The Bali Bible: Two Weeks In Paradise
Readers Note: The author was very jet lagged during the creation of this post…very, very jet lagged.
Here I am, back in America after spending the past two weeks in the most amazing place in the world, Bali. Mark my words: I will move there in the next five years. The jet lagg is real, Bali is 15 hours ahead of us so I am well aware that this blog post may not make the most sense. For everyone that has asked for all the details about how to plan a Bali trip, this post is for you. The Bali Bible was a notebook I created before my trip that is basically a graphic itinerary of everything you need to know. I have gone ahead and tried my best to re-create it in a blog post. I tried to just highlight the most important things otherwise this post would take hours to read. We stayed in all airbnb’s and hostels and I highly suggest that over a hotel.
Bali is an Indonesian island filled with kind hearted people, vegan cafes, and some of the most scenic backdrops you will ever see. Getting there is tricky, it takes about 24 hours, however, it is 100% worth it. Below I have outlined everything you need to know before you go! Only thing I ask is that you pack me in your suitcase (most airlines allow 1 free checked bag, shouldn’t be too difficult).
Words To Know:
Terima kasih = thank you
Sama sama = you’re welcome
Nasi goreng = fried rice
Mie goreng = fried noodle (my entire diet while I was there)
Bintang = BEER (pro tip = always order large, not small…you’re on vacay)
Getting There:
Denpasar is the capital of Bali and the airport that you will fly into. I set flight trackers to alert me when prices drop through an app called Hopper and ended up booking on justfly.com. Cheapest time to fly is in April, however the best time to go is over summer, keep in mind that August is peak season so most places will fill up soon. Packing list for bali is soon to come, stand by. Also, makes sure to check out my travel preparation tips here
I flew LAX > Singapore > Denpasar, Bali for $550
Ubud – 5 Days
If you are looking for culture, this is where you need to go. Ubud is a little over an hour north from the airport. There are so many temples to visit, monkeys to play with, rice terraces to see, yoga to be practiced, and amazing restaurants to eat at. We stayed at an amazing villa in the middle of the jungle. The hosts were so kind and delivered us breakfast (included) every morning. We rented scooters through the airbnb for less than $5 a day. PLEASE BE CAREFUL, Ubud is one of the most dangerous places to drive a scooter so if you are not comfortable, use a driver.
Mount Batur Sunrise Hike
A guided 3am hike, 7 miles round trip up an active volcano. It is a challenging hike, all uphill but worth it! Make sure you bring your camera, the views are unreal.
The Monkey Forest
Get to play with lil monkeys, hang on to your sunglasses tightly, those things can be aggressive.
Yoga
Ubud Yoga Center and Yoga Barn
Tegallalang Rice Terraces
Wander up and down the scenic rice terraces with a Bintang in hand
Temples
We visited Tirta Empul. Make sure to always have a sarong with you, they ask you to wear one when entering any temple in bali (guys and girls). If you do forget yours, they sell them at the temples for about $2
Cooking Class
Sadly, we ran out of time to do this but if you do have time sign up! It is about $30 and you get to go to the market with a local to pick out the ingredients you need to make classic dishes.
Massages
You can do this anywhere in bali, just make sure you do it. Some even come to your airbnb! They are so cheap and the most amazing things. No further notes on this.
Gili Tarwanagan – 4 Days
The Gili islands are 3 small islands off of bali: Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno, and Gili Air. Gili Trawangan, Gili T. for short, is the biggest of the 3 and known for being the party island. If this is your scene, go visit, if not, I would happily spend more days in Uluwatu (our last leg of the trip). We took a driver from Ubud to Padang Bai port, about a 2 hour drive. Once at the port, getting there is difficult, you must take a water taxi that needs to be booked in advanced price is about $26 each way and takes 2 hrs. This island is home to the famous instagram swing pictures (see below). We stayed at Panda Hostel which was cheap but exactly what you would picture an island hostel to look like. Ask for the rooms by the pool, not great, but get the job done. There are no motor vehicles allowed on the island so your only options are to walk or rent a bike.
Snorkeling
There are guided tours that take you out for $15-20 total for 2 hrs. Turtle point is a popular destination and you will snorkel all around the 3 islands
Jiggy Party Boat
If you are looking to rage, this is it. A 5 hour party boat that takes you out on a catamaran and greets you with a free drink the second you come on board. You get to jump off the top, drink all day, meet new people and enjoy the after party back on the island at Jiggy bar.
Bike Around the Island
Rent a bike for a few dollars a day for your mode of transportation. You can bike around the whole island in about an hour, the famous instagram swings are on the other side of the island near Hotel Ombak.
Uluwatu – 7 Days
My future home/paradise. This place is any surfer/yogi lovers dream. We took a driver from Padang Bai port to here that took about 2 hours. From surf breaks to yoga studios this place has everything you could ever want in an island. We spent most our days drinking on the beach, catching waves and shopping in all the local surf shops. Life is so easy and simple here.
Single Fin
A 3 story bar/restaurant. Best time to go is during sunset, especially on Sundays. If you have a big group you can reserve a VIP booth, make sure you book months in advanced. Max people you can have at a booth is 10 and you just have to spend a minimum of 2,000,000 IDR (about $153 USD). The surf shop is also a must. The food and drinks are the pricest in the area but still cheaper than the states.
Padang Padang Beach
Good for tanning and surfing, it is a reef break and has the clearest water. There are also vendors on the beach that will sell you cold Bintags.
Dreamland Beach
This is one of the only beach breaks in the area and has a long stretch of sand to lay out on, unlike Padang Padang. 
Uluwatu
Ulu’s is what Single Fin looks out over. The waves are almost always good here and is also a reef break but a little bit of a paddle out.
Suka Espresso
THE BEST BREAKFAST. Everything here is so cheap, delicious, and comes so uniquely presented. We honestly ate here almost every morning. You can’t go wrong anywhere in Ulu but if you have time, go here.
Canggu/Seminyak
These are great day trips, about an 1 1/2hr drive to Canggu then Seminyak is 30 minutes south. You will want to take a driver instead of going on the scooter because it is far and sketchy scooter ride. Canggu and Seminyak are great for surfing and shopping. For nightlife go to Potato Head or La Favela in Seminyak.
Out of everywhere I have been (32 countries and counting) Bali is hands down my favorite place. There is something so magical about the culture and lifestyle there. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need more info, hopefully this helps you plan your trip!
