Bali: Family Road Trip!!!

Road trip? naaaaaaahhh:-) no way we'd have a road trip with the kids in car:-) These are pictures we took from inside the car we rented on our way to Kuta Beach. 

This is Ubud. Yup...I think this is also a typical Balinese pedestrian where parked motor bikes on one side while the other one tourists are seen walking up and down the street. 

Motor bike rentals are such lucrative business in Bali that lots of backpackers or any adventure-looking tourists prefer this mode of transportation to go around Bali island. 

Every where..and at every nook and cranny (ㅋㅋㅋ) and corners of Bali island...temples temples temples...are visible. All are in Balinese-style architecture ...and this is what makes Bali unique. Lots of tourists were seen sitting right next to the street.... 

walking up and down the street...Indeed..it's always happily busy in Bali. 

and not to mention...the so many cars parked or ...passing through the notoriously narrow street of Bali.:-). but..hey..that may be one of the unique feature of Bali as well. 

now ..let's go inside the car...Freya and Eyra were tired after having fun at Bali Bird Park and Monkey Forest. Soundly asleep. 

one....

two.... 

three o...o......o.... 

It's Ashar and it's time for us to pray. We asked our guide to find a Masjid and he brought us at a Masjid near the airport. Yes...we could take a rest for a while before proceeding to our next destination: Kuta Beach. 

This is the Masjid where we stopped to pray. 

after about 30-minute drive from the Masjid, we continued our journey that brought us to Kuta--a hip place for anyone looking for sun and fun. 

I asked my guide, Putu, to drop us off near Kuta Beach Walk--a newly opened open-air mall right in front of the famous Kuta Beach.

Monkey Forest, Bali (part 2)

Deep into the forest where a Balinese temple nestled, we found no monkeys on the ground. That's an eerie thought. I noticed that monkeys were either sitting on top of the trees or just avoiding the area. None of them touched the ground. hmm...wonder why. 

so, this is the moss-covered stone-bridge (God knows how old that was) we passed through to reach the temple. Even, the tree's roots seemed to get immersed and dwindled seamlessly into it. 

A rare view I could not see anywhere else even in other parts of Indonesia, I presume. So, this is so typically Bali-- a unique culture of its own. 

Koi ponds in front of the temple--yes..this is the very temple that nestled underneath the huge trees.  

There was this wooden platform leading to I-did-not-know where..since I'd rather not be too adventurous at that time..considering my kids wouldn't want me to. oh, well..let's re-route. 

there and back again...we glanced again at those trees with their roots dangling from above. 

oh..I saw someone was going down the path.....that may lead to somewhere. 

A small narrow path just next to a creek seemed to be adventurous enough for any thrill-seekers in a sacred place like monkey forest. 

But, for us...let's take a re-route...re-route...ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ..and Eyra already led the way. She hadn't had the faintest idea of why we visited the place. 

Now..this is something. On top of the monkey statues was a real monkey. 

Monkey Forest, Bali (part 1)

 

The second place we visited in Bali was Bali's unique forest where monkeys are the kings: Monkey Forest at the famous Ubud area.  Even before we entered the area, monkeys were easily spotted everywhere. Can you see some? 

This is the entrance to the forest. There are paths for visitors to explore the forest without having to be afraid of getting lost. 

After paying for about 20,000 rupiah or around 2,000 Won, we started off our adventure into the land of monkeys. But, Freya was adamant to beg us not to go in:-) 

But, Dear...of course we got to enter the forest. We paid for it..and trust me...you'd find something interesting inside. Freya sulkily agreed. 

hmm...just like other parts of Bali, green lush tropical forests were visible. It's so soothing to the eyes. Despite the tropical heat in Bali, we're content to what we're experiencing. 

We're warned not to bring any food or beverages from outside...lest the monkeys would snatch them from our hands. We got to  keep our belongings inside the tightly-zipped bags:-) 

These two statues stood at the entrance to the old Balinese temple lied beneath those trees. what trees? well...let's just go see it. 

These cow and elephant statues were surprisingly big.  

oh...so these were the trees...with their roots uprooting themselves ....out into the air...hmm eerie. and down there ...obscurely obstructed by the trees...I could see the temple. Okay..let's go.