Island of the Gods: Bali, Indonesia

Ancient Statue

Balinese Temple

  For me Bali is the ultimate adventure getaway. You can immerse yourself into an ancient and mysterious culture, the scuba diving is world class, the waves are warm and some of the best in the world for surfing, the food is delicious, everything is inexpensive, and the people are very nice. The only drawback I can think of is the fact that Bali is a long way from pretty much anywhere, unless you are Australian. But that may be why it has retained such an exotic aura.

Into the mouth of the elephant cave temple

Shrine at night

  After some amazing flights in business class with fully reclining seats and six course meals, Heidi and I landed in Denpasar. This is Bali's busy capital in the southeast part of the island. Wanting to steer clear of the moped choked streets we jumped in a taxi headed for Ubud. Located north and inland of Denpasar, Ubud is the cultural and artistic center of Bali. Traditional dances are held nightly and temples and shrines line the streets. Our first mission was to explore these temples and soak up some of the Balinese culture.

  Most of the people here on Bali practice the Hindu religion, and they seem to practice it often. I bet on any given day there is a festival or ceremony going on at some temple in Bali. That makes walking around with a camera in hand even more exciting. These pictures are from a few of the temples and shrines from around Ubud.

A busy street corner in front of the Ubud Palace