The journey to Bali, the island of the gods, was a life-changing experience. Indonesia’s paradise, Bali, known as the Island of the Gods, is a dream destination for most. We were lucky enough to travel to Bali last year and our travel partner, Mr. Muhammad Muzammil Salem, Manager, Leisure Travel, Thomas Cook, M.A.G. After extensive planning with Rod, Bangalore. After understanding our needs, he gave us a route. He also ensured that he was available to us all the time. On May 14, 2017, we boarded Singapore Airlines to Denpasar, Bali. There are no direct flights to Bali, we have chosen our rest to Singapore. We preferred to travel all night so as not to disturb our 24 hour rhythm. When we arrived in Bali, the view of the Indian Ocean was from above. The tension around Bali was already clear to us.
Day 1: You are greeted with so much love in Bali and its people that you begin to feel that you are one of them. Our guide Gede de Pakto, who loves Indian culture, was eager to meet us and prepared a Bollywood playlist for our trip. It was a 2-hour drive from our first stay, Mara Rive Safari Lodge: Bali Safari and Marine Park. While we were agitated, we were imprisoned by the beauty of this place. When we got there, we had snacks and wet towels and after that, the staff showed us in our room. We knew it would be a different experience to live with the animals around us. We showered and went to the Sao Lion restaurant for lunch. This meal was definitely something to remember, as it’s not something you can eat with lions coming out of the restaurant and watching your lunch every day. We spent time with staff to understand how hosting works. We jumped to bed because we were tired. We rested this day to get energy for the fun days ahead.
Day 2: When we booked, an elephant took us for breakfast. This elephant journey in itself was a minisafari. Sao Lion had planned a delicious buffet breakfast, which was exactly what we needed to start the day. Right after our meal, we decided to explore the park in its entirety. We first took a card from the reception because this place was so nice. The first thing I found was their bird park. We walked further and took some pictures with different species of birds. After that, we boarded the safari bus and went on a journey in the jungle. The guide on the bus was a charming young woman who made us laugh throughout the trip.
They gave us information about the animals we met and their history when we were at the zoo. The structure of the park was very well organized and thoughtful. The best view of the promenade was a lion with a completely curly fur. After the safarin, we took an automatic boat. While crossing dark caves, we saw birds and relaxed in tranquility with artificial waterfalls. As it was time for Bali Agung’s show, we sat on stage and looked forward to the programming. Soon we heard soothing music and we were able to attend traditional Balinese dance.
As a moment of surprise, the rear tigers advanced and played with the animal keepers. A tiger, who wanted to play with the janitors, even refused to return to the farmer when it was time to finish it. We went to the zoo because we loved this show. We took pictures of snakes and we were able to see white tigers up close through the glass, and we felt like we were there with them. After all this activity, we were tired would be an understatement. After lunch we went to the water park to relax. When we came back into the room and freshly refreshed, we heard tension music in the distance. We suddenly went to the music and realized there was a fire dance going on. We didn’t have much energy anymore, so we finished the day with the delicious spinatavioli from Savo Lions.
Day 3: This morning we took a dip while we drank beer at the pool bar. Oh, wait! In Bali, we don’t say beer, we say bintang. It’s time to cool down quickly, have breakfast and get to the next hotel. To be honest, we were not excited at all to leave such a peaceful place. But we knew there were more aspects of Bali to explore. When we fly to Bali, we will definitely return to the Mara River. When we arrived at our next hotel, Grand Mirage, we were able to see parts of Bali life. At the reception we met a girlang of flowers and a glass. We decided to relax and enjoy this day, so we spent our time enjoying their private beach. As we didn’t want the day to last, we immediately refreshed ourselves and used hotel transportation to the Beachwalk Shopping Centre. A large shopping mall near Kuta Beach had many famous brands including Victoria’s Secret, Bath and Body Works, Coach, Topshop and more. We even had to buy an extra suitcase because we bought so much. After that we spent the whole night enjoying the beautiful nights of Kuta.
Day 4: We woke up by the sun’s rays looking through the curtain rings and quickly filled our stomach with an English buffet breakfast. We met our favorite Narayanan de Pacto guide in the hotel lobby. Today will be a hectic day, Narayana said, “We will first see the Barong special dance in Bali, which represents the acts of Ramayana. After that, we will travel to see the works of my people, which you admire. After that, we will make a quick stop at one of the beautiful rice fields, where you will get amazing photos. Once finished, we can drive north to see the coffee plantations, where you can get a closer look at how Luwak coffee is cooked and taste different types of drinks so you can buy at home with you. Then we will visit the beautiful Kintamani, which is an active volcano. There is a fantastic lunch buffet where you can enjoy the fantastic mountain views. Later, we can purify ourselves in the sacred springs of Tirtha Empul in Tampaksiring. Finally, we finish the day with the elephant cave, Goa Gaja, as the name suggests. We went to all the places mentioned by Narayanan and we certainly appreciate it because he took us to so many places in one day. We returned to the hotel, ordered Indonesia’s signature early ayam for dinner and returned to our rooms.
Day 5: After missing sunrise the day before, we decided to set an alarm so as not to miss it. As soon as we woke up, we ran to take pictures and watch timelaps. It was one of the best emotions ever. Now we know why people say travel changes you. We ate breakfast and immediately went to explore the beach activities. We went by parasailing, scuba diving and a ferry to Nusa Penida. After showering on our return, we followed our guide to Uluwatu. We were welcomed by playful monkeys and a dense forest. Then, while we watched the Ketchak dance that depicts Hanuman setting fire to Lanka, we had a glimpse of the best sunset ever over the Indian Ocean. We returned to the hotel silently collecting all the supplies we received from Bali. It was our last day in Bali and we were very nervous. We didn’t want to go home after creating memories that would be life. But the hotel had no intention of letting its guests go home sadly. They invited a buffet dinner for Rs 5,000 per person, with live performances, mainly Indian songs are sung by the Balinese. Oh my heart, they looked beautiful! We took a long walk on the beach before we went to bed, as these are the little moments that make the trip worth it.
Day 6: The alarm called us and woke us up. All our enthusiasm was exhausted. However, we rushed to the airport because we had to prepare for our flight. On the way back, we discussed how Thomas Cook is the most reliable travel partner. They offer a route tailored to our tastes and budget, ensuring they achieve their goal of giving us the best. We would like to thank Thomas Cook for including the Mara River in our itinerary. Without them, we would never have found this place. Everything went very well, from pickup to hour to quick check-in at the hotel, and access to the paid attractions was handled very easily. We went to Bali for exactly a year, but the memories we created still leave us traces. Bali, thank you for the generosity you gave birth, thank you for the beauty you preserved, thank you for being a part of you! We recommend everyone to read this trip every now and then. It’s the only time you really spend with yourself. It’s a life-changing experience where you can learn more about yourself every time.