Wanagiri, Central Mountains

We stayed in the village of Wanagiri in the central mountains of Bali for a few days. We were quasi-couchsurfing with a family who ran a hotel right next to their house. It was so nice to get to know them and stay with them.

My mom and me with Jero and his wife and son

Me and their 7 year old daughter Koming, ready for school

During our time there we visited many nearby sites.

Water Temple

Jatiluwah Rice Terraces

We also visited some hot springs, which had a lot of sulfur in them and turned my skin a bit orange. Rather strange.

Many tourists

The location where we were staying was simply stunning, with views of two lakes.

View across the street

From the back of their property, there was also a great view, which photos don't do justice.

Backyard view

During our time there we were able to visit Koming's primary school. The children were incredibly excited and followed us around, shouting "Hello!"

We also got to watch their local gamelan orchestra of traditional Balinese instruments. This was quite a treat as we've seen the gamelan at official performances before but have never seen a local practice session.

Gamelan practice

Before the musicians arrived, we got to try the gamelan for ourselves.

My mom giving it a try

During the practice, local teenage girls practiced the Joged dance. It was amusing to see because they would be sitting texting on their phones like teenage girls anywhere, and then get up and perform a very Balinese dance.

Dance practice

They also invited (or forced) each of the Westerners in the audience in turn to dance with them. A bit embarassing, but not so bad since we'd already been through it once before.


A wonderful time getting to know the family and seeing a genuine practice of the gamelan and traditional dancing. Thanks to Couchsurfing for another wonderful experience!

Byebye!