After an exhausting semester of studying came to an end, some friends from Yura Mudang and I went on a final trip to Bali. Just before we were each heading home and splitting up again over the world. As Bali can be reached within 6 hours by plane, every international student should really consider visiting beautiful Indonesia during the abroad semester in Australia. I am pleased to give you some insights into my favourite places here and tips for your trip.
Ubud
Once you’re in Bali, there are a lot of things to do – doing a trip to Ubud is one of them. Most people stay there for a few days, since there are a lot of activities. However, we did a day trip, to visit two iconic places.
Tegallalang Rice Terraces
Tegallalang Rice Terraces is a valley of rice paddies, located in Ubud. Walking through the valley offers amazing views over the rice paddies. This magical place is definitely worth a visit!
Monkey Forest
Directly in the heart of Ubud was our second destination – the infamous Monkey Forest. Walking through a rain forest for just $5, you will see hundreds of monkeys, running around freely. You will have a great time feeding and petting those crazy little animals!
*Insider Tip*
GreenKubu Café – an amazing restaurant nearby the Tegallalang Rice Terraces. We received this recommendation by our friend Robert, and it was totally worth it. Great & cheap food – perfect for a lunch break within your adventurous day.
Trip to Nusa Penida
Nusa Penida is the biggest of the three Nusa Islands just a little off from the mainland, allowing you to do a day trip. However, there are so many awesome things to do on Nusa Penida that it is worth it staying there longer. Check out what we did during our day trip. Let’s get started with the logistics:
We took the speedboat from Bali, which is about $60 when you are travelling with a group of at least 5 people. It is even cheaper when you book it in advance on the Internet. As Nusa Penida is quite big, it can take you over an hour by car to cruise from one side to the other. The roads are improving, but it can be quite challenging at some points if you aren’t an experienced driver. Though, transportation is cheap, wherefore I would recommend you book a private driver to take you through the day.
Kelingking ‘T-Rex’
The cliffs form in the shape of a Tyrannosaurus Rex at Kelingking Secret Point Beach is surely one of the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen and also one of those that will make you feel small.
Angels Billabong
To refresh ourselves from the humid weather, we jumped into the crystal clear tidal pools. As with all tidal pools you need to arrive at the right time of day. If you visit Angel’s Billabong during high-tide you will experience a very different pool than the one you see in photos.
Broken Beach
Right next to Angels Billabong is the Broken Beach, an incredible little cove on Nusa Penida Island. The highlight of the cove and the reason it is called Broken Beach is due to the archway that wraps around the bay allowing water to flow in and out from the ocean. Unfortunately, there is no way down into the cove for a refreshing dip but the view is totally worth it going there.
If you are keen on staying longer on the island, this blog provides you a lot more tips: https://www.journeyera.com/things-to-do-nusa-penida/
I hope you enjoy your study abroad experience and make it to beautiful Bali if you can!
Cheers