the blue period

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THE SEA! the sea! the open sea!
The blue, the fresh, the ever free!
Without a mark, without a bound,
It runneth the earth’s wide regions round;
It plays with the clouds; it mocks the skies;
Or like a cradled creature lies.

"The Sea" by Barry Cornwall

I escaped to the northwest corner of Bali last weekend, and this time, I had a new toy - underwater housing for my iPhone. So finally, I can share some photos of my underwater adventures that are actually my own.

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I've been to Bali maybe six or seven times by now, but this was the first trip in ages that truly surprised me. Not by the actual scuba-diving (which was nice but not out of this world) but by Bali Barat National Park, where I based myself for this trip. The park itself encompasses mangrove forests and coral reefs and in the distance the majestic volcanic peaks of Java loom. Menjangan Island, the destination for most divers and snorklers, is part of the park.

There just a few resorts and none of the usual unpleasantness found in most of the tourist enclaves in Bali - touts, cheesy bars and shops, bad traffic. The park is about five hours away by car from the airport in the south and it is a a world away. It is peaceful and unassuming, and even in a fairly standard resort setting, you feel like you are somewhere special.

There are prettier beaches and more luxurious resorts, but I'm happy to have found this relative "backwater" of Bali, and I would most certainly be back.



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Comments

Jocy said…
I enjoyed Bali a lot. I was surprised because it's such a tourist hub, which often annoys me, but there were special little places and the island did not fail to charm.
Joy said…
your underwater videos make me so glad i have instagram. please do write a list of recommended places in bali to check out if you have the time :3
Ammu said…
Stunning photos. I haven't been back to Bali since the late 90s - it was still pretty quiet then, sounds like it's changed quite a bit since then!
Shutterbug K said…
What underwater housing do you use? I really like the picture of the diver and the sea up top.
lin said…
Jocy: I find Bali a lot more appealing than most of the beach destinations in SE Asia, for the reasons you mentioned!

Joy: I wanted to, but I have very few recommendations that aren't related to scuba diving! I shall have a proper think and perhaps update this post..

Ammu: Thanks! I think Bali has something for everyone, so the party types can stick to Seminyak and Kuta and people who want more respite can travel further.

Shutterbug L: I'm using the Seashell SS i for the iPhone 4 and 4s, but you may wanna know that with the new iOS 7, the keys no longer let you switch between video and photo (because of the placement of the thing that lets you toggle between the 2). Other than that, I was pretty pleased with the case - no leaks, no stuck keys, no fogging. I edited my pictures with the vscocam for exposure etc.
AĂ¯ssa said…
This Bali trip seemed perfect to recharge your batteries! You always give me travel envy... I'm headed south in a few days and I can't wait to break away from city life!
Hard to believe that the photos were taken with a phone. If you didn't mention this, I would've easily thought you'd taken them with a DSLR. I'm still hopeful I'll visit Bali one day.
Anonymous said…
thank you for the bautiful colors. made my overcast day here in germany.
lin said…
Aissa: I hope you have a good time and do share about your trip!

Marlene: If I had posted large sized pictures, they wouldn't look as impressive, haha. But yes the iPhone did surprisingly well underwater, if I'm not capturing something too "macro" or something moving.

Anon: Cheers!

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