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Pictures of the second part of our Indonesia trip in Bali,
on the way to Lombok in the island group of Nusa Tenggara

latest picture: March 25, 2007

  • click a picture to see details
More websites from Indonesia and Timor-Leste:
 
On November 21st, 2006, we left the Island of Borneo after half a year, where we overhauled completely our car and visited the Malaysian provinces of Sarawak and Sabah and two new countries – Brunei (# 154) and in Kalimantan the "begin" of Indonesia (# 155) –, driving a total of 3'258 miles. Two days later, we arrived on a domestic ferry in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, a mega-city of about 17 million people on the island of Java. Then, a whole range of more Indonesian islands followed: Sumatra to the West and Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Rinca with the Komodo Dragons, Flores, Sumba and Timor to the East. In-between we explored the 156th country – Timor-Leste –, before our Indonesian roundtrip continued in Sulawesi and ended finally in Kalimantan on the Island of Borneo.
 

  

  
01   This rusty, not very trustful looking ferry
brings us from Java to Bali – not very
inspiring after the disaster of the Prima-
Vista ferry which drowned only two days
ago in Indonesian waters off central Java’s
coast causing more than 600 fatalities!
02   Bali greets us with idyllic landscape,
less population and smoother traffic than
before in Java – we have the feeling to
be in another country!
03   The Pura-Jagatnatha Temple in
Negara in Western Bali is our first
fascinating introduction to the
Balinese Hindu culture
 

  

  
04   Jon, the Swiss Honorary Consul in Bali,
and his wife Suci invite us for dinner with
Balinese dancing to their Fondue Stuebli in
Kuta – it is only the first of many surprises
05   Who does not dream of a bungalow
under palm trees directly on the sea shore?
Jon and Suci invite us to their weekend
house in Pasut at the South coast
06   Each sunset in Pasut is of an
extraordinary beauty
 

  

  
07   A lady priest is waiting for the arrival
of a wedding party at Jon and Suci’s
weekend house in Pasut. They arrange
traditional Balinese wedding ceremonies
08   Young girl dancers are performing
in their fabulous dresses .....
09   ..... to the sounds of a traditional
gamelan orchestra
 

  

  
10   The more quiet Nusa Dua Beach with
its luxury hotels and the Sanur Beach are
more our taste than the famous Kuta Beach
– all are situated near the capital Denpasar
11   Statues of Gods to prevent
misfortune are found also near
bridges and at road crossings.
Here on the way to Ubud
12   View over the Danau Batur Crater Lake
with its beautiful fields in the evening sun.
Unfortunately, the aggressive sellers
prevent us from enjoying the moments
 

  

  
13   The Jackfruit grows to extra-
ordinary sizes: It can reach 80 lb. in weight
and up to 3 ft. long and 20 in. in diameter
14   Besides many tropical fruits, the
fertile soil of Bali produces also
grapes and even sweet strawberries
15   Also the display of fresh
vegetables is in abundance
 

  

  
16   In Amed at the North Eastern
coast, picturesque outriggers are
drawn up on the black sand bays
17   A beautiful sight: The cloudless
volcano Gunung Seraya and the
fishing boats at the black beaches
in Amed in the early morning hours
18   “Polished” rolled stones of any sizes
are collected at beaches and sold. Often,
they are used around swimming pools
or in the open-air bathrooms
 

  

  
19   We drive along magnificent rice
terraces between Wongayagede
and Jatiluwih
20   In Ubud, the rice terraces
are smaller, but not less
attractive .....
21   ..... and at Mayong/Munduk,
they contrast wonderfully against
the red roofs of the village
 

  

  
22 23 24
Our most admired rice terraces are those of Jatiluwih. We cannot stop taking pictures. Here are three of our favorite shots
 

  

  
25   The Pura Luhur Temple in Batukaru
can be visited only by wearing a sarong.
The setting at the edge of the forest is
beautiful, but the many sings “Entry
prohibited” limit our enthusiasm
26   The garden of the extensive water
palace in Tirtagangga, surrounded by
lush rice paddies, is a lovely oasis
of calm and relaxation away from
the busy streets and traffic
27   This small village road of
Candikuning reminds us a little
bit to the Altiplano in South America
 

  

  
28   The spectacularly located Tanah Lot
sea temple is the most photographed in
Bali. Surrounded by the waves of the
Indian Ocean, it is an awesome sight
29   Offerings to the gods are mostly
made out of palm leafs and decorated
with flowers, but sometimes also
enriched with rice, banana or biscuits.
They are found everywhere
30   This temple with its lovely pavilions,
situated on a small rocky islet to the
West of Tanah Lot, is also exposed
to the harsh elements of the sea
 

  

  
31   Steep cliffs dominate the
Western tip of the
Badung Peninsula .....
32   ..... where hordes of grey macaques
roam around, keen to steel all kind
of stuff, especially sunglasses
33   This young Balinese girl
symbolizes for us the
exotic beauty of Bali
 

  

  
34   One of the many temple
ceremonies in the more than
10'000 temples of Bali
35   Fruit offerings are common in
temple ceremonies. This
traditionally dressed family is
on its way to the temple
36   At temple festivities, streets are
decorated with „Penjor“ – a high bamboo
stick with its ends bending graciously
towards the middle of the street
 

  

  
37   The traditional outfit of
Balinese men consists of a
Sarong and a head scarf
38   Eternal magic of Bali at the New
Year Celebration in Sanur. The Balinese
calendar writes in 2007 the year 1929
39   Putting consecrated rice
on the forehead belongs
to the religious rituals
 

  

  
40   Detail of a temple relief .....
41   ..... a temple guard .....
42   ..... and a tiger in a temple niche
 

  

  
43   A group of believers congregates
for prayer while the priest is blessing
their offerings
44   Each house has its own temple.
It is decorated daily with fresh
offerings
45   A festive funeral procession.
The ashes of the dead will
be dropped into the sea
 

  

  
46   A sudden wave makes us
retreat from the beach
47   Where the paddy fields meet the sea
48   Our LandCruiser drives
through the tunnel of roots of a
holy “Bunut” tree in Central Bali
 

  

  
49   Ubud is an artist town. Everything
is handmade, from drums .....
50   ..... to paintings .....
51   ..... and wood carvings
 

  

  
52   “The Monument to the struggle of
the people of Bali” in Denpasar contains
33 dioramas, from daily life to the struggle
for independence and autonomy
53   Szene of Bali in the
"Independence"-era .....
54   ..... and the construction of a temple
 

  

  
55   At Denpasar’s central market,
a vendor arranges Rambutan fruits
56   Even the smallest
space is used for sale
57   Tasty „Sate’s“, grilled on charcoal,
are sold throughout Bali on street corners
 

  

  
58   Traditionally dressed Balinese
men are waiting for a temple procession
to start. They pass their time with smoking,
phoning and gossiping about the beloved
motorcycles – some of their "favorite
activities", quite typically for Bali
59   Impressive, lovely monuments on
roundabouts abound in Bali. These
horse carriage is on the way to the
airport and to the Immigration in
Kuta, where we had to extend our
Indonesian Visa already twice
60   This parking lot in front of "our"
cybercafe has become quite familiar
to us. The girls sitting on in front of it
are also waiting for the temple
procession to start
 

  

  
61 62 63
At “Nyepi”, the Hindu-Balinese New Year, “Ogoh Ogoh” monsters, traditionally made from bamboo,
wood and millboard, are made by young men of each district and carried with bamboo frames through the streets
 

  

  
64 65 66
They are meant to expel evil spirits and demons. The day after is the day of absolute stillness.
No one is allowed on the streets, all noises are banned, no light is allowed to penetrate outside (even airports and harbors are closed).
This is to make the spirits believe that the place is deserted, inducing them to leave
 
 
 
 
 
 
67   A last moment with Jeanette,
Arrie and their three year old son
Jamie in front of Villa Bruno in Sanur,
where we spent two months and have
been spoilt in every respect. It was
an unforgettable, beautiful time!
68   We are leaving the island
of Bali behind us. On the South
side of the port, a tiny fishing
village is saying good-bye .....
69   ..... on the other side it’s the
majestic mountain Gunung Agung
and a cruise ship which just
laid anchor
 
Continuation: Pictures from the third part of our Indonesian trip in Lombok, Sumbawa and Flores from March 25th, to April 27th, 2007
 
More websites from Indonesia and Timor-Leste:

More websites from East Malaysia and Brunei:
Articles in newspapers about us in Indonesia:
Article: "Tamu Istimewa: Neverending Journey", Monthly Car Magazine "Jip", January 2007
Article: "Toyota FJ60 1982 World Travelers", Monthly Car Magazine "Jip",  February 2007
Article: "CHEESE LAND CRUISER", Monthly Car Magazine "BBC Top Gear", February 2007
Article: "22 Tahun Jelajahi 156 Negara", Daily Newspaper "Post Metro Balikpapan", July 17, 2007