My top tips for a visit to Bali
Updated: Jan 26, 2019
1. Food
I was in heaven here. The freshest fruit I have ever tasted with the most inventive ways of putting it all together. The visual presentation was next-level and I think engaging the senses with each meal encouraged me to actually slow down and take the time to enjoy what was on my plate. My top picks for food in Canggu are The loft, Serenity eco Yoga resort, Moana and La Brisa. If I had more time there I would have loved to try Samadi....until next time!
In Uluwatu we ate a few times at Yoga Searcher. It is amazing, with food, yoga and spa on-site. Cashew Tree is a hidden gem where we got the best buddha bowl, pictured above. In Ubud I loved KAFE. I only ate here for breakfast but I would love to return here again for lunch & dinner. If in Ubud, dont pass it up. The Yoga Barn is epic. It's one of those places that once you've ordered your food you're still eyeing up everyone else's amazing plates trying to figure out what it is on the menu. This is why we returned A LOT. If we had longer in Ubud we would have happily worked our way through the entire menu.
2. Yoga
Again, I was in heaven. I went without expectation of what yoga classes would be like in Bali. I don't think I could have imagined it anyway. It's more like a feeling you get when you are there, the sounds around you, the warm moist air, the smells, the energy. It all culminates in the most relaxing, healing and at times mid-blowing experience of yoga. The emphasis is Healing. Slowing down. Enjoying your breath. Tuning into the energy within us and all around us. Each space was unique and I took small bits from every class. Bali continues to call to me and I will visit here for years to come. My favourite yoga places were Serenity Canggu, Yoga Searchers Uluwatu, Yoga Barn and Radiantly Alive in Ubud.
3. The Balinese People
I was fascinated by the ritual offerings that were made daily by the local people. Offerings everywhere, on the street, on altars on the side of the road, in Temples. Beautiful trays of gifts, presented in ceremony. The 'giving' of offering sums up the nature of the people here for me. Grateful for what they have, kind and so welcoming. We were told that meditation is a regular part of school life and that all children are taught to meditate. Our Balinese friend Dek Ari told us he meditated for up to 5 hours per day! This made total sense as to why everyone we had encountered seemed so happy and relaxed.
4. Scenery
You can be on the beach in the morning and by the evening you can be in the midst of the jungle and rice fields. Lush and green beauty everywhere you look. I'm a sea-lover myself, put me on the beach and i'm happy. I loved Canggu and Uluwatu for this reason both placed on the coast. Uluwatu has some of the nicest beaches I've ever seen, ones that I will beeline towards on my next visit. My favourites were Blue Point, beneath Single Finn and the white sandy paradise at Sundays Beach Club. When we got to Ubud I had a bit of a hard adjusting to the change- there's something sacred about Ubud as the energy changes here. It's almost heavy. When you get to the jungle you have no choice but to really slow down.
5. Sunsets
I have to admit, my friend Carly is way more into watching the sunset than I am. Because she really loves it we were usually in prime location to see it each day. My favourite was the viewpoint from Single Finn in Uluwatu- if you're in Bali try not to miss it. So what happened was that I started to love it myself. In Bali the sky turns purple when the sun sets. I have never seen anything like it. Part of watching the sun set is taking the time to slow down I think, instead of always rushing on to the next place or next thing on the to do list. There is no rushing the process of the sun setting and its always worth the wait when it does. So my advice on this one is to get yourself situated in good time, relax and enjoy the view.
*Some things I would do differently
Spend longer in each place. We had 3 nights in Uluwatu and Canggu and it wasn't long enough. If you've arrived off a long haul flight give yourself a chance to acclimatize. Don't rush it and give yourself some extra time wherever you're staying.
If you're going for a month maybe look at a Home stay or Airbnb, they are seriously good value for money and you can travel around the island easily with a solid base to work from.
Enjoy every minute! X