All about Bali
Is Bali one of those places on your list you can't stop thinking about ?
Well girl, take a load off and let me talk to you for a sec about my expectations and calamity (love that word) with Bali.
To begin, Bali was a 7 day trip for my cousin and I. We spent about 4 days in Ubud and 3 days in Seminyak with an added detour to Mount Batur. Getting there was a whirlwind in itself. My cousin and I started in…
Sacramento→Los Angeles→Hong Kong→Bali
So when I say ya’ girl was tired, I was TY-URD! However we survived and embarked on a marvelous 7 day journey around the vast and impressive country that is, Bali.
Expectations:
Take an epic jungle swing picture.
Eat tons of cheap seafood.
Do some lots of excursions.
Meet cute single men (please god!).
Try yoga out.
Visit a rice field.
Find some mystical person to read my palm or my tarot cards.
Find spiritual healing/peace while venturing around.
That taking $600 USD was enough to last me 7 days and nights.
Getting cheap massages every👏single👏day👏!
(Basically have a holiday/vacation like Julia Roberts in “Eat, Pray, Love”).
Calamity’s:
Jungle swing picture seem a little overrated TO ME, literally there's a swing any place you go but it still makes for a gorgeous picture !
Not a lot of excursions. But a good variety for what they had. Mostly day trips to see other temples around the country.
Bali seemed like it was a place for couples.
Surprisingly, I didn't find any day yoga sessions.
Taking $600 USD was definitely not enough for what we wanted to see, do and eat while there.
Overall rating: Solid 2
*Rating scale is from 3-1, 3 being the highest rated*
*Based on comfort as a POC + woman, affordability, activities that interested me.*
Hotels
All of our accommodations were booked through Airbnb. I can't begin to say enough about the glory, and easiness of this site! Airbnb for me has ALWAYS been the “go-to” site when in need of hotel arrangements. Look below to see the amazing places we found and booked just 3 days before heading to Bali!
Villa Kakul, located in Ubud. One word, magical. We stayed here on our second night for 2-days. The villa host provided freshly made breakfast during our stay. We also had easy and efficient access to taxi’s, the market and local restaurants. The villa features one master bedroom with a en suite bathroom, complete with the ideal outside Balinese shower. While the upstairs bedroom was equipped with two twin beds, en suite bathroom with a spacious bathtub. Completed with a picturesque balcony, overlooking the villa. If interested in learning more about this villa or giving it a try for yourself, click here sis!
Villa Anya, in Seminyak was an amazing villa. Nestled 15 mins walking right outside the shopping area of Seminyak, Villa Anya offered many unique features. With an outside kitchen, this villa was optimal for cooking while lounging around in the Bali heat with a Bintang (Bali’s beer of choice). Complete with two master bedrooms, the villa offers a stunning balcony as well as a mediation area for rest and relaxation. If interested in learning more about this villa, or if wanting to book it for your stay in Bali, click here !
Temples
Bali is known for a number of inspiring temples, waterfalls and rice terraces. Below are the ones that were “must-do’s” for us. If you’re like me, clumsy. Scooters are NOT the way to go, especially in Bali. I would suggest hiring a driver for you’re excursions. We were able to hire Putra, (a local taxi driver with ambitions of working on cruise ships)! Putra took us to 5 different landmarks in one day. In total our trip cost about RP 600,000, which in USD is about $42 altogether. Our trip consisted of landmarks only in Ubud as you’ll see below. Most temples have an reasonable entry fee, all are cash only. So make sure you have enough for your day trip. Hyper-linked on the pictures below are more information about all of the temples we visited, including entry cost, times to visit and what to wear. To contact Putra for transportation in or around Ubud, message him on IG at pt_putraa.
Thanks, Putra 😉!
Spa’s
But listen, can you really say you went to Bali if you didn't take a flower bath?
No, you can't!
Included below are pictures (& links) from my flower bath, as well as a price list for two more moderate level massage parlors we’ve visited.
Bali Orchard Spa (displayed above), was the BEST experience of massage while in Bali. The tranquil environment provides comfort and relaxation. Guest are greeted with a cup of jasmine tea before being lead to you’re own personal oasis. I found this incredible deal on Airbnb experience. For $35 I was pampered for what felt like hours, and felt rejuvenated upon finishing. If you’re looking for a luxury experience within an affordable budget, book now on Airbnb!
Seminyak
While a majority of our time was spent in Ubud, we eventually made our way down to Seminyak. Seminyak has a reputation for being more lively. And it did provide a busier atmosphere than that of Ubud. However it wasn't party central as we expected. Nonetheless, here are the highlights of Seminyak!
The iconic, world renowned, La Plancha Beach.
La Plancha beach did not disappoint. There are a number of beach bars sprawling on and around La Plancha beach. And the iconic bean bags usually come out around 4-5pm to get ready for sunset. Things to note, the beach bars do fill up fast, and sometimes there can be a wait to be seated. All the bars have different types of music, from a live band to dj’s. So walking around to pick you’re ‘vibe’ is a great way to get you’re night started.
All La Plancha beach bars have Hookah (shisha) which is a personal favorite pastime for me. Not only that, but almost consistently there are locals walking around on the beach trying sell items. From henna tattoos (another personal love) to posters, so there's opportunities to still shop. So the beach was a win-win for me.
Mount Batur
Last but certainly not least, my favorite activity of this entire trip
HIKING MOUNT BATUR!
Ok pause miss lady....I will say, this was an intense hike. So if your not active than it can be challenging. However there are locals with dirt bikes ready and willing to charge a fee to take you up the mountain, so you don't necessarily have to hike. However, I HIGHLY suggest this. The effort, lack of sleep and soreness you’ll experience is nothing compared to the picturesque view from atop this active volcano. It literally is the definition of spectacular. Not to mention, our tour guide Wiguna took the most Instagram worthy pictures ya’ girl could ever ask for (and I didn’t even ask, he gladly took them) ! We booked our personal hike (just my cousin at I) once again on Airbnb Experiences (ya’ll sleep on Airbnb). Contact Wiguna on Instagram here, as well as book your personal hike on Airbnb!
Give it a try, and tell me what you think!
Thanks for traveling with me through Bali!
If you enjoyed the content you just read and watched, please subscribe and comment below! For more information on how I felt as a black women, dressing in Bali, food, and general suggestions, please watch the video posted atop this blog post. Or, contact me via Instagram or email.
𝑼𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒏𝒆𝒙𝒕 𝒗𝒂𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒔𝒊𝒔, 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒃𝒖𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒍𝒚 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒎 𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒂𝒅𝒚𝒃𝒖𝒈𝒔.
