Bali, Indonesia

Hi friends. I went to Bali over the holiday break — shockingly, my first time, and I wanted to share some things to do and things to see. Some things to eat. You know, the usual.

tl;dr: Bali is wonderful and I will absolutely be back. (FYI: I split my trip into two different portions. If you want to read about the scuba diving portion of my trip (I went to the diving-oriented town of Padangbai), you can read that here.)

Our Airbnb villa in Bali.

WHERE TO STAY

I’m no expert, but here’s my rough understanding of the areas in Bali and who might enjoy each one:

Seminyak: Central and the hub of the action. It’s like the Bund of Bali. All the major beach clubs are there — Ku De Ta, Potato Head, etc etc — as well as a ton of shopping and restaurants (there are many, many good restaurants in Bali, covering every conceivable cuisine and vibe). We rented a villa in North Kuta (about 10-15 minutes drive from the beach area — without traffic, mind). The villa honestly deserves a post of its own and the location was very central to take day trips to other areas of Bali (Ubud is 1 -1.5 hours away, for example, as is Uluwatu and Nusa Dua) — but the traffic going in and out was terrifying and soul-crushing. This is actually a problem in all of Bali, no matter where you’re going, and particularly during the December—January holiday season.

Canggu: A formerly sleepy, bohemian-vibes surf-town that is sleepy no more. While it does have some very nice restaurants and beach clubs, it is overrun by young Australians getting drunk on cheap cocktails and everyone looks like Bali Barbie and Ken. I went for a dinner and that was about it for me. I have no idea how the surf is because I don’t surf.

Ubud: Touristy, but for good reason. Ubud — is further into the center of Bali and features things like organic farms, artists’ workshops, lush coffee plantations, open-air yoga studios, and digital nomads. Everything is organic. Everything is juice. Everything is art. I would consider staying here for a few nights next time to better explore the area and dip into the restaurant scene, but it is quite far from the nice beaches down south. Or maybe I’ll come here to do a self-organized detox-cleanse-meditation retreat. (I won’t).

Nusa Dua: This is a zone that’s been created specifically for tourists and all the expensive resorts are here - the St. Regis, an Aman, the Ritz-Carlton. Extremely manicured white-sand beaches, but very manufactured. Good for families with small children.

Uluwatu: This is the other side of Bali’s southern peninsula — featuring a few stunning beaches and beach clubs. It’s a bit of a more younger, more free-spirited — yet still-luxe vibe at the resorts as opposed to absolute old-school definition of luxury at Nusa Dua. Stunning sunsets — tons of weddings held here. 

WHAT I DID IN BALI

There are an infinite amount of beach/beach club/sightseeing/restaurant combinations in Bali. As I mentioned before, my trip was split into two parts - diving and more relaxed family time. This covers the latter half of the trip.

SEMINYAK

Potato Head Beach Club: Obviously a classic. If you don’t take a picture with that famous wall of windows shutters — are you even really in Bali? During peak months, be prepared to get up early and head over right after breakfast since daybeds are first come, first serve.

Kaum: The very good restaurant inside of Potato Head. They have tasting menus that take you through different regions of Indonesia, and at a very decent price. Portions aren’t large, so everyone can get their own tasting menu and share without getting too stuffed. Call ahead and try to request a table near the windows so you can observe the alcohol-and-sun-soaked chaos going on downstairs at Beach Club while you serenely sip your cocktail.

Alila Seminyak: Gorgeous minimalist property with a bar right on the beach. There’s no direct beach access from the bar itself, but a very Instagrammable infinity pool and stunning views of the ocean. A good sunset spot, but arrive early to snag a good table or a bean bag from the rows that overlook the beach.

Neon Palms: A made-for-Instagram cafe (tacos, healthy bowls, smoothies) on top of the Bali Boat Shed, a boutique that carries a very good selection of flowy, beach-y coverups and bikinis.

Kim Soo: A gorgeous outdoor cafe in the leafy courtyard surrounding a sleek home-goods store — a very well-curated selection, but way overpriced for what it is — if you keep your eyes peeled, you can find a lot of the same things for cheaper elsewhere. Go for a coffee and a snack.

NOOK: So good, we went twice in 5 days. Nook features Western and Indonesia menus, but opt for the Indonesian route: their nasi campur (translating to “lunch special) is deservedly famous, and their grilled seafood is excellent. Pair with their smoothie bowls — perfection. The restaurant is cluttered with mismatching furniture and hanging vines — the whole feel is shabby-chic, your hippie-friend’s-living-room, open-air dining (although much of the restaurant is covered), overlooking. Try to snag a table at the edge of the rice fields at the back of the restaurant for a sunset view.

Sardine: We had New Years’ Eve dinner at this Seminyak staple, and the vibe was just right for a celebratory dinner, but for a normal dinner I find this place decidedly unimpressive. The food was fresh but very boring (fish + starch), and incredibly overpriced for what it is. Full of white, wealthy expat families, and the alcohol was expensive. If you want to dine with a view of the rice fields, opt for NOOK — or just swing by for a cocktail at the tables out on the deck.

UBUD

To be honest, we didn’t get much time in Ubud, and spent the majority of our trip there at an organic farm tour (the place was called Mai Organic Farm) that I booked through Airbnb Experiences, where we made six-dish Indonesian lunch from scratch, which was incredible and so worth it. (More on that later). We were so wiped that we just got takeout from NOOK and ate at the villa.

Seniman Roasters: Tucked behind the chaotic sprawl in front of Ubud Palace, it’s a cute spot with coffee tasting flights and nicely packaged coffee to take home to your friends.

I’d also bookmarked Bambu Indah (supposedly really great for dinner + sunset drinks) — will have to try that next time.

NUSA DUA

Jimbaran Fish Market: The proximity to Jimbaran, famous for its seafood, make the choice for lunch obvious. Opt to go to the Jimbaran fish market, where you can purchase ultra-fresh seafood by the gram, and eat it with sambal (yum), rice, and veggies. Avoid the touristy places on the beach. I personally loved the fresh white fish steamed with herbs and spices in a banana leaf, served over vegetables.

We didn’t try any of the restaurants at the posh resorts, but I’m sure they’re — fine. Next time I would go try the restaurant at the AMAN Villas at Nusa Dua because I’m an AMAN fanatic, but I’ve found the food at the various AMANs I’ve stayed at to just be alright — way more about the atmosphere than the food.

ULUWATU

The traffic was so bad getting in and out of Seminyak that we scrapped our plan to go to Uluwatu in favor of staying in at the villa. I had bookmarked Karma Beach Club and Sundays Beach Club, along with a dinner at Ulu Cliffhouse (famous for sunset dining and views), but I’m almost glad that we didn’t swing in and out on a day trip — from what I heard, it’s worth staying there for at least a couple of days.

CANGGU

The Lawn: A cute little beach club that boasts a more streamlined version of the bohemian vibe Canggu is known for. Drinks are decent. 

The Slow: Canggu’s de facto boutique hotel — I was surprised at how small the actual hotel was, but the open-air dining room and bar takes up the entire first floor. The food was the sort of global, small-plate oriented fusion that you see at chic restaurants everywhere, with an Indonesian lean and featuring farm-fresh ingredients, blah, blah, whatever. The seating was “minimalist" — which is to say, a hard-ass picnic bench with no backs, which certainly puzzled my poor, unsuspecting parents. It was fine — certainly nothing impressive, but also not expensive, so — there’s that. 

BEFORE YOU GO

Definitely take out cash, but not too much. All of the cafes and bars and restaurants, etc will take card. You would mainly need cash to buy stuff from street vendors, pay for things like cheaper massages/mani-pedis, and tips. You should tip people. Things are already so cheap as it is, and this entire island runs on the hospitality industry. I tipped a general 15% percent - but in some cases (like with our drivers, who we loved, we tipped more).

You can buy SIM cards at the airport or from the street. It’s about 3x more expensive if you buy from the airport, but I just wanted to save the hassle. Do not, under any circumstances, rely on wifi — the wifi is Bali in general is atrocious and unreliable. 

The traffic sucks. If you feel comfortable renting a scooter, it will save you a ton of time. A ton. Of. Time. Make sure you factor insane amounts of traffic in your plans, especially during the high season.

Rent a driver for day trips. It’s usually less than 30 USD and both the drivers we hired through our villas ended up being delightful.