East Bali: Tirta Gangga & Kusumajaya Homestay

After visiting Pura Goa Lawah and continuing another hour north, Kristin and I were ready to settle in for the night. I had been told the best place to stay in Tirta Gangga was the Kusumajaya Homestay. Sitting halfway up a mountain, the site overlooks the beautiful valley below. It's not the easiest place to find, but we didn't mind exploring the surrounding area's rice terraces before finally arriving at our destination.

My friend told me the climb up was pretty arduous, so I ascended first to check it out and make sure we would be comfortable staying there. Fortunately, it wasn't as far up as expected, the accommodations were nice, and the view was amazing (photo below from our room's balcony). I went back down, brought Kristin and our bags up, and we relaxed for a bit before heading out to buy some supplies and have dinner.

We found a small convenient store half a kilometer down the road. While buying a few items, the owner gave us some of his locally made Arak (to be discussed in a later post). We then found a nice little warung, where we enjoyed some delicious dinner. We were both surprised by the cooler nighttime temperature due to being at a higher elevation and further inland, so we bundled up and turned in for the night. We awoke early the next morning and wander around the Kusumajaya property, enjoying the well-maintained grounds and a slightly hazy but beautiful sunrise. We then sat down to breakfast overlooking the valley below before packing, saying goodbye, and continuing on to the Tirta Gangga Water Palace.

Sourced from the drifting winemaker: original article