I took 4.40pm AirAsia flight together with Huay Mein, YCK, YCK’s sister (Karen) and Kok Yuen to Bali. We arrived at Bali 7.40pm as scheduled. We walked out from the airport and there was a taxi driver approached us. He offered Rp 200,000 to take us to Kuta. The price sounds ridiculous for us. Then, another taxi driver came by and finally we agreed to take his taxi with Rp 80,000. We knew that it’s still very expensive but to save the hassle of finding another taxi driver, we just took his offer.At Kuta, the taxi driver refused to go into Poppies II Road with the excuse of traffic jam. He dropped us at one of the main road and told us to walk into Poppies II road. At first, we had problem to locate the road. We walked into a small dark street where a lot of dogs barked at us. But luckily after asking around, we had finally reached the guesthouse – AP Inn and checked in. At night, we met up with Ying and Jane who took the morning flight to Bali.
Expenses for the day:
KLIA Transit (Putrajaya – KLIA) : RM 6.20
Bus (KLIA – LCCT) : RM 1.50
Taxi from airport to Kuta : Rp 80000 / 5 persons = Rp 16000
Dinner : Rp 20,000
Room (with breakfast) at AP Inn : Rp 175,000 / 3 persons = Rp 58,333
Day 2 (Kintamani - Ubud)
We chartered a van to take us for Ubud and Kintamani tour. We paid Rp 400,000 for 8 hours service which includes van, driver, guide, petrol and soft drink provided during the trip. Batubulan is our first destination. This place is known for Barong dance. The dance is 2 hours and cost Rp 50,000 per person. There is a group of musicians play the traditional instruments for the dance. The storyline of the dance is about the battle of the good and evil force where Barong (sacred lion) represents good force. I am not the artistic person. So my personal opinion for the dance is boring, boring and boring.
On our way to Kintamani, we stopped by Tegalalang to see the rice terrace. Then, we proceed our way to Kintamani – a place that offers nice view of Gunung Batur and Lake Batur. We were having our buffet lunch at one of the restaurant that overlooking Gunung Batur. The food is not nice and expensive. Basically we paid for the scenery rather than the food. After lunch, the guide brought us to a place for free coffee. It’s in an orchard and there is a shop there to sell coffee, lemon tea, aroma therapy set etc. We stayed there for about an hour before we moved to the next destination. We didn’t visit the temple at TampakSiring because it was closed for ceremony. The last attraction that we went was Pura Goa Gajah. We need to wear the sarung to enter the temple. No additional charges for the sarung as it’s included in the entrance fee.
It about 6pm after visited Pura Goa Gajah. We went to Ubud to look for the hotel. A guy that was playing badminton beside the road beckons us. We followed him into a small garden to check out the rooms. We like the rooms and it’s definitely value for money. Fan room with attached bathroom, triple sharing and breakfast included only cost Rp 90,000. The room is very clean and the environment is nice. So, we finally settled at Merthayasa Bungalows at Monkey Forest Road for the night. Expenses for the day:
Transport (van) : Rp 400,000 / 7 = Rp 57,142
Lunch (Kintamani) : Rp 72,600
Entrance Fee of Kintamani : Rp 2,000
Entrance Fee of Pura Goa Gajah : Rp 6,000
Room (with breakfast) : Rp 90,000 / 3 = Rp 30,000
Dinner : Rp 26,400
Transport (van) : Rp 400,000 / 7 = Rp 57,142
Lunch (Kintamani) : Rp 72,600
Entrance Fee of Kintamani : Rp 2,000
Entrance Fee of Pura Goa Gajah : Rp 6,000
Room (with breakfast) : Rp 90,000 / 3 = Rp 30,000
Dinner : Rp 26,400
Day 3 (Ubud - Tanah Lot – Mt Agung)
Huay Mein, Karen and I woke up very early in the morning and walked to the Ubud market. It took us about 20 minutes to reach the market. A lot of things can be found in Ubud market, eg: wood craft, souvenirs, clothing, handbags etc. We didn’t have much time to shop as the van that will pick up Huay Mein and others for day tour will arrive at hotel by 10.30am. We shop until 10.20am and ran back to the hotel. Then, Huay Mein, Karen, YCK, Ying and Jane checked out the hotel at Ubud and went for Bedugul, Taman Ayun Mengwi and Tanah Lot day tour . They will overnight at Kuta afterwards. Kok Yuen and I stayed at Ubud until the night because of Mt. Agung climbing. We arranged the climbing with the agent in Ubud.
Huay Mein, Karen and I woke up very early in the morning and walked to the Ubud market. It took us about 20 minutes to reach the market. A lot of things can be found in Ubud market, eg: wood craft, souvenirs, clothing, handbags etc. We didn’t have much time to shop as the van that will pick up Huay Mein and others for day tour will arrive at hotel by 10.30am. We shop until 10.20am and ran back to the hotel. Then, Huay Mein, Karen, YCK, Ying and Jane checked out the hotel at Ubud and went for Bedugul, Taman Ayun Mengwi and Tanah Lot day tour . They will overnight at Kuta afterwards. Kok Yuen and I stayed at Ubud until the night because of Mt. Agung climbing. We arranged the climbing with the agent in Ubud. 
Ubud is a nice place. It is quiet and relaxing. Kok Yuen and I went to the Dirty Duck Restaurant to have our lunch. This restaurant is recommended by my colleague - Shiao Peng. We walked into the restaurant and immediately impressed with it. Paddy fields are behind of the restaurant, or shall I say the restaurant is actually built at the paddy fields. It’s really nice to have lunch beside the paddy fields. Besides, the food there is good and the price is reasonable for the portion of food that they served.
After lunch, we hired a car to Tanah Lot. Tanah Lot is the main tourist attraction of Bali. I was fascinated with the coast, the rock formation and the temple that built on the rock. Tanah Lot is the famous spot for sunset. I visited Tanah Lot in the afternoon around 3.30pm. So, the tourists are lesser. We went back to Ubud after an hour and arrived at 6pm. Then, I went for the spa. Almost all the shops at Ubud were closed when I came out from spa. Kok Yuen and I just picked one of the restaurants that not far away from hotel to have our dinner. Then back to hotel to pack our things. At 10.00pm, we took off to Besakih. 
It took us about 1 hour to reach Besakih. Besakih is about 1000m above the sea level. I felt cold once I got down from the car. So, I immediately put on my jacket. We met our guide – Getir, which I guess is about 21-25 years old. He checked and made sure that we brought sufficient water and food. We started the journey around 11.30pm. 
Expenses for the day:Transport to Tanah Lot from Ubud: Rp 200,000
Lunch : Rp 101,000
Dinner: Rp 51,750
Room: Rp 35,000
Entrance Fee of Tanah Lot: Rp 125,000
Spa : Rp 125,000
Miscellaneous: Rp112,000
Mt. Agung hiking package : Rp 450,000
Day 4 (Mt Agung - Kuta)
There are 2 starting points for Mt. Agung hiking, from Pura Pasar Agung or from Besakih. The route from Pura Pasar Agung is shorter but doesn’t go to the actual peak and only offers 180 degree view from the top. We chose the longer trail from Besakih which will go up to the summit that offers 360 degree view.
We climbed the stairs, towards Besakih temple and then slowly by passed Besakih temple. Soon, we saw two guys together with their guide climbed up the stairs. The guys are from UK, one of them speak very good Indonesian language. We were the only 2 groups that climbed Mt Agung from Besakih that day. We reached Pura Pengubengan about 35 minutes later. Our guide did his prayer at this Pura before continue to hike up. He told us that every guide that climbs Mt Agung will pray here for the safety and smoothness of the trip.
The night was cold. The dark sky was full of stars. The night scene of Bali was beautiful and quiet. On the way up, we stopped quite often for 2-5 minutes to rest and enjoyed the night scene. We switched off the light from our headlamp. The darkness had made the stars brighter and lights at far clearer. Our guide pointed to us which pool of lights is Besakih and where Kintamani is located. The trail was steep all the way up. The temperature was getting lower when we went higher. It was about 10 degree Celsius when we left the forest trail and started to hike on the rock. I couldn’t stop for more than 5 minutes, had to walk continuously to keep my body warm.
Mt. Agung is a volcano. I heard that the last eruption was at year 1963. This was my first time trekking up a volcano. It’s very different from the mountains that I trekked before. I need to be very careful when trekked on the terrain with steep passage on loose and rocky ground.
It’s 4.30pm. We had trekked for 5 hours. The guide told us that we were 1 hour away from the summit. He asked us to stop for half an hour. The reason is sunrise will be at 6am, we can’t stand the wind and the cold at the summit if we arrive too early. Our guide made the fire for us. 6 of us – Kok Yuen, 2 UK guys, 2 guides and I stayed close to the fire. I felt very sleepy and nearly fall asleep. I don’t know is it because of trekking through the night or the thin air. It’s 5.00 am. We continue our journey to the Mt Agung peak.
20 minutes to 6am, the sky on east had started to change color. We seem so close to the peak. I was excited and had moved faster. But when I climbed up the top that seem like peak, I found out that there is still another slope in front. So, I continue the climb. After I climbed up that slope, there is still another slope in front. 
I was tired and slow down. The two UK guys bypassed me. Finally, I reached summit. We started at 1000m and the summit stands 3143m from sea level, which mean we had climbed up 2100m in 6 hours time. But the magnificent view that offered by Mt Agung is definitely worth for the hike.
There are 2 starting points for Mt. Agung hiking, from Pura Pasar Agung or from Besakih. The route from Pura Pasar Agung is shorter but doesn’t go to the actual peak and only offers 180 degree view from the top. We chose the longer trail from Besakih which will go up to the summit that offers 360 degree view.
We climbed the stairs, towards Besakih temple and then slowly by passed Besakih temple. Soon, we saw two guys together with their guide climbed up the stairs. The guys are from UK, one of them speak very good Indonesian language. We were the only 2 groups that climbed Mt Agung from Besakih that day. We reached Pura Pengubengan about 35 minutes later. Our guide did his prayer at this Pura before continue to hike up. He told us that every guide that climbs Mt Agung will pray here for the safety and smoothness of the trip.
The night was cold. The dark sky was full of stars. The night scene of Bali was beautiful and quiet. On the way up, we stopped quite often for 2-5 minutes to rest and enjoyed the night scene. We switched off the light from our headlamp. The darkness had made the stars brighter and lights at far clearer. Our guide pointed to us which pool of lights is Besakih and where Kintamani is located. The trail was steep all the way up. The temperature was getting lower when we went higher. It was about 10 degree Celsius when we left the forest trail and started to hike on the rock. I couldn’t stop for more than 5 minutes, had to walk continuously to keep my body warm.
Mt. Agung is a volcano. I heard that the last eruption was at year 1963. This was my first time trekking up a volcano. It’s very different from the mountains that I trekked before. I need to be very careful when trekked on the terrain with steep passage on loose and rocky ground.
It’s 4.30pm. We had trekked for 5 hours. The guide told us that we were 1 hour away from the summit. He asked us to stop for half an hour. The reason is sunrise will be at 6am, we can’t stand the wind and the cold at the summit if we arrive too early. Our guide made the fire for us. 6 of us – Kok Yuen, 2 UK guys, 2 guides and I stayed close to the fire. I felt very sleepy and nearly fall asleep. I don’t know is it because of trekking through the night or the thin air. It’s 5.00 am. We continue our journey to the Mt Agung peak.
20 minutes to 6am, the sky on east had started to change color. We seem so close to the peak. I was excited and had moved faster. But when I climbed up the top that seem like peak, I found out that there is still another slope in front. So, I continue the climb. After I climbed up that slope, there is still another slope in front. 
I was tired and slow down. The two UK guys bypassed me. Finally, I reached summit. We started at 1000m and the summit stands 3143m from sea level, which mean we had climbed up 2100m in 6 hours time. But the magnificent view that offered by Mt Agung is definitely worth for the hike.
I was standing at the highest point of Bali island. The temperature was low (5 degree Celsius). Looking east, the sun was slowly rising. Mt. Rinjani at Lombok Island looks mysteriously from far. On the east-north part, it’s the splendid sea of clouds. Looking south, it’s the spectacular view of Mt Abang, crater of Mt. Batur and the Lake Batur which lies within the crater. As the sun went higher, it threw the shadow of the Mt Agung to the west. I was very happy and felt lucky that we were able to see this beautiful scenery. 
7.30am, we started to descend. It’s a long and dangerous journey. We only stopped for one time for breakfast, and then descended towards Besakih without resting. We took 4 hours to reach Besakih. My knee was extremely painful after the long hours descending. Mt. Agung climbing is only recommended for those with hiking experience as it’s really strenuous to hike at high elevation over the rocky terrain and descend in the same day. I visited Besakih temple before transferred back to Kuta. I reached Kuta at 3pm, took the late lunch and walked to Kuta Beach. I met Huay Mein, Karen and YCK at Kuta Beach. We went for the final round shopping. Then we went to the airport and took 8.10pm flight back to KL.
Expenses for the day:
Lunch: Rp 50,000
Transport to Airport: Rp 50,000 / 6 = approximately Rp 9,000
Dinner: Rp 23,600
Airport Tax: Rp 100,000
Bus from LCCT to KLIA : RM 1.50
KLIA transit (KLIA - Putrajaya) : RM 6.20
Miscellaneous: Rp 41,000
Lunch: Rp 50,000
Transport to Airport: Rp 50,000 / 6 = approximately Rp 9,000
Dinner: Rp 23,600
Airport Tax: Rp 100,000
Bus from LCCT to KLIA : RM 1.50
KLIA transit (KLIA - Putrajaya) : RM 6.20
Miscellaneous: Rp 41,000
Total Expenses for the trip: RM 944
Flight : RM 253
Flight : RM 253
Meal: Rp 345,350 /2550 => RM 135.40
Transport: Rp 282,142 /2550 + RM 15.40 => RM 126
Accomodation: Rp 123,333 /2550 => RM48.40
Entrance Fees: Rp 133,000 /2550 => RM 52.20
Mt. Agung hiking: Rp 450,000 /2550 => RM 176.50
Miscellaneous: Rp 164,000/2550 => RM 64.30
Spa: Rp 125,000/2550 => RM 49
Airport Tax: Rp 100,000/2550 => RM 39.20
Hey Jing Yee...Bali is niceeeee...I went in 2005...but we stayed in Kuta oni...even went to the disco, the one which was bombed, but the rebuilt it..hehehe...din go to Tanah Lot as my fren say if couple go, they will end up separating...dunno how true it is, but we din take the risk...hehehhe...anyway overall it was nice..
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