First Place to Go After Getting Off the Plane in Bali

Jimbaran Beach is so close to the airport that you can even see planes landing on and going off the runway. Nevertheless, it does not destroy the peacefulness of the stunning beach. 

I did it this way - I got off the plane in the afternoon and arrived at my hotel in Kuta at around 3 pm. We took our keys, settled down and hired a driver at the hotel counter. The driver took us to the Jimbaran Beach before the sun goes down completely. 

We arrived at Jimbaran Beach at around 5pm. We reserved a table at one of the seafood restaurants the driver recommended us, then we headed down to the seashore. Waves clasps the seashore rhythmically as the sun begins to set. 

We soaked our feet in the water until the sky gets dark. We then headed back to our dinner table on the sand and started to order seafood. 

Nothing could go wrong with seafood freshly caught from the sea. The Indonesian way-of-cooking just means an extra unbeatable seasoning that further brings out the freshness of the seafood. 

Besides "delicious", the other word I could thought of describing this amazing seaside feast is "romantic" - absolutely romantic. It is so romantic that two of my friends started dating each other after this. 

They put this little candle light on the table that adds to the romanticism. There are also traditional Indonesian dance performances from time to time. Besides the sound of clasping wave, you also hear small bands hopping across tables performing one song of their own and another of your choice. The tables are not far from each other. That means you basically get to enjoy "Make you feel my love" from the table on your left and "All of Me" from the table on your right. Of course, it will be great if you could also give a little tips. Bali is all about tipping everywhere. You can always bargain at the markets, but it also worths consideration of not going too far when they actually produce everything with their bare hands to earn a living. 

Lastly, just note that your driver is likely to take you to touristic places where price would be much higher than local business. It easily charges you up to a few hundred thousand per person for dinner as such. Quite a number, I know right? 

Of course, in Indonesian Rupiah! 

Padang Padang Beach

During my 3-day trip to Bali in summer 2015, I went to different beaches every evening for the breath-taking sunsets. On the third day, I went to Padang Padang Beach, my favourite beach of all.

I entered the beach by walking down a dark swampy stairs. It was so dark that I needed to turn on my phone torch. When you thought you were walking down to a muggy damp cave, you arrived at the door of a wonderland.

The pictures pretty much speak for themselves. The sun sets right in front of you till it reaches the same horizon you are standing on.

My friend and I walked around a bit. We started off with the comfy white sand on the beach, then walked towards the water. The water was shallow at that time. There are little islands of stones and rocks among the shallow water. We walked and skipped across the little pieces of lands as we saw algae flickering under the sunlight.

After walking for around 10 minutes, we arrive at a large piece of land with millions of green algae. 

When you stand on the algae land and look ahead, you see the firing skyline and the huge roaring waves. When you look back, you see the peaceful and clear water reflecting the sky and clouds. The magnificence and dynamics of nature are opulently set before you as you turn 360. 

As the sun sets, it gets darker and I dare not to walk too close to the ocean. I headed back and it has turned completely dark when I reach the sands again. My friends have been waiting for the two of us but we were captivated by a few caves before us. So we quickly took a peep and the most surprising thing happened. We saw little yellow lights blinking and dancing in the dark. It's fireflies! We dare not to breathe for fear our noise would scare the beautiful creatures away. Both of us watched quietly in awe. We tried to walk closer into the cave but we stopped as soon as we heard sounds of flapping wings. Bats, i guess? 

We went there for a short 2 hours, but it definitely has become one of the most memorable experiences in my life.