Peopleeee! Finally I can show you much more about the spectacular trip to Indonesia during the month of May. There were 10 days of adventures and unforgettable experiences.
First of all, I want to thank the Indonesian Embassy in Panama (@kbripanama) for this invitation, which for me was an incredible opportunity not only as a blogger, but also as a human being.  The beauty of its nature, diverse cultures, and the famous hospitality of the people has made Indonesia one of the favorite tourist destinations. This beautiful multicultural archipelago, has more than 17,000 miles strategically located between two continents: Asia and Australia; and two oceans: the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean.
As the largest archipelago in the world, Indonesia has more than 17,000 islands. In addition, its 350 ethnic groups, 483 local languages, as well as the various cultures contribute to the richness and diversity of this country. By 2016, the country's population reached 235 million. Most people are Muslims. On the island of Bali, Hindu is the predominant religion. Beyond the diverse ethnicities, languages, customs and religions, Indonesia shows the world a country capable of achieving unity and harmony. With the national motto: "UNITY IN DIVERSITY".

Indonesia has some of the rarest and most fascinating faunas in the world. When it comes to flora, it has many plants with medicinal benefits and exotic fruits. It is known as the land of spices and is the fourth most populous country in the world, representing 3.46% of the world population. 

After 10 hours flight to Amsterdam, 12 hours to Singapore and 2 hours to Bali, we arrived at this destination considered a bliss trip. Called as the island of the gods, Bali is a source of endless charms that continue to amaze tourists.

Our arrival went straight to a restaurant for dinner and here we came upon the first surprise. Indonesia has very affordable prices; $1 is equivalent to about 13,000 Indonesian rupees; which means that the plate I had for dinner that night (Wonton Soup) cost less than US $2. Unbelievable!

Another curious facts that surprised me a lot about Bali are the offerings that you can see in every corner, offerings to the gods that consist of a little of the food that they prepare at the time of cooking. The Indonesians are very spiritual, and I think that makes them happier. It is easy to find small temples in Bali where they show respect for good and for evil as well. Very interesting!

The tiredness didn’t let us do more, so we went to THE KUTA BEACH HOTEL to rest. With 12 hours apart, this wasn’t an easy task; but it gave the fascinating feeling that we were exactly on the other side of the world.

It dawned and we started with the itinerary of the first day of tourism in the wonderful island of Bali. We started in a big way and as celebrities, with a spa session at the TAMAN SARI ROYAL HERITAGE SPA. Without a doubt, one of the best massages I have received in my life. This spa, considered the most important of Inodesia, is inspired by the pools of the Sultan located in Yogyakarta, hence the name "Taman Sari".

After this historic start, we visited DREAMLAND BEACH, a beach located on the Bukit peninsula. It is very visited by surfers and hikers. Dreamland Beach is among the collection of "hidden" beaches of Bali; but over time it became a highly accessible beach with the development of hotel projects. Still, it retains much of its charm in the sand, and the best reefs of Bali near the shore.

We finished this first day of tourism in ULUWATU TEMPLE. The Uluwatu Luhur temple is today one of the pillars of Bali's spiritual attractions. And this has made it an ideal place to witness the magical dance of the kecak of Bali.

The kecak dance is made up of 50-70 people. During the performance, the dancers dance and play a cappella music. The kecak Uluwatu dance represents the epic Ramayana. It is a story about Rahwana who kidnapped Dewi Sita. In order to save his wife, Rama asked for the help of the magical ape, Anoman. In some moments of light of the show, like any other monkey, Anoman jumps over the audience, pretending to steal the glasses or take a selfie with the audience.

Indonesia is a really exotic country, which captivated me. We continue with our second day of tourism, visiting BIDADARI which means "angel". In this place you find many women making the traditional Balinese dress that can take years to be made and with a technique at hand.

We continue the interesting tour in SINGADAPU, where are the models of traditional houses that were built millions of years ago with stones and wood carved by hand. Although it is seen as a humble dwelling in Indonesia, its architecture is majestic.
Near Singadapu, lies the BATUAN TEMPLE, a local Balinese Hindu temple, is designed with Balinese motifs and the temple ceiling was made of chromatic black palm fiber. To "Batuan" you must enter with a long skirt that they facilitate to you, whether you’re a man or a woman; and if you have menstruation, you should not enter the temple.

Balinese traditional houses

Batuan temple

The Indonesian Embassy in Panama surprised us with the invitation to the most famous restaurant in Bali where we were personally attended by the owners. BEBEK TEPI SAWAH RESTAURANT is located inside rice fields, its main dish is the duck and it was here where we lived the experience of eating with our hands. It is very given in Indonesia that you find people eating sitting on the floor, barefoot and without cutlery.

Next to the owners of Bebek Tepi Sawah, Miss Tourism Indonesia and Miss Malasia

The owners of Bebek Tepi Sawah also have an art gallery next to the restaurant

Rice crops are outstanding, that’s where I met my favorite landscape in Bali: TEGALALANG, rice terraces in Ubud. The mountainous structure of the land makes rice cultivation not an easy task, but this is something that Balinese solve with the staggered rice fields, the result of the cooperation between nature and man. Some of the terraces have taken several centuries to build and the whole process is carefully monitored by Dewi Sri, Goddess of Rice, to whom the peasants pay special tribute with the small shrines they place on the plantations

In Indonesia, if there is something they practice, it is art. Not only can you notice in the temples and spectacular landscapes that they have cared for centuries, but also in the art they practice through dancing, batik making and hand carved wooden sculptures with an admirable effort and dedication.

We ended this spectacular day at BALERUNG STAGE where we witnessed the spectacle of "Tirta Sari", a dance group and Indonesian musicians presenting through a drama, a Balinese dance where the focus is on the feet, hands and eyes. They have been on tour in Japan and Russia. Balinese dances are a series of very ancient traditional dances, which are part of the religious and artistic expression among the Balinese of the island of Bali. Balinese dance is dynamic and very expressive. Balinese dancers express diverse stories through body gestures.

And our time in Bali was over. I confess that we didn't want to leave, we missed so much to know, that we are committed to return to discover all that Bali has to offer.

On the last day in Bali we took the opportunity to do some shopping at DISCOVERY SHOPPING MALL BALI where we had lunch, and where I went back to eat like every day in Indonesia: Nasi Goreng, one of the traditional Indonesian dishes along with avocado juice. Nasi Goreng is fried rice with egg, chicken and shrimp biscuits.

We headed to the airport very happy with our visit to Bali, one of the most coveted tourist destinations in the world; and we left with the mystery and curiosity of our next stop in Indonesia: YOGYAKARTA.

I leave a video with the best moments of Bali. If you liked this blog post, share it with lovers of the world like you and me. Give it a like and take a look at Indonesia: "Unity in Diversity."

Kisses, 

Sheldry