{"id":1303,"date":"2017-12-05T15:52:09","date_gmt":"2017-12-05T15:52:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/oliverberry.com\/?p=1303"},"modified":"2017-12-05T16:55:35","modified_gmt":"2017-12-05T16:55:35","slug":"bali","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oliverberry.com\/writing\/bali\/","title":{"rendered":"Bali & Lombok"},"content":{"rendered":"

A feature on the islands of Bali & Lombok, beginning with temples and theatre in Ubud<\/span>, followed by the rice terraces of\u00a0Jatiluwih, the coral gardens and reefs of\u00a0<\/span>Pemuteran,<\/span>\u00a0an ascent of Lombok\u2019s mighty volcano of Rinjani<\/span>, ending on the\u00a0white-sand beaches of the Gili Islands<\/span>.<\/h3>\n

Originally published in the August 2017 issue of Lonely Planet Traveller.<\/h3>\n
\n
\n \"ubud-rice-terraces\"\/\n \n \n \n<\/div>\n
\n \"ubud-theatre\"\/\n \n \n \n<\/div>\n
\n \"bali-jatiluwih-rice-terraces\"\/\n \n \n \n<\/div>\n
\n \"lombok-rinjani\"\/\n \n \n \n<\/div>\n
\n \"gili-islands-lombok\"\/\n \n \n \n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n

Ubud<\/h2>\n

From holy springs and sacred dances to hidden shrines, this temple-rich town is the heart of Balinese culture<\/em><\/h3>\n

YELLOW LIGHT drifts through the palm trees as pilgrims line up to take their bath at the Tirta Empul temple. Quietly, they dress themselves in sarongs and headscarves, as swifts flitter around the temple\u2019s black, mossy walls, and the sound of cymbals and chanting echoes from inner courtyards. One by one, they step down into the mica-blue bathing pool, wading into the water before ducking their heads beneath fountains fed by the temple\u2019s holy spring. Marigold and frangipani petals bob in the water, and incense smoke swirls through the muggy morning air.<\/p>\n

Tirta Empul is Bali\u2019s most sacred pura tirta, or water temple. Founded in 962 AD and fed by the Pakerisan River, the spring waters are believed to purify the mind, body and spirit, and every Balinese Hindu aims to bathe here at least once during their lifetime. It\u2019s one of many spiritually significant temples located around the ancient town of Ubud. Set among rice paddies and green ravines, Ubud is a place where the secular and sacred collide: ornate temple gateways are flanked by coffee shops and surf boutiques, and lichen-cloaked shrines teeter along the roadsides, lost in head-high grass.<\/p>\n

Along with its temples, Ubud is also famous for its sacred dance-dramas, ancient folk tales recounted through movement, percussive music and outlandish costumes. \u2018Dancing is a form of devotion for us,\u2019 explains Pande Puru Supaditha, a member of Ubud\u2019s oldest dance troupe, Gunung Sari, formed in 1926 and still performing weekly at the Peliatan Palace, a crumbling red-brick edifice arranged around a courtyard of frangipani trees. He plays Rangda, the evil witch who battles the mythical half-lion, half-dragon Barong. \u2018We must follow the classical movements, but also know how to improvise. Sometimes, even though I am tired, I can feel the spirits taking control and telling me to continue. It is a strange feeling.\u2019<\/p>\n

As darkness falls and the audience filters through the temple gates, the dancers put the final touches to their make-up. The gamelan orchestra strikes up in a crash of gongs and drum-beats, and Pande pulls on the last elements of his costume: a pair of taloned gloves and a leering mask, complete with bulging eyes, curving fangs and a mane of feather-white hair. He disappears onto the stage with a swish of his claws and a shrill witch\u2019s cackle. The spirit of Rangda has arrived and no-one knows quite what kind of magic she might decide to unleash tonight.<\/p>\n

Jatiluwih<\/h2>\n

Trek through an ancient system of rice terraces that have been cultivated for centuries, before tucking into a rice-themed farmer\u2019s breakfast<\/em><\/h3>\n

M<\/span>IST ROLLS OVER THE\u00a0<\/span>rice terraces, and a light rain is falling, but Wayan Sukamerta doesn\u2019t mind: dressed in overalls, gumboots and a conical bamboo hat, he\u2019s well protected. \u2018Rain is good for the rice,\u2019 he explains, trudging down a muddy track towards his fields. \u2018But it\u2019s bad for my bones!\u2019<\/p>\n

Wayan sets out as early as he can for work. It\u2019s just after 6am and a bank of cloud broods over the hilltops. In another hour, Wayan says, the sun will edge over the horizon and it will be too hot and humid to work. As he treks along the trail, rickety mopeds sputter past, coughing black smoke, piloted by fellow farmers heading for their own fields. Wayan raises a hand and shouts a greeting, a grin etched across his face: he\u2019s a born-and-bred farmer, and a man deeply content in his chosen line of work.<\/p>\n

Rice farming has been practised in Jatiluwih for centuries. At 700 metres above sea level, the region\u2019s rich volcanic soil has made it Bali\u2019s most fertile farming area. Some 500 farming families live here, cultivating terraces spread across the steep, jade-green hills. Like most, Wayan supplements his income with extra work these days, by running trekking tours for tourists and growing extra crops such as lemongrass, spices, vegetables and coffee \u2013 but it\u2019s Jatiluwih\u2019s famous red rice for which he retains a special passion.<\/p>\n

\u2018In my opinion, it is the best rice in the world,\u2019 he says. \u2018It has the most nutrients, it is good for your digestion and your immune system, and also helps your virility. And it tastes better than any other rice, too!\u2019 he says with a wink.<\/p>\n

He looks across the sea of terraces curling down the valley, stacked up like the tiers of a great green wedding cake. Each terrace is supplied by a system of irrigation channels known as a subak, which are supplied from a reservoir higher up the mountain and managed collectively in order to make sure the water is distributed fairly. It\u2019s an ancient system of cooperation that encourages the farmers to work together for the good of all, and a physical manifestation of the philosophical credo of Tri Hita Karana: the balance between the worlds of spirits, people and nature.<\/p>\n

\u2018There\u2019s a tradition here that everyone works together, especially during harvest time,\u2019 Wayan explains, as he prepares a classic farmer\u2019s breakfast: rice-flour pancakes drizzled with palm sugar and garnished with grated coconut, washed down with mugs of hot, sweet, red-rice tea, stirred with a stalk of fresh lemongrass. \u2018It\u2019s like being part of one big family. It\u2019s always been that way, and I think it always will be.\u2019<\/p>\n

He sips his tea and watches the sun break through the clouds, lighting up the terraces below in a myriad of greens. \u2018Rice isn\u2019t just a crop,\u2019 he adds. \u2018It\u2019s our community, our culture, our livelihood. To us, rice is everything.\u2019<\/p>\n

Pemuteran<\/h2>\n

Strap on your fins to explore Bali\u2019s most beautiful reef habitats, home to tropical fish, multicoloured coral and \u2013 if you\u2019re lucky \u2013 a turtle or two<\/em><\/h3>\n

‘LET\u2019S DIVE!\u2019 ANNOUNCES Widya Hapsari, tightening her mask before she slips over the side of the boat into the electricblue waters of Pemuteran Bay. Beneath the surface, spears of sunlight pierce the water, and ripples send ghostly shadows across the ocean floor. With a flick of her fins, Sari, as she prefers to be known, glides off through the water, heading for a wall of white coral shimmering like an underwater mirage.<\/p>\n

Up close, the reef is an explosion of colour. Pink fan corals and sea whips dance in the underwater currents. Bluish sergeant-major fish, bright clownfish and yellow and black striped moorish idols dart among clumps of coral. Urchins and sea stars spangle the ocean floor, and the water crackles with a noise like radio static \u2013 the soundtrack of a thriving, healthy reef.<\/p>\n

Astonishingly, this beautiful coral reef isn\u2019t actually a natural structure. Like many of Bali\u2019s reefs, Pemuteran\u2019s coral had been badly damaged by destructive fishing practices and episodes of El Ni\u00f1o warming, but, since 2000, a collective conservation effort between the area\u2019s dive operators, villagers and fishermen has allowed the reefs to recover \u2013 in some cases assisted by a technology called electrolytic mineral accretion, in which a solar-powered electrical current is fed into the reef, aiding coral reformation.<\/p>\n

This particular reef, called the Bio-Turtle, is a testament to the technology; over the past decade, it has blossomed into one of the largest coral walls in Pemuteran. \u2018Incredible, isn\u2019t it?\u2019 Sari says, hauling herself back onto the boat. \u2018When I first saw it, I couldn\u2019t believe it. It shows you how effective conservation can be when everyone works together.\u2019 She cuts the boat\u2019s motor and plunges over the side, disappearing back into the blue depths in a cauldron of bubbles.<\/p>\n

Reef restoration isn\u2019t the only project that\u2019s helping Pemuteran\u2019s marine ecosystem. In recent years, Sari\u2019s boss, an expat Australian called Chris Brown, has pioneered a new turtle conservation project, in which local fishermen are rewarded for rescuing turtles rather than selling them. At his dive resort, he also runs a small hatchery, where baby turtles are reared before being released back into the wild. And since all seven of the world\u2019s marine turtle species \u2013 including the threatened hawksbill, green and leatherback turtles \u2013 are regular visitors to Pemuteran, it\u2019s a project that couldn\u2019t have come too soon. \u2018It\u2019s been a long journey, but I think most people here now understand that if we don\u2019t do something to protect our environment, it\u2019ll be lost forever,\u2019 Chris explains, nursing a beachside beer as the ocean turns orange and the sun disappears over the hills. \u2018We are not masters of the ocean, but its custodians.\u2019<\/p>\n

Mount Rinjani<\/h2>\n

This brooding summit dominates the skyline of northern Lombok; reaching the top is a once-in-a-lifetime achievement<\/em><\/h3>\n

IT\u2019S THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT on the slopes of Mount Rinjani, and the only sound is the crunch of boots and the hiss of hikers\u2019 breath. There\u2019s no moon tonight; the only light comes from the stars and a line of head-torches, bobbing up the mountainside like fairy lights. A ribbon of red along the horizon announces that daybreak isn\u2019t far away, but there are still several hundred metres to go to the summit. \u2018Not far now,\u2019 promises mountain guide Daniel Handanil. He flashes an encouraging smile and leads the way onwards, digging his boots into the ash-grey slopes, eyes fixed on the summit.<\/p>\n

Looming 3,726m high over Lombok\u2019s northern coastline, Rinjani is Indonesia\u2019s second-highest volcano, topped only by Mount Kerinci on Sumatra. It\u2019s part of the chain that forms the Ring of Fire, where the Eurasian, Pacific and Indo-Australian plates grind together, causing fissures in the Earth\u2019s crust. Eruptions happen regularly \u2013 most recently in 2016 \u2013 but it\u2019s been a long time since Rinjani truly blew its top. In 1257, most of the mountain\u2019s summit exploded, leaving behind a vast caldera, now filled by a lake called Segara Anak, or \u2018Child of the Sea\u2019, after its vivid turquoise colour. The eruption was so huge that it affected global weather patterns and may even have sparked a mini ice age, but there\u2019s no sign that Rinjani is about to stage a repeat performance \u2013 although it\u2019s hard not to feel a frisson of apprehension gazing at the newly formed scorched black cone of Gunung Barujari, pondering when it might next blow.<\/p>\n

The mountain is sacred to many Balinese, who come here every year to perform a ceremony called pelekan, in which offerings are given to the lake to appease the spirits. But these days, Rinjani is mainly a magnet for trekkers. The ascent takes two days: the first to climb to the caldera\u2019s rim at around 2,700m, where porters set up tents, followed by a dawn ascent to watch the sunrise from the summit. It\u2019s an exhausting, leg-sapping hike that climbs through a kaleidoscope of terrains: from grassy savannah through steamy forest into an otherworldly landscape of black ash, rock and scree that leads all the way to the craggy summit cone. Along the way, grey monkeys chatter noisily among the rocks, orchids and wildflowers bloom along the trailside, and sometimes hawk-eagles can be glimpsed circling above.<\/p>\n

Some 60,000 climbers attempt the ascent every season, but only the most determined make it to the top. Dawn is breaking as the first hikers arrive today, and the sky is a blaze of scarlets, pinks, purples and oranges. People pose for pictures holding the summit sign while, far below, fog rolls over the island like a white tide, and the flat disc of Segara Anak shines like polished steel.<\/p>\n

\u2018I think I have climbed Rinjani 500 times,\u2019 Daniel muses. \u2018But there are some days when even I feel that the mountain doesn\u2019t want me to climb it. Rinjani is a sacred place, with its own spirit, and we must always honour that.\u2019<\/p>\n

He takes one last look at the view, then skates his way back down the ash-covered mountainside, each step kicking up a cloud of ochre dust.<\/p>\n

Gili Islands<\/h2>\n

Slip down a few gears and enjoy some rest and relaxation on this trio of tropical islands<\/em><\/h3>\n

TIME MOVES SLOWLY on the island of Gili Air. Morning drifts into afternoon, afternoon melts into evening, and no-one ever seems in much of a hurry to do anything at all. A backpacker strums an old guitar in a beachfront bar, while his companions lounge around on bamboo platforms, sipping coconut smoothies and freshly squeezed lime drinks. People clatter past on bicycles, ting-tinging their bells, wheels swishing along the sandy trail that passes for the island\u2019s main road. Palms sway, waves break, boats buzz along the shore, but the pace of daily life never changes much. It\u2019s an island addicted to life in the slow lane, and that\u2019s just how most of the locals want it to remain.<\/p>\n

\u2018We\u2019ve never had a traffic jam on Gili Air,\u2019 states Masiseng Muzur proudly. A native islander and entrepreneur whose family has lived here for three generations, he now runs a couple of beach bungalow resorts on the east side of the island. \u2018We don\u2019t have any cars or scooters, and hopefully we never will. We prefer to live a peaceful life here.\u2019<\/p>\n

Marooned in the middle of the Lombok Strait, about 20 minutes away from Lombok and two hours from Bali, the trio of Gili Islands have become an irresistible draw for people looking to switch off and slip into a slower mode of being. The three islands are home to around 3,500 permanent residents, many of whom are descended from the original Bugis settlers who first arrived from Sulawesi in the early 1970s. Until then, the islands were completely deserted due to a lack of fresh water \u2013 a wild world of jungle, swamp and mangrove forest.<\/p>\n

They\u2019ve developed rapidly since \u2013 especially the largest island of Gili Trawangan, where a circus of surf shops, clubs, boutiques and cocktail bars clamours along the beach road. But Gili Air and its smaller neighbour, Gili Meno, have clung on to their rural character. Trees still cloak the interior, and island gardens line the dusty back-lanes, blooming with tropical crops of mangoes, bananas, pineapples and dragon fruit. Locals man stalls selling necklaces and bracelets to tourists, haggling good-naturedly over the absurdly inflated prices. And the lack of motorised vehicles reveals a symphony of island sounds: the hiss of waves along the shoreline, the rattle of palm fronds, the twitter and whistle of birds in the canopy.<\/p>\n

But most people on Gili Air come in search of the perfect patch of beach. A circlet of sand rings the island, white and soft as sugar, and while the east coast is busy with beach bars and dive shops, the island\u2019s west coast is still largely deserted \u2013 a postcard scene of bleached beach, swaying coconut palms and sapphire water that seems to have been made for snorkelling. At sunset, as the island\u2019s skies blur from china-blue to coral-pink to inky black, restaurants set up tables on the sand, barbecuing freshly caught snapper and mahi-mahi fillets over open coals. \u2018Welcome to paradise, my friends,\u2019 says waiter Made John, as he lays down a huge platter of barbecued seafood and a round of Bintang beers. \u2018I can\u2019t promise the sun will shine tomorrow, but I can promise it will be a perfect day all the same.\u2019 He grins and pads away across the sand, as reggae beats drift over from a nearby bar, and candle lanterns sputter and crackle in the island wind.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Photography by John Laurie<\/a>.<\/em><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A feature on the islands of Bali & Lombok, beginning with temples and theatre in Ubud, followed by the rice terraces of\u00a0Jatiluwih, the coral gardens and reefs of\u00a0Pemuteran,\u00a0an ascent of Lombok\u2019s mighty volcano of Rinjani, ending on the\u00a0white-sand beaches of the Gili Islands. Originally published in the August 2017 issue of Lonely Planet Traveller. Ubud […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1304,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[4],"tags":[143,147,76,148,44,75],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nBali & Lombok | Oliver Berry<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A travel feature on the islands of Bali and Lombok, including Ubud, Jatiluwih, snorkelling on Pemuteran, the ascent of Mount Rinjani and the Gili 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