Golden Age Touring: Things To Do When You Don’t Quite Have The Energy Of The Young
Article by Raymond Horsfall
Booking Bali accommodation may be straightforward, but do Bali’s activities really have something for everyone? Indeed, they do.
Bali isn’t only an exciting destination reserved for the young. The depth of interesting attractions and experiences on offer ensure that there is plenty for everyone to enjoy. So if climbing rugged mountains, rafting down white water rapids or surfing powerful waves isn’t your thing, the following jolting-movement-free attractions can be appreciated at one’s own pace:
Odyssey Submarine
How often does one have a chance to travel in a submarine? Amuk Bay, Bali, offers your only chance in South East Asia. Not only this, but underwater portals allow viewing of amazing coral, brightly coloured tropical fish, along with squid, octopus, and other creatures of the deep. Rest assured, this is not “The Hunt for Red October”, and you can sit back and enjoy the splendid views.
Cultural Tours
The Ujung Water Palace, with its floating pavilions will have you captivated. The Mother Temple of Besakih, the most important Balinese Hindu temple sits on the slopes of Mount Agung. Around 70 festivals there a year means you’ll have a fighting chance of seeing one!
Historical Tours
A few highlights include Taman Ayun temple, built in 1634, by the once powerful Mengwi Empire. More recently, in 1906, 3,000 sworded Balinese died defending their honour, being no match for Dutch bullets. Badung Puputan Park in Denpasar commemorates the tragedy. Taman Gili (Kerta Gosa), in Semarapura holds the remains of the centuries old Klungklung palace, destroyed by the Dutch invasion of 1908.
Balinese Dance
A late afternoon show of Kecak and Fire Dancing is not to be missed. A choir of seventy men call out in harmony, as the traditional dance proceeds. If one attends the show at Uluwatu Temple, one can also absorb the magnificent views of the sheer cliffdrop to the beautiful ocean below, as the sun slowly sets. Cheeky monkeys also scamper around the temple.
Shopping
Enjoy a friendly haggle over souvenirs at a beachside market. Spend a day in Bali’s capital Denpasar, taking in its large scale department stores. On a trip to one of Bali’s artistic towns, appreciate the handicrafts, jewellery and metalwork made before your eyes, before settling on a price. The products are as varied as the experiences.
Fine Dining
Enjoy a delicious Indonesian buffet banquet. Maybe try a refined international restaurant in upmarket Seminyak. Spend an evening by candlelight, at one of many seafood restaurants, literally on the beach at Jimbaran. Savour the lobster and fish, fresh from the ocean. The choices are enough to make the mouth water.
Elephant Safari Park
If riding an elephant is deemed too energetic, watching them bathe and play with each other would certainly delight the senses. Unbelievably, some of them can not only grasp a paint brush, but paint a picture as you watch on. After these endearing feats, you may like to take up a great opportunity to hand feed an elephant and have a photo taken with one.
Golf
Enjoy a round of golf at your own pace, breathing in either the mountain air on the links in Bedugul, or the sea breezes, as you put for birdie on the beachside course at Nusa Dua.
Some Bali hotels may have packages featuring the above activities, while others will happily assist in booking on your behalf.
About the Author
Booking Bali accommodation may be straightforward, but do Bali’s activities really have something for everyone? Indeed, they do.
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