Bali, Indonesia

I visited Bali a few years ago and wanted to share my photos of this very photogenic place.  (Also, hi again!  It has been literally years since I've posted on this blog, and I have lots of catching up to do.)  See more photos after the jump.

Bali is a great conversation starter.  Most people have heard of it, and people who have been there think it’s either paradise or hell.  I was going for a friend's wedding, and in the weeks leading up to my trip, I wasn’t sure how to feel about the island itself.

First off, my friend's wedding was like a ridiculously beautiful dream.  It was held at the Sanctus Uluwatu, which is on the edge of a cliff that drops down to the ocean.

Also, getting treated to a pre-wedding drink was kinda cool. :)

Aside from the wedding, there were so many places I loved.  Ubud is a little hectic and urbanized, but it also has the indulgent Bali Botanica Spa where after I had a one-hour massage, I relaxed in a bath filled with flower petals while gazing out into the forest and sipping a delicious chai tea-- all for the very non-indulgent price of $20.  Such an amazing spa experience!

Another way to get away from the chaos of Ubud is to take a little hike.  The moment I got on the Campuhan Ridge Walk, the noise of the cars and motorbikes melted away, and all I heard was the wind rustling the tall grass.

Along the way, there were homes, farms, wild animals (chickens!) and just local life.

The Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary delivers on those monkeys!  They are everywhere and very well-fed by those that maintain the park.  One jumped on my sister's lap and left dirt marks all over her legs-- he literally put his dirty little paws all over her.



There's also cool little statues all over the place.

Pretty close to Ubud is Gunung Kawi.  Surrounded by lush vegetation, rice fields and a rolling river, the old stone-carved temples here are in good company.  The clear geyser water flows over everything.  This place is probably my favorite thing about Bali.  It just feels so restorative and peaceful (especially if you head over early) and is most in line with what I expected from Bali.

Sometimes I get serious Indiana Jones vibes.

Like walking through a pre-historic neighborhood.

Sidemen Road is a beautiful drive among hundreds of rice paddies.

Eating at a restaurant overlooking these rice paddies... it's breathtaking.

Speaking of food, we had the gamut.  The restaurants in Ubud are fancy and very fresh.  If you go to more local places or markets (like the Gianyar Night Market), the food is still tasty and a meal is like a dollar to a few dollars.

My nasi campur plate from Dulang Kafe, which was SPICY but tasty.  I found out after only tourists come here though because one of the bombings occurred at this restaurant.

Fair Warung Bale is one of the top rated restaurants, and I totally get it because the owner is super friendly, the money goes to a great cause, and the food is very fresh and healthy.



As for beaches-- we went to a LOT of them-- Balangan Beach is one of the most gorgeous and clean.  The waves are HUGE, which is why this is frequented by surfers.

Sanur Beach has the best waters though.  Since it's situated more inland, the tiniest of waves roll in and ebb out so softly it's almost imperceptible.

As for other beaches, Blue Lagoon Beach had the clearest, bluest water and had a great view, but we got there at high tide, so the beach was super rocky, and the water was FULL of trash.  I can't remember the name, but we also went to a very unique black sand beach in the east.  It's next to a temple and mountain, so the villagers do cremation ceremonies here, and there were also many fishermen and cows.

Signs of spiritually are everywhere on the island.  There are offerings of flowers and incense all over the place.

Temples are everywhere as well.  While I thought the temple would be the most beautiful thing at Pura Ulun Danu Bratan, I loved the mountains and water behind it, too.  On the way there is a random platform on the side of the road that overlook two twin lakes (Buyan and Tamblingan) separated by a foresty hill.

The verdant and sharp cliffs near the Uluwatu Temple are gorgeous!

Supposedly the craziest monkeys are here, but it was hot when we were there, so they were really lazy.

After temples started looking more and more like each other, the Lempuyang Temple stood out in its whiteness.  The hike up was actually not too bad, and the view of the gate is gorgeous.

Taman Tirta Ganga, while not a temple, was a previously a royal palace.  Most of it is new though, but it's a pretty little area.

Gitgit is the first waterfall I was able to walk right up to.  I couldn't breathe, and the rush of water was crazy!

Munduk is definitely more picturesque.

As for what's not depicted in my photos... in general, the island is becoming more and more tourist-centric and developed.  There’s vendors who won’t take no for an answer and trash on the beaches along with the humidity, mosquitos, and snakes of any tropical place.  Many long-time travelers I talked to said it has severely changed in the past decade and consequently stick close to the areas off the beaten path.

Yoga Barn is situated into the forest, and it was a cool experience just because I've never done yoga outside in a large wooden pavilion, but their intermediate class is more like intermediate/advanced.

Also, I was traveling with my sister, and we are both kind of pale skinned, which makes us stick out among the Balinese, so several times, we got followed and asked to take selfies.  It occurred to me that this must be what celebrities feel like all the time, and I totally get why they hate us regular people.

Anyway, I could seriously keep talking on and on about Bali, and while my pictures may hint at something closer to paradise, I think Bali is just what you make of it and how you choose to travel.


Bali even looks cool flying away from it.