Before arriving in Bali I had an image in mind of a tropical getaway much like Hawaii or Cancun. It’s not exactly like that. The island of Bali itself is congested, with a ton of beeping scooters and stray dogs scurrying around. It is famous for a reason though: all-natural cafes, wellness retreats, amazing surfing and beautiful national landmarks all over the place. You just have to know where to go. I spent about 10 days in Bali, staying mostly in Canguu, Ubud and Kuta Beach.
Areas of Bali:
There’s quite a few popular towns in Bali, all with a different vibe. You have Ubud towards the center (about an hour and a half from the airport) known for it’s lively atmosphere, beautiful street markets and the Ubud Monkey Forest. You also have Kuta Beach toward the south (about 2o minutes from the airport), which is very touristy and where you’ll find most high-end properties, malls and movie theaters. I stayed most of my time in Canggu, towards the west of Bali. Canggu is much more relaxed than these places and known for it’s great surfing and all-natural cafes. Seminyak is also very popular but I didn’t have enough time to check it out. I’ve heard many good things though.
Transportation:
It seems as though taxis are the way to go here. They’re very, very affordable ($13,300 rupiah is only $1 USD). We tried to UBER everywhere because it’s even cheaper but it’s important to note that the local government/local taxi drivers are not very happy about it and are quite hostile towards the drivers. Many drivers will refuse to pick you up depending on your area. Renting scooters is also quite popular. It’s a great option if you dare to keep up with the locals. The traffic is insane!
Things to Do:
Eat organic, lay on the beach and visit the markets! I recommend the Ubud Art Market. They sell amazing art pieces, weaved bags, souvenirs and handmade jewelry. I personally didn’t check out the Ubud Monkey Forest but that’s quite a popular destination as well. My favorite was just checking out the local cafes in Canggu and trying all the super healthy food. In Kuta we checked out the Beachwalk Mall and were surprised to find that it was more high-end than most malls back home.
Where to Stay:
Like I mentioned before, I stayed in Canggu most of the time. This is because The Chillhouse was kind enough to host me for a few days. The Chillhouse is a surf and yoga retreat with a limited amount of villas available, but really quite affordable. A night’s stay is about $140 USD and it includes an entire private villa, organic unlimited breakfast and catered dinner every day. They also do yoga and surf classes, meditation sessions, have two pools. If you couldn’t tell, I absolutely fell in love with the place and plan to be back on my own dime very soon.
