INDONESIA – BALI – KUTA to UBUD

NOVEMBER 16, 2025

We made a deal with Made, our driver from the airport, for his uncle to take us to Ubud for 70,000 IDR per hour, as we wanted to stop at some sights along the way. He picked us up at 9:00 AM.

The towns and villages blended into each other, with no stop in the urban scenery. Therefore, I really don’t know the proper locations of these places.

Our first stop was UC NAGA SANGA MUSEUM. The exterior of the museum was enough to draw anyone in.

The entrance was elaborate as well.

The interior had us gob-smacked.

The very first thing we noticed was Naga Sanga Amurwabhumi (Nine Dragons of the Earth). It dominates the centre of the pavilion. It is a sterling silver statue of a nine headed dragon that is 20 metres (65.6 ft) long and weights 720 kg (1587 lbs). It took 5 years to build. It is held up by about 20 bronze men. I did not count them to be certain.

Along the perimeter of the building were huge wooden tables, carved in the shape of animals.

On the tables were huge crystals and precious stones. Some were set in oversized rings,

while others were simply on display to wow the senses.

Next door was a high end jewelry shop. Every imaginable precious stone was available in the most unique settings in either silver or gold. I was not allowed to take any pictures of the jewelry, but our guide / security guard let me take a picture of the staircase.

I had to poke my phone through a partially closed door to catch this happy scene.

From there we went to the BATUAN TEMPLE. It is an ancient Balinese Hindu temple that was built around 1020 AD.

It was your typical old temple with so many jam-packed beautiful carvings into sandstone that it overwhelms and you end up missing a lot of the finer details.

Even the backs of the buildings had carvings.

The roofs were made of dense straw, at least 30 cm (1 ft) thick.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love to take pictures of flowers for my digital flower garden. The more unique or colourful the flower, the better. The temples are an excellent place to find them, as it is a place where beauty is revered, and flowers play an integral part.

Even the sidewalks are beautiful.

Our next stop was TEGENUNGAN FALLS. The falls are only 15 metres (49 ft) high, but come crashing down in a spectacular display of power.

There were people splashing about in the plunge pool, but most were in a man-made pool on the banks of the river.

To cross to the other side we had to step onto sandbags, over and onto large rocks and across a narrow bamboo bridge, with the water clipping along inches below our feet.

There was a suspension bridge that we wanted to go across to come back to the parking lot. We thought we were paying to cross it for 30,000 IDR ($2.50 CDN), but when we got to the actual bridge we found they wanted 250,000 IDR ($21 CDN) more.

We walked back the 100 + steps and over the bamboo bridge again.

I went to the lady who sold us what we assumed were tickets for the bridge. “Oh, no. This ticket is for a different view of the waterfalls.” WTF! Maybe the Balinese have clued in on how to rip tourists off in the 14 years since I’d last been here.

Our next stop was in MAS at the WOOD CARVING FACTORY. We saw two artisans working on delicate wood carvings.

Inside the gift shop we saw works of art, large and small, that took our breath away. Our guide said that some of the larger pieces take over a year to make. Some pieces were huge, carved out of a single block of wood. I never even asked the price of those.

The intricate detail and 3D effect was exquisite.

Some were very risque.

Understandably, the prices were not cheap. Pierre was looking to buy a tabletop Pegasus. Initially they wanted 5,000,000 IDR ($420 cdn) but when we walked away, he said he could go down to 3,000,000 ($252 cdn). It was a huge discount, but still a lot to pay for an ornament.

The bartering process reminded me of what it was like 14 years ago. They give you a price, you counter at 60% off, they counter half way between their original and your counter. You end up agreeing on a price that is about 50 – 60 % of their original price. They will NEVER lose money, but they sure try to pad the prices. Once you begin to walk away they start yelling lower and lower numbers. Once you are almost out of earshot, they give you their bottom line. Have the courage to walk away to get the best price.

Our final stop was GOA GAJAHA, The Elephant Cave. It was built in the 9th century and served as a sanctuary. I donned my sarong, while Pierre was loaned one at the entrance to this holy place.

Inside, on one side of the T-shaped cave, was a statue of Ganesh sitting amid a swirl of incense smoke. He is known as the remover of obstacles, the god of new beginnings, wisdom and good luck.

Across the way were three lingam, a phallic symbol of the Hindu god Shiva. The lingam represents Shiva’s creative and generative power.

Outside was a bathing pool with fish swimming. 7 statues of women pouring water from their pitchers represent the seven holy rivers of India.

Further along, and down some steps was a very jungley. The air was thick with the smell of vegetation and humidity. Although it was a very hot day, the shade of the trees made it a quiet and cool place. It is my Happy Place.

Everything was covered in green moss, from the rocks to the stone bridge, which was also decorated in frangipani flowers.

The trees were lush. The waterfall mesmerizing. The paths tranquil.

There was also a tree that had the most beautiful roots.

There was a path that led up to some shops. There were two ladies making decorations out of coconut leaves. They flipped, cut and wove the sharp leaves into the most intricate patterns and shapes.

I asked when they started to learn how to do it. They begin practicing with their mother when they are 5 years old. They gave me one of their decorations.

When we finally got to Ubud, we paid our driver for 6 hours, when in fact we barely went over the 5 hour mark. He tried to charge us for 9 hours. I had to show him the text with his nephew. He stood there scratching his head and insisting that we pay him 230,000 IDR more. I know that is only about $20, but it was the principle of the matter. We had agreed on a price, end of story. I told him we would not pay anymore and simply walked away. We later found out that we could have gotten a driver for an entire 10 hour day for the same price.

I am also glad I downloaded the location and route of the places we wanted to go. He was trying to have us zig-zag and backtrack to add time. I have said it before and will continue to say it ALL TAXI DRIVERS ARE CROOKS!