Our Highlights of Bali

We visited Bali, Indonesia in 2010 and again in December 2018. Although we feel that tourism may be contributing to the overall cultural demise of this island, we did enjoy our time there.
Here are some of the highlights of our time in Bali.

Related Posts:

The People

Everywhere we went in Bali, were were greeted with politeness and a smile. The Balinese people have a reputation of being extremely friendly and it was great interacting with such lovely, hospitable people on a daily basis.

The Weather and Environment

We visited Bali the first time during dry season and the second time during rainy season. Despite the season, the weather was fantastic during both trips. In fact, during our trip in rainy season, temperatures averaged in the high 20s Celcius and it only rained sporadically.
The island’s natural environment is diverse and interesting, with volcanos, rainforests, rice terraces, and beaches.

The Food

We love Balinese food! The mix of fragrant spices combined with vegetables, meat or fish and rice creates a perfect balance! Smoothies and fresh juices are available everywhere and are delicious! In addition, the novelty of drinking directly from a young coconut never gets old (and it’s healthy!).

For breakfast we enjoyed both western and Asian dishes, including eggs and toast, fresh fruit, yogurt with granola, fried rice, noodles, congee, and soups.

For lunches and dinners, we ate a variety of Indonesian dishes such as nasi campur (rice with various types of curries, meat, tempeh, and vegetables), nasi goreng (fried rice with egg), bebek goreng (fried duck with rice), beef rendang (beef curry), stir-fried chicken, and noodles.

We particularly enjoyed the following restaurants:
In Seminyak
Honeybees (highly recommended), The Luchron, Nook, Mie88, Kynd Café
In Ubud:
Warung Kita (highly recommended), Warung Pondok, Fuzion, Acai Queen

Poolside Lounging

Part of the reason we wished to return to Bali was to relax after more than five months of full-time travelling! The three hotels we stayed in all had great pool facilities! Nothing beats an afternoon by the pool in 30 degree weather.

Potato Head Beach Club

Although the prices for drinks and food are high for Bali standards, we enjoyed visiting Potato Head Beach Club. We went for sunset drinks one night we were in Seminyak. Although a cover charge is required to enter after 4pm, the cover is a credit towards food and drink and is essentially the cost of one drink.

We had a couple of cocktails and an appetizer which set us back approximately $60 CAD. At home that would be a steal, but in Bali $60 CAD buys two of us four nice sit-down dinners with appetizers and drinks!

The vibe was surprisingly unpretentious. The music was good, the cocktails were fantastic, the staff was friendly, and loungers were comfortable. Potato Head caters to all ages and cultures. We saw families with babies enjoying the pool, pretty young things taking Instagram selfies, Muslim women covered head-to-toe, and lots of couples like us enjoying a beautiful sunset.

Ubud Monkey Forest

The Monkey Forest in Ubud is a must-visit attraction if you enjoy wildlife as much as we do. For an entrance fee of $50,000 IDR each, tourists can get up close to monkeys and watch them eat and play. This forest acts as a sanctuary for the monkeys, who are considered sacred and well protected. There is even a temple inside the grounds where people come to worship. You have to be careful, however; these monkeys are not as cute as they appear. They can be ruthless and sneaky, opening people’s bags, reaching into pockets, and climbing on people. There is also the risk of rabies if scratched or bitten. We were lucky to make our way through without any major altercations. We did feel rather threatened at one point, as some large, aggressive monkeys snarled, hissed, and ran towards us as we were trying to walk on some stairs. There were babies near the stairs and the monkeys were simply protecting their youth. We waited it out and after 5 or 10 minutes, some employees of the park cleared the stairs and made it safe for us to pass. If visiting the forest, we recommend not bringing any food or objects that may be attractive to the monkeys.

Mt. Batur Sunrise Hike

We booked our Mt. Batur Sunrise Hike through AirBnB experiences. It included transportation, a local guide to lead us on the hike, a stop at a Luwak coffee plantation, and the Tegallalang Rice Terraces (more on that below). On a side note, we would not recommend visiting a Luwak coffee plantation. Read more in our post “Why You Should Not Drink Luwak Coffee“.

We started our day being picked up at 2:30am at our hotel then driven to Toyabungkah where we began the hike at around 4am. It was just the two of us and our guide doing the hike together with flashlights and warm clothes. We moved at a fairly good pace up the steep terrain and it took us approximately 1.5 hours to reach the summit.

As we waited for the sunrise, our guide prepared us eggs cooked in volcanic steam, hot coffee, and banana sandwiches.

Sadly, it was quite an overcast day and we did not see a magnificent sunrise. However, we did get a ten second show when the sun popped out from behind the clouds, prompting a series of oohs and ahhs from the other hikers at the summit. We then hiked back down to the starting point.

Even though we did not see the sunrise we anticipated, it was still worth the trek. We felt a certain level of accomplishment when reaching the top and the views on the way down were fantastic. We highly recommend doing it!

Rice Terraces

All over Bali, there are beautiful lush rice terraces. The biggest one we visited (as part of the aforementioned AirBnB experience) was the popular Tegallalang terraces. Although it was an amazing sight to see, it did feel a little bit like a theme park. There were ziplines installed for people to glide over the terraces, a bike you can ride on a tightrope, and various paid photo spots designed-for-Instagram (I Love Bali sign, Bali nest). The big draw to Tegallalang (and other similar terraces) was the giant Bali swing. Because it was included in our experience, we rode the swing. It does not exactly give you better views of the terraces. It is designed mostly for photo opportunities.

Massage and Spa Treatments

We thoroughly enjoyed having regular massages during our time in Bali. The average price of a massage is approximately 100,000 IDR (give or take) for a one hour oil massage.

There were some lower-end massages in not-so-sanitary establishments for a lot less, and high-end hotel spa massages that would cost as much or more than what we pay at home. If massage is not your thing, other spa treatments such as facials, waxing, and ear candling are well priced as well.

Cooking Class

As huge fans of Balinese cuisine, we booked a cooking class through AirBnB experiences to learn the art. We started in a local market to experience how the locals shop. Afterwards, we learned how to cook nine dishes, using local Balinese ingredients such as turmeric, kefir lime, garlic, ginger, and galangal.

When we were finished cooking, we enjoyed our meal with the wonderful people we met in our class. Overall, we loved the class and look forward to cooking some Balinese dishes at home!

Ubud Campuhan Ridge Walk

The Campuhan Ridge walk is a lovely scenic trek showcasing the countryside’s trees and hills. The walk begins at the Warwick IBAH Hotel. There is plenty of signage so it is easy to find the starting point. The entire walk is paved and not strenuous by any stretch. At the end of the trail, there are a few restaurants if you want to grab a bite to eat or a drink. The entire walk took us about 45 minutes round trip. This was at a slow to medium pace with only brief stops here and there to admire the scenery and take pictures. All in all, it is a wonderful place to take a stroll in the fresh air with nice scenery and hilltop views.

Ayana Resort

We stayed a couple of nights at the Ayana Resort during our first trip to Bali in 2010. It is a gorgeous property with multiple pools and restaurants. We particularly liked the Rock Bar, which overlooks the ocean from a cliff.

Sunset Kecak Fire Dance at Uluwatu Temple

When visiting Bali in 2010, we also attended a Kecak Fire Dance performance at Uluwatu Temple.It was quite a spectacular performance, telling a story about a damsel in distress through dance and chants. The sunset views on their own make the trip to Uluwatu worth it.

Also, there are hundreds of macaques monkeys wandering around. However, beware of the common monkey scam. A monkey will steal an item from a tourist and then move to a tree branch a few metres away and out of reach. Conveniently, a ‘friendly local’ will be nearby and offer to get the item back, for a monetary tip of course. We witnessed this happen to a tourist after a monkey took his sunglasses.

Although we enjoyed many parts of our recent trip to Bali, we will likely not be returning any time soon. Be sure to check out our related post “Is Tourism Ruining The Magic of Bali?” for more insight into our opinion of Bali’s overtourism. We intentionally left out some attractions in Bali (such as the beautiful waterfalls), as we needed some R&R time by the pool and wanted to avoid the “Most Instagrammable Places in Bali” tours as much as possible.

Did we miss any other must-see attractions in Bali? Send us a message or comment below.