Bali: Arrival & Tirtagangga

For our first trip as Singapore expats, we chose Amed in Bali, which is known as a laid-back spot for snorkeling and diving. Amed is on the eastern coast, a 2 1/2 hour drive from Denpasar International Airport. The drive there progressed from urban chaos to coastal development to mountain scenery. Frequent jolting and honking seemed to be required to avoid motorbikes that weave through traffic and pedestrians on the shoulder of the road. Being prone to motion sickness, I started to feel a bit queasy on the winding mountain roads, but the iconic views of rice paddies cascading down the mountainside made up for it. With our driver zipping along, it was difficult to get the camera focused, but we managed to get a few decent shots.

On the way to Amed, our driver stopped in Abang, Karangasem, to give us a chance to have lunch and see the water gardens. The Tirtagangga complex was built in 1948 by the late Raja of Karangasem, Anak Agung Anglurah Ketut Karangasem. The gardens consist of several pools of water, accented by statues, lily pads, and flowering plants. We particularly enjoyed walking along the stepping stones built into one of the ponds. A few other tourists milled about, but there were also many locals. A few villagers lounged on inflatable swimming tubes in the wading pool and others seemed to be using a smaller pool as a bathtub.