We got up early and checked out of the hotel; we would be coming back here after a day. Our driver arrived at the hotel at 7:00 am, and we were on our way. We picked up some breakfast and coffee to go from a Mini Mart nearby and continued to drive on.
Our first stop was Tanah Lot. This is a traditional Balinese temple located on a small, rocky island. It can be accessed on foot during low tide. Again, we had the advantage of being there relatively early and avoiding the crowds. The entrance fee for the two of us and parking was around IDR 120,000 and IDR 5,000. We were able to visit a small shrine at the base, but the main shrine at the top was closed to visitors. The tide started coming in while we were there, and we could see the water level slowly rising. We also saw the Enjung Galuh Temple nearby.
Next, we headed to the Jatiluwih Rice Terraces; there was an entrance fee of IDR 80,000 for both of us. This area offered scenic vistas of hillslopes and plains of terraced rice fields. It was very relaxing to spend time there, and seeing the various shades of green was very soothing. This is one of the less popular rice terraces in Bali, but there were still quite a few people around. I can’t imagine how crowded the more popular locations must be.
We kept driving north to the Ulun Danu Beratan Temple. The entrance fee for the two of us and parking was around IDR 150,000 and IDR 5,000. This is a beautiful temple built on the shores of a lake. The weather had become cool and cloudy. There were gardens to walk around with plenty of photo opportunities.
We had to cross over the mountains to get to the northern shore, and the road kept climbing on and on. We stopped for lunch at Warung Bukit Hexon. It had a nice open terrace, and the main seating area also featured good views of the valley below. For the first time, it felt cool outside, and I’m glad we got to see this side of Bali as well. We ordered our staples, Nasi Goreng and Mie Goreng, along with Ayam Manis.
Our next stop was the Banyumala Waterfall. This is not a very popular place for tourists to visit. We had to park at the top, and it was about a 25-minute walk down to the actual waterfalls through lush plantations. The entrance fee was IDR 80,000 for both of us, and there was also an option to take a motorcycle taxi down and up for IDR 25,000 and IDR 30,000, respectively. We saw a few people walking back up as we walked down, but there was hardly anyone there. We first went to the bigger of the two waterfalls. It was a split waterfall in the middle of a jungle, forming a pool at the bottom. Although the water felt cold at first, it was very refreshing to soak under the cascades and swim in the jungle pool. The other waterfall was smaller but nice as well.
We were going to stay in the Lovina Beach area tonight, and our driver dropped us off at the New Sunari Beach Resort. This was a very nice property with rooms and bungalows lined with trees leading to the beach. There was also a nice swimming pool and cabanas to relax in with views of the Bali Sea. We took a walk around the beach to see the sunset and then spent some time relaxing in the pool.
For dinner, we decided to go to the Blue Royal Beach Restaurant in the resort for a relaxed meal. We ordered Sate Babi Mebase Manis and Ayam Bakar Taliwang along with Traditional Nasi Campur. After dinner, we walked back to our room and called it a night.
