Day 64 – Bali, Benoa, Indonesia

Tim and I had missed Nitza Lowenstein’s lecture on “Bali, the Island of Temples, Gods, Spirits, Black-Magic, Exotic, and Unique Culture” last night, but we were able to watch it on Viking TV to learn more about this exotic place before stepping ashore.

Bali, the Island of Temples, Gods, Spirits, Black-Magic, Exotic, and Unique Culture

Although we were in Indonesia yesterday, Bali is our first stop in Asia. Bali is known as the “Island of the Gods,” and its rich Hindu culture has always held that gods live in all natural things. Bali offers a unique blend of spirituality, culture, and daily life and is the home of at least 10,000 temples, some of which we will visit.

Because a large percentage of the Viking Sky crew hail from Indonesia, there was a lot of excitement this morning. The Viking Sky cruised into Bali just before noon, and I enjoyed watching the sail-in. I didn’t know that ships like ours could parallel park, but that is exactly what Captain Markus, with the help of two tugboats, did today. We are now comfortably docked between Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth and Silversea’s Silver Nova.

Sights on Our Sail-In to Bali

The Port of Benoa Bail and Views of the Neighborhood from Our Ship

Shortly after lunch, Tim and I set out on our included excursion, “Market Visit and Balinese Hindu Timple.” This was the description:

Meet your guide and drive to Denpasar, capital of the province of Bali. The city has a rich history dating back to its days as the center of the Badung Empire, which once controlled the southern region of Bali. Explore the colorful offerings at a traditional market, perhaps purchasing stone carvings or a sarong as keepsakes. At the Bali Museum, browse galleries featuring local art and history. Next, walk to the Pura Agung Jagatnatha, a sacred temple and important pilgrimage destination. View its impressive tower before continuing to the Inna Bali Heritage, a hotel that dates back to before Indonesia's independence in 1945 and has hosted notable figures including Queen Elizabeth. Here, enjoy a captivating Balinese dance performance, while sampling a traditional refreshment.

Our first stop was the Bali Badung Market, also known as Pasar Badung, the largest traditional market in Denpasar. Before entering the market, we stopped at the market temple, and our guide explained how the vendors leave a sample of their wares as an offering each day.

The Temple at Pasar Badung

Because of the late hour, many of the stalls in the market were already closed, but the ones that were open satisfied my curiosity. I was especially intrigued by the large variety of chilies and understood that many of them are quite hot.

A Sampling of Stalls at Pasar Badung

We stopped for refreshments at the Inna Bali Heritage, a historic hotel built in 1927 and the first international class hotel in Bali. I was already too hot to sample any of the traditional foods, and the thought of drinking hot coffee was completely out of the question for me.

I did, however, enjoy the grace and beauty of the classic Balinese dance performance. The dancers invited guests to join them, but we declined. Our guide Diana stepped up instead and turned out to be an excellent dancer.

Balinese Dance Performance, Including One with Our Guide

Our Guide Diana (And, Yes, He Did Inform Us, "Like Princess Diana")

From the hotel, we walked to the Pura Agung Jagatnatha, a beautiful Balinese temple in the heart of Denpasar. Built in 1968, this iconic landmark incorporates traditional design elements and features elegant stonework and intricate details. It is the largest temple in the island’s capital. Before entering the temple, we were outfitted with sarongs, the traditional garment worn by everyone when visiting temples. Sarongs in Bali are worn by both men and women and are a symbol of the country’s rich cultural heritage.

Pura Agung Jagatnatha

Next door to the temple is the Bali Museum, which we visited next. Unfortunately, I was suffering from the heat by this time, and I barely glanced at the objects on display. I was so grateful to finally reboard our motorcoach and cool off a bit in the air conditioning.

Once we returned to the ship, I collapsed on the bed and tried to nap. My worst fears from yesterday came true today, despite my “bag of tricks” that I had assembled to deal with the heat. My neck fan, cooling neck wrap, cooling towel, cooling hat, and water bottle filled with ice certainly helped, but still let me down.

Sadly, I was so wiped out that I had to miss the culinary team’s special Indonesian Dinner on the Pool Deck, followed by a Destination Performance. Instead, Tim brought me two spring rolls for my dinner, which I did enjoy.