Turtle Island and Tanjung Benoa Bali in just 3 hours!

If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay home.  ~James Michener
 

Bought a lot of swimsuits for my Bali trip, so excited to enjoy the beach Bali is so famous for, but alas! We ended up enjoying the hotel pool than their beach! I have been to Bali twice and the beach lover in me was just so disappointed at both times (please check my Kuta Beach and Tanjung Benoa post). Should I sulk and waste my vacation? Of course not.. nobody is perfect and for me there is no such thing as a perfect place too. What matters most is how you look at the situation and how you will react. You can pout all day and complain, or look at the brighter side and explore more to look for other ways to have fun.. it's your choice. And my choice is to.. have fun!

Our flight back to Malaysia for our 3 days stay was scheduled in the late afternoon, since the airport is just around 30 minutes from Rumah Bali Bed & Breakfast, we decided to make the most of Tanjung Benoa has to offer so we rented a boat, snorkel and visited the Turtle Island in just 3 hours!

The sailors: we have this boat for ourselves yey!

Snorkeling -  nothing special about their water though, it's not as clear as the one in the Philippines. But this day marked one of the disappointing day of my travel life. I got my right eardrum ruptured again! One of the most painful things I have ever experienced, even more painful than the surgery itself! But I did not let it stop me from enjoying the trip..

Turtle Island:   this is a small island, a turtle sanctuary on the western shores of Bali. The sanctuary itself shelters a number of endangered sea turtles, from eggs to fully mature turtles. 

The island is just "ok" for me, I was expecting something more like turtles in their natural habitat.  The small place is crowded with tourist too.  They included other animals too for the pleasure of the visitors but I don't see their relevance to the place. We did not stay in this place too long, we just snap some photos and left.

So with just 3 hours we enjoyed Tanjung Benoa! My friend wants to try parasailing but not enough time anymore, will try it somewhere else next time. Will I come back here again?  I may not want to see their Turtle Island again (I feel sorry for the turtles being treated by visitors like toys)  but I still love Tanjung Benoa's resorts! I will not exchange the ambiance here with those resorts in Kuta.

For more photos please check this link.


Other Bali post:
- Tanjung Benoa Beach, Bali Indonesia
-  Kuta Beach, Bali Indonesia
-  Pura Tirta Empul, Bali Indonesia (The Temple of Holy Water) 
-  Vivi's First Tattoo from Bali, Indonesia 
-  Vivi's First Elephant Ride at Ubud, Bali Indonesia 
-  A True Bali Expirience at Rumah Bali, Tanjung Benoa

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Kuta Beach, Bali Indonesia

Kuta Beach is the most crowded beach in Bali and one of their major tourist destination.  It is just a few minutes away from Ngurah Rai Airport and famous for its long sandy beach, variety of accommodations, shopping area, restaurants and bars.  It is formerly a fishing village and one of the the very first that was developed for tourism purposes.

The beach is my "happy place" and I will never get tired enjoying it. But I think Kuta beach is not for me. Read more to know why. 

*all photos taken from my regular olympus point and shoot camera

Being a girl who grew up few minutes away from the beach (Subic, Lingayen and Dagupan Pangasinan), and a country with more than 7,100 islands (Philippines), I must admit that my standards are quite high. I've been to Bali twice in 2 different locations and at both times, (sorry but I won't sugarcoat,) is a huge disappointment. But I must admit too that I have been misinformed, I always associate Bali with the best beaches and white sand, and I know a lot who have seen Bali will agree, Bali is not so famous for their beach period (unless you are a surfer) . There's much more to love about Bali! If you're going to analyze travel reviews, tourists don't go to Bali just for the beach, the best hotels are not even along the beach! you know where? In the village... amongst rice paddies somewhere near the mountains... have you heard of Ubud? Ubud is 2011's Traveler's Choice as #17 "Best Destination" in Asia! But I will blog about my Ubud adventure on a separate entry, for now let me share my experience in Kuta Beach.

the airport runway from Tuban Beach..

If you want privacy it is quite difficult to find it in Kuta. Kuta is very busy and packed with so many hotels from 4 stars to budget hostels, so many restaurants and bars just walking distance from your hotel and the beach.

And it's a surfing haven you will surely enjoy a free show from great surfers, they're amazing to watch!

Haha  and that's me trying to brave the wave... but no luck!! 

At the beach it is quite difficult to find a spot to relax, so many locals offer stuff for sale which is irritating most of the time, some offering their service for a surfing lesson or massage at the beach. 

At the  centre of Kuta is a mall (Discovery Shopping Mall), we enjoyed shopping there and of course the food is to die for! 

 So many nearby restaurants too even late at night the street is so alive with activity.  If you are a night owl you will love this place.

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                                        The view from Discovery Shopping Mall


                                               The beachfront happenings at Kuta Beach

Walking the streets of Kuta....

Ngurah Rai International Airport or Denpasar International Airport. It is just a few minutes away from Kuta Beach.


Thanks for viewing!! Please check soon my separate blog about Tanjung Benoa Beach, Ubud Adventure, Kintamani, Tanah Lot, Kecak and Fire Dance at Uluwatu Temple, Tirta Empul  (The Temple of the Holy Spring), Turtle Island, my snorkeling adventure and my first try of henna tattoo!!!  


Thanks everyone!!




Other Bali post:
-  Tanjung Benoa Beach, Bali Indonesia
-  A true Bali Expirience at Rumah Bali, Tanjung Benoa Indonesia
-  Pura Tirta Empul, Bali Indonesia (The Temple of Holy Water) 
-  Vivi's First Tattoo from Bali, Indonesia 
-  Vivi's First Elephant Ride at Ubud, Bali Indonesia

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