Candi Dasa

Bali is quite small. 153 km east to west, and 112 km north to south. Most people stay in the very busy tourist regions on the southwest coast near the airport (Seminyak, Kuta, Legian) or in the centre of the island in Ubud. The rich and famous go to the high-end gated community of Nusa Dua to stay at the St. Regis and other fancy hotels. 

This week I was on the east coast in Candi Dasa. 

There are no real beaches here beyond small alcoves of coral and volcanic rock. And because of the time of year, there is no crystal blue turquoise water that Bali is famous for. Instead there is the steady roar of waves crashing onto the lava rock.

The region is a small village - or string of villages along the highway between the mountain and ocean. There are no high end, big resorts, and with the exception of a waterfall, a few temples, and an old village, there is not a lot going on. 

I chose to come here because I could use my time share weeks – though I can see that that was unnecessary as there are literally dozens of lovely boutique hotels here far nicer than where I am staying – all under $60 CAD a night. It is very laid back here, and while that might be great for someone coming here just for a week, it is a little too sleepy for me and with nowhere to really walk except along the busy highway and around the lovely lotus pond, I am finding myself a little (OK a lot) bored.

There are lots of things to do in Bali – but you could do them all in about 2 weeks and I have already seen everything in this area. And truthfully, if you have been to India as have I, you have seen more than your fair share of Hindu temples. I am kind of templed out. I do enjoy driving about seeing the countryside and visiting the many waterfalls – but again, if you are from Canada, you have seen waterfalls far grander than in Bali.

I hiked across a rice field one day and down about a thousand steps through the jungle to get to a waterfall, only to find there were so many mosquitos I barely took time to snap a photo before running up all those steps to get away from the little bastards.

I am terrified of mosquitos. I got Dengue fever in 2019 and had to be hospitalized. I was quite sick: my platelets dropped to 40 putting me at some risk of bleeding out, and my blood pressure dropped to 60 over 40 putting my organs at risk of not getting enough oxygen.

There are four dengue virus types, all of which are capable of inducing severe disease (dengue hemorrhagic fever /dengue shock syndrome). Once you have had Dengue – although you are immune to that virus, you can still get Dengue three more times, and each time is more dangerous than the first. 

There is a vaccination against Dengue however, it is not available in many countries, including Canada. That is because it has very high-risk factors – especially to people who have already had Dengue…so I am out of luck. So, when I wrote that I ran out of the jungle – I RAN – and by the time I got out of the jungle I was near heat stroked and thought Dengue might be the worse of two evils. I was close to passing out because I forgot to bring water and had not anticipated such a work out. As I hiked across the rice paddies I had visions of fainting and falling into the canals alongside the raised walkway where I would surely be eaten alive by water snakes, rats, and more mosquitos! (Note to self - always bring water!)

Walking here in Candi Dasa has been a bit of a challenge, even beyond the heat and humidity. Early morning or at night are the only reasonable times to avoid the heat – but nighttime is dangerous. Not because of crime – it is very safe here and I would have no trouble walking about at night – but the sidewalks are deathtraps!

Raised up about 2 feet from the road to accommodate a huge volume of rain which runs underneath the sidewalk, in a great many places, the sidewalks are caved in – leaving a gaping hole with a two-foot drop. Between the holes and the heaves caused by tree roots, walking at night on the poorly lit streets is just not possible.

One good thing about being on the east coast is that, unlike Ubud, it has been sunny every day. There have been a few small late afternoon showers but that it is. On the flip side, sunshine means higher heat. Yesterday was 34C with 80% humidity. Only the sea breeze and the pool made it bearable.

Tomorrow, I will head to Nusa Dua to hang out with the rich folks. I am using another time share week. I would not have chosen that area had I known it is homogenous and will not at all reflect an authentic side of Bali, but I am learning as I go and will make the best of it. I thought I might take myself out to dinner one night at the St. Regis, but when I looked at the menu, I thought better of it. With wine, a dinner for one will run $300 plus. I like good food, but that is obscene. I will have to settle for their high tea one afternoon. Rooms at the St. Regis start at $1800 a night but the high tea is cheaper than at the Fairmount hotels in Canada. So, I will put on my best dress, brush my hair for the first time in two weeks, and pretend to live like the other half.