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Tanah LotDescription: Another temple by the water! What makes this temple different from the rest is that it is only accessible when there is low tide. At high tide (like in the photos), there is no pathway to the temple itself. Isn't that cool?? St. Regis BaliDescription: This is the most popular resort in Bali, and with good reason. They have a private beach with awesome food, and is THE resort to stay at if that is what you're looking for - beach, relaxation, and good bites! Boneka RestaurantDescription: The breakfast buffet here is THE best breakfast buffet I've ever had! They have a buffet (duh), but there is also a menu of items that you can order from for made-to-order food. Plus, they have yummy juices and smoothies that are all inclusive. My favorite dish was definitely the foie gras with fried egg. We ordered so many of these! Plus, the fruits are yummy too, and I love my fruits! King Cole BarDescription: Our package, again, included afternoon tea at King Cole Bar. The items served were yummy, while items from the buffet were mediocre. Discovery Shopping MallDescription: You might be amused that I listed a mall on here, but I had to post a photo because the back of this mall is the entrance to a beach! This is what I'd call a real beachside shopping center.
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Pura Ulun Danu Bratan (Water Temple)Description: This temple is actually near Bedugul, but since this was a stop in our drive, I decided to merge this with the Kuta post! This temple is pretty because it's situated by Beratan Lake with a mountainous backdrop. The flowers are very colorful, and I enjoyed photographing a lot of the plants (as you can see). Taman Ayun TempleDescription: This temple is also not in Kuta, but in an area called Mengwi. It was another stop along our way to Kuta, and it was raining so hard that we were practically the only visitors here. This temple was a bit underwhelming, due to its size. It's a small loop around the center with only one major site to see. Apologies for the poor pictures, but let's blame the weather :) Uluwatu Temple & Kecak DanceDescription: In Southeast Asia, there is always that "cultural" show that I find to be tourist traps, horrible to watch, and I never understand what they are trying to portray. Instead of the traditional indoor show, I opted for the Kecak Dance at the Uluwatu Temple. I still didn't 100% understand what was happening, but it was definitely more entertaining and amusing. I really love how all these temples are by the water! So gorgeous. Bulgari ResortDescription: Afternoon Tea at Sangkar RestaurantDescription: Afternoon tea was included in our package. The skewers were made on lemongrass and were so delicious that we ordered a second round! Honestly, these tour packages spoil me with so much food and massages. Bale UdangDescription: This restaurant is unique because they have gubugs (or pergolas) that you can dine in. It feels like a truly special atmosphere, but I'm sure it's made for tourists. Honestly, I didn't even know what these "daydream decks" (translated from Chinese) were called until I looked it up, but they're everywhere in Bali and I love them! The food here was yummy - the sauces are amazing and anything fried is always delicious. Bumbu Bali RestaurantDescription: The presentation of the food here is gorgeous! The food here was not as delicious as the other restaurants and there were flies everywhere that we had a difficult time eating, but I really liked the presentation of the food. Unfortunately, when everything is pre-booked for you, you don't know what you're eating until you try it so it was difficult distinguishing what meats we were eating.
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Chasing Sunrise and DolphinsDescription: When I first booked this excursion, I didn't understand what "Chasing Sunrise and Dolphins" meant. I thought that we were swimming with the dolphins in the ocean! I was slightly disappointed when I found out we would be watching them by boat, as it seemed inhumane. However, these dolphins are in the wild and we are watching them in their natural habitat. There is no bait used to lure them and they are not harmed by us watching them, although we may be disturbing their morning swim. I should have recorded more videos instead of trying to take photos; it was so hard to capture them! Air Panas BanjarDescription: These are not the hot springs I was expecting! People here are actually showering - they are more like public baths. I also think kids pee in the water. The water is also more lukewarm than hot. Puri Bagus Lovina (Hotel)Description: Every hotel in Bali has an infinity pool and these daydream decks! I am not sure what they call those beds in English, so I translated from Chinese. Every hotel is so beautiful, you could stay there all day.
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Sacred Monkey Forest SanctuaryDescription: Wild monkeys are everywhere in this forest! You can get super close to them but I was so scared once they started getting close to me (with no good reason either!). These monkeys are so cute and so smart! Pura Desa UbudUbud PalaceTegalalang Rice TerraceDescription: Ever wonder where and how they grow rice?? These rice terraces are unremarkable. There are old ladies carrying baskets so you can "borrow" them for photos. They expect to be tipped afterwards and will even ask for more if they think you didn't tip enough. We had tea time here :) Tirtha Empul TampaksiringDescription: They bathe in the water...I was too much of a germophobe to try it. Goa GajahBebek Bengil UbudDescription: This was my FIRST meal in Bali and it was amazing! The sauces are so full of flavor and spicy. Naughty Nuri's Warung and GrillDescription: BBQ in Bali? Sure, why not! Surprisingly yummy, although the meat quality is definitely not as good as back home. Babi Guling Bu OkaDescription: Let's get a coconut with every meal! Kafe Batan WaruDescription: This was one of the spiciest meals I've ever had. I don't think I was able to finish it!
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Hobbiton Movie Set and Farm ToursAlphra LavenderDescription: It wasn't the right season but at least we caught some!
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Rainbow SpringsDescription: We were desperately looking for kiwis so we decided to come here to see them. Kiwis are the silliest animals in existence and they may be my new favorite! ZORB RotoruaDescription: We did the ZORB with water inside, so we were soaked! I had no idea how to stabilize or move around inside the ball, so I just stayed as still as I could, heh. My brother and I did a run where we were in the zorb together and he totally dominated me. Skyline RotoruaPolynesian SpaDescription: Spa day! The hot pools were not as hot as I would like them, but that means you can stay in longer and relax! I also purchased some of their mud masks and scrubs, which are great. Rotorua MuseumDescription: We didn't go inside, but the outside looks fancy. Klamath Falls Rose Garden Itinerary:
Wai-O-Tapu Thermal WonderlandDescription: The geothermal activity in Rotorua is amazing and super colorful! I've never seen anything like it anywhere else. Looking back at these photos, I feel silly taking so many photos of rocks and water, but at the time, I was so awestruck by the colors! I was disappointed that the eruption of Lady Knox was not a natural eruption; it is induced to erupt by adding a surfactant into the opening of the vent. Waimangu Volcanic ValleyDescription: This is the lesser known geothermal wonderland. I found this one to be much more colorful and a lot more open (less touristy). I even touched the water, although they say not to 0:).. Tamaki Maori VillageThe Tamaki Maori Village was a great experience to learn more about the Maori. The food was actually decent, unlike other show meals that are tourist traps. I would definitely recommend.
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Huka FallsAratiatia DamLake TaupoHuka Prawn Park |
AuthorHello! My name is Emily, and I love to travel. This is a personal blog I use to capture all my amazing memories, which I hope you enjoy. Safe travels! :) Archives
September 2017
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