Around Candidasa, Bali
This series of ten posts comes from a three week trip to Indonesia. I traveled to the islands of Java, Bali and Lombok with G-adventures. Along the way, I saw incredible cultural sites, enjoyed delicious foods, met great people, and took in beautiful views. Here’s the story…
Kertha Gosa
On our way to Candidasa, we stopped to see the Kertha Gosa Pavilion, which was commissioned in1686 and was used by rulers as the high court of justice. Later, the Dutch destroyed much of the site during the colonization. However, we could still see the beautiful grounds for its history and architecture.
Kertha Gosa contained two raised pavilions. A moat surrounded one of the pavilions and it seemed to be floating on a pond of lotus flowers. On the ceiling of the pavilions were copies of paintings from the old royal courts. Some provided spiritual guidance, such as karma and reincarnation. Others offered potential punishments to fit the crimes; liars with their tongues cut out and corrupt politicians being boiled.
Also on the grounds of the Kertha Gosa, we visited a small museum. The former Dutch school housed a few prehistoric items, some photos of the former Kungkung kings and examples of elaborate costumes. We saw a version of the “Barong and Keris” character costumes, like the ones we saw from the show we saw in Ubud two days prior.
Ashyana Beach Resort
While in Candidasa, we stayed at the lovely, eco-friendly, beachfront hotel, Ashyana Beach Resort. Each villa had its own porch that opened to a central path through the hotel leading toward the pool and restaurant. The pool area overlooked the beach and ocean. There was a row of chairs at a counter right in front of the ocean. It was a great place to read and journal while listening to the crashing waves.
In the afternoon, the hotel organized a complimentary tea and treats. A local orphanage shared about their work and accepted donations. They served pisang rai (banana dumplings), lukis (sticky rice), and lak lak (rice pancake) along with coffee and tea.
Directly in front of the Ashyana hotel, there was a pier out into the ocean with two small pavillions on either side. Local sea boats bobbed in the waves. Each one had a narrow center with beams on either side running parallel for balance and flotation.
On our second night in Candidasa, we enjoyed a special Baliense dance show during the hotel dinner. Two women with beautiful costumes danced a few songs with expressive eye movements to the music. It was a nice last night for those on the Bali sections of the G-adventures trip and a lovely welcome for those joining the Lombok portion.
Then, it was a quiet night at the Ashyana and I could hear the waves as I fell asleep in the villa.
Whitewater Rafting
Getting Started
Early in the morning we drove 45 minutes up and over into the mountains. We passed many small towns with store fronts opening up, adults placing offerings, kids playing with kites and dogs sunning themselves on the side of the road.
We pulled into the adventure outfitters. Above the garage holding all the gear was a beautiful open patio porch area. We snacked on fried bananas and sipped coffee while overlooking rice fields and the river before we kicked off.
We grabbed our life jackets and paddles and walked to the river’s edge. The two young girls in our group arrived at the riverside via zip line, adding to their adventurous day.
Down the River
I stepped into the chilly river as we loaded into the boats. I was glad that I wore my old tennis shoes instead of flip flops; they would have floated right down the river with the swift current. We had four travelers in each boat along with a guide. Our guide, Yoga, barely entrusted us with the paddling, even if we had over a decade of girl scout paddle skills between us.
The entire rafting route had absolutely incredible views. We were in the middle of a mountain jungle. The greenest of plants grew on both sides of the river. Tall rock faces towered above with vines dangling down into the river. A few waterfalls poured over their sides while many smaller falls trickled down. We purposely spun under one of the larger falls to cool off.
Our guide, Yoga, hollered “boom boom” when we were about to crash like bumper cars along the rocks or into other boats. Our swift maneuvering kept us coasting forward most of the time. Along the way, we spun out of a few eddies and in a few spots, we needed to jump up to help the boat make it over the rocks. But seriously, while the ride was fun, the views were absolutely incredible.
We took a midpoint break. I thought we were finished because our rafting time was already longer than any other experience I’ve had. We had a snack and a stretch. I spent the time taking tons of pictures since my camera was in the dry bag for the river rafting.
Lunch at the End
After another hour of rafting, we reached the end point. I took a few more photos before we started the climb up from the river. It was a steep path with switchbacks but only about five or ten minutes of walking. Then, we came out into a clearing and zigzagged across the rice terraces and flower fields. The beautiful red and pink petaled flowers would be used for the offerings around the region.
We ate lunch on a country-styled porch overlooking the river and the rice fields. The painted wood with a rustic look matched perfectly with the scenery. They had nice bathrooms, changing areas, a bar and a buffet. We ate a full Indonesian lunch with rice, chicken curry, fried noodles, black pudding with a creamy sweet drizzle. We spent over an hour eating lunch, taking in the view and drying out in the sun.
The drive back to Candidasa was also stunning. While going back over the mountain, we saw the ocean from far above.
Quiet Candidasa
After rafting, we enjoyed some down time in Candidasa. The town was a quiet strip along the main road. It had a convenience store, a few restaurants, an ATM and a bunch of quiet hotels and resorts.
One evening our group went out to dinner together at the New Queen Pub, a reggae bar just down the road from the hotel. It was a classic backpacker bar with signed flags from around the world hanging from the rafters. There was a live band, full drinks and good food. I enjoyed the energy and we had a good night for our last stop in Bali.
Next stop, Lombok!
