Why Bali Should be at the Top of Your Travel List

I’ll blame it on Elizabeth Gilbert. Ever since I read Eat Pray Love I’ve wanted to visit the island of Bali. Apparently I wasn’t the only one. Everywhere I turned I saw beautiful pictures with lush green foliage, swings over magnificent rice terraces and temples that literally depicted the gateway to heaven. The best part of all, its actually quite budget friendly and the most expensive part of your trip will be the flight.

Travel Logistics

I wanted a flight that had the least amount of layovers but the trade off for that was that I would have an 18 hour stay in Hong Kong. Personally I felt like this was a win because it gave me the chance to explore a little of Hong Kong as well. (I’ll cover that in another post.) From Hong Kong we took a flight directly to Denpasar.

Bali is not a very large island but traveling a short distance can take a long time. This is partly due to traffic and partly to the small roads that you travel on. There are no obvious traffic laws that I could see. People would drive between lanes and scooters would go by hauling 4-5 family members at once. Somehow the rate of traffic accidents was much less in Bali than in the US. I’m assuming this is probably because everyone drives on high alert since someone can cross into your lane at any moment. For this reason I do not recommend driving in Bali. The best way to get around is by getting a local driver. They are inexpensive and are very knowledgeable about finding the best restaurants and hidden sites in the city. Our driver took us to places that most tourists had never seen. He picked us up from our hotel, drove us around all day, took pictures of us, and taught us about local Bali life.

Where to Stay

Bali isn’t a very large Island but I do recommend staying in different locations around the island so you get get the best experience. We stayed in three different areas during our 7 night vacation. The first two nights were at Karma Kandara in Ungasan, the second two nights we stayed in Ubud and the last three were in Seminyak. Caangu is also near Seminyak and a popular beach area to check out. There are also several islands nearby that you can either stay at or just explore on day trips.

Karma Kandara

I searched for the best beaches in Bali and Karma Kandara kept popping up on my list. It is located on the Bukit peninsula which is know as “Billionaire’s Row.” I booked a stay at the Karma Kandara Beach Resort for two nights. When I made the booking I thought I was just booking a small villa with a private pool. Once we arrived a personal concierge drove us to a villa in a golf cart where we were pleasantly surprised to find that our “villa” was practically a mansion. It had three massive bedrooms, each equipped with a king size bed and a private bathroom. The villa had a full kitchen and two large seating areas, not to mention a private pool. The best part is this 5 star villa cost about the same as an average hotel stay in the US.

One thing to not is that the spa treatments and the food at the resort were comparable to US prices. If you leave the resort and go into town the food is a fraction of the cost.

During our stay we went to the Uluwatu temple and attended the Kecak Fire dance at sunset. The performance depicts the Hindu story of the Ramayana with background vocals performed by 75 males chanting in a trance like state. The entire show takes place with the sunsetting over the backdrop of beautiful cliffs. If you are staying in the Bukit Peninsula I definitely recommend seeing it.

Ubud, Bali

No Eat, Pray, Love adventure would be complete without a stop in Ubud. We stayed at a local Air BnB that I’m not happy with so I won’t be mentioning them here. You can easily find housing in tree houses and villas near Ubud center for less than $100 a night.

On our way to Ubud we stopped at a restuarant called Bebek Tebasari Resto. One of my favorite dishes in Bali was Mi Goreng. Its basically fried noodles with vegetables (and your choice of protein) topped with a fried egg. The local Indonesian food was always better than the American food they had on the menus.

Our next stop was at Bali Swing. This is where all those insta-worthy pictures are born. The employees there will take your picture and even direct you on how to pose. They literally do this hundreds of times a day so I would definitely recommend taking their advice. Each of the swings are positioned over the rice terraces and offer stunning views. When your not busy taking pictures just take a moment to enjoy being on a swing in the middle of paradise. It really is a great experience and sometimes we get so caught up in getting the perfect shot that we don’t enjoy the moment.

After a long day of swinging and eating food we decided to relax at a local spa in Ubud. We went to Sang Spa which was recommended to me by a friend. I literally had a massage, pedicure and hair mask done for less than $50.

The next day we made the trip to Lempuyang temple. This is where the iconic Gates of Heaven pictures are taken. There is a person that is seating the perfect distance from the gates that will take your picture for you…for free! Also I hate to break it to you but they hold a reflective surface under the camera lens to create that look of water in front of the gates. It makes for a stunning photo but it is just an illusion. Also you have to stand in line for almost 2 hours to get this picture taken. Once you’re up there you will have about 30 seconds to strike three poses and your turn will be over. The drive to the temple itself took almost 3 hours with the traffic. Its a bit of a hike but the good news is that there is snorkeling nearby.

After the temple our driver took us to Blue Lagoon Snorkeling at Padangbai. I have been snorkeling in 7 or 8 countries and I have never seen such an amazing assortment of fish. (Not even in the Great Barrier Reef.) I basically saw the entire cast of Finding Nemo down there, including sea turtles. The best part is it basically cost $25 to snorkel in two different locations on a private boat with a guide. Definitely can’t beat that price. After snorkeling we had dinner at Topi Inn. It has the typical menu of Indonesian specialties, Indian food as well as pizza.

The next morning we went shopping in the markets in Ubud Centre. You can buy those fancy bamboo bags all the influencers are wearing for $10. I also found an amazing new beach hat for my future travels. Make sure you bargain down the price of everything. I bought a silk robe and the merchant basically cut the price in half for me so most of these items are marked up for tourists.

After spending the morning in the markets we set out to see some monkeys. Our driver told us that the Sacred Monkey Forest in Ubud was over rated and we weren’t allowed to touch the monkeys there. He took us to Sangeh Monkey Forest instead where you can feed the monkeys, have them sit on your lap and even your shoulder if you’re brave. Be careful though, some of these guys are a little aggressive and may pull your hair if you hold on to the peanuts for too long.

On our way to Seminyak we also stopped by the Tegallalang rice terraces. The terraces here are massive and appear to be endless. Make sure you use insect repellant before you venture into any of these.

Our last stop before heading to Seminyak was a hidden waterfall called Griya Beji. The waterfall is holy and there are many Hindu rituals that you can partake in while visiting. It was an amazing experience the the waterfall itself is beautiful. Not many tourists know about it which makes it an even more spiritual experience.

Seminyak, Bali

We finally made our way to the Royal Seminyak Beach hotel where we saw the most beautiful sunset. The beaches there are flat and as the tide rolls out it leaves a reflective sheen on the sand the creates the most picturesque image.

The best part about this hotel was the breakfast. They literally had a buffet with cuisine from everywhere. There was an omelette bar, a sushi station, an Indonesian and Indian corner, pastries, cheeses, literally everything you could imagine accompanied with fresh juices and tiramisu cappuccinos. I really could go on and on about the buffet.

We spent the next two days just hanging out on the beaches and walking around Seminyak square. Another popular spot that is nearby is Potato head beach. We didn’t get a chance to go there but it was highly recommended by multiple people to me.

Nusa Pineda Island

You can book a day trip to Nusa Pineda Island that included snorkeling and stops at multiple sites along the island. I enjoyed seeing the sights but the roads there are not paved and the car rides between the multiple locations are rough even for those of us that don’t get car sick.

Travel Tips

• Almost everything is paid for in cash in Bali. Some restaurants take credit card but we paid cash for pretty much everything else, including our excursions. There are plenty of ATMs available everywhere you go so its not a huge problem.
• Make sure you wear insect repellant. The mosquitos here are next level viscous.
• Do not drink the tap water. In fact, if possible brush your teeth with bottled water. Also if you’re like me and get sick the moment you step foot in Asia, don’t drink anything with ice in it. Most restaurants use filtered water for ice but on the off chance they don’t I wouldn’t risk it.
• Bali is HUMID. My hair was basically Monica on that one Friends episode. (You know what I’m talking about.) I felt like my hair was never dry during that entire trip. If you have straight hair naturally you probably wont notice but for all my curly haired sisters bring the strongest anti-frizz products you own. Or just do what I did and wear hats everywhere and put your hair up.
• The sun is intense in Bali. Even I got sunburnt. Wear sunscreen and apply it multiple times if you’re going in the water.
• Bali has an Uber like system but the locals prefer it if you use local taxi services and it helps with their tourism industry.
• Also last but definitely not least. Please don’t go to any parks that allow you to ride elephants. Elephants are not made to carry humans on their backs. It is very painful for them. These elephants are trained at a young age to ignore the pain and carry you around for entertainment.