Bali has so much to offer! It’s a great destination because it has something for everyone; from great surf and beautiful beaches to amazing temples and jungle adventures to explore. Come with us on this unforgettable experience…

 

Day 1 – Seminyak
We arrive in beautiful Bali on Sunday night. We had our friend schedule us a driver but you can have the hotel do it for you. This makes for a smooth transition to get to your hotel from the busy airport.

 

Courtyard Marriott Seminyak
tripadvisor.com/courtyardseminyak

We stayed here the first two nights although the first night was recovering from the 20 hours of flying.
This hotel was even more than we expected. The rooms were a good size and our balcony overlooked the pool. The location was great as it was walking distance to bars, restaurants and beach. It was also a short cab ride to the popular beach clubs such as Ku de ta and Potato Head.

 

Day 2 – Seminyak

Ku de ta
kudeta.com
We spent our first afternoon in this very nice beach club in Seminyak. We had a great time hanging out in the infinity pool overlooking the beach. Prices are a little high for Bali, but definitely worth it. Sunsets there with the DJ spinning deep house and lounge music are a must do.

 

 

 

 

Potato Head
thebalibible.com/potatohead/
From there we went to Potato Head, a beach club that had been recommended to us by many. If you can, make a reservation ahead of time or get there a couple hours before sunset to get a table. Amazing sunsets from this huge beach club. You can also just hang out in the pool or swim up bar and have delicious food and cocktails.

 

 

 

Day 3 – Keramas Beach

In the morning still in Seminyak, we got 1-hour hot stone massages at the spa a short walk from our hotel for only 100,000 Rupiah (about $8 USD). When we went, the exchange rate was 13,000 Rp to $1 USD. It gets a little crazy doing the math but you get used to it! You can’t beat the prices for massages here, they are the best that we saw in Bali.

 

Komune Resort
komuneresorts.com
We took a shuttle from Seminyak to Komune Beach Club in Keramas that took about an hour. The ride is a lot more enjoyable with some cold Bintangs, the most popular local beer.

Komune Beach Club was a great place for everything you’re looking for. The Keramas black sand beach is beautiful and has some of the best surfing in Bali. The bar and restaurant that overlooks the surf and beach is amazing to have your morning breakfast, coffee and juice which are all included with your room.

If fitness is your thing, they have a giant open air yoga room as well as a great gym. They are well known for their fitness retreats here. The cafe next to the gym has a whole fitness menu that is outstanding.
We came here for a wedding and they did an amazing job with everything. There were fireworks and a fire show for a small extra fee and the food was excellent. We had a great experience here but just remember there isn’t much to do in the surrounding areas so prepare for that.

We stayed in the 3-bedroom villa with 2 other couples and it was perfect. It was complete with two private pools, an open air kitchen and beautiful rooms.

 

 

 

 

 

Day 4 – Ubud

Our friends met the nicest driver in Ubud and recommended him to us. He drove us to the best spots and was super helpful with everything. Here’s his info:
Tiara
+62 81 9999 57 901
wayantiara1990@gmail.com

 

Villa Purnati
balipurnati.com
We got to Ubud and checked in to where we were staying, the Villa Purnati. This place was absolutely incredible! Each large hut contained 2 rooms on the first and second floors. They also had a giant infinity pool that looked out into the jungle as well as 2 cabanas and a huge yoga studio. Breakfast was included every morning and the banana pancakes were to die for. The property is huge, if you walk around you’ll see a temple, a stone amphitheater and a river where you’ll accidentally spot a few old naked locals bathing…oops.

 

On our last day at the villa, we enjoyed the infinity pool and got one of the best massages we’ve ever had. The massage tables were located on the back of the property with a beautiful view of the jungle and stream. The small waterfall and stream made for the perfect natural relaxation music.

 

 

 

 

 

Monkey Temple
monkeyforestubud.com
We had our driver take us to the Monkey temple, where we spent about 30 minutes feeding them bananas you can buy right outside the entrance or at little stands inside. One of the workers had us follow him to a side area where there were probably at least 10 monkeys playing around. He got us bananas and told us how to hold them up and they climb up your body and will sit on your head or shoulders and eat the bananas. Even mommas with their little babies hanging onto them will climb up. Pretty amazing to witness how they interact. But a word of caution, do not to have any loose items on you (glasses, hats, etc) and especially no food or water as they WILL quickly snatch them from you. We even saw monkeys climbing up the trees and swinging across the street to snatch groceries bags from people walking out of the store!

 

 

 

Cafe Wayan
alamindahbali.com/cafe_wayan.htm
From the temple, we walked down the road to Cafe Wayan for lunch. Amazing place with a great environment, where you sit on pillows on the bamboo floor and have very authentic Balinese food that was really good as well as fresh juices and drinks. We definitely recommend this place!

By the way, throughout the trip we’ve chosen some favorite meals… for Sean: meat satay with peanut sauce, for Vanessa: Nasi Goreng (Chicken or Shrimp Fried Rice with fried egg and vegetables). Yum!

 

 

Ubud Market
bali-indonesia.com/ubud/
After lunch, we went shopping at the Ubud Market. Great place to get gifts for everyone at home! It is a huge market so if you have time, shop around because there are a lot of places to get gifts and if you see something you like, you will probably see it again. Bargaining is expected! It took us some time to get used to it, but then we became experts in it. A lot of items you can get for half of the original price they tell you. We got nice masks, sarongs, homemade soaps, etc.

 

 

Day 5 – Ubud

Elephant Safari
elephantsafariparklodge.com
Didn’t pay to ride them (poor thing), but it was cool to see them bathe as they are very playful and to feed them coconut cane they give you inside. They also will give you kisses and put the giant lei around you. They are very smart animals. Although we found out after we left Keramas that there is an elephant sanctuary there, which would’ve been better. But it did appear as though they take very good care of them and the sign is very specific and says they train them with a reward system instead of punishment.

 

 

 

 

Tegalalang Rice Terrace
tripadvisor.com/Tegalalang
There are many rice fields to visit in Ubud. Our driver took us to the one that is set up in levels and it was absolutely gorgeous!!! You can walk around the whole thing or you can go to one of the cafes on the edges and get something to drink and take in the breathtaking view. There are also lots of little shops to buy all kinds of things. We bought an awesome painting that is now hanging in our living room to remind us of Bali.

 

 

 

 

Holy Water temple
The actual water purification was a disappointment, because it was so packed with people that it would’ve taken over 30 minutes to be able to do it. Plus, it’s not really spiritual when kids are splashing around and it feels like a Vegas pool party. On the other hand, the rest of the temple was amazing! The architecture and the environment there is so great! Walking around and listening to the guide tell us all the history and the meaning of all the statues made us feel so blessed and appreciate the chance to travel and get to know such a unique culture!

 

 

 

 

 

We have a lot more to share about Bali, but the post is pretty long already so we decided to split it in 2. Stay tuned for Bali Part 2 coming soon with info about Bingin, Dreamland Beach, Uluwatu, Gili Islands and Nusa Dua.

 

“Traveling. It leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller!”
– Ibn Battuta