Indonesia: Flores + Komodo + Bali - July 2011
Dear English-speaking readers, this page is an automatic translation of an article originally written in French. I apologise for any strange sentences and funny mistakes that may have resulted. If you read French, click on the French flag below to access the original, correct text:
Français
I often pass by Bali, during my trips to Indonesia. The island is a magician, which always brings me back to her. The more I return, the more I love it.
Bali, my favorite air hub
Well, there are practical reasons, of course: the airport of Bali is a big "hub" both international and domestic. Very convenient to arrive in Indonesia and to leave, and especially for the connections, when you have to take a flight to another destination in Indonesia or a neighboring country.
And then, we do not land in Denpasar (name of the capital of the island, given, by extension, to the airport), but just next to Kuta, the big seaside resort of the south-west. The landing strip is at the very end of the beach, towards the south.
I am not crazy about Kuta, terribly touristy. But it's a very pleasant stopover, between two flights, when you disembark exhausted from a long-haul flight from Europe, or just before taking the return flight.
I love every time to walk long hours on Kuta BeachThe beach is a beautiful black sand beach, which stretches endlessly to the north, along Legian, Seminyak, Kerobokan. From one year to another, I return to admire the sunset.
There, in front of the waves, it is an immense euphoria which invades me at the beginning of the journey or, on the contrary, a sweet and tenacious melancholy, when I'm about to take the plane back home...
July 2011
In July 2011, the main part of my Indonesian trip was done in Flores and Komodoin the Lesser Sunda Islands. An extraordinary trip! There again, I arrived via Bali. I already talked about it, quickly, at the end of this article dedicated to the long-haul flight of Air Asia X from Paris.
But I still haven't told the rest: after Flores and my diving cruise in the Komodo archipelago, I went back to Bali for a few days!
I chose to land in the northeast of the island. I was in Tulamben, near Amed, where I had already stayed in 2008.
I love the area and I can't recommend enough a few days stopover in the area for those visiting Bali for the first time. There are cute black sandy coves and fishing villages along the coast, beautiful rice terraces inland, temples and palaces full of spirituality, and especially the volcano that dominates everything, the magnificent and imposing Gunung Agung.
In addition, it is a famous diving spot. It is in Tulamben that is located the fabulous wreck of the Liberty, in front of a beach of black pebbles.
For several years, I go back to diveAnd for those who don't dive, there is plenty to marvel at, simply by snorkeling (fins, mask, snorkel), on the coral plateaus and the top of the wreck.
Good plan for accommodation and diving in Tulamben
July 2012. Small addition: I would like to point out this real good plan of resort for divers (you have a guide for yourself and you dive at the hours you want, preferably outside the busy time slots), which is also an excellent address, especially if you are a sub photographer, and you want to discover the wreck in the best possible conditions → Liberty Dive Resort
The bewitching island
Bali is often decried by travelers who swear by the "authentic". It is true, Bali has changed. It has modernized, developed. And you don't need to be a specialist to see and understand the damage that mass tourism can cause.
Bali has nevertheless managed to remain enchanting. For those who want to take the trouble, it is easy to meet not only Australian surfers. To take a step aside to escape the crowd, including in places known to be touristy. To immerse yourself in the beauty of the island, in its very special atmosphere, linked to the traditions and Hindu beliefs of the population, for whom spirits and gods are everywhere.
The island is neither too big nor too small. We can easily cross it in the day, to change region, atmosphere. And I am always touched by the incredible welcome of the Balinese. By their tolerance, their availability, their open-mindedness, their contagious good mood.
In Bali, it is easy to be invaded by an incredible SENIENCE, which we no longer believed capable. To rediscover yourself a little. To savor the time that passes, the pleasure of living.
How lucky I am. I'm going back soon!
Bali will be a stopover, again, within a larger Indonesian journey... But I will tell you more in a few days.
😎
