Tukad Temiling

Well this was quite an endeavour.

I left the temple and headed west to the next spot, Tembeling forest and waterfalls. What I was not prepared for was how much effort it would take to get there.

The roads were fine right up until the last 3k. The final 3k was an extremy step descent through the forest on a dirt track. At this point I decided that though my bike would make the journey, I would not. So I parked up and paid a local to take me down. Very glad I did as I have no fear with riding, and that journey unnerved me.

But the view at the bottom? Worth it.

At the base of this descent was a further few hundred steps down to the water level. From there you had two options. On the right was a cave that opened onto a rock beach with an insane view. Or left where there were some shallow natural pools and the sea in all its glory.

One of the pools was so close to the water that the waves would spray you when sitting on the edge. I was in heaven.

The water was all fresh from the top of the waterfal partially hidden by trees, and fed down to the pools naturally with a little help from some pipes.

Other than another couple I was the only one there. Meaning that when they moved to the cave side for photos I had the pool to myself. The silence where ocean meets forest is deafening. All I could hear was the power of the waves crashing against the rocks. I could have been alone in the world for all i knew or cared.

I probably spent the thick end of an hour and a half down there before finally leaving. I could have spent far longer but I was getting a little cold from the water and my driver was waiting for me. I have met some people who take the ethos that you've paid for them to wait, so they make them wait. But that just doesn't feel quite right to me. And I'm glad I left when I did as a group of Americans were heading down as I was going up and they definitely would have ruined my blissfully silent meditation.

On the way back up I saw a monkey which is hardly my first time, however I was the first time completely wild I've seen one so that was cool.

The ride back up was not cool. Going down was definitely worse because it was steep. But going up the bike was struggling a lot, very unnerving. Worth it though.Read more