Another reason why I wanted to visit Bali so much was the fact that I considered this exotic destination a small paradise defined by an overwhelming beauty.

I must confess that after my visit there I see things in a different way. I cannot deny that Bali is a beautiful place from many points of view, but it’s far away from being a piece of heaven.

Despite all my expectations, Bali is first of all a very dirty place. If you are ready to look beyond this aspect, this is the type of place which will offer you a lot of interesting experiences. In a nutshell, if you plan to visit Bali just to rest and relax or to let yourself delighted by spectacular places, maybe it would be better to choose another destination.

Many people associate Bali with the image of the beautiful and exotic beaches, but this is a totally wrong perception. Bali is about unique experiences, a different culture and a very simple lifestyle. If you’re one of those people who love new experiences, I’m sure that Bali will be the right choice.

As you have probably understood, even though Bali disappointed me to a certain extent, it is also the place that delighted me with a few memorable experiences. It goes without saying that I don’t regret at all my trip there. It’s all about the way you set your expectations and manage to get over the negative aspects.

On this note, I want to talk about the places in Bali where I had the chance to live a few amazing new experiences.

The Balinese temples are extremely interesting and the island is blessed with a lot of such religious edifices. Hinduism is the religion of more than 80% of the Balinese population and according to this religion they believe in different deities and symbols. Everywhere you look you will see a multitude of altars which are adorned with a lot of offerings used as a way to worship their gods.

The Uluwatu Temple is one of the most famous and beautiful temples in Bali. Situated on top of a cliff, this temple offers an insight into the Hindu religion, but also some spectacular views. In case you want to admire a beautiful sunset from the top of the cliffs, you should visit this place in the evening.

Taking a lot of pictures of the kleptomaniac monkeys which can be found in the area was a really nice experience. You should be very careful when you visit the Uluwatu Temple, in case you don’t want your bag, glasses or your jewelry stolen by these thieving monkeys.

The Taman Ayun Temple and the Batukaru Temple are other two interesting temples which will make you plunge into the Balinese culture and religion. My favorite temple is the Ulun Danu Bratan Temple which is a floating temple situated on the lovely Beratan Lake.

Rice cultivation is one of the most common occupations in Bali and this is one of the reasons why Bali has so many rice fields. Located in the area of Tabanan, Jatiluwih Green Land is my favorite rice terrace thanks to its natural beauty. The image of this rice terrace is one of my precious memories in Bali.

You can also admire lovely rice fields in Ubud, another beautiful area in Bali. This area hosts an interesting Elephant Safari Park, where I had the chance to ride an elephant for the second time in my life.

Another place that I liked very much in this area was the Ubud Traditional Art Market. As the name suggests, this is a market where you can buy fresh fruit, vegetables, clothes, souvenirs and a lot of other goods at very good prices. It is a delight to taste the delicious passion fruit, granadilla, rambutan, mangoes and bananas. When it comes to food, I must confess that I’m not a big fan of the Asian cuisine but the exotic fruit were indeed a real treat.

Bali is the place where I have drunk the famous Kopi Luwak coffee for the first time. Made of coffee beans which were eaten and defecated by the Asian palm civet, this is actually the most expensive coffee in the world. Enjoying a cup of Kopi Luwak coffee, in Ubud, was indeed an interesting experience especially that I also had the opportunity to find out a lot of details about the entire production process of this type of coffee.

Situated in the area of Ungasan, the Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park is the place where you will have the chance to admire a few beautiful temples and statues of deities. Here, you can take a couple of pictures of a few Balinese women wearing their traditional costumes and also enjoy a lovely Balinese show.

As I have already told you, you should not expect to find amazing beaches in Bali. Even though the Balinese beaches are common and usually very dirty, there is one I really want to mention. I’m talking about Jimbaran Beach, a very clean and beautiful beach with greenish water and fine sand.

The Gitgit Waterfall is a place which made me experience the Balinese jungle. In order to reach this waterfall, I had to follow a path through the jungle and even if this path was man-made, the scenery was really natural and wild. The Gitgit Waterfall is not something extraordinary, but the road that leads to this place is definitely worth experiencing. I had the chance to see banana flowers, cocoa trees and jackfruit trees with my own eyes.

To conclude, Bali is a place where you can experience a lot of interesting things. In my opinion, the most important aspect about a place is its ability to make you feel a variety of emotions and Bali is the type of place which has this ability.

1.The Uluwatu Temple

2.The Uluwatu Temple

3.Monkeys in the area of the Uluwatu Temple

4.Monkeys in the area of the Uluwatu Temple

5.Lovely sunset seen from the top of the cliffs, in the area of the Uluwatu Temple

6.Lovely image seen from the Uluwatu Temple

7.The Taman Ayun Temple

8.The Taman Ayun Temple

9.The Taman Ayun Temple

10.The Taman Ayun Temple

11.The Taman Ayun Temple

12.The Luhur Batukaru Temple

13.The Luhur Batukaru Temple

14.The Luhur Batukaru Temple

15.Image seen from the Luhur Batukaru Temple

16.The Ulun Danu Bratan Temple

17.The Ulun Danu Bratan Temple&Beratan Lake

18.The lovely Beratan Lake

19.Rice terrace in Tabanan-Jatiluwih Green Land

20.Rice field in Ubud

21.Kopi Luwak coffee

22.Passion fruit, granadilla, rambutan and bananas

23.The Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park

24.The Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park

25.The Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park

26.Balinese show in the Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park

27.The Elephant Safari Park in Ubud

28.The Elephant Safari Park in Ubud

29.Jimbaran Beach

30.The Gitgit Waterfall

31.Cocoa trees in Bali

32.Banana flowers

33.Jackfruit tree

34.Barong, a Balinese symbol

35…and Bali is about a lot of green…

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I adore those types of places where I can admire a great variety of flowers because they fill me up with joy and positive energy. One such place is the Flower Dome, a Singaporean marvel situated in the Gardens by the Bay. Covering an area of 1,2 hectares, this is the largest glass greenhouse in the world according to the 2015 Guinness World Records.

The Flower Dome shelters a variety of flowers and plants in a habitat that simulates the cool-dry climate of Mediterranean and semi-arid regions. It is divided in nine different areas: the Mediterranean Garden, the Californian Garden, the South American Garden, the South African Garden, the Australian Garden, the Olive Grove, the Flower Field, the Succulent Garden and the Baobabs. Each of these areas are beautifully decorated and organized and it will be a real delight to explore them.

An important aspect is the fact that if you are lucky enough to visit this place during some important holidays, you will have the chance to admire some lovely decorations. I had the opportunity to enjoy a kind of Christmas Fair, which was organized inside the glass greenhouse and it was a nice experience.

Regardless of the period, the Flower Dome is equally beautiful and interesting and you should definitely visit it in case you ever get to Singapore.

Pictures speak louder than words and this is why I will let the following images convince you to visit the Flower Dome.

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I am talking about the Singapore Botanic Gardens, which is the city-state’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Situated right in the heart of the city, this tropical botanical garden is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Singapore. Covering an area of 82 hectares, this place shelters more than 10000 different species of plants.

The Singapore Botanic Gardens is divided into three different areas. The Tanglin Core is the oldest part of the gardens and also a sort of museum and information centre. The Central Core is the main area of the entire place and it shelters the most interesting exhibitions. The Bukit Timah Core is the educational and the research area of the gardens. The entire scenery is embellished by some beautiful lakes, fountains and sculptures.

My favorite garden is the National Orchid Garden which is located in the Central Core. This garden is absolutely amazing and it shelters almost 60000 orchid plants, 1000 different species and 2000 hybrids.

The National Orchid Garden is divided in four different exhibition areas, named after the four seasons. This place is a real festival of colors with a multitude of shades and tones. The spring area displays lively shades of gold, yellow and cream, the summer area is blessed with tones of strong red and pink and the autumn area combines bright shades of orange, brown and dark red.  Last but not least, the winter area shelters a variety of white and blue orchids. Walking in this garden is a real pleasure and a perfect way to relax and recharge your batteries.

If I haven’t convinced you to visit the Singapore Botanic Gardens, you should take a look at the following pictures.

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On the contrary, Singapore has completely exceeded my expectations and it has officially become my favorite country.

Situated in Southeastern Asia, the Republic of Singapore is actually the only island city-state in the world. If I had to describe this amazing city-state in just one phrase, I would say that it is probably the most civilized place in the world.  It is true that I haven’t visited all the countries in the world, but I cannot even imagine a more civilized place than Singapore.

Also called the Lion City or the Little Red Dot, this place is the perfect definition of the word “civilized”. It is the place where chewing gum is prohibited by law and throwing any garbage in the street is punished with heavy fines. It goes without saying that every corner of this city-state is extremely clean and well-preserved.

Blessed with imposing skyscrapers and many impressive headquarters of various international companies, Singapore displays a striking modern architecture which combines the Chinese, the Malay and the Indian influences.

It is one of the world’s most prosperous countries with very high standards when it comes to education, healthcare, quality of life and personal safety. Life expectancy in Singapore is very high and crime in this city-state is almost nonexistent.

Hosting a multitude of malls and shopping centers, Singapore is heaven on earth in case you are a shopping lover. Many of these commercial centers are situated underground and they are connected by a lot of pedestrian subways. It seems that an entire underground world lies under this hallucinating city and the feeling you get in front of this image is simply incredible. The malls in Singapore are real examples of opulence. I don’t know if you have ever imagined that you can sail in a boat inside a mall, but you should know that in Singapore you will have this opportunity. It sounds great, isn’t it?

This city-state is amazing during the day, but it is really vibrant at night too, when all the lights are on. So, don’t miss the chance to visit Singapore at night!

Leaving aside all these aspects about Singapore, an interesting thing in my opinion is the Singaporeans’ way of life. I am talking about their values and principles. It was unusual for me to see so much common sense, respect and hospitality in their behavior. I must confess that I admire their way of life and their relaxed attitude.

As you can see, it is a real pleasure for me to talk about Singapore and I have the feeling that I could write pages and pages about this stunning city-state. I strongly believe that Singapore should be on anyone’s trip list because it’s the type of city which can easily make you fall in love with its beauty.

The opulent resort Marina Bay Sands and the famous park Gardens by the Bay are the emblematic attractions of Singapore.

In the Gardens by the Bay you will have the chance to admire the famous Supertrees Grove, the Dragonfly Lake, the Kingfisher Lake and it will definitely be an amazing experience if you choose to visit the inside of the Flower Dome and of the Cloud Forest Dome.

Nearby you will find the Singapore Flyer, which is a lovely giant Ferris wheel.

The resort Marina Bay Sands is also situated near the Gardens by the Bay. The famous bridge that connects the resort and the park is a must-see, especially during the night. It is a real festival of lights and also the perfect opportunity to admire spectacular panoramic views over the entire city.

When it comes to stunning nightscapes, the perfect place is Marina Square, where you can admire the lovely skyscrapers, but also an amazing light show on the water. It is indeed a breathtaking experience to admire the multitude of colored lights and holograms which are projected on the water.

Built in order to celebrate Singapore’s Golden Jubilee in 2015, the Jubilee Bridge is another interesting attraction from where you can also admire spectacular views.

The orchid is one of the symbols of Singapore, so the Botanical Garden is the place where you will be delighted with a lot of plant species and especially a lot of orchid species.

Little India and Chinatown are other two interesting places in Singapore, where the Chinese and Indian elements are very obvious.

You shouldn’t leave Singapore without going for a walk on the emblematic boulevard Orchard Road, where you will be delighted with a lot of interesting decorations and famous shops.

Last but not least, Singapore Zoo is simply fabulous. It is a huge wildlife park with amazing settings where animals are allowed to walk freely in open and natural habitats.

These are in my opinion the most beautiful and interesting places in Singapore, but I’m sure that I will add more on this list during my next visit there. I am sure I will return to this paradise, because as I have already confessed Singapore has become my favorite country.

To conclude, in case you haven’t already thought of planning a trip to Singapore, you should definitely think about it.

1.Gardens by the Bay

2.Supertrees in the park Gardens by the Bay

3.Supertrees in the park Gardens by the Bay

4.Gardens by the Bay during the night

5.Gardens by the Bay during the night, but different color

6.The Cloud Forest Dome

7.The Cloud Forest Dome

8.The Cloud Forest Dome

9.Flowers in the Cloud Forest Dome

10.The Flower Dome

11.The Flower Dome

12.Marina Bay Sands

13.Marina Bay Sands

14.Marina Bay Sands during the night

15.Singapore Flyer

16.Image seen from the bridge that connects Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay

17.Image seen from the bridge that connects Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay

18.Image seen from Marina Square

19.Image seen from Marina Square

20.Lovely view,skyscrapers seen from Marina Square

21.Lovely view in front of Marina Square

22.Jubilee Bridge

23.Little India

24.The Botanical Garden

25.The Botanical Garden

26.The Botanical Garden

27.Orchard Road

28.Orchard Road

29.Orchard Road

30.Orchard Road

31.Singapore Zoo

32.Singapore Zoo

33.Singapore Zoo

34.Singapore Zoo

35.Singapore Zoo

36.Singapore Zoo

37.Singapore Zoo

38.Singapore Zoo

39.Singapore Zoo

40.Singapore Zoo

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