The excitement and anticipation for traveling to Bali and experiencing the culture, presence, nature, food and more had been growing. I can confidently say that being in Bali exceeded any ideas or expectations. Non stop beauty all around with the genuine spirt of the locals to the nature and produce.
Close to 10 years ago, was the first time I had given any thought to visiting Bali after hearing a mentor of mine went on a sabbatical and came back rejuvenated and more inspired than ever. My idea about Bali then was not much more than a peaceful jungle with rice fields and a few cool surfing spots that were popular for surf retreats.
Over the next few years more people close to be were telling me about their travels to this mysterious jungle that was 18+ flight hours away. From the surf and food to the hikes, waterfalls, and comparisons to “Spiritual Disneyland”.
Prior to booking this trip with my lovely Goddess Alexandra…
Over the last few years and made it to my Top 5 destinations or a place that I would like to go if I ended up in SE Asia or Indonesia. I felt like the last year I had manifested this trip by talking about wanting to host and be involved with retreats… More and more friends were visiting and extending their trips.
The opportunity opened up and we booked a one-way ticket from LAX to Bali to commit. Immediately the anticipation and planning of the trip was real. (This is a reminder that SO MUCH of the joy is in looking forward to a fun trip).
We talked to friends, watched YouTube videos and researched our top 10 places to visit and adventures to explore. The following are some of our highlights and tips that I hope can inspire.
Traveling has never been easier with so many sites and apps that offer discounted travel and make it easy to book flights and stays on short notice. We noticed that many people could pay for most of their trip by renting out their place for the month or traveling in between leases (that’s what we did) 😉
See out tips for where we stayed, ate, and adventured to with each spot (Canggu, Ubud, Uluwatu, and Seminyak)
Upon arrival we noticed that all of Bali smelled like incense… This was a special time because of offerings that were left outside all around town every morning.
The offerings are a sacred form of gratitude for what is and a wish for peace and abundance in the world. They are a representation of the Balinese people’s devotion to their (Hindu) gods, but at the core, these offerings are so much more.
People could come here and accidentally get infected with kindness and a healthier way of living.
The level of poverty is a reminder that we have the opportunity to help and puts into context how good we have it. We have freedom and endless opportunity and if you don’t feel like that… endless resources!
Many of the loacals make a living by driving similar to a taxi or renting out villas attached to property in the family. Also scooter rentals are all around and locals either rent their scooters or will take you anywhere as well as deliver thinghs to you with many simple apps.
The US Dollar goes a long way for food and shelter. We used Airbnb for Villas that we stayed in and were very happy with the value and service. We also used Airbnb expreinces for tours and excursions.
This was a fun experience with a local guide that took us from Ubud to aling aling waterfall along with a blue lagoon and some others.
This was like a giant natural water park with slides and rock platforms to play in.
AND THE FOOD!!!
Truly one of the best food experiences that I have had AND I love me some food. Almost every meal was a piece of art showcasing colorful fruits and vegetables that tasted just as good as it looks.
There were numerous vegan restaurants that were world class with very filling dishes.
A lot of the foods that these local people eat have attributes that support digestive and immune health.
Some of the foods help defend against parasites and bacteria (Turmeric, papaya, Apple cider vinegar, pomegranates)
Whether it inspires you to visit or travel somewhere new, I hope it inspires something 🙂
Put it on your Schedule and make it happen. I’m happy to help with any questions or suggestions.
See 4 minute video montage of our trip here
Top Notes and Tips from where we visited over 15 Days
Everything is within about 90 mins
- Take a driver for $40 or less for all day service anywhere
- Scooters are easy to rent with some villas or close to your villa
- We found all of our places on Airbnb (you can cross reference online – the reviews are comforting)
- Get massages – They are incredible and most are about $15/hour
- Look up some of the top apps like Gojek that are similar to uber
- Air BNB Experiences – Allow you to see reviews from real people that are verified and give you a great idea of the top places to prioritize such as waterfalls, snorkeling, cooking lessons, etc..
Canggu for 3 days —> Ubud for 6 days
—> Uluwatu 4 days —> Seminyak 2 days
Ubud (Central)
Closest area for waterfalls
Monkey Forest
More of a jungle environment with 20+ Yoga studios
Great food, a lot of vegan
Cool villas that are secluded in the jungle
Mediations, resorts, massages, etc..
Cool gym & fitness club: Titi Batu
Sound healing at Pyramids of chi
Intuitive Heart Massages at Karsa Spa – really good
Airbnb experiences: Waterfalls (aling aling swimming hole)
Where we stayed:
Namaste Villa – (nicest place we stayed, big pool + everything)
Tirta Arum – really nice place with private pool
Top restaurants:
Zest (vegan but really cool atmosphere)
Pison cafe
Moksa Vegan – one of the top meals (really good food that is filling and looks like art)
Clear Cafe
Uluwatu (Southern tip)
Beautiful and tropical with the nicest beaches
Surf camps, yoga retreats, resorts
Great food
Good surf
Green Bowl Beach
Padang Padang
Uluwatu beach
Fire dancing ceremony at the temple (nightly)
Where we stayed:
Kalimantan Bungalow – Hosted by Wayan (great place and value)
Uluwatu surf villas – very nice but not as cheap
Top restaurants:
Single Fin – Great food and sunsets
Istanna lounge and day club – incredible sunset
Suka Espresso
Omni – day/night club
Canggu (west)
35-40 mins from airport
Nice beach
Surfer town with a lot of new development
Nightlife & great food
Beach restaurants with live music, nightclubs
Consistent best surf
Young crowd
Cool gym: Body Factory
Where we stayed: Karisma villas
Top restaurants:
PennyLane
Seminyak (Southwest)
30 mins from airpot
30 mins south of canggu
Developed, shopping, restaurants, night life
W Hotel, potato head beach, etc..
Nice beaches with good surf
Where we stayed:
New 1br Villa on airbnb – Kuta/Double 6 beach
Top restaurants:
La Favela
Bistrot
Clean canteen – lunch cafe