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Bali

Just chilling.

By Very Long Weekend

April 3^rd, 2017

We made a plan: do nothing.

After an incredible month spent in New Zealand, it was time to go to Bali. Because of the non-stop moving around we had been doing in NZ, the plan in Bali was to do as little as possible: just chill.

We (by 'we' I mean Julie, who does basically all of our planning) found a beautiful Airbnb villa in the heart of Ubud. Complete with a pool and loads of outdoor space it was the perfect scenery in which to just relax.

We were greeted by Wayan, Nyoman and Made who all help look after the house when its California-based owner isn't staying there. This was our first encounter with the incredibly welcoming and friendly people of Ubud. Things were off to a great start.

"Welcome" said the elephant.

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PURA TIRTA EMPUL - THE WATER TEMPLE

After about a week spent in Ubud with a daily routine of: wake up, eat, swim/chill by the pool, eat, swim/chill by the pool, eat some more, go to bed...it was time to get out and do a bit of exploring around Ubud. We'd heard of some Hindu temples that were worth a visit, especially on a weekend when many locals go there to worship and socialize.

Our first stop was Pura Tirta Empul, a Hindu Balinese water temple dating back to the 10th century. It was packed with worshippers so we felt almost as if we were intruding - nonetheless everyone was friendly even as we made ourselves very small so as not to offend.

This place was truly a festival of sights, sounds and smells.

Entrance to the temple. Sarong? Check. An eye for the local fashion? Check.

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So many offerings piled on top of each other the whole thing eventually collapsed.

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Walking through a 10th century temple is surreal.

I don't normally shoot from the hip, but when I do...

Lining up in the baking hot sun to access the cleansing waters of the temple.

Beautifully clear water.

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The colors and architecture of Tirta Empul are stunning.

The face of a thousand years.

You do what you have to do to find a spot in the shade.

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The queue outside the water basins and fountains.

PURA gunung kawi - The temple of the king

Where Tirta Empul sits on a sun-washed hillside plateau, Gunung Kawi's 11th century temple is nestled deep inside a lush green valley. It sits on either side of the Pakerisan river, linked by a beautiful stone bridge.

We found the entrance by walking down a series of long and steep stone steps that wound their way through rice terraces and farming irrigation systems made of bamboo. Our unofficial guide down the steps was a woman who must have been close to a hundred years old with the energy of someone eighty years younger, carrying a tray of fresh fruit on her head...as you do. The heat down here was stifling since there is no breeze, still absolutely worth the effort.

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Winding through the rice terraces

Our unofficial guide

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The entrance to the temple. Those bowls on the columns contain holy water that you must sprinkle on yourself before entering

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Some of Bali's finest jungle vines

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The Balinese know the meaning of hard work. This gentleman must have been over 70 years old, carrying 60lbs of rice leaves

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The bridge spanning the two sides of the temple, over the Pakerisan river

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SUNRISE ON THE rice terraces of tegallalang

A few days later, we woke up in the early hours of the morning and drove our scooter a few miles outside of Ubud, bringing us closer to the mountains and volcanoes of Bali. We wanted to catch the sunrise over the rice terraces that are carved out of the hillsides there.

Even though it was 6 a.m. the humidity as we walked up and around countless rice paddies was already stupidly high. Not only were these terraces devoid of tourists, we didn't see a single farmer - clearly they were having a lazy morning (kind of like us every single day). We were completely alone to enjoy the amazing views.

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The love seat.

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SUNSET IN ULUWATU

The following week, we decided to stop being lazy and venture toward the coast to check out some of the famous surfing beaches. We packed a small backpack and jumped on the scooter. Something you learn quickly when you're in Bali: always prepare for a drive to take several hours longer than it should. Case in point: Uluwatu is only about 30miles from Ubud. It took us over 2 hours to get there...and yes, a scooter is faster than a car on these roads.

Uluwatu is famous for its breaks that cause some serious swell, making it one of the best surfing destinations in the world. I don't really surf, neither does Julie. What we do well is sit at the bar overlooking the beach, drink ice cold Bintang (the local brew), and comment on the form of the surfers 'shredding' (🤙) out on the water.

The way to the bar takes you down some steep, narrow steps that take you right onto the sand, and back up again to collect your reward: the aforementioned beers.

Not bad for a night away from our Ubud paradise.

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😍

😍

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Balinese new year: ogoh-ogoh & Nyepi

Bali is an anomaly in Indonesia in that it is a majority Hindu island in a country that is majority Islamic. What that means is that Bali closely follows its own Hindu traditions, including celebrating Ngerupuk on the eve of the new lunar year and Nyepi the following day. On Ngerupuk, a large parade of Ogoh-Ogoh takes place in the main towns of Bali.

Nearby villages and all the neighborhoods of a given town build Ogoh-Ogoh figures. Giant, intricate, demon-like figures carried on large bamboo scaffolding by the young children and teenagers of these villages. Before nightfall, these statues are gathered in a central location with the loudest possible clanging of instruments to accompany them.

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These kids were awesome, they look serious here, but they were joking around behind the adults' backs.

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Once the sun has completely set, each Ogoh-Ogoh is carried from the soccer field and through the streets away from town, where they are later burned. This is all done to ward off the evil spirits from the island.

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This guy was one of the Ogoh-Ogoh marching band. Asking his friend to shoot photos of him vaping before heading off. Priorities...

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Nightmares are made of this

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I've never heard anyone so happy to use a megaphone in the loudest way possible

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Definitely the most impressive Ogoh-Ogoh

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Over the 24 hours that follow, Bali strictly observes Nyepi, a day of silence. After all the noise and madness from the night before, Nyepi is a day reserved for meditation and fasting. Here's how serious they are about it: the airport shuts down completely, no flights in our out; no one is allowed out on the streets during this period with the exception of emergency vehicles; and all lights must be off in the evening of Nyepi until the next day. All of this is very seriously overseen by the Pecalang, a religious police force. The night of Nyepi was so still and so pitch black it was eerie, the starlit sky without any air or light pollution was a stunning sight.

Funnily enough we had originally planned our flight out of Bali on this day...which we obviously had to reschedule to the following day.

The end of Nyepi meant the end of our lovely stay in Bali. We'll definitely be back.

Next: Japan! 🇯🇵

Footnotes

Shot on Leica Q and iPhone 7 Plus.

FootNotes

Shot on Leica Q and iPhone 7 Plus.

© 2026 Very Long Weekend

Japan: Tokyo, Pt.2

Temples, robots and more friends. (Oh, and food too).

Japan: Tokyo, Pt. 1

Cherry blossoms, friends and food. Lots of food.

Part IV: Ending on a high note

Part III: Milford Sound, the 8th Wonder

Part II: The West Coast

Part I: Kia Ora!

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