Last month, three girls ventured to one of the most beautiful places on Earth; BALI, INDONESIA. It all started back in April when my friend {Ketina} told us she wanted to attend her cousin's wedding but with no one to join her, she asked a couple of travel envy girls and just a few months later, we hopped on a plane and our trip began.
Fresh Balinese coffee by the pool
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Omah Apik ; our balcony room overlooking the rice paddies
Ubud. Our first stop for the trip. After a 90 minute drive from the airport, we were greeted by a luscious green landscape, and an abundance of palm trees. As we were staying in Ubud the longest, we wanted to pack as much adventure and explore as much as we could.
STAY: Omah Apik, a cute bed + breakfast resort with the most accommodating and friendly staff. Just 15 minutes out of Ubud town, located in Pejeng Village, it was the perfect place to wind down after a long day of activity.
EAT: There are so many places to eat from the locally owned cafes to popular restaurants in the Ubud town district.
- Black Beach restaurant - Amazing Italian food and if you choose to sit upstairs, there is an amazing overlook of the Ubud streets.
- Bali Buda - Dedicated to serving healthy organic delicious food using locally farmed produce. Definitely recommend the lasagne and the 'Cleansing Drink'.
If you are ever in the Kintamani area, be sure to check out any restaurant with a view of the Mt Batur volcano.
DO: Testing our physicality, we did the Mt Batur trek; a 2 hour hike up the active volcano to see the sunrise overlooking Mt Agung, Lake Batur and the Kintamani area.
(TIP: Wear warm clothing as it is freezing up there and wear shoes with good grip otherwise you'll be slipping and sliding!)
If you do decide to do the trek, you must visit the Batur Hot Springs to relieve your now acheing legs and take in the amazing view of the lake whilst in the warmth of the pool.
If you have a bit more spare time, I would spend an entire day waterfall hopping.
SEE: If you're more into relaxed activities, you can check out the various temples, the Monkey Forest or ride on an elephant's back. Any coffee/tea connoisseurs should check out the Luwak coffee testing. My favourite was the coconut coffee (bring some back for your family & friends to try too!)
A trip to Ubud would not be complete without a trip to see the Tegallalang rice terraces. You can walk from one end to the other to take in the amazing environment.
Views at Kintamani
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Tegenungan waterfall
4am hike up Mt Batur
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Relax time at the hot springs
Our next destination was Nusa Lembongan, one of three connecting islands located 30 minutes south-east from Bali. How we got there, you ask? On a speedboat boarding from Sanur beach. (TIP: Arrive early morning to get the best deal from the different boat services otherwise you might end up paying 3 times more)
STAY: Le Pirate Beach Club is the cutest lil resort you ever did see. Located on Nusa Ceningan, the yellow suspension bridge was the only way across. Consisting of only 10 beach boxes (literally!) with the bed being the only piece of furniture and an open shower, it was the epitome of living the simple life. The shared pool overlooked the seaweed farms so as the farmers did their thang, we watched the sky turn from blue to pink every night.
(TIP: Wear sunscreen! Lots of it. All the time! Otherwise you'll be 50 shades of sunburn.)
EAT: Just about anywhere you choose to eat will overlook the calm sea.
- The Deck - Have lunch as you soak up the island life. On a clear day, you can see Bali's mountainous silhouette in the distance.
- Do not leave Bali without eating the dish Mie Goreng at least once. A spicy fried noodle dish served usually with chicken or prawn with various vegetables and fried egg. YUM!
DO: Rent a buggie. Not the usual mode of transport but as none of us were comfortable with riding motorcycles and no cars were allowed on the island except for pickup trucks, it was the only way to go. It is a fun way to explore the island at your own pace.
SEE: The Nusa Islands is all about the picturesque views and surroundings. Check out the Devil's Tear (we didn't get to [sad face]), Panarama Point and Mushroom Bay. Head to the mangrove forest, pay a local some money and get yourself a tour of the calm, intertwining mangrove trees.
Scenic views of the seaweed farms
Three days in Nusa and we were off again. Back into Bali but know heading south to Uluwatu for a couple days. This location was on our agenda for Ketina's cousin's wedding but also a great spot for surf breaks (for people who actually surf, a.k.a. not me) and amazing panoramic ocean views.
STAY: We stayed at the Merta Sari Bungalows located just a few minute walk from Balangan beach where we witnessed one of the most beautiful sunsets.
EAT: With only one full day here, there is only so much meals a girl can eat. Despite spending half our time at our bungalows stuffing our faces with (a lot of) chicken nuggets we actually did venture out.
- Single Fin - Come chill at this great cafe/bar and watch the surfers catch some waves. I recommend the chicken tacos!!
- Nalu Bowls - Discovered this gem of a place on Instagram. Located just outside of Single Fin, this smoothie bowl shack makes the most delicious acai bowl. Just wish we were there longer so we could devour 5 more bowls.
SEE: The Uluwatu Temple is one of the main attractions in Uluwatu and once you arrive, you can definitely see why. Situated right on the edge of a cliff, the view of endless blue is scary beautiful.
Best Sunset Award goes to Uluwatu
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STAY: Akmani Legian hotel is a gorgeous place to stay located right smack in the middle of Legian, a main tourist destination. The hotel provides a gym (which we surprisingly worked out in) and two pools, one on ground floor and another on the rooftop.
EAT:
- Sisterfields - A cafe that reminds me of brunch back home in Melbourne. All the classics were there such as poached eggs, coffee, and water served in some sort of clear bottle.
- Motel Mexicola - A feast not just for your stomach but for your eyes as well. The interior here is crazy good, you can probably spend a good half hour just exploring the place. A bit pricey for the tacos but they were worth every cent. I got the De Cameron taco, 'Unidentified' mocktail and a De Pollo quesadilla to share.
- Jimbaran Bay - Basically a bunch of seafood restaurants lined up against the shore. We got recommended a few restaurants but ended up going to a completely random one which resulted in 2/3 of us getting a bit of food poisoning. I was the lucky 1/3.
- Potato Head - A must go to if you ask anyone who has ever been to Bali. An awesome beach club right next to the beach so you can drink and have a dip at the same time. Here we had dinner and cocktail drinks to end our last night before heading back home.
DO: If you're a party person, Kuta is the perfect place for you. A district of many clubs and bars, you're bound to find a place to dance the night away. If you're more chill, you can hang out at Kuta Beach or do some retail therapy around Beachwalk Shopping Centre or the many markets selling those weird penis shaped keyrings & copycat sunglasses, sneakers and watches.
You've reached the end of my post, I really hope you've enjoyed reading about my adventure & recommendations and has persuaded you to put Bali as one of your must travel destinations.
Where do you want to travel?
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I'm so glad you enjoyed your trip in my beloved country! I think I've loved every picture you posted on Instagram when you're in Bali. I wish you would come back again and maybe visit other places in Indonesia, we have so many beautiful beaches :)
ReplyDeleteBy the way, just wanted to let you know I nominated you for the Liebster Award (which you can read more about in my recent post) because I really really love your blog! The layout is so simple but sophisticated and you always have beautiful photos to go with each post. Have a great day, dear!
The Fashion Swing