Starting the road trip Bali - Ubud, Danau Bratan, Singeraja

After leaving Gili Air 8am in the morning (19.09.) we arrived in Kuta, Bali at 7pm. Especially the ferry ride from Lombok to Bali was quite a trip. The ferry was much smaller than the first time and did not offer much protection against the burning sun. Huge waves and a 40min wait for the other ferry to finally leave the harbour made that ride quite exhausting.
In Kuta the bus dropped us somewhere. After having some dinner (no food for 12h) we hopped on a taxi. But in the narrow streets the taxi driver had no idea how to find the hotel we wanted to go to and so simply dropped us somewhere on the street.
Running around with the big luggage we asked the guesthouses and most were full. So we took the first with a free room.
Next we started to explore the nightlife in Kuta. And surprised we were - the first real parties in Indonesia :)
The next morning we did rent a car to see Bali on our own. A 6 year old Toyata Avanza, covered with scratches and bumps, broken window and using the alternative wheel :)
Still the car was ok somehow and it was quite cheap.
Our first destination was Ubud, the cultural capital of Bali. But driving the car through Kutas narrow streets was the first intense challenge. The traffic of Denpasar the second^^ After getting used to the car we continued driving in heavy rain.
After arriving in Ubud the rain luckily stopped and we payed the touristic city a short visit.
A small lunch, which was delicious but pricy, was followed by a visit to the palace. The city had a very enjoyable flair, but all the tourists and tourist facilities made it losing most of its charm.
But Ubud gave us a nice introduction in how rich Bali's culture is. Which was refreshing after seeing the cultural "highlights" of Java. After Ubud we drove through tiny villages to go towards the north.
Driving through Bali shows you temples everywhere. Nearly every house has a little shrine which looks like a tiny temple. Next we visited the lakeside temple Pura Ulun Danu Bratan at Danau Bratan. A stunning atmosphere in the rainy mist showed us the shady sillouettes of statues on the lake.
Down to the north coast to Singaraja, enjoying a Bakso soup at some tiny warung before finding a parking slot at the seafront.

super green Ubud

statue at the palace

lotus garden

Pura Ulun Dana Bratan - covered in mist and tiny rain

quite a nice atmosphere

felt more like rainy UK than Bali^^

our car and parking slot in Singaraja