I was certain I would dislike Bali given the multitude of tourists that visit here each season. But it was love at first sight when we sailed into Ambat Bay, Amed at sunrise on 4 September, a love that grew with every passing day. If I wasn’t on a quest to circumnavigate the world under sail, I could have stayed here forever. Bali was an immersion for all the senses. Let me share some highlights with you.
USAT Liberty Wreck – On 5 September, we sailed SY Amandla from Ambat Bay to nearby Tulamben (08° 16.46 S, 115° 35.55 E) with our friends from SY Tiger Lilly and SY Twenty-Twenty Vision to snorkel the wreck. The USAT Liberty was torpedoed by the Japanese in 1942 15 km southwest of Lombok. She was towed to Bali by a US destroyer and was beached at Tulamben after her crew were evacuated. The Japanese advance prevent recovery of her cargo. The eruption of Gunung Angung in 1963 caused the hull of the ship to slip into deeper water and break into a few pieces. Now home to a variety of fish, it is the most popular dive site in Bali. We went early to avoid the crowds.
Galungan – On 6 September, while on a land tour of the island, what most caught my eye was the penjor lining the streets of Bali. And it seemed that everyone was involved in creating more. Apparently, every family has one. We asked our knowledgable driver Nangah (+62 819 3632 4249) about their significance and he explained that they were for Galungan, a very important religious holiday happening the very next day.
Galungan celebrates the victory of dharma (good) over adharma (evil), marking the time when the ancestral spirits return to earth. Offerings from the harvest are placed at the base of the penjors to welcome the ancestors.
We were keen to see the Galungan celebrations in action and arranged with our driver Nangah to take us and our friends from SY Tiger Lilly to visit two temples.
Given the importance of this holiday, the stores are shuttered all morning and the locals don their finest clothing. Nangah provided The Captain and our friend Tom (Captain of SY Tiger Lilly) with ceremonial sarongs and undeng head coverings to attend the celebrations.
Our first visit was to Pura Maduwe Karang, a beautiful seaside temple with notable carvings.
The most unique relief is thought to be of WOJ Nieuwenkamp, the famous Dutch painter who toured Bali by bicycle in the early 1900’s, perhaps the first bicycle ever seen by the Balinese.
Next we visited another seaside temple, Pura Ponjok Batu, which was brimming with celebrants.
The celbrants presented offerings, prayed en mass, and were cleansed symbolically by the sea.
After the morning celebrations, we enjoyed a lovely lunch and were given bountiful gift bags from our driver Nangah; unexpected but welcome. A good day was had by all.
Lovina Festival – After Galungan, we sailed northward from Amed to renew our tourist visas and enjoy the 5-day festival celebrating the hidden beauty of Lovina.
The festival, now in its fifth year is not held solely for the Sail Indonesia Rally, but the Rally participants were guests of honor.
A welcome ceremony was held on the first evening of the festival with music, a parade, dance performances, welcome speeches, and a delicious dinner for the fleet.
For Cardinal Guzman’s The Changing Seasons
The second day of the festival included a friendly bull race with more music and dancing to celebrate the tradition of racing.
Sadly, we only stuck around for the first few heats. Our friends Tom (SY Tiger Lilly) and Jan (SY Wakiya) stayed longer and both got to take the bulls for a spin! #jealous.
We missed the third day of the festival as we were touring other parts of the island, but on the 4th day, after we returned from renewing our tourist visas, we enjoyed watching a competitive game of Gangsing.
There was more dancing that evening, but from all the activity we’d been doing since arriving in Bali, we decided to stay on-board.
Just when I didn’t think Lovina could get any better, on the final day of the festival, the city treated us to a farewell dinner followed by a Kecak dance on the beach at the end of the evening.
The dance was performed by 200 students and depicted a battle from the Ramayana. The predominance of the male performers were dressed in checked cloth around their waists, sitting in a circle percussively chanting “cak” and moving their hands and arms.
I was able to get a few photographs but we left the Go Pro at home so did not film it. I found this video on YouTube if you want to get a taste for the sound and movements.
It was a remarkable performance that I feel blessed to have experienced. Lovina really knows how to put on a good show. If traveling to Bali during the festival time, it is a must-see experience.
Jatiluwih – A UNESCO World Heritage sight, Jatiluwih was the most relaxing place I found on Bali.
These terraced rice paddies framed by Mount Batukaru and Mount Agung make use of traditional Balinese irrigation known as subak.
Although there were tourists here, one could still get lost on one of the longer walks through the Jatiluwih fields and feel a sense of solitude.
And at an altitude of 700 m, the cooler temperatures were very welcome. Rather than stopping along the way on our 3-hour drive there, The Captain wisely suggested that we head there first. Lucky for us because while we were treated to a bit of sunshine in the morning, friends visiting here later that afternoon were greeted by heavy rains.
Still, even in the rain, our friends said that Jatiluwih was a top destination on their visit to Bali. Actually, I wish we had skipped our other destinations that day and spent more time in this incredibly meditative landscape. Almost as peaceful as a sail in the open ocean.
Street Art – A few of the street artists that I follow were in Bali in July creating for the Tropica Festival. Sadly we weren’t in Bali yet to see them in action but we did manage to make our way to Canggu with our friends Tom and Lilly from SV Tiger Lilly to see some of their works.
Our very patient driver Komang Andika (Phone +62 81 237 477 975 / WhatsApp +62 87 762 765 025) took me to several spots in Canggu to see murals created before and during the festival.
I’ve shared a few murals here but you can find all of my favorites in my Indonesia Street Art Gallery here.
Coming Next Up: September Part II: Karimunjawa and Central Java
Submitted for Cardinal Guzman’s ‘The Changing Seasons’ and for The Daily Post Weekly Photo Challenge: Quest
Wow! What a lovely place Lisa, such colour and vibrancy! I just love the Seth Globepainter picture and the paper decorations are just mind blowing!! Be Safe! 🙂 <3 <3 T.
Thank you Teresa! Those penjor decorations look like they are made from paper but they are fashioned from bamboo and coconut leaves. Amazing works of art. And speaking of art, am delighted you liked the Seth Globepainter mural. Hope you are doing well! Be by you place to catch up soon
Isn’t it wonderful when we unexpectedly fall in love with a place? Lovely photos of sights and scenes which are entirely new to me.
The unexpected love affairs are definitely the best Ann! I am delighted that you liked the photos. Hard to miss in Bali where we seemed to be constantly bombarded with beauty. It’s a magical place!
It’s somebody’s dream that you’re living. Almost like another planet. Your posts always make me glad that there still exist such peaceful places.
Thank you Manja. I too am delighted to find such peaceful places in our increasingly crazy world. We’ve just sailed into Kumai and I’ve woken up to the sounds of 20,000 + swiftlets chirping their morning song. Peaceful indeed ??
Although the festival scenes bring back wonderful memories of my summer fair experiences in Mongolia (gotta love racing animals in bright colors and beautiful people in colorful costumes!), the highlight of today’s post for me was the rice paddies. For one, I have never seen them for myself, but more than that, your photos so perfectly capture those rolling, swirling waves of grain. No wonder you likened those tranquil fields to a sail in the sea! Also glad to see bit more street art after belatedly finding one of those photos on Instagram yesterday! 🙂
I totally thought of your Mongolia trip throughout the Lovina Festival. It was as if the universe picked up on my ‘location envy’ when I was reading your Mongolia posts and compensated with the gift of this show in Bali ?. Badfish challenged me to find street art in Bali. A shedload has gone up since his last visit. And the backdrop of beaches and rice fields frame the murals quite nicely. Speaking of rice fields, I hope you get to visit someday to capture Jatiluwih in your lens. You have an incredible talent for landscapes and would do wonders in this place. It was great to see your beautiful spread in ‘On Your Doorstep‘ magazine this quarter!
Amazing photos and experiences, Lisa. I’m glad you enjoyed the rice paddies and so many celebrations. Bali is wonderful, and to me, it was an oasis of beauty and Hindu friendliness, after visiting some grimier and less friendly areas before. I’m so happy you also fell in love with the island. You are seeing and experiencing very different things – one more unique than the other – while approaching and seeing the island from the sea. Looking forward to part II!
Bali was everything that you said it would be Liesbet. While my whole experience of Indonesia has been filled with friendly people, Bali had a unique vibe that made it feel like I’d entered a different country. Lovina Festival and Galungan were perhaps icing on the cake in a location that is, as you say, and ‘oasis’ 24/7. Thank you for your compliments on the images and for sharing the experiences virtually. Wish you and Mark were sailing by our side. Then this journey would be perfection!
Ooow, Lisa. You are so kind and make me smile! We wish we could be there with you as well. Sometimes… :-). Ideally, while house sitting. 🙂
What a wonderful experience you’re having! A lifetime’s worth. I love the series of rice paddy images. How far your photography has come.
I truly am blessed to be having these experiences Karen. And am very pleased to know that you think my photography is improving. Thank you ?
I have never been interested in Bali either, because of the crowds, but you have certainly shown its good bits. Lovely photos of such colourful and friendly folk and gorgeous rice terraces. Sounds like you are having a tremendous time on your travels. I am not at all envious.
Ahoy Jude! By staying away from Kuta and only stopping for day trips in Ubud and Canggu, we managed to avoid the throngs of tourists. But it is funny, even when we were among the crowds I was happy because they were contributing to the economy of the wonderful Balinese people. Bali really is magical. Thank you so much for your visit and your compliments ?
These photos are simply stunning, and so many places you got to see, and so many locals you got to meat. What a September it has been for you, from the Liberty Wreck to the Galungan celebrations to the Gasing game to the rice paddy fields. Perfect timing you and your crew seemed to have and managing to join in local festivities and celebrations. That is certainly a great way to get to heart of the culture and people at any place. From the photos, it looks like the locals must have been as curious about you and crew just as you and crew are curious about exploring people and places.
The Captain is just as wise about timing just as he is wise about fixing Amandla. I hope there weren’t too many rainy days there in the tropics. I remember living in South East Asia – Singapore and Malaysia – it rained so often. But soon enough you will get to visit those places. If you do sail and stop by soon, let me know…because I have some questions… 🙂 Wishing you well from the Land Down Under. It is late and Mr Wobbles has come out to wave to you and crew eventhough Mumma Wobbles is telling him to go to bed for the upteenth time 😀
Ahoy from Kumai Mabel. We’ve just sailed in here to visit the Orangutans. I have no doubt that Mr Wobbles and Momma Wobbles would love it here! We were lucky with the weather from Timor to Bali but started to experience rain as we visited Bawean, Karimunjawa, Java and now here. We have less than a month remaining in Indonesia and will be hitting the shores of Malaysia at the end of October. Thank you for sharing Bali with me virtually! Maybe I will get lucky and you and Team Wobbles will come to Singapore or Malaysia for a visit.
PS – The Captain got to apply his ‘fix-it’ wisdom again in Bawean. Our fuel tank sprung a leak again and this time it was a gusher. But he came up with a creative workaround that should get us to Singapore. He is a miracle worker
The odyssey continues! Thanks for posting, as I am really enjoying arm-chair sailing through Indonesia with you. I agree with Mabel, above, your timing has been perfect for participating in a lot of the festivals. I love the photo of the dancers (the two central dancers maintain their focus, but a third one in the background notices you taking a picture) and the rice field with the giant scarecrow (?). Do they have crows in Indonesia or is this for some other kind of bird or a different purpose altogether? Tell the Captain it’s good to see his smile from under his undeng head gear.
I am glad that you are along for the journey virtually Kirstin but wish you were right next door on Silhouette in the anchorage. There are crows in Bali! They are supposed to be revered as ancestors which seems to conflict with scaring them away from rice fields, but there you go. I have passed along your love to the Captain. And speaking of love, thanks for the compliments on the photos. I owe you an email. You’ll have it as soon as we stop touring or sailing everyday ?
Lisa, you have no idea how excited I get when I look over my email and find that you posted something. Your photos are amazing and colorful as always. The story telling about your exciting adventure just floors me and I am so happy to be part of your world. No matter how far apart we are you make me feel as if I am part of it and as if I were right there with you. Thank you so much for sharing of you and your travels. God Bless You!! xoxox
Thank you so much for all the love Eva. I am so happy to have you in my world. You need fail to put a smile on my face. Thank you for your kind words.
Such stunning shots! You have captured it well. I’m pleased the crew, the Captain and you have the privilege to experience it all.
I am not sure if you have had the time to reflect your sailing experience todate. If you have, has it changed your outlook?
Thank you for your generous compliments Corina! Always a pleasure to hear from you. This sailing journey is most certainly a privilege. I often reflect on my sailing experience. On my good days I feel like the luckiest person in the world to be having this experience. On my darker days, I think of the alternatives lifestyles I could be living and choose this one again. I won’t do this forever, but I’m loving it now.
I’m all in on Bali!!!! Looks like you’ve been a busy beaver bravo on the photography :).
Bali would be a wonderful place for a honeymoon ??. Greatly appreciate the visit and the bravo. We have been non-stop touring and sailing to the point that I need a vacation from my ‘vacation’. Tomorrow we head up the Kumai River for three days to see Orangutans in the wild. I look forward to taking some long naps when we get to Malaysia/Singapore in November. Big hugs to your entire crew.
Wow – really great photographs!!
? You are very lovely to say so Joe! Hard to miss in Bali. It really is paradise. We’ve arrived safely in Kumai and are off to see Orangutans tomorrow. Big hug!
Dear Lisa,
I felt back in Bali. Wow what You managed to See There! Unfortunatly wenn had Not enough time when wenn were in Bali a year ago. And noch I’m flying between Berlin, Innsbruck, Vienna, Munich and back to Berlin alone within this week…
But I’m happy with my new position
Lovestory and Hugo
Thomas
It is amazing for me to think that you and Annette were in Indonesia a little over a year ago, have since completed a circumnavigation and now returned to take on a big role in Germany. What a difference a year makes. I do miss your writings on Anke-Sophie and hope you find some time to write a book. Best to Annette.
Jaw dropping! I love all the colour. Bali has never been on my last either – but you might change my mind….
I hope you do Anabel. I think you would really enjoy Bali. It’s magical. And thank you for your very, very kind description of this post as ‘jaw dropping’. We are in Kumai now and are heading into Tanjung Puting National Park for a 3-day tour to see orangutans. Very excited.
WOW, what a great time to land in Bali with the festival going on. You really got some great shots.
Safe passage to your next destination.
Steve
Ahoy there Steve and thank you! We certainly did get lucky with timing but our luck sort of ran out after we left Bali. After a 2-day motor sail from Bali to Bawean, our fuel tank leak turned into a gusher. The Captain came up with a creative solution and we are now using a 20 liter jerry can as a temporary fuel tank until we can replace our tank in Malaysia. We have to refuel every 5 hours, but the solution has carried us 350 nm NW thus far. I’ll have a picture in the next post. Hope you and Margo are doing really well.
So much happy color to feast the eyes on.
I am glad that you enjoyed the post Karen. Bali certainly satisfied my addiction to color. Its beauty will be forever imprinted in my mind.
Wonderful – always so exciting to “visit” you… 🙂
Well thank you Drake. Very kind of you to say. I am delighted to have you along for the journey ⛵️
What a gorgeous country! Amazing colors and celebrations. I just loved the bicycle relief… and the flower that was placed behind his ear.
That bicycle relief was one of the coolest most unexpected things I saw in Bali. How cool would it be to make such an impact on a people that they memorialize you in a temple wall! And that they still honor your memory 100 years later by keeping you decorated in flowers! Bali really was gorgeous. An oasis. We are in Kumai and off on a three day tour to see orangutans tomorrow.
Oh, such gorgeous shots, Lisa (as usual)! Everything is so colorful! I really loved the landscape photos, especially the one showing the terraced landscape, palms and grey clouds! Stunning!
Thank you as always Terri for your very generous compliments. Bali was truly a color explosion that satisfied my color cravings. And I could return to those rice fields over and over and over again. We are in Kumai now leaving tomorrow on a 3 day tour to see orangutans. Life is good.
[…] http://lisadorenfest.com/2016/09/29/september-part-i-bali/ […]
Excellent photographs… happy October & Spring to you, dear Lisa. Aquileana 😀
Thank you so much for well wishes and lovely compliment Aquileana! I hope you have a most wonderful day.
Wow!!! What a place! I’d love to go to Bali and see it someday. Beautiful captures Lisa!
I think that you totally enjoy Bali Nicole! Would love to see this place through your lens. I am delighted that you liked the images. Thank you.
Leave it to you, girl, to find paintings on the wall!! Or maybe you have an app that gives you the location and time of day when someone will be walking in front of the mural on the walls? And how very lucky and special you got there during Galungan, with all the decorations and ceremonies! Love the photos, of course, especially the first one of Agung…but the red one Bali on Fire…good lord, girl!!
???. Thought of you and your travels in Bali the entire time we visited here (especially when I captured the image of the farmer cultivating the rice field in front of the mural). You were right. Bali is paradise.
Lisa, I love this post as it brought back such amazing memories of Bali. I love the photos, particularly the ones of the underwater diving and the rice fields. You certainly were treated to some spectacular performances.
The relief of the Dutch biker fascinates me. How interesting…..
Peta
I am delighted that you enjoyed the images Peta and that they brought back good memories. Thank you.
It is funny. When we dropped anchor in Bali, I went to your blog to read up on your experiences in Bali and the first post I saw was of your visit to Amed…which is exactly where we had just dropped anchor. Nice to visit here with you…even if we were separated by a couple of years. I look forward to a time when we are actually in the same place at the same time.
Oh Lisa, that’s great! Ahmed is definitely one of our favorite places we went to in Bali. it will definitely be fun to meet up one day!! Happy sailing.
Peta
Lovely photos as always Lisa. On the days when you questions yourself about what you are doing with your life, you have to be thrilled to answer “this.” “Seeing this.” Sometimes the popular tourist spots are popular for a reason. There were lots of tourists in Ireland, but it was also easy to go off on a path alone and be surrounded by nothing but country side and sheep. You will always see things through your own lens!
? You are quite right Michele, I am thrilled (and blessed) to say that ‘this’ is what I am doing with my life. So glad that you liked the images. I loved the wisdom (and images) in your recent post ‘Find Yourself in Travel’ I may not like every aspect of myself that I ‘discover’ while on the road, but its totally worth it for an occasional trip to my dark side to be able to experience everything that this wonderful world has on offer.
The rice paddies are beautiful, reminds me of Nepal. Snorkeling seems so cool. It was a good idea to go early to avoid the crowds. That bike is awesome too!
Ooooo I would love to visit the rice paddies in Nepal. Someday. For some reason, I thought you’d like that bike image. And I hope you have some snorkeling in your future. It is totally cool.
Fantastic feast of people, movement, colour, and craft, then the change to the soft greens of the paddy fields and finally the moving street art murals. I really do feel as though I am being taken to places that I will probably never be able to see in person. Thank you.
Oh how I wish I had your way with words Hilary. You description of your experience of this post is almost poetic! Thank you for such a generous compliment ?
Absolutely stunning photos! Bali has now come way up on our bucket list. Thanks so much!
I am so pleased to hear that Bali is in your future! Truly magical. Thank you for your compliment on the images ?
[…] Photo courtesy of Lisa Dorenfest […]
Having fallen in love with the ruins of Siem Reap, Cambodia, I am now eager to see the temples of Bali based on your wonderful photos. I love how the mixture of different cultures in Southeastern Asia has led to some vibrant and layered artistry.
I am certain Bali will capture your heart as it did mine. Off to look at your Cambodia posts now as we wil travel there by land later this year ?
Bali has always been a dream destination for me, Lisa! Your post was very inspirational!
Thank you Agness. I see that you’ve had a couple of opportunities to enjoy Bali on your ’round the world adventures. My what a journey that you’ve had! Impressive.
Stunning photos Lisa!
Only spent a few days in Bali whilst island hopping to Lombok on a 4-month trip through gorgeous Indonesia back in ’98 – it was amazing and your photos brought back so many memories.
Ahoy from Grenada Nilla! Missing Bali HUGElY as we reacclimate to the Western World here in the USA’s backyard. Surreal to sail in here after so long away; like arriving in The Hamptons with palm trees. I never thought I would consider the Caribbean as being too civilized but here we are. Had a lovely time with Phil and Karel in the Iles du Salut but we parted ways en route to The Caribbean. They are now in Tobago headed to Trini where they will complete their circumnavigation …but then you probably know all that. Will be by to visit your pages soon.
Oh dear.. Lisa! You were here 3 years ago (and I thought just a couple of months ago). I might not have been on the island then, but you sure enjoyed some of the best that Bali has to offer. In fact, you caught sight of some events (Gansing? Never even heard of it) including the bull races and murals in Canggu that I’ve not seen. Shows you just how much an island of this size has going on 😉 So glad you got to dive that wreck, and get a feel for the ornate character of Balinese ceremonies. I hope our paths will cross another time…
I hope our paths will cross as well. I Would LOVE to do Via Francigena with you someday
Va bene! Stay tuned… 😉