Do you know what is Pont des Arts? Well, you may not familiar with the name but I'm sure you ever watched it in romance film. If you ever watch "Triumph in the Skies 2", you may watch the main female character 'Holiday' and male character 'Jayden Koo' or known as the casanova 'Captain Koo' walked along the Pont des Arts and locked her heart bracelet. Pont des Arts is a pedestrian bridge in Paris which crosses the River Seine. Many couples swear their eternal love with locked a 'love locks' in the bridge.That is in France. How about Indonesia? Well, I found a resemble bridge in Bali actually.
Of course this bridge which crosses the garden is not Pont des Arts but 'Bridges' in Ubud. There is no padlock or love lock locked at this bridge like Pont des Arts. So, where is the love lock?
Treeeeeeng! Here are the love locks before the bridge.
"Love builds bridges where there are none" - R. H. Delaney
How to get here?
This bridge located beside Bridges Restaurant, Jl.Campuhan, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia. Nearby Blanco Museum.
I came here by motorbike from Uluwatu to Ubud around 1.5 hour (49km)
Rental car (or with driver) /motorbike;
Grab taxi (online taxi), available invplaystore or appstore;
Local taxi/bluebird;
No Trans Sarbagita to Ubud but you can take Trans Sarbagita to Batu Bulan (Koridor 2 Nusa Dua - Batu Bulan) then take taxi to Ubud.
Hey, I found a gem inside a busy city. At the first, I intended to visit Nusa Dua Beach after Sunday service in Puja Mandala. I get around using waze about a half hour and finally i get lost because waze showed me the direction which can't access by public. Well I just enjoyed the hot sunny trip. Fortunately, i found a hidden gem in here. It is located in BTDC Nusa Dua area near to Devdan show theater. Well, i don't know what is the exact name of this hidden beach. I searched in waze, it's appears Nusa Dhamma. Nusa Dhamma is not a beach name but a pura beside this beach. Yeah, maybe this is an unnamed beach.
As like you see in this picture, what a shady trees. When i walk in to this beach the feeling change 180 just like walk from the hell to heaven - hot to cool -
Quickly i found a place under a big tree and set up my mat for my first solo picnic in Bali.
Bread. Oreo. Water. Mat. Big Trees. Beach. Sky. Sea.
[Kue Putu] Indonesian traditional snack. Steamed cake made from rice flour with grated coconut as topping. Well the taste was delicious, the texture was soft and fluffy. You can find this street food anywhere in Bali. The price is Rp 1.000/pc (less than 1 cent)
Big trees, beach, sea and sky as my friend.
Anyway, the view has nothing special. So, why i say i found a gem in here? Yeah! because it's rare to find a cool beach at 12pm in Bali.
Direction:
Search Devdan Show Theater in waze. Once you reach there, you will see parking lot for motor bike and then go straight till a gate with many big trees inside. That's the beach.
How to get there?
Rental motor bike/car. Rental motorbike a day around Rp50.000 - Rp 80.000 (US$4 - US$7)
Gojek. Online ojek. available on playstore/appstore
Grab Taxi. Online taxi. available on playstore/appstore
Blue Bird/ Local taxi (approximately Rp 100.000 - Rp 200.000/way from Ngurah Rai airport to BTDC area)
Trans Sarbagita. Koridor II "Nusa Dua-Batu Bulan-Nusa Dua". It will drop you in BTDC area, then walk around using waze/google map. Public: Rp3.500; Student: Rp2.500
Hello Ajahn Brahm! It was amazing to see you again.
I never thought that i will see you again since the last time i met you in Batam (1 April 2015, Pacific Palace Hotel, Batam, Indonesia - Dhamma Talk "Hello Happiness") for the first time. It was an unexpected golden opportunity that i could met you again in Bali yesterday. Previously i never knew that you would have tour d'Indonesia in 2016 till the first time i joined Sunday service in Puja Mandala last week. They informed me that will have Ajahn Brahm Dhamma Talk on 14 April 2016. At that time, i felt so excited that i could meet you again but there was two problem that i faced:
1) The event held in Denpasar, it is too far away from my current place.
2) I supposed to work from 11 to 8 on that day.
Fortunately i have good Karma. I told my colleague the event during lunch and unexpected that she is interest to join so we went together. Next, work schedule; fortunately i have good seniors, Bro Andi and Bro Anggawho help me to change the work schedule from 11 - 8 to 7 - 4, so i could attend your Dhamma Talk at 6pm.
Yeap! It was also a quite long journey to reach Aston Denpasar. It took me one and half hour by motorbike to reach there. But compare to you, my problems are nothing. You declined India prime minister's invitation just to come here from Australia to share and spread your happiness to us. I feel grateful, absolutely worth it!
First, thanks to Bu Vessa who help me to get this golden ticket:)
Ajahm Brahm Dhamma Talk
"Happy Everyday"
Date: 14 April 2016
Venue: Aston Hotel & Convention Center, Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia
Well, take a selfie first before the Dhamma Talk start.
Thanks to Ce Angel who come with me to attend this Dhamma Talk.
Finally, I meet you again.
Well let me share you reader an inspiration story from Ajahn Brahm!
One day if you step in dog poo, don't clean it directly at the grasses or something else first but bring it to home with you. When you arrive home, clean it under your mango tree. One year later, for sure your mangoes will be very sweet. Once you eat the sweet mangoes happily, think what you eat actually. Thanks to the dog, its dog poo bring sweeter mangoes.
Hey readers! Let me Kristine Winata ask you a question,one day if you really step in dog poo, will you clean it directly or bring it to home? Nah maybe almost all of you will clean it directly and say it's funny why bring the awful dog poo to home.
So, what's the point actually? Dog poo bring sweeter mangoes story actually tell us that bad things is not always bad, try to see the positive side and turn bad to good! Well i know it's not easy to do and at all the time most people always see bad things as bad, bad and bad and the at last being desperate just like people won't bring home the dog poo to bring sweeter mangoes. If you really can do it, you are wise people!
At the end of seminar, there was a signature and photo session with my idol.
During the que in a hour, i notice that all of the people are very happy to take a photo with you.You sign many many books and give many many many smile to many many many people for us take photo with you. I am sure you are happy because we are very very very very very happy before, during and after take a photo with you.Thank you Ajahn Brahm for share your happiness to us.
I'm happyeven just talk to you in few seconds: Me: "Thank you, Ajahn. Can we take a selfie?" Ajahn Brahm: "sure" (I take out my phone with photo stick) Ajahn Brahm: "ah, photo stick" Me: "I have good Karma. Thank you, Ajahn."
Well, this is what i bring to home. Two books of Ajahn Brahm, "Si Cacing dan Kotoran Kesayangannya 2 & 3", Thank you for sign in our books, Ajahn Brahm. Anyway, The puru-puru drinksis very nice!
Last but not least, Thanks to all sponsor who make this happen. Thank you with much appreciate!
Thank you. See you again when i see you, Ajahn Brahm:)
It is a wonderful beach ever! Well i found paradise in Padang-Padang Beach. So far Padang-Padang Beach is the best beach i ever visited in Bali. The suitable sentence to describe the feeling is, "Definitely I will come back again!"
What impressed me actually?
Scenery? No!
People? No!
Surfing? No!
then what?
Well, if i compare the scenery, i have to say that the sunrise in Sanur Beach and
the blue sea in Bluepoint Beach are much better than the scenery in Padang-Padang Beach.
Then people? Yeah, actually it's quite crowded.
You may find many foreigner and local people here, but it's not crowded as like as Kuta Beach.
How about surfing?
I think the neighbor beach, Bluepoint beach is much suitable for surfing than Padang-Padang Beach. The wave here just so so only.
Then what impressed me?
"Peace of the Beach"
Sunshine, sky, wind, sands and sea are working perfectly.
[Sunshine of 4.30pm] Personally i don't like come to beach on hot day.
If you like to do sun tanning, you may come here earlier at noon.
But if you don't like hot day just like me, i suggest you to come here around 4pm. It would be much suitable for you because the sunshine just cover other side of the beach.
[6pm] Even though unable to catch the perfect sunset like Kuta Beach, we still can see the spark of the sunset just like in the picture.
The cool wind made me wanna stay longer at here.
Sand here is clean and soft, almost no coral. It would be most friendly with your foot.
Dip into a sea bath. It is clear and no coral. absolutely suitable for swimming!
You must bring your swim suit and swimming, otherwise you will regret.
Heyyaa! Here is the entrance to Padang-Padang Beach.
Hello, Monkey! Becareful of your belonging, there are monkeys around.
Entrance fee:
Local: Rp 5.000
Foreigner: Rp 10.000
[access to the beach] come to evening, the ways is quite dark. be careful! use your phone light.
How to get in?
- Rental car / motor bike
- Gojek (online booking ojek, download the apps at playstore/appstore)
- Grab taxi (online booking taxi, download the apps at playstore/appstore)
- Local taxi/bluebird
No public transportation like Trans Sarbagita to reach here.
Come in the evening, there was a young man playing a music. very nice!
Around?
There are local peoples selling some beach clothes and beautiful scarf. Don't forget to bargain! Try to bargain start from the half price to get the cheapest price.
Tips:
- Beware of monkey! never put your belonging nearby the hills because there are monkeys around. That time i visited there, a monkey took the local seller's bag.
- Bring your swim suit. I'm sure you will regret if you not swim.
- Bring beach mat, water and snack.
If you come to Bali, you must come to Padang-Padang Beach at least once.
