Indonesia

In pictures: Rice fields, durian, waterfall & snorkelling make Kolkata boy’s Bali 2.0 trip memorable

Mist and nip in the air of Munduk valley remind Arnab Nandy of Darjeeling tea gardens

By Arnab Nandy | Published 13.03.24, 05:12 PM

On my second trip to Bali, I visited places I had not been to the first time around. I discovered some new gems, and realised once again why I had fallen in love with the place on my first visit. First stop: Munduk. Around 90km from the airport, the drive took around three hours. The place gave me Darjeeling vibes. It was a misty evening with a nip in the air. The hills around were not as high, but greener. Certainly not a favourite with year-end revellers, this place was quiet, peaceful and beautiful, much to my joy

All photographs by the author

Darjeeling has its tea gardens and Munduk its rice fields. Step-farming of rice is among Bali’s most identifiable images. People usually go to see them around Ubud — where I had been the last time — but this huge valley in Munduk seemed just to sit there for the pleasure of my eyes. This picture was taken shortly before sunset — such a peaceful vibe

A swim at sunset in the Munduk hotel pool seemed like a good idea. Loved the view of the huge valley right in front

Durian is banned on most airlines for its extremely strong smell. I’ve had durian over the years of my travels in Southeast Asia. I didn’t hate it but was not a fan either. It’s a cousin of the jackfruit, which I liked more. But when I saw durian at this local store in Munduk, I decided to buy one. The woman cut one open for me, and it turned out unexpectedly tasty. I’d never had a durian that good and (right) a durian tree at my Munduk hotel. You can see them hanging

When it comes to alcohol, Bali is synonymous with the beer Bintang. It’s everywhere. There are bars that sell nothing but Bintang. And if you ask me, I think it’s quite good

Communication is often a problem, especially outside the touristy areas, in Bali. At this eatery, I just pointed to stuff they had and gestured that I wanted to eat it. This is what I was served. Very tasty. Very cheap

Banyumala Waterfall is a short motorcycle or taxi ride from Munduk. If you can ride one, I recommend you take the motorcycle. It is more fun and easy to stop anywhere on the way if you feel like it. You need to buy a ticket to enter the waterfall, but it’s worth it. I loved the tropical rainforest atmosphere and certainly, the swim under the waterfall

View from the Gili Meno hotel balcony. The Gilis are three islands a couple of hours on the fast boat from Bali. Gili Meno is midway between the boisterous party island Gili Trawangan and the too-quiet Gili Air

Me clicking pictures of bougainvillea on Gili Meno

Snorkelling day at Gili Meno was wonderful. For some 900 INR, I had 2.5 hours of amazing swimming with all kinds of fish, corals and so many turtles. I didn’t take pictures in the water. This is a picture from the glass-bottom boat our small group of four went on

A lonely swing on the white beaches at Gili Meno

Baby turtles at a conservation centre on Gili Meno. It is privately run

Everyone wants to take a picture with these pretty gates in Bali. This one is in Seminyak, a crowded town close to the airport

Tags: Indonesia travel wanderlust Tourism globetrotter journalist Indonesia flight Bali Munduk Valley Gili Islands