While our 4 days stay in Ubud, Bali we decided to go for a day tour to Kintamani and have a view of Mount Batur and also explore the other popular tourist spots which come on the way. It was our anniversary on that day so we were color-coordinated to click some romantic pictures wherever we can. As it was a whole day tour so we decided to book a cab for a relaxed day with no hassles of driving or riding a bike. We were accompanied by our driver for the day Wanan and his beautiful wife Manik who is a tour guide and enlightens us with the local rituals, culture, and traditions of Bali. I will mention the number of the driver at the end of the article so that if you want to book him for your day tours you can contact him.
So we started quite early in the morning to make the most of our day useful.
1. Tirta Empul Temple: Our first stop was the holy Tirta Empul temple. Tirta Empul means “holy water spring” which is a water source that’s located within the temple premises. Inside the central courtyard, pilgrims first approach a rectangular purification bath where a total of 13 elaborately sculpted spouts line its edge from west to east. After solemn prayers at an altar-like shrine, they proceed to enter the crystal-clear, cold mountain water. With hands joined together, they bow under the gushing water of the first spout, continuing to the 11th. The water from the last two of the 13 spouts is reserved for purification purposes in funerary rites only.
As mentioned in my previous article it’s important to dress respectfully wrapping a sarong around your lower body and follow the temple rules in any temple in Bali.
Opening hours: 9 am to 6 pm.
Entrance fees: 50000 IDR per person
2.Luwak coffee plantation: After the temple visit its time for some coffee so we headed straight to the very famous Kopi Luwak. Kopi is the Indonesian word for coffee and Luwak is the local name of the Asian Palm civet. The civet cat eats the ripest coffee berries, the berries then go through the digestive tract and fermentation occurs, and then they pass through the intestines and eventually pooped out. The coffee beans are then picked out of poop aka poop coffee. The whole process lowers the bitterness of the coffee imparting a musky smoothness. And it’s the most expensive coffee in the world because of its complex procedure.
I have never been to a coffee farm before so this experience was quite new and exciting for me to see the whole process of coffee making. And yes the view from the lounge area of the coffee plantation is worth a visit.
Along with Luwak coffee for which we paid around $5 each cup we were offered a sampling of 8 different types of coffee and tea. All of them are unique in taste and flavor. After having some refreshing tea and coffee I bought some Luwak coffee and different kinds of tea for my friends and family.
3.Mount Batur: The next stop was Mount Batur, an active volcano where we stopped for lunch with some amazing view. The weather was quite chilly and pleasant there though the food didn’t measure up. A lot of people also trek there to witness the sunrise view. We sat at the rooftop of a restaurant offering buffet lunch and ala carte too. Sipping a cup of hot coffee in the chilly weather with a view of Mount Batur is an amazing experience. Somehow it reminds me of the view of Mount Fuji in Japan.
4.Wood Crafting village: Bali Mas Village is one of the villages in Bali identified as an artistic countryside by focusing on the artistry of wood craving. It is famous on the island of Bali for its unique and typical style of carving wood and making some beautiful masterpieces. It takes a lot of time and effort to create such beautiful pieces of art.
Wayan (driver) : +628563774966