Travel

Bali is a DREAM!

I’m sure I knew without asking that Bali was #1 on Abon’s list of best trips we’ve had because it is DEFINITELY #1 on mine! If you haven’t been, I would definitely suggest that you add it to your bucket list and save to GET THERE SOON! Until you’re able to do that however, I’ll share some tips here, followed by some of our experiences.

  1. The most expensive thing about this trip will be the flight! Once you get there it is fairly inexpensive.. save your coins, track your flight and be prepared to buy it the day it shows at it’s lowest! I track all flights on HOPPER, SKYSCANNER, and SKIPLAGGED. Also, research your hotels and pick the best for your budget. There are some hotels that are $1,000 a night and some $100 a night that are still very nice. We stayed at the Hilton Bali Resort in Nusa Dua for $100/night and at Sthala in Ubud which you can find for $50/night. Both were amazing to me!
  2. Be prepared for the flight! If you would like to upgrade, SAVE YOUR COINS and upgrade to the next section you can afford, ESPECIALLY on your longest leg of the flight! Dress comfortably and bring compression socks, a jacket, toothbrush/toothpaste, your favorite snacks, portable charger, charger adapter and sleeping pills! All of this will be useful for your flight and when you get to Bali. Relax and sleep as much as possible so you’re ready to go when you land!
  3. Prepare your body for Bali! (lol) No one told me I would walk so much, stand in line for hours and climb so many stairs and hills! All you see is the glamour on IG, not the million steps we climbed to get there! Start walking a few miles a day and make the StairMaster your friend because Abon and I had to force ourselves out of the bed by day 3 in Bali. lol I’m laughing now, but my legs and feet probably still hate me! This is also where those compression socks will help! Wear them and elevate your feet to prevent swelling. Note the time difference as well! Sleep as much as possible on the flight!
  4. Don’t rent a car, pay for tours or take taxis in Bali. You can hire a driver for about $40 a day and they will take you wherever you want. They will also come every day if you ask. Abon and I had the same driver the whole week. He took us everywhere, even drove 2 hours out one morning just so we can visit “The Gate of Heaven”.
  5. Be open to experience everything! Don’t try to find what you would do and see at home. Try the food, visit as many attractions that you can fit in.
Hilton Bali Resort- has beautiful views and several restaurants to try. Beaches, bars, etc. will be in or near Nusa Dua.
Sthala Ubud has FREE breakfast and beautiful views as well. You are closer to many attractions if you stay here first.

I’ll tell you now, you probably need more than 7 days or to visit more than once to cover everything that you want to see and experience. If you would like to party, I would suggest you plan for your next day to be a relax day because most places require a lot of walking. I’ll list the places we visited below, but I definitely want to share that Uluwatu Temple is #1 on my list to go! It is the highest temple in Bali and sits right on the edge overlooking the ocean. It’s beautiful! You can also experience the sunset Kecak performance here.

Places we visited and some we missed, but you can visit:

Tanah Lot- beautiful temple that looks like it’s in the middle of the sea and Batu Bolong is walking distance. (We didn’t go to a nearby cafe or sample Kopi luwak, but you can!)

Ubud Monkey Forest- secure your belongings and be aware, the monkeys are roaming free! As we were walking in, a woman was having a whole fit because a monkey chased her daughter and jumped on her back. But there is a sign at the entrance that says do NOT bring food in.. and the teenager was walking around with food.

“Gate of Heaven”-again prepare yourself for Bali! lol It is BEAUTIFUL at the top, but first you have to get to the top! It is a long ride up and a long walk up to where you take your pictures. Go very early in the morning if you want to avoid long lines.

Check the weather while you’re there because you can’t tell how high we are because of the clouds. Google Bali Gate to Heaven and you’ll see what it SHOULD look like.

Water Blow

Tegenungan Waterfall (also has the nests and Bali Swing, but by this day I was NOT walking down those steps so I DEFINITELY wasn’t going to walk back up them! Prepare for Bali! lol

Rock Bar- hanging off a cliff over the ocean, by far the coolest bar I’ve ever seen!

Taman Tirtagangga

Taman Soekasada Ujung or Water Palace

Places we didn’t get to visit, but would have if we had the time- OneEighty, SkyDome Super Club, Mirror Bali Lounge and Club, Hanging Gardens of Bali, Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Penida, Kelinking Beach, also known as T-Rex Bay, Nusa Ceningan, Kuta Beach- if you want to surf or learn to surf, Ulun Danu Bratan, Kebun Raya Bali, Bali Treetop Adventure Park, Tegallalang.. and the list goes on!

Share your pictures and comments on your experiences in Bali.

Thanks for coming!