Our main Indonesian trip started in the most congested city (Jakarta) then became less and less crowded, as we progressed to Bali. We were all happy to learn that the Eastern area of Bali is far less developed than Ubud. That’s where we spent the last four days of the main trip, before 8 of us headed to Komodo Island for the post trip. The remaining 8, including Micki and Jeanne, headed either for home or for independent travel.
Initially, I thought I’d do one post for Candidasa and Sanur, but that was before I got there and discovered how amazing both places were. They EACH deserve their own post!
THIS was the first time we didn’t have to fly to our new location. Traveling by bus allowed us to enjoy the view of the countryside.
But it wasn’t ALL palm trees and rice fields. We also encountered the occasional traffic jam.
So what did the group think of Candidasa? O.M.B (which means “oh my Buddha”), what a glorious hotel! Despite being right on the ocean, it has two beautiful pools, both allowing easy access to the poolside bar.
Although our hotel offered on site spa services, we chose to ease on down the road to the Malini Day Spa, where we enjoyed a foot massage and a pedicure lasting NINETY MINUTES, for less than $20. ( I checked my credit card on line, because I didn’t believe the exchange rate app could have possibly been accurate! ). Of course, we all gave a hefty tip in Indonesian currency.
As with all OAT trips, we visited local craftsmen, like these blacksmiths who demonstrated the traditional way to create a Kris (dagger)
Followed by a stop at a women’s weaving cooperative, where our group made several purchases of the beautiful fabric.
Our final stop was at a salat farm, where we toured the property. All of us, except Cheryl, were careful to avoid the sharp barbs of the salat fruit. Her arm became Exhibit 1 of the damage those barbs could inflict.
I absolutely LOVED our visit to the water palace.
It was impossible to take a bad photo of this glorious palace.
The hotel offered early morning yoga, which Jeanne, Micki and I decided to take advantage of. We were surprised by this photo Shoshana took; she was equally surprised to see that she could identify participants in her “random” photo.
On to Salat!
