Bali

Where do I even begin – Bali has an incredible natural beauty in its many volcanoes and beaches, along with cultural richness in its temples and unique traditions!! This trip was so relaxing for us. Bali is a great place to focus on your health and overall wellness. It’s easy to find vegan/vegetarian (and generally healthier food) options due to religious practices, as well as fun physical activities in the hiking and beach excursions.

Overall, Bali offers much to see and do, but to be frank, all of it has been capitalized on for their tourism gains. I can appreciate the hustle, but I found everything required some sort of tip or has been commercialized. I would rather have the local experience! Taking that info into account, this recap will give my honest feedback and recommendations I can authentically pass on that we loved! 🙂 Skip to the bottom for my hot takes if you’re looking for the shortened version xo

We opted to view the mountains from temple visits (to see multiple sights at once!). In this journey, we learned there are two active volcanoes in Bali – Mount Agung and Mount Batur. Agung recently erupted in 2019, which caused a lot of travel interruptions and evacuations. It’s the tallest volcano in Bali and considered holy by the Balinese. This volcano can be viewed from Pura Lempuyang Temple – see below **between the “Gates of Heaven”.

The temples in Bali were incredible! Most of Indonesia is Muslim, however, Bali has a majority of Hindu locals. The villages in Bali all have multiple temples and statues within that one village. There are the village/community temples, as well as family/personal temples. All the statues and temples you see have significance, whether it be for community gathering purposes or depicting a story of the gods, since Hinduism is polytheistic.

This complex above featured seven temples – each offering unique views and spiritual experiences. The best time to visit is early in the morning or at sunset, mostly for the views but also to avoid crowds. So many people told me this temple was a tourist trap, and I must admit they were right. I think it’s incredible to see if you have time, but I would not add it to my must-see list.

Here are some pictures I took while we were there:

We walked up to the top of the stairs, at the top of the main temple where a private area was, only available for people who were actively practicing Hinduism to pray. As you can see in the courtyard (pic 3), people were waiting in line to take a picture at the “Gates of Heaven”. I didn’t want to wait in line, so I only took a picture of the gates. Local photographers will call out your number in the queue, taking your photo with a mirror effect to achieve the photo reflection **seen below:

If you’re looking for the perfect IG pic, this is it! However, if you’re looking to learn more about the temples and see Bali’s beauty, I’d consider skipping it.

One of the more gorgeous temples I’d recommend visiting is Tirta Gangaa Water Palace. Full disclosure, all temples require women and men to be covered. Sarongs are a local tradition, worn in the temple. Some temples will provide one for you for free, but I’d recommend planning your outfit to coordinate with for temples visit, just to be safe. For women, you cannot be menstruating (ie week of bleeding, and yes, they will ask), and legs/shoulders must be covered.

The front part of the palace is pretty touristy, but there are some serene areas in the back if you’re looking for an authentic experience in one of the more famous temples. Locals will come bathe/swim for spiritual washing in the waters sourced from the mountains, purified in the temple as the water flows through the holy places.

Places to Go:

UBUD.

We found this was our favorite region to visit. There’s a local art market, where you can buy wares from local artists, and haggling is encouraged 1 USD = 15,000 IDR (rupiah)! We also were able to do some coffee tasting, which was another highlight of our trip.

Wooden wares in Bali are mostly made from teak, along with ulin (a wood much rarer and more expensive), but the prices of teak were great! We found some gorgeous bowls and kitchen utensils. You can also buy hand-made sarongs and clothing items. Some of the clothing items will feature batik, which is a hand-painted and dyeing technique utilized by the Balinese. I also recommend buying silver as well as rattan objects, as these are local to Bali!

Here are some places I recommend shopping at in Ubud:

• Island to Island (hand-made jewelry, specializing in silver)
• Ubud Art Market (specifically Jalan Raya Ubud street, which is pedestrian-only!)
• Bali Teaky
• Thaikila Ubud (swimwear!)

TEGALALANG.

Rice fields are all around in this region, and this is where you can find the iconic Bali swings! Full disclosure, some of the swings are absolutely unsafe. Be aware of which swing you choose and how it’s built! With the popularity of the swings rising, some locals have installed them without proper safety measures (we were told this multiple times!).

COFFEE TASTING.

There were a few places I researched, but I can’t recommend Bali Pulina enough. They sustainably grow, educate, and employ local resources to produce amazing coffee and tea. Read about it in the link attached!

Luwak coffee is the most famous (and expensive due to its production method) – utilizing the luwak (a cat-like nocturnal animal) to help produce smooth, lower caffeine-content coffee beans.

Where to Stay:

Personally, I’d recommend determining what you want to do in Bali, before you book your place. The Ubud region has most of the tourist attractions – like coffee tasting, the swings, rice fields, waterfalls and hiking, since the mountains begin. I do wish we stayed closer to Ubud, since there was so much cultural history and local food there!

The beaches are phenomenal, but the famous ones are on Nusa Penida – Crystal Beach, Kelingking Beach (Devil’s Tear), and Diamond Beach. This might require a day trip, since there aren’t too many places to stay on this island.

We stayed at a place called Nirjhara (see pics in gallery below). It was absolutely breathtaking! A wellness-focused retreat, focused on rest and relaxation. There were daily meditation and yoga sessions, a lengthy spa treatment menu, guide-led cycling to local beaches and temples, as well as a gorgeous pool overlooking a waterfall. Although there was only one restaurant, it had so many food & beverage options, you could eat something different at each mealtime. Breakfast was included in the room cost as well! The downside is that it was 1.5 hr from Ubud, as well as a lengthy 3 hr drive from the temples/activities on the western side of the island. However, we were close to Tanah Lot, which had a lot to offer and a stunning beach!

Things I Wish I Considered:

1. Most travelers, if staying longer than 3-4 days, will travel around the island, staying in different locations. The island is pretty large, and to see different areas, it’s worth it to stay in regions for a bit.
2. Explore Canggu more! The Ubud region has the most traffic, with Nusa Penida running a close second. The Canggu region has more of the local vibe, along with some gorgeous beaches.
3. Take time to visit/stay close to a famous Bali beach.
4. Narrow streets make it challenging to get around the island efficiently. Most people take mopeds/scooters around the island to navigate the terrible traffic. Fun fact – you can “Uber” places riding behind a person driving a scooter. Needless to say, this is one of the reasons why it makes sense to stay in regions, traveling short distances on the day-to-day.
5. Don’t overpack for your visit here! Definitely leave room for souvenirs in your suitcase or pack an extra bag. Of course we left room for shopping, I just want to make sure you do the same too.
6. Book a hike to a waterfall or mountaintop view. Sunrise and sunset are the ideal times as the views are unmatched! Ubud is a good region for this.

Hope you learned something about Bali, and you take time to travel there one day! The travel time to get there was horrendous, but the views, food, and local culture made it all absolutely worth it. xo