| #ffffff;" /> | | | | Offerings are made twice daily to the gods of the |
| With its incredible diversity, India is a feast for the | | | | house and to the gods honoured in small shrines |
| senses for people around the world, with its | | | | everywhere. As you drive around Bali, the sight |
| colour, character, philosophy and organised chaos. | | | | of women carrying rice-and-flower offerings on |
| All my life I have revelled in this and considered | | | | banana leaves is common. Indeed, the word Bali, |
| myself very fortunate to be a part of it. | | | | dating from the 9th century, means "offering." |
| However, it has made my search for such | | | | Sanur – rather unfairly nicknamed |
| diversity and vibrancy elsewhere much harder. | | | | ‘snore’ by us - was a very sleepy |
| Having planned some time off to travel last year, | | | | town, that had begun to lose its charm through |
| my wife, Sophia, and I narrowed the list of places | | | | its efforts to pander to all kinds of tourists. Our |
| we wanted to visit to South America or | | | | sense of discovery, lead us to search for the real |
| Indonesia; and when a good friend related | | | | Bali and we headed to a small island, Nusa |
| fascinating stories from Indonesia, it seemed like a | | | | Lembongan, about two hours away by boat. |
| sleeping giant that the world knew little about so | | | | Nusa Lembongan is one of 3 islands that sit |
| we decided to go and see it for ourselves. | | | | across the Badung Strait on the Southeast coast |
| Consider some of these facts: The largest | | | | of Bali along with Nusa Ceningan & Nusa |
| archipelago in the world with about 18,000 islands, | | | | Penida. These 3 islands are somewhat |
| Indonesia stretches along the equator for more | | | | impoverished, relying on seaweed farming, cattle |
| than 5,000 km. Almost 60% of Indonesia's land is | | | | and other low-return activities, with tourism the |
| forested and it has more than 500 volcanoes | | | | brightest light on the horizon. The boat ride across |
| – 12% of which are still active! The fourth | | | | the Badung Strait was smooth to begin with, but |
| most heavily populated country in the world after | | | | as we had been warned, the straits are |
| China, India and the United States with close to | | | | extremely deep and there is always a large swell |
| 250 million people, comprising some 300 ethnic | | | | in the middle –finely illustrated by the |
| groups who speak an estimated 600 languages | | | | teenage girl sitting behind us unable to keep her |
| and dialects. | | | | breakfast away from the fish! |
| Part 1 Bali – the island of the Gods! | | | | Although we had to get off at the main jetty, we |
| As a first time visitor to Indonesia, I was excited | | | | had made up our minds to make our way to |
| as well as a little nervous. It’s a massive | | | | Mushroom Bay, an amazing white sand beach |
| country, spread over thousands of kilometres. So | | | | which we had spotted from the boat. Getting |
| like India, yet so unlike India, with its endless | | | | there meant either taking a small, but expensive, |
| islands forming a chain along the equator. | | | | motor boat taxi, or hiking with our heavy back |
| Indonesia to me was a slightly incomprehensible | | | | packs up and downhill for a couple of hours. |
| mix of a remarkably beautiful tropical paradise and | | | | Of course, having decided on the water taxi |
| danger; with communal troubles and civil | | | | option, we couldn’t find one until a |
| disturbances, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and | | | | booming Australian drawl asked if he could help. |
| earthquakes. During our trip we hoped to find a | | | | Indeed he was the owner of the water taxi |
| fascinating reality that lay between those two | | | | company who had been living on Nusa Lembongan |
| opposing themes. | | | | for years. Mushroom Bay was every bit as |
| The excitement stemmed also from the fact that | | | | pretty close up and we booked ourselves into |
| we had a month to spend there exploring these | | | | some Balinese style lodging for a few nights. |
| marvellous islands; home to active volcanoes, | | | | Breakfast by the beach is a luxury for anyone |
| spectacular beaches and unique wildlife, like the | | | | and we certainly indulged at the rather aptly |
| Komodo dragon. | | | | named but predictable Bali Café. There |
| We started our trip in the relative comfort of the | | | | was a sense of exclusivity to Mushroom Bay |
| well developed tourism infrastructure on the island | | | | which was only disturbed at about mid-day for a |
| of Bali. In fact only thing that was difficult was | | | | few hours by day trippers from mainland Bali. We |
| trying to get a reasonably priced flight from New | | | | spent that time exploring the island and the first |
| Delhi, as we had left it so late! Everything worked | | | | time around decided to do a walking tour. |
| out finally and an uneventful Malaysian airlines flight | | | | Incredibly greenery, and some stunning beaches, |
| later through Kuala Lumpur, we landed in Bali at | | | | were our reward although after a while the |
| Denpasar airport. The landing was spectacular as | | | | humidity made the walk more of an effort than |
| the plane comes down close to the white sandy | | | | we would have liked. And, of course, temples and |
| Jimbaran beach; as you fly in, all you can see is | | | | offerings were everywhere. |
| the sea coming closer and closer until a few | | | | The next day we decided to explore a bit further |
| seconds before touch down the runway is | | | | by hiring a motor cycle, with my wife bravely |
| suddenly visible. | | | | (according to her!) agreeing to ride pillion. The |
| As Indonesia has recently relaxed its visa regime | | | | roads were not great and extremely steep in |
| for Indians, it was possible to get a visa on arrival | | | | places, but off we set off. It is hard to lose |
| – as an Indian passport holder, it is still a | | | | one’s way around the island and we made |
| novel experience to travel to countries and get a | | | | it to the other side of the island, stopping off to |
| visa on arrival! Laos, Thailand, Hong Kong | | | | admire the views and when stopped by friendly |
| (interestingly enough one needs a visa for China | | | | inquisitive children. |
| though), Cambodia and Maldives are a few of the | | | | Our plan was to visit the other two neighbouring |
| others. | | | | islands, if possible, and were told we could drive |
| It was a hassle free experience and one can | | | | our bike across a narrow bridge. The bridge was |
| straight away see the advantages it brings to | | | | indeed narrow but what worried us even more |
| tourism and business travel. This is even more | | | | was the approach ramp – a small |
| important in light of the Indian Tourism | | | | miscalculation of a few inches and the probability |
| Board’s efforts to push a similar proposal | | | | was that we would miss the bridge and land in |
| through for visitors to India. | | | | the sea. As not-so-brave adventurers, we decided |
| Having pre-arranged some budget accommodation | | | | that I try it alone without my passenger. Success! |
| in the nearby beach town of Sanur, we hired a | | | | Driving through Nusa Ceningan, it was apparent |
| taxi to get us there. Bali’s excellent | | | | that the island was much poorer than Nusa |
| tourism infrastructure made it an easy and | | | | Lembongnan; the difference was tourism. |
| painless process, we didn’t even need the | | | | Residents of Nusa Ceningan survived mostly |
| Indonesian we had been learning, a language much | | | | through sea weed farming and when the trade |
| easier to learn than many. | | | | wasn’t going well they had a difficult life. |
| Bali, appropriately called ‘the island of the | | | | We stopped at a site where there were clearly |
| gods’ is an excellent example of the | | | | plans to build a resort. Most of the structure and |
| religious and cultural diversity which exists in | | | | layout were in place, but now had been left to |
| Indonesia, and consists predominantly of Hindu | | | | rot. As we were enjoying the views and thinking, |
| communities. By contrast the island of Java, | | | | how wonderful it would be to resurrect the |
| where the capital Jakarta is located, is | | | | resort, and would it ever be feasible, a man |
| predominantly Muslim and the island of Flores | | | | appeared from behind the buildings and came |
| (where we headed to later in our trip) is mostly | | | | over. Suddenly worried that we were trespassing |
| Christian. | | | | and that there was no other soul in sight, we tried |
| The widely spread islands with their mix of | | | | to apologise and move away. But he was very |
| peoples, cultures and religions means that | | | | friendly and told us about the plans for this place |
| Indonesia has faced a similar problem to India in | | | | and how it had all gone wrong when his foreign |
| terms of language. Bahasa Indonesia is the national | | | | business partner decided to pull out when tourism |
| language but interestingly has faced similar | | | | in Bali went into a tailspin after the bomb attacks |
| challenges in many parts of the country to that | | | | several years ago. At last our few phrases of |
| with the adoption of Hindi as the national language | | | | Bahasa Indonesia had come in useful! That, with |
| in India. Indeed in Bali, Balinese is widely spoken. | | | | English and body language had helped us |
| The Balinese worship the various gods of Hindu | | | | communicate. |
| mythology and are all as familiar with the | | | | Having had a relatively quiet and relaxed |
| Mahabharatha and the Ramayana as many Indians | | | | introduction to Indonesia we were ready to make |
| are. Each house is in fact considered a minor | | | | our way back to mainland Bali and get intrepid in |
| temple, adding further to the astounding statistic | | | | pursuit of the Komodo dragon and to see whales |
| of some 20,000 temples on this small island of no | | | | in the remote village of Lamalera, in one of the |
| more than two million people. | | | | eastern most parts of the archipelago. |