This was honestly one of my absolute highlights of the entire week. I had never done this before in Bali and getting to wind through the jungle, under waterfalls and through caves was so epic.
I genuinely have never seen anything like it. Mt Agung was peeking through the clouds, it was so high, and in between the infinity pool that we had all to ourselves and the volcano itself were rice fields of the brightest greens you can possibly imagine
We got some juices and enjoyed the view for a while, watching surfers catch the waves and the stunning waves crashing over this beautiful clear water. The rocky cliffs that frame this tiny entrance for surfers to paddle out looks incredible online and let me tell you, it is even better in person.
The ride to the rice terraces from our villa is bright and vibrant - just like everything in Bali. From Ubud, it only takes around fifteen to twenty minutes to ride to Tegallalang Rice Terrace.
We just got back to our villa in Ubud yesterday after a week or legitimate bliss. The Nusa Islands are every single bit as spectacular as everyone says they are (if not more so).
The villa has this insanely beautiful view of rice fields that are out of the main area of Ubud, which means that it is peaceful and quiet. The rice has been planted for a few weeks right now, so it is literally only just starting to sprout up out of the ground. Already it is so vibrantly green, it almost does not look real. Yet here we are!
We took the whole afternoon to see the Cu Chi Tunnels. It has been the most confronting part of this week for me. Seeing the pictures and uniforms etc in the museum was rough, but actually walking around and through the tunnels is something else entirely. It is challenging to even describe it.
Living in this area is wonderful so far. We both bought bikes, which is great. We have so many great bike tracks around the city. I miss the relaxed atmosphere of Southeast Asia but I love the feeling of home.
I left Australia for those three months with a fresh degree, no job and no address. I am going back to go to my official graduation, with a job in my dream career field and am excited for whatever it is that comes next. Life is truly too short to stay rooted down if that is not what makes your heart happy.
Wandering around temples to try delicious local foods (we had, at different times throughout the afternoon/night, chicken and rice, prawns, and some bar snack foods with drinks later on when we took a break halfway through), it is easy and enjoyable to get lost in the markets. We ended up enjoying some drinks and sitting down to watch a fantastic jazz band play in a little bar.
Four to six hours long - depending entirely on how often you stop throughout the day - Samoeng Loop takes you past waterfalls, vast valley views, towering mountains, cafes - some of which are amazingly set down in the streams so that your feet dip in the cool pebbled waters while you eat and drink - and fruit and vegetable farms.
