Bali - Padangbai to Lovina

Leaving Nusa Penida via the ferry back to Bali, we arrived in Padangbai around lunch and headed back to Bhalance Retreat - the accommodation we stayed at before.

Up early the next morning, we set out for Amed on the northeast coast of Bali, where we would then continue along the north coast of the island to Gilimanuk, a port on the west side, to catch a ferry to the island of Java.

As the day progressed the road became busy.
Produce was being moved by truck and moped. Often, innovative solutions with rope, straps or just creative balancing were used to lash down items being transported: always interesting to see. Most methods would probably not pass muster in the UK. Slow moving trucks carried rocks and soil and puffed out clouds of blue-black smoke as they wheezed their way uphill. The trucks here tend to be smaller than at home but are very heavily laden and thus incredibly slow. We closely followed an old asthmatic lorry reluctantly heaving along the road, making our progress seem rapid as we overtook the surprised driver.

As we left the main coastal road for side routes we passed along narrower lanes of houses and small shops, getting curious looks from the elderly and receiving enthusiastic shouts of “halo” from children. We progressively left tourist Bali behind and witnessed daily life. Farmers planted rice in waterlogged terraces tessellated across the hillside, working knee deep in chocolate coloured water. Craftsmen toiled away in small workshops, carving ceremonial items from wood or chiselling large cement cast blocks intently.

Uphill and with the heat of the day in full swing we gradually made our way to the top, fuelled by a stop at a small store for some cans of soda and ice lollies (made by Walls). The heat is causing us to drink at least 2 litres of water each per day.

Back onto the main road we enjoyed a great downhill, coming to an abrupt stop when we saw a sign that read ‘Organic Coffee Fried Banana’ positioned by a lay-by on the road. Greeted by a small lady we followed her steeply down some windy steps to a covered shack, ducking as we went into a shaded lean-to on the hillside. With a bench looking out over the rice terraces of the verdant hill side and valley below we had an amazing view and respite from the midday sun. We relaxed for a while eating delicious battered banana fritters with Bali coffee (ground coffee with boiling water, no milk. You have to let the grounds sink to the bottom of the cup before drinking or you end up with black bits all over your teeth). A lovely dog dozed lazily below our bench in the shade and he held a wonderful sleepy pose. Amanda wished she could have taken him home.

We reached the town of Amed mid afternoon and checked into our homestay for the night - the usual small bungalow room set in a garden around a mini pool. Amed is a popular centre for diving and snorkelling due to its proximity to some reefs and a wrecked ship.

As dusk fell we heard the sound of bells and chanting and quickly went outside to see a large procession walking along the street. There were people everywhere, the road full of celebration, with resulting traffic jam. Those participating were all dressed in their finery and carrying what looked like offerings. The music sounded like Gamelan and was hypnotic, adding to the atmosphere. We never found out what the Hindu festivity was. It felt like an exotic version of the old fashioned ‘Walking Day’ that occurred in my childhood in England when several local churches and organisations marched to a brass band. I remembered Wahyu, our driver in Nusa Penida, saying Hinduism was an expensive religion due to the multitude of festivals, holidays and offerings made throughout the year! A hauntingly beautiful chanting could be heard later on as the festivities stretched into the evening.

Next day we pressed on, sad to leave a place that had such a nice feel, less touristy than we’d experienced so far but still with things to do. The climate on this north coast definitely felt more arid, with a dryer heat. This is largely due to being in the lea of Mount Agung, which shadowed us on our left. It is nearly 10,000 feet tall, more than twice the height of Ben Nevis. A conical shape it looks like a stereotypical volcano, and causes the south of Bali to be much wetter and the northern part much dryer.
Deemed to be Bali’s most sacred mountain it is believed to be a replica of Mount Meru - a sacred, five-peaked mountain present within Hindu and Buddhist cosmologies, and revered as the centre of all physical and spiritual universes.

Around lunchtime we reached the village of Les, where we had an overnight at a homestay. Our arrival coincided with the home time commute for local school children and college students. The kids start school early - around 6am and finish early afternoon. We passed groups of smartly dressed primary kids, who greeted us we rode by, some holding out their hands for high fives. Close to what seems like a college, students spilled out onto the main road, like bees leaving a hive, the road buzzed with motorcycle engine noise.

Arriving at the gated house we were welcomed by the host, a small lady who was heavily pregnant. With some language difficulty we checked in and she showed us the facilities.
The cool room was wonderful and set in a quiet leafy garden. Gecko’s scrabbled across the wall and we seemed to have one or two resident in our room as we could hear a “chuck-chuck-chuck” sound. It was funny to see an encounter when one gecko strays into another one’s territory. A stand off would ensue with lots of posturing, head bobbing and tail wagging, followed by a possible chase off! They eat mosquitoes so we are big fans of them.

We enjoyed the rare feature of having a shared outdoor kitchen, well equipped and with some useful provisions and so could cook our own dinner. Bliss! We managed to score some spaghetti and tomatoes to cook a simple tomato pasta dish as we craved a change from our rice and noodle based diet.

The following day’s destination was a place called Lovina. A modest ride of around 26 miles and mostly flat. We paused at a temple, dressed in its finest accoutrements, in homage to some Hindu festival. The colours of orange, yellow and white of draped material along with brightly coloured offerings decorated the pale stone. Large poles staked into the ground and curved at the top and hung with offerings lined the road.

We stopped and were approached by a friendly crossing attendant. Rising from his shaded spot he came over to speak to us. His job is to help people across the road, stopping busy traffic, to allow worshippers to get safely to the temple. He offered to take Amanda and show her around the temple making the experience much more enjoyable with his insight into the customs and the Hindu festival taking place.

He explained the festival was a significant spiritual event in the Balinese Hindu calendar involved rituals and prayers to honor deities and ancestors, invoke blessings, and strengthen community bonds. It is an important annual community event and includes large prayer sessions, and attendees will go into the sea opposite the temple as part of a communal purification ritual.

He explained that many of the effigies and offerings in the temple are made from foodstuffs, crafted using different types of grains, including white rice, red rice, black rice, corn, and other whole rice varieties. These intricately created effigies highlight the deep connection between Hindu tradition, nature, and the cycle of life and death. The current ceremony coincided with fifth full moon and is considered good timing for offerings to the gods.

Reaching Lovina by early afternoon, our homestay was tucked down a dead end lane that led to the sea. A dry dusty grey beach with a few shacks dotted about and a handful of warungs (eateries), where we hoped we could get some food later. We had a rocky start to the homestay, as they insisted we leave our bikes parked in the car park (not outside our room how we like), and the room had broken air conditioning and toilet door. We had to stem our usual reticence to complain and requested another room. The boss lady agreed and offered us a room with functioning air con and a roof fan, which was a godsend.

We left early the next day to make for our next destination, a place called Pemuteran, which will be the place we spend our final nights of our journey around Bali.Læs mere