On our main day out, my family ventured out of Seminyak to go to Ubud, a town in Bali known for its artisanal crafts and beautiful landscapes. 

We started our day with a stop at a jewelry store. (Silver is incredibly cheap in Bali and so no trip would be complete without buying a few rings and earrings).

After that, we set about exploring. 

My aunt and I were very brave and went to check out a glass bridge overlooking a gorge and treetops. While it was mildly concerning to walk across something made entirely of glass, we enjoyed seeing Ubud from a whole new angle. 

From there, we took a stroll through The Kemenuh Butterfly Park where we saw butterflies nuzzling into all of the flowers that lined the garden paths. 

After a hot day walking through Ubud, we decided to cool down at the Tegenungan Waterfall. I had known that I wanted to go to a waterfall when visiting Bali. I was told that it was a must-see experience when visiting the country. 

The waterfall in question is buried a little ways into the jungle, but with changing stalls like at a water park. 

The place was full of tourists milling around in the water, all of us overjoyed by the waterfall scaling the cliffside in front of us. 

I walked across the mini bamboo bridge and then a patch of rocks, before getting into the water. Plunging my head underwater felt like being baptized. My body became instantly cool, making the hot and sweaty trek down the hillside to the waterfall completely worth it. 

I swam as close as I could to the waterfall, feeling the cool spray come off it. The little bit of water that got in my mouth tasted earthy and even a little sweet. 

After I was done swimming around the waterfall, I got into the surrounding pools. It made for a refreshing end to a long, hot day. 

The waterfall was, without question, my favorite part of the trip. 

I’m not sure what is so magical about seeing a waterfall. It might just be the abundance of nature staring you in the face or it just might be that it is pretty to look at. Either way, it was the type of bucket list material that I had hoped to do while traveling.

In order to get into the water, you have to walk over some rocks, so I recommend river shoes. This destination mostly served as a photo-op for tourists, but if you’re lucky enough to go to the Tegenungan Waterfall, be sure to take a dip.

The Tragic Queen,

Raquel

P.S.: Check out my most recent blog post about my trip to a monkey sanctuary