Seeking out hidden beaches is kind of our thing.
There’s something about places devoid of crowds that calls to city folks, at least to the adventurous kind. Like a siren song, maybe. I know it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. The absence of basic amenities would deter most people. My sisters, for instance. One of my sisters couldn’t imagine spending a day without a proper restroom, preferably inside a resort. Hiking? Forget it. My other sister does not care for beaches at all. And now she works in the Cayman Islands. Life is indeed amusing.
It was our lazy day in Bali. Nyang Nyang beach was calling. I couldn’t recall now where I heard about this beach. I’ve probably come across it from a blog.
Our hired car and driver waited for us at the top of the cliff together with other tour operators in Bali.
The road going down to the beach is accessible only by foot. At least I think it’s safer by foot.
There was one guy traveling down on a motorcycle with his girlfriend riding at the back hanging on for dear life. They gave me nightmares. The path was littered with loose stones that trips you up if you’re not concentrating on your steps. There was another guy who was entranced by the view, he missed his footing and landed on his butt.
The trek down to the beach only took a few minutes. Twenty minutes, tops.
But, it did feel longer with the way I was picking my way through to avoid tripping over the stones. I just made sure I wouldn’t be sitting bored in a hotel with a broken ankle.
We came here around noon and as expected, scorching hot.
I noticed there were only a handful of tourists going down with us. Couples, mostly.
We didn’t bump with other humans after we each went our own way when we arrived at the bottom of the cliff.
The shoreline stretches as far as the eye can see and then some. You could pick your spot anywhere along the beach and disappear from anyone’s view.
It might be a good idea to bring something to nibble on. We brought with us light snacks and water for hydration.
While browsing our photo album in Bali, I noticed that I wasn’t the one holding the camera when we were at Nyang Nyang beach. My husband took the initiative. He took lots of pictures but almost all of them were about me. Me going down that cliff. Me swimming at the beach. And me doing me.
I guess I was on leave as photographer that day.
If you can’t bear to watch more photos of me, stop right here. The next series of shots will still shamefully feature me. You’ve been warned.
This is how I like beaches. Raw and rugged.
I remember the sand felt hot, but not biting hot. I took off my sandals.
Since it was empty, we claimed this makeshift sun canopy made out of the plants’ clinging dead leaves.
If you would look hard enough in this photo, you could see those flying paragliders from our spot. In reality of course, they would be very hard to miss.
I spent the better part of the afternoon in the water. Hubby didn’t care much for the sun and contented himself lounging in the shade.
You’ve probably guessed just by looking. The beach isn’t exactly all sand. I didn’t wear any protective footwear. It didn’t cross my mind to bring any. But, my feet were fine. Just mind the rocks.
The waves break well away from the shore. It leaves barely a ripple and only feels like a gentle push.
As the afternoon wore on, more tourists arrived. This isn’t a secret beach, after all. Anyone is welcome.
Then, it was time to make tracks before the place gets flooded with people. Okay, I’m exaggerating. This beach has a long lonely stretch of white sands. Most of the visitors just clustered near the bottom of the cliff where the path directs you to the top. Only a few tourists were inclined to stray a little farther.
It was a lovely afternoon. I couldn’t wish for more.
Sheltering in one of the shaded spots at the bottom of this cliff, facing the summer blue sea with not a soul in sight, reminds me of home.