Wonderful Indonesia: Uluwatu keeps the Hindu mythology alive
After having our fill of wild adventures at Flores, we flew down to Ngurah Rai International Airport, Denpasar in Bali by five-star airline, Garuda Indonesia.
Garuda Airlines
One can catch breathtaking glimpses of an aerial view of Flores Sea from the rear window of the flight.
An aerial view of Flores Sea
Ngurah Rai International Airport, Denpasar
While in Bali, we moved on to have our lunch at Jendela Bali- the panoramic restaurant at Garuda Vishnu Kencana Cultural Park in Uluwatu that is modern-styled yet boasts of a grand Balinese architecture and a swimming pool for its guests. We had a fantastic culinary experience of Balinese cuisine at the restaurant, the best fine-dining destination in the area.
It is at this restaurant that one can view Mt. Agung, the highest mountain peak in Bali soaring at a height of about 3,140 feet that is volcanic. For the first time, I received a chance to view a volcanic peak that was indeed another lifetime experience for me.
Mt. Agung
An hour drive from Denpasar city brought us to the renowned monkey temple, well-known as Uluwatu temple, a booming tourist destination. In Balinese, “Ulu” connotes top and “watu” implies stone. The renowned Uluwatu temple dating back to 1000-year-old is one of the six significant Hindu shrines that figure as spiritual pillars of Bali. In fact, Uluwatu temple is perched on a cliff-top at the edge of a plateau rising 250 feet high above the sea level. There is a small forest at the entrance of the temple that is dotted with scores of long-tailed macaques and one has to keep one’s belongings safe from the clutches of the monkeys. A serpentine pathway leads to the temple from the entrance.
Entrance at Uluwatu temple
Standing 70 metres above sea level, the sea temple is snuggled on the top of a steep cliff and honours Shiva Rudra, the Balinese Hindu deity. Based on the Hindu tradition of Bali, the three divine forces- Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva merge as one at this shrine. For me, the shrine stands apart from other shrines in its fabulous location overlooking the Indian Ocean, unforgettable views of sunset, brilliant Balinese architecture, beautifully-designed traditional gateways and age-old sculptures that all make for a traveller’s dream.
Uluwatu temple overlooking Indian Ocean
Open on all days from 9 am to 6 pm, the best time to visit the shrine is before sunset so that visitors can get to watch the one-of-a-kind Kecak Ramayana and fire dance with the sunset at its back ground. With the fine blend of tradition, dance, drama, sunset and cliff as its setting, this is a must-see dance for all tourists on the trail to Bali. One gets to hear the chanting of hymns along with men singing in chorus that remains a memory etched in our mind forever. The Kecak dance is performed everyday from 6 pm to 7 pm.
Kecak dance
Performers at Kecak dance
From Uluwatu temple, we wended our way to Jimabaran Bay, a scenic beach on the south-western coast of Bali on the shores of the Indian Ocean where there is live performance of Barong dance.
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