TIRTA GANGGA AND THE PURA GOA LAWAH BAT CAVE

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Day 15: BALI - UBUD: GOA GAJAH - CANDI DASA - TIRTA GANGGA - PLAYA VÍRGEN - PURA GOA LAWAH - DANZA JEGOG

Friday, June 24, 2011

Today we were at the same time as yesterday with our guide / driver from Bali. So we can get up a little later and take advantage of the terrace that we have in the room of the Bebek Tepi Sawah Restaurant & Villas and that since we arrived almost we have not enjoyed it. Today we have to go to Tirta Gangga and also see Goa Lawah bat cave.
It is cool, but it really is appreciated, since these days we have had a lot of humidity and this together with the heat, makes the temperature go bad.
We go down to breakfast and at 8.30 in the morning we are already in the hotel parking lot.
Right there we present the day a little and decide that today we will start with Goa Gajah, better known as the elephant cave, a visit that has been resisting us since we arrived.

Being very close to the hotel Bali, every day for lack of time, we have been postponing it.
The cave is a 5-minute drive from the hotel, so we arrive very soon, before all tourists arrive.
We pay 15,000 rupees (tickets plus parking) and we put the sarong and there we go down the stairs that lead to the cave.

Goa Gajah

The environment is, as in almost all the temples we have seen of our trip to Indonesia, spectacular. Surrounded by jungle ... this gives them an impressive touch.
We arrived at the entrance of the cave, very photographed in Bali, for being sculpted with the image of a demon.

Goa Gajah entrance

We entered inside and found some cavities, where formerly they sat to pray or meditate, before entering the cave. Further inside, we find the lingam, which are the phallic symbols of the Hindu god Sivay, his female equivalent, the yoni. In addition we also found an image of Ganesh.

Inside Goa Gajah

We left after a while, to tour the site a bit, but before we stopped at the pools that are right in front of the cave entrance.

Pool in Goa Gajah

After a while touring the enclosure, we see that the first tourists begin to arrive, so we decided to go to the second destination of the day on water temple of Tirta Gangga, but before we stopped at a stand to buy some "piscolabis", including some pancakes with peanuts and other sesame.
The truth is that we are quite insulous ... but the guide loves them !! Hahaha
From here we go to the Candi Dasa area where the water temple of Tirta Gangga. Here the landscape changes a lot and it is not so lush anymore it shows that we are approaching the sea and suddenly we meet him in front of the Lotos Pond. The landscape is beautiful and different from what we have been seeing so far.

Candi Dasa

Bali flowers in Candi Dasa

There we stopped for a while to take a picture and buy supplies, or rather water and colas to continue the trip by Bali
We are already very close to Tirta Gangga, which is the next visit we have scheduled and also one of the most anticipated.

Book the best rated tours and excursions in Spanish from Bali by travelers:
- Excursion to the Gili Islands
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It took less than half an hour to arrive and after paying 12,000 rupees for tickets plus parking Tirta Gangga, we are facing a set of pools and ponds that remind us of the fascinating days of the Balinese rajas.

Tirta Gangga

Today is a much more relaxed day, we have already noticed since we started the day and we plan to enjoy this to the fullest.
From here we decide that it is best to go to the Virgin Beach of BaliTomi has recommended it to us and despite taking us some other marked in the guide, this time we leave him to recommend us.
It took us half an hour to arrive from Tirta Gangga and the last section is quite bad. The road becomes a sandy road, very bumpy and very bad for any type of car, unless it is a 4 × 4. But we arrived !!
We find a small beach, white sand, with the sea of colors between blue and green. There are some tourists, but it is not crowded at all.

Virgin Beach

There we sat on sunbeds (which leave you if you drink something in the different warungs) and we drink some juices of natural fruit.
Almost without realizing it, we see that it is 1 noon. Today we have a slightly fairer day, because we stayed with Begoña at 6.30 in the Ubud Palace, to go see some dances to a nearby town.
So we decided that it is still early to eat and we are on our way to Tegallang. Once we arrive, we immediately realize that this town is not exactly what the guide tells.
It is too focused on tourism. Tomi tells us some of the things that were done or how they lived about 10 years ago, so it sure would have been shocking to see him. Now it is only a town with two parallel streets, full of souvenir shops.

Tegallang

So after paying the 20,000 rupees donation, we take a quick turn and leave.
Tomi recommends a restaurant on the beach and there we go. This time we tell him that he has to eat with us for being the last day and in the end he reluctantly agrees!
We even get coffee at the end of the meal !!

Eating overlooking the sea

We eat with good views of the sea and about 3.30, we decide that it is time to go see Pura Goa Lawah bat cave. It took us about 30 minutes to arrive and we noticed that this is also one of the tourist points of Bali.
Here we put our sarongs, we pay the 3000 rupees of the tickets plus the parking and inside! We do not look too much at the bats until we are right in front, we are amazed by the reliefs of the entrance and the swastika that is seen in the main door of Pura Goa Lawah bat cave.

Pura Goa Lawah bat cave entrance

Pura Goa Lawah bat cave

We are around 30 minutes visiting the Pura Goa Lawah bat cave and taking pictures and we set off for the hotel.
Today we can finally shower before dinner, something we have not done since we arrived at Bali!!
We arrive at the hotel at 5 in the afternoon and Tomi tells us that he will come to pick us up at 6 to take us to the Ubud Palace.
We tell him that it is not necessary, that we have the transfer of the hotel, but he insists and we end up giving in.
It is our last day with him and we have to say that we have met a great person. He is a great guide, but before that, we value him as a person.
We are going to take a very big memory of him ... sure that every time we think of Bali, we will also think about him.
It gives us time to shower and rest for a while in the hotel pool.

More practical information to prepare your trip to Bali
- Guide to prepare a trip to Bali for free
- 50 things to see and do in Bali
- 10 essential places to visit in Bali
- Rent villa in Bali with Airbnb
- 10 essential places to visit in Indonesia
- The best tips for traveling to Bali
- The 5 best rice paddies in Bali
- The 5 best beaches in Bali
- The 5 best waterfalls in Bali
- The best things to do in Ubud
- The best places to eat in Ubud
- The best coffee shops in Ubud
- Where to stay in Ubud
- 10 essential tips for traveling to Indonesia

At 6 o'clock we meet Tomi at the reception and after 10 minutes ride to the Ubud Palace, we meet Begoña and another couple of Spaniards, we ride in a van, which is the one that will take us to 2 kilometers from Ubud, to see some traditional dances: Jegog, which are made with bamboo instruments.
The show begins and the first part is spectacular with the sound of the instruments, but when the dancers and dancers begin to come out it is impressive, a good experience in a trip to Indonesia.

Jegog dance in Ubud

Jegog dance

Jegog dance in Ubud

They are different acts and in total lasts an hour and a half or so. The last part is very “instructive”, since they let you sit under the bamboo instruments, to listen to their echo while they play. Awesome. After this, they let us also test the instruments.

Testing the instruments. Jegog

From here we return to Ubud and we decide to go straight to dinner at Casa Luna which is very close to the Palace and we don't really want to walk.
We eat for about 200,000 rupees, which has been the average of each meal, since we are in Bali.
After dinner and enjoy a bit of relaxation for a quieter day, we call Bebek Tepi Sawah Restaurant & Villas to come and get us and before 11 we are in bed.
Today we can sleep more! Tomorrow we have the day off and we plan to eat Ubud.

Day 16
BALI - UBUD

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