I’ve finally gathered my pictures from my amazing trip to Bali this summer. Indonesia is such a gorgeous country. Bali is so full of culture, art, and beauties of nature. If Bali is a vacation destination you want to someday pursue, here are 10 things that I loved from my Bali trip.
1) Uluwatu Temple – The views at this temple were beautiful. For all the ladies – Every time we visited a temple, we had to cover up our legs. It was super hot and humid in July, so wearing pants was the last thing on my mind. Luckily, every temple provided fabric to wrap around your waist. I personally thought the purple and yellow made my outfit more festive.
This temple was swarming with wild monkeys. If you do decide to check out Uluwatu, make sure you leave your sunglasses in the car. The monkeys tend to snatch the tourists glasses in exchange for food. They are aggressive and will fight back.
2) Surfing at Kuta Beach – This was probably the most fun, exciting, and adrenaline-pumping experience for me in Bali. I’ve never attempted to surf ever in my whole life, so having my first surfing lesson in Bali was very special to me. They have instructors all over the beach that can teach beginners like me how to surf. They were extremely friendly, helpful, and patient. My instructor broke down every move I had to make in order to successfully catch a wave. Though I had huge doubts in my ability to actually stand up, surprisingly I did! I was able to stand up and ride a ton of waves that day. Being a surfer babe isn’t as bad as I thought. Indonesia is known to be one of the best surfing destinations out there in the world, so this is definitely a must try.
3) Rice Terraces in Ubud – The picture below doesn’t do justice to the breath-taking views of the Rice Terraces. There was a little cute cafe overlooking the serene scene where you can just relax and enjoy the view. It felt like an “Eat Pray Love” moment for me. There’s something about being engulfed in the beauty of nature and just unplugging your mind and thoughts from the craziness of the world, that I feel like everyone needs to do to re-charge.
4) Jimbaran Bay Seafood Dinner – If you are going to Bali for a honeymoon or romantic trip, I would definitely recommend going to Jimbaran for a sunset dinner. Such a romantic setting, especially while the sun is setting. Jimbaran is known to host the best seafood dinners in Bali. The best part, the view of the Bali sunset. I must also say, the food was scrumptious!
5) Batik Painting: Sari Amerta – Bali is known for being so rich in culture and arts. Lots of designers from the U.S. go to Bali for sources, fabrics, and materials. Batik is a technique of manual wax -resist dyeing applied to whole cloth, or cloth made using this technique. Batik is made by drawing dots and lines of the resist with a spouted tool called a canting. It was so cool to see first-hand how the Batik ladies made the cloth. Preserving cultural history, they used machines made out of wood to create the cloth. This is a true example and testament of manual labor of love!
6) Otonan: Balinese Birthday – We had the luck to celebrate Ontonan which is the Balinese birthday that is celebrated every 6 months. During this scared celebration the men and women all over Bali provide their organic offerings and also wear their traditional Balinese outfits. I felt one with the locals and appreciated the culture all around me. I mean, the views and temple architecture were also breath-taking.
7) Shopping in Ubud – Ubud is an awesome town away from the busy city. It’s a little north and a great destination for shopping. I will warn you though that the sellers may be very aggressive. Thus, if you are not 100% certain that you want to purchase an item, then don’t try to bargain for the deal. There are blocks and blocks of shopping areas that you can easily spend half a day here.
8) Mi Goreng – Traditional Balinese dish made out of noodles, meats, eggs, and vegetables. A must try!
9) Batuan Temple – Another temple we visited in Bali. It’s a beautiful Hindu temple set in the middle of Batuan Village strategically located beside of the main road from Denpasar to Ubud. This temple also displayed amazing Balinese architecture. If you want to learn more about the culture and Hindu temple, definitely visit Batuan Temple.
10) Padang Beach – As I mentioned above, Bali an awesome destination for surfers. Padang Beach is a famous surf spot that is located in Uluwatu south part of Bali Island and appointed as one of the best surf spots in Bali. We happened to visit this beach while a surfing competition was going down, so it was great watching all the surfers at their best. As you can see from my picture below, lots of tourists love this beach.
That sums up my amazing and unforgettable trip to Bali. Hope you all one day get to visit this place!
RLRB 