TCynth

Yay our honeymoon in Bali! It has taken me several months to write about Bali, I’ve been so caught up with life these past few months. Being on an airplane almost every other weekend has been so draining and I never thought I would say this but I’m glad to be home and not traveling for a while. I finally had some time to put my thoughts down on my favorite trip this year.

Like every other trip I go on, I like to do extensive research on places to go, cities to visit, and what to do. I love reading travel guidebooks, following numerous Instagram travel accounts, and pinning everything on Pinterest. To start my research on Bali, I read Lonely Planet's book on Bali and Lombok to learn more about Indonesia and plan out my destinations. This has been on the top of my list of places to visit for a while now, and I knew it would be the perfect destination for our honeymoon. Ben and I love to travel, and traveling with us can be exhausting since we try to squeeze in as much as possible. However, Bali is the perfect mix of relaxation and adventure, whether you're the type of person who likes to lounge and relax on the beach or if you love being outdoors and venturing around. It has the best of both worlds.

Narrowing down the list of areas to visit is the most difficult part. I recommend staying at least 2-3 nights per spot. A few friends of mine gave me tons of recommendations and that helped me plan out what towns to visit and explore. The best time to go to Bali is between April- October, the island’s dry season, so we booked our trip for September.

How to get to Bali

We got extremely lucky looking for plane tickets. Singapore Airlines just launched a direct flight from Seattle to Singapore and the airline had only been doing this for 2 weeks prior to when we left (plus you get those Alaska miles if you're an Alaska Airlines cardholder). Tickets roundtrip were cheap, so we quickly snagged them months before our wedding day. I have so many wonderful things to say about this airline. The flight attendants were all friendly, food was decent, and lots of movie selections to pick from on the 16-hour flight to Singapore (the longest flight I've ever been on). Remember to bring your own cord headphones, all I had were my airpods, so I had to use the cheap free headphones they give you to watch their movies. My must-pack things include a neck pillow, bloating meds, snacks, and a rose hydrating spray because my skin looks horrid and dry after a long flight - staying hydrated is important!

Getting Around

The ultimate way to get around in Bali is to hire a driver. Many hotels or Airbnbs have their own drivers they can arrange for you, and we also booked a few Airbnb experience tours and met drivers through there that we used again during our trip. Everyone wants your business so once you meet one driver, you start getting referred to all of their friends or families if they're not available to drive you. Getting around Bali is pretty inexpensive. You can hire a driver to take you around all day for approx $30-70, and they're also your tour guide and personal photographer for the day! The best way to communicate with drivers is through Whatsapp, so make sure you download this app. Also instead of Uber, they use Grab so download this app as well.

In the major cities, many restaurants and shops accept credit cards, but I would recommend getting cash from the bank beforehand.

The Culture and the People

The first thing I noticed arriving in Bali is the amazing people. Indonesians are some of the most kind and genuine people I've ever met, and they really do love tourists! I never once felt scared or threatened, and everyone is extremely friendly. The only one weird encounter Ben faced (which he cringes about and will probably kill me for mentioning on here) was our first morning in Seminyak. We both couldn’t sleep and woke up at 4am; Ben took a walk through the alley to find a coffee shop and he got stopped by a man with his two prostitutes on a motorcycle asking him if wanted a BJ…..eeeekk!

Life is just so much simpler in Bali and everyone is very spiritual and religious. Throughout Bali, we kept coming across these little trays made of banana leaves filled with little treats like crackers, rice, flowers or fruits. The trays are called "Canang Sari".

Canang Sari is one of the daily offerings made by Balinese Hindus to thank the Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa in praise and prayer. Canang sari will be seen in the Balinese temples, on small shrines in houses, and on the ground or as a part of a larger offering.

Its really interesting how the people of Bali love and appreciate every little thing and they are extremely hard workers. One funny thing is that everyone thought Ben was Russian, and nobody understood how I was American when I told them I was from America. They questioned me and said "but you’re Asian?". It's pretty crazy how many of the people who live in Bali have never left Bali or Indonesia in their lives. Bali thrives due to its tourism, and so many people are in the hospitality industry.

Here's the perfect itinerary for Bali and the Gili islands

Day 1 - Seminyak - arrive at the airport

We landed late around 9PM after a 16 hour flight to Singapore, and 2 hour flight to Bali. Many of the hotels and Airbnbs have shuttles or offer airport pickup, some with a small fee. When you arrive out of baggage claim, you'll see (what seems like) hundreds of local drivers holding signs with names and/or the hotel name on it. After scanning through 80% of them, we finally found ours and were quickly greeted by our nice driver.

Our Airbnb is linked here, a cozy 2 bedroom Balinese-style villa in the heart of Seminyak. They arranged for our driver to pick us up at the airport and waited for us to arrive and greet us. This place is walking distance to downtown with so much to do and so many restaurants nearby.

Day 2 - Seminyak

Revolver for Breakfast - a cute hidden cafe in downtown Seminyak. We ordered the french toast and the fried chicken charcoal burger

Tanah Lot - our Airbnb arranged for a driver to come pick us up and take us to Tanah Lot (about 40 mins from Seminyak). This is one of Bali’s most important landmarks with its unique offshore setting and sunset backdrops. If you time it correctly, during high tide the temple is completely surrounded by water and during low tide you can walk to the temple. This place gets extremely packed around sunset, I would recommend going early. When I went it was a few hours before sunset so it was pretty crowded.

Day 3 - Airbnb tour

I booked an Airbnb experience for the first time and really enjoyed it! Our driver came and picked us up at 6AM and took us all around Bali. Here were our stops:

• Gates of Heaven at Lempuyang Temple - Typically I would say pictures don’t do its justice, but this was the exact opposite. This was a major let down; a total Instagram vs. reality moment, I have to be truthful. The temple itself is so gorgeous but what you see in the media with the reflection of the gates on a stunning clear body of water, and a beautiful backdrop of Mt Batur between the gate will be completely devastated when you find out that there really is no water surrounding the stunning split gates. Not only is this place filled with many tourists waiting around the temple for a photo, but you discover that the “water” at the Gates of Heaven is really just a piece of glass placed under a camera. The worst part is once you get there, you get a number and that’s your place in line to take a picture. Little did I know, the number we was at least a 1.5 hour wait for a photo! Luckily, our tour guide was able to switch numbers with someone else and we only had to wait about 30 mins. The pictures look gorgeous! Prepare to bring a sarong or you can rent one for a donation.

• Tirta Gangga - is a former royal water palace. The water palace is the biggest draw here where you can buy fish food on your way in, and feed the huge koi fishes swimming around (they’re probably overfed). The stepping stones allow you to walk through out the pond and enjoy the beautiful statues. Be careful though, we saw a guy fall into the water with the Koi fishes.

• Hidden Tukad Cepung Waterfall - probably one of the coolest hidden waterfalls I’ve ever seen. It’s a gorgeous walk through the forest along the river to get to the falls located between two cave gaps. Various parts along the rivers will require you to take your shoes off and walk barefoot. Bring a swimsuit!

• Ubud jungle swing- swings are everywhere in Bali, but the one at Giant Bali Swing in Tegalalang is the best. The swing overlooks a picturesque landscape of stepped rice paddy terraces. Fun fact, I asked my driver if the swings were scary and he didn’t know what it meant. So we google translated it and he instantly started laughing at me. He didn’t think it was scary. It’s an exhilarating feeling to be swinging in serenity. You are harnessed and strapped in, so it’s not as terrifying as it looks!

• Tegalalang Rice Terrace - is the most beautiful area of rice paddies. Located in Ubud, this is one of the most touristy spots in Bali with its beautiful hillside of lush greenery and endless rice paddies

• Luwak Coffee - We did a little coffee, tea and chocolate tasting at the plantation and got to learn about the world’s most expensive coffee! Luwak coffee (aka poop coffee) includes partially digested coffee cherries eaten by a Luwak (basically a type of wild cat) and gets fermented in its stomach; the digestive enzymes break down the protein removing the bitterness from the bean and giving it a smoother taste. Then nature takes it’s course and the beans are cleaned. I know sounds disgusting, but it was actually one of the best coffees I’ve ever had and you have to try it!

Day 4 - Gili TRAwangan

There are three Gili Islands east of Bali. Our first stop was to the biggest island of the three, Gili Trawangan (Gili T). This island is the liveliest of the three with many beach clubs and party spots. Getting to the Gilis, we booked our fastboat tickets through Bluewater express from Serangan to Gili T. They even arranged a shuttle pickup for us from our Villa in Seminyak. Its approximately 2-3 hours depending on how choppy the waves are. Once you arrive to the island, the boat pulls right up into the sand and there’s no dock for you to get off. People just jump off from the front of the dock and grab their luggages. There are no motorized vehicles on the island, the only way to get around is either walking, biking or by horse carts. However, I advise to not use the horse carts, there’s a lot of controversy on cruelty for these animals suffering form carrying heavy loads of people and luggage back and forth in the burning heat with little to no rest.

We stayed at the Marc Hotel, one of the closest hotels from the boat launch right on the beachfront (approx 5 min walk). The hotel offers pretty good breakfast and lunch. We ordered the green smoothie bowls every morning! It’s in a great location within short walking distance to the night market, beach bars, restaurants and shops. There’s also bike rental arrangements they can help you with along with any boat or snorkeling tours.

Dinner at Beach House Grill - I love a fresh-caught whole fish grilled in garlicky butter. This restaurant is right down the street from the Marc Hotel and they have a fish bar filled with fresh catches from the morning. You pick what fish you want, and they grill it. I came back here twice and ordered the red snapper, so amazing!

Day 5 - Gili T

Bike around the island - the best way to see the island is to bike around or walk, but there are areas where it gets too sandy to bike and you’ll have to get off and push your bike in the burning heat. There are so many spots to stop at along the path, we found a secluded area, parked our bikes, and ran straight into the water after sweating our butts off from biking.

As gorgeous as the Gili Islands are, I was really devastated to see dead corals all around, and I mean EVERYWHERE. It was all over the beaches washed up, and its tough on your feet walking out into the water. The islands are famous for their white sandy beaches, tropical corals and clear turquoise water, but the truth is most of the inshore corals are dead and much of the coastline is very shallow - a graveyard of dead corals. I cannot imagine how gorgeous this place was years ago when all the corals were still alive. We started researching why the corals were all gone, and as a result of climate change and dynamite fishing (basically years of reef bombing done by fisherman), this is the reality. I still would recommend the Gilis, I don’t want to push anyone away from coming here, but I would advise to do your part on educating yourself and being aware. Don’t partake in something that can additionally harm the environment. Thankfully the fish bombing has stopped, and hopefully the corals can return to what they once were in time.

Lunch at Pearl Beach Lounge - a very cute restaurant located right by the water made out of bamboo. Offers pretty much anything from sandwiches, burgers, curry, traditional Indonesian foods, they’ve got it all.

Day 6 - Gili T Snorkeling

You HAVE to go snorkeling at the Gilis. The Gili Islands are known for its snorkeling and diving. If you’re into diving, its one of the cheapest places you can learn. Our hotel arranged a snorkel tour around all three islands and we also got to walk around Gili Meno, the quietest and most vacant island of the three. Here are some of our snorkeling spots:

Day 7 - Gili Air

To get to Gili Air from Gili T, we booked through Scoot Fast Cruises, and thankfully there’s a dock to pull up to at Gili Air. A much smoother process grabbing our bags. Gili Air is a much more mellow island. Ben and I really enjoyed Gili Air more than Gili T. It’s a quieter and more romantic without all the party people.

Our stay was only a 5 min walk from the boat dock at A Villa Gili Air. This villa was gorgeous, and fairly priced! We had our own pool, free breakfast included, and free bikes to use. Its within walking distance to many restaurants and extremely close to the beachfront.

Day 8 - Gili Air

We woke up to a floating breakfast delivery in our pool! No breakfast is complete without it floating in your pool. Our villa included free breakfast, and you tell them what you want the night before and what time for the delivery and they come the next morning and set it up for you. Ben and I felt like we were living like royalty, it was so amazing.

After breakfast, we took a bike ride around the island and stopped at the beachfront at Pink Cocoa. Pink Cocoa is every girly girl’s fantasy because everything is pink! Its a hotel as well as a restaurant and beach lounge. We spent most of the morning lounging and swimming in the waters around here. The island is gorgeous and you can go out for hundreds of feet and only be knee deep. Ben walked out really far and actually saw a sea snake! I would’ve freaked if I saw one. I even googled it, and the type of snake he thinks he saw was potentially poisonous!

I arranged an afternoon couples massage at Slow Spa, a quick bike ride from Pink Cocoa. This was Ben’s first massage ever and he loved it! The spa was beautiful and everything was made out of bamboo structures. They greeted us with herbal tea, took us back into a nice room, and let us soak our feet in a fancy tub to start. The massage was for 60 mins, and afterwards there’s a nice large shower to rinse off. The spa experience was so cheap compared to the states.

Sunset - everyday around 530pm, we biked along the beach and found the perfect spot to park and watch the sunset. There are so many beach bars with comfy bean bags to lounge on and swings along the waterfront. Sunsets from the Gili’s are unreal, and you know where the best spots will be based on the where most people are going. They make all sorts of cocktails, but if you want a beer, there isn’t much variety. Pretty much everywhere you go, they only serve Bintang. Ben loved them, he ordered them everywhere we went. A Bintang generally goes for around 20,000 Rupiah (~$1.50) and its basically a Heineken, but something about it being called Bintang instead definitely makes it more satisfying than a Heineken.

Dinner at Sunrise Resort on the east side of the island. We sat at a secluded table along the waters and had a nice romantic meal under candlelight

Day 9 - Ubud

Ubud is a gorgeous jungle city located in central Bali and also where the movie Eat, Pray, Love with Julia Roberts was filmed! I was really excited to stay in Ubud after hearing about it from so many people. I highly recommend staying here at least 2-3 nights.

Airbnb at Stay Cloud Nine Resorts - this Airbnb is about a 10 min drive to downtown Ubud. There are steep steps leading down to the villas, with no handicapped options (typical of many places in Indonesia). Fortunately, the nice employees carried our bags down the steps for us. This villa is eco-friendly and beautifully landscaped against the hill overlooking the jungle with white interiors and a laid back elegance. Includes a large kitchen, living room space, and a nice king-sized bed at the top floor loft. There’s a shared infinity pool along the cliff-edge with views of the jungle. The workers were extremely friendly and offered arrangements for pickup, dinner reservations, room service, massages, you name it! They even gave us a cellphone to use during our stay in case we ever needed to contact them for a ride pickup. Every evening, our room was prepped for bedtime; the workers would come to make bed, putting the mosquito nets down and closing all the windows.

Ubud Centre - Downtown Ubud is lined with so many restaurants and shops. We walked to one of the first restaurants we could find because I was so hangry…. I can’t even remember what we ate. But anything around here looks amazing, I don’t think you can go wrong eating here.

Day 10 - Ubud

Unfortunately, we woke up in the middle of the night to receive terrible news over the phone and we had to cut our trip short. This ended up being our last day in Ubud; we had originally planned for 3 nights in Ubud. We had a day trip booked to Nusa Penida through Airbnb but ended up canceling the tour. I would highly recommend making a day trip to Nusa Penida, I’ve heard wonderful things and got so many recommendations here. Airbnb was nice enough to offer us a refund, but here are the places included in the tour:

1. Angel Billabong - natural infinity pool framed by rock cliffs and hangs out over the ocean overlooking Manta Point Beach

2. Broken Beach

3. Kelingking Beach

4. Crystal Bay Beach

Luckily all of our accommodations were able to be refunded and the airline let us change our flights. Ben and I weren’t able to catch the next flight home until the next morning, and we weren’t in the mood to do much, so we decided to have a mellow day walking around Ubud seeing animals. I contacted our previous driver in Seminyak and he arranged for his cousin to pick us up and take us around.

• Mason Elephant Sanctuary - seeing an elephant up close and personal is pretty breathtaking! They are such massive animals and very slobbery too! In the past, I’ve gone to see elephants in Vietnam and I now regret it due to the cruelty of the animals and how tourists are willing to pay anything to ride them. I now will only go if its a sanctuary and the animals are well taken care of. I was pretty intimidated to stand a take a picture with them, but once you see how gentle they really are, there’s nothing to be afraid of.

• Sacred Monkey Forest - monkeys on the other hand, are not as gentle of creatures. The little ones are really cute, but avoid the big aggressive ones. Avoid eye contact and smiling with teeth, they see this as signs of aggression and a threat. Just don’t do anything stupid to try to taunt the monkeys, walk around and enjoy. We got our infamous monkey selfie - see below!

• Ubud Art Market- You will find everything you need and didn’t know you needed walking around the art market from beautiful silk scarves, handmade woven bags, baskets, crafts and other handcrafted goods. We spent the last few of our Indonesian Rupiahs and bought so many Balinese woven bags as souvenirs for friends, and of course I had to get one for myself. They are extremely cheap compared to buying it in the states, and you can barter with them as well.

Our last meal in Bali was the best yet! Ben and I just wanted to stay in so we asked our Villa to order food from a local Indonesian restaurant and it was sooooo freaking good! The workers delivered our dinner to our room and they also started to prep our bed for mosquito. We heard them giggling around up there for awhile and had no idea what they were up to. Once we got ready for bed and opened the netting surrounding our bed, we discovered rose petals in the shape of a heart and they left us a lovely card! No wonder they were up there for so long giggling! This really made our night after being down! A bittersweet end to our honeymoon