OMG, where do I start?! So, Bali has been one of my dream vacations for a couple of years now. Once I found out that I was going to Korea, Bali was definitely a must-see place for me. I visited Bali right after my trip to Thailand. When planning this trip, I put Bali as the second half because it’s the place that I wanted to visit more out of the two locations.
So, why is Bali so amazing? I’m glad that you asked. The energy that was in Bali was different than that of Thailand. The smell of incense and the view of the jungle and rice fields that you pass by just gives you a really zen feeling. While in Bali I stayed in Ubud the entire time. We stayed about 20 mins from the city center in a one-bedroom villa with a pool that was near a rice field. The name of the resort was Kubu Bali Baik Villa & Resort and I booked it through http://www.agoda.com. They had breakfast included as well, but it was not a good as the breakfast as the hotel in Phuket.
While getting around Bali, it is a must that you either get a scooter or hire a driver. We had a driver for the entire time we were there and used a scooter taxi once for the experience. The first night we got in pretty late, so we didn’t do anything. The second day we went to the Garuda Winsu Kencana (GWK) Cultural Park in Uluwatu. It has one of the biggest statues in the world. It was amazing to see. There is a history behind many of the statues and figures at the park, and the landscape was beautiful. Later that day we went watched a Kecak Fire Dance at the Uluwatu Temple which was very interesting and entertaining to watch. Watching that dance gave more insight on their culture in Bali. After the fire dance show, our driver took it upon himself to take us to this amazing seafood restaurant that was on the beach in Jimbaran. We had no idea that place existed, but I’m happy he took us there. The scenery was something that you see on tv.
The third day was one of the best days of my life, hands down! Everything we did was something I wanted to do, so you know it was a good time. First off we got up early and headed off to Aloha Ubud which is one place where they have Bali swings and rice fields. You can also do a taste testing for their local coffee and tea. The swings were so much fun! It was one of my favorite parts of the trip. The tea and coffee were delicious as well. One of the coffees came from an animal called the Luwak that poops out the coffee beans whole and the way it digests it causes a fermentation process. It was pretty cool. After that, we went over to the Mason Elephant Lodge and I got to ride an elephant named Boris. Boris was huge and so nice. He let me feed him afterward too. There was also a five-month-old baby elephant at the lodge. He was super cute. After the elephant lodge, we rode ATVs at a newer company and it was so dope! They fed us lunch before we went on the ATVs, which was cool. I was the better driver, even though it was my first time riding ATVs. After the thrill ride, we went back to the hotel to shower and head to downtown Ubud. We ate at a restaurant called Famous, then started to walk towards one of our favorite bars that we stumbled across the day before. On the walk towards the bar, I spotted out a hookah bar called Shisha Lounge that had the best hookah I have ever tasted! I felt like I was in the clouds after two puffs. We stopped at another bar on the way to the initial bar we were trying to go too and by the time we got there, it was closed.
The fourth day was very peaceful. We started the day by going to a temple where you could get inside the pool of water and cleanse yourself. We weren’t dressed for the occasion, so we passed on that and walked around the temple instead of sightseeing. After leaving the temple we went to a waterfall that you could get some really good shots at. Other than that, I wasn’t amused. I was honestly ready to go and didn’t even want to take pictures, but I got some good shots. After that, we ate at a little restaurant outside of the waterfall and went back to the hotel since we opted out of riding the two hours to the gates of heaven.
The last day we walked around Ubud center for a little bit before our spa day. We ended up running into a cute little brunch spot which I loved. We took a taxi scooter to the Kaveri Spa and experienced the Royal Couples Massage. The massage and green tea body scrub was amazing and the milk bath afterward had my skin feeling nice and smooth. Later that day we went to the Campuhan Ridge Walk and saw some breathtaking views. I wanted to go to the hookah lounge again after that, but we headed to the hotel to pack and chill instead.
Overall, Bali was amazing. The people were nice and had a good sense of humor. Getting around wasn’t hard at all, and there was plenty to do, so we never got bored. I would definitely visit again. This two-week vacay made me realize a lot of tips that you should know before traveling internationally that I will share in another post. I hope you guys enjoyed this post!
Queen Juliette 