t even have to go anywhere near the luxury segment in Nusa Dua to experience the richness of the culture and the international cuisine.
A holiday in a laidback island must seem close enough to life in paradise provided that you learn to be patient with the traffic, particularly around Christmas and New Year. The reverence for the Ramayana and the Mahabharata is reflected in the huge number of statues we pass on the island’s roads of very good quality. They do say you see Ubud best on a hired scooter, a fact that probably holds good for Seminyak and other parts of the island too. Getting around Bali isn’t tough, it is the amount of time you can devote to a holiday there that will determine your happiness quotient.
