Adventure Travel Asia: Bali, Indonesia (Uluwatu)

Uluwatu Temple

Uluwatu Temple is one of the main Hindu temples in Bali. The temple is situated along the cliffs, about 70 meters from the raging waves of the ocean. It is quite popular due to the breathtaking view of the sunset.

You need to be properly dressed when going inside the compound. You can't wear short pants. Sarongs are available for rent while sashes are lent for free.

I have nothing much to say about this place other than it's truly breathtaking! I'll let the pics speak for themselves.







Only worshipers are allowed inside the temple itself so I don't have good pics. Personally though, there's nothing interesting to see inside. Unless there's a ritual going on.








The waves were really crashing into the rocks below.

You'll be taking a lot of pictures here.. not knowing that monkeys will be sneaking in to steal your stuff.


Notice the monkey at the bottom left corner of the frame? That dude grabbed a keychain hanging from my camera bag. Good thing he wasn't able to yank it off. None of my stuff was taken.

There are hundreds of monkeys there. They are very very quick and will try to steal your things. We were told that a lot of people lose their glasses, caps, hair clips. The guides can get them back for you for a fee, which ranges to around US$40-50.




These monkeys just hang around the temple areas and wait for food from tourists.

We were told by our guide that there's a technique in getting back stolen items. You need to give the monkey two food items. Give the monkey one item first. When you give the second item, they will drop your things since they wouldn't let go of the food that's already in their other hand.



Unfortunately, giving the monkeys food to get stolen items back simply encourages them to steal more.

We were not able to wait for the sunset, but it's still a pretty sight.


.. more to come..

Bali, Indonesia - Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) Cultural Center

We had a long weekend because of the Hari Raya Haji celebration last year. Looking for a place to unwind, my wife and I found ourselves in the beautiful island of Bali, Indonesia.


GWK Cultural Park

GWK (Mandala Garuda Wisnu Kencana) is a large cultural center carved out of limestone. The main attraction of this center is the statue of Vishnu, the supreme God in Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism.


This is the upper body of the statue of Vishnu. Notice the woman at the right corner for reference in height. Vishnu's arms have been set aside temporarily in another location within GWK.

In Hindu mythology, Vishnu is often seen mounted on a Garuda, a lesser Hindu divinity. Garuda is depicted as having a golden body, white face, red wings, and an eagle's beak, but with a strong man's body. He wears a crown on his head. He is ancient and has size enough to block out the sun.




Only the Garuda's head and shoulders have been built as of this time.


This is how the final statue will look like. The final statue is expected to be taller than the Statue of Liberty.

The plan for GWK was to have a 146 meter gold plated Vishnu riding his winging chariot Garuda and have the whole thing on top of an 11 storey entertainment complex. A large amphitheater will also be found at the foot of the statue. It will be used to stage concerts, shows and other festivals.







A peace memorial statue is found at the end of the amphitheater.






The whole area has been carved out of limestone. Some sections of the limestone have images carved on it.

The art museum is located close to a small shop selling refreshments. The surrounding areas of the shops are littered with fountains and pools.





The center was targeted to finish last 2003, but the Bali bombings has slowed down the development. The new target is 2010, but it seems that this will be further moved due to the still low number of tourists visiting Bali.Adventure Travel Asia: Bali, Indonesia (GWK)