It was a bright sunny morning, we woke up early to see a photogenic place in Bali – the rice terraces.
Rice terraces in Tegallalang, Bali
Rice terraces in Tegallalang, Bali
The rice terraces in Tegallalang is one of the cultural landscapes in Bali that was classified as a UNESCO world heritage site as it show cases Subak, a traditional, oldest and most complex Balinese irrigation systems and it demonstrates Tri Hita Karana, a Balinese core philosophy of life – harmony – which means harmonious relationship with nature, with other people, and with God.
Rice terraces in Tegallalang, Bali
Rice terraces in Tegallalang, Bali
Rice terraces in Tegallalang, Bali
From our hotel in Kuta, we hired a car to venture in the emerald green interior of Bali. It was midday when we arrived there, and the sun was scorching hot. It left us two options since my husband and my son are so sensitive to the heat and humidity: either we buzz up in one of the restaurants/cafes and get a photo and enjoy the view from the top or we navigate the steps down to the valley and spend a little time exploring the rice terraces. We chose the latter option.
Rice terraces in Tegallalang, Bali
Rice terraces in Tegallalang, Bali
Rice terraces in Tegallalang, Bali
We ambled through the rice fields up to the highest terrace for about an hour. We rested under the shades of the coconut trees, sipped some water, took some photos, savored the little summer breeze, and indulged ourselves in the scenic panoramic view. It was stunning but we had mixed emotions seeing it – happy because it seemed like we were strolling on a vast shimmering fields of gold and sad because some of the rice seeds were too ripe and no one harvested them – it made us think that it was just there to look good for tourists.
Rice terraces in Tegallalang, Bali
Rice terraces in Tegallalang, Bali
Rice terraces in Tegallalang, Bali
Rice terraces in Tegallalang, Bali
As we walked down the stairs, there were heaps of swings for you to rent. The swing looks great though, wished I could get a unique Instagram shot but I didn’t have enough patience to wait for my turn to get on the swing.
Rice terraces in Tegallalang, Bali
Rice terraces in Tegallalang, Bali
Rice terraces in Tegallalang, Bali
The entire place is beautiful but they made it into a big industrial area for tourists. From the main entrance (where we parked our car), the street was packed with a plethora of rip-off restaurants, cafes and tourist shops. Nevertheless, if you like a gorgeous, unique and green view, I recommend this place for you.
Rice terraces in Tegallalang, Bali
Little Lilly travel tips:
- Get there early in the morning to avoid the heat and to beat the massive flow of tourists.
- There are many entrances down to the valley. I think it’s better to walk down the road from the car-park and then walk down the valley to the other side where they have a big swing tied to 2 palm trees.
- It’s not suitable for disabled/unfit person.
- Bring some water and a towel.
Little Lilly Meets the World 