Bali is an island with a lot to offer. I think you need at least a month to see it all, and even then it’ll be a busy time. Bali might be a relatively small island, but it takes quite a lot of time to get around, mainly because of the bad traffic. Here’s some tips, must-sees, and the best Instagram spots, so you can get the most of your trip.
The Kuta area
Now, I stayed in Legian, which is in the Kuta area on the west coast of Bali. The area here is one of the most touristed ones – but there’s lots of tourists almost everywhere on the island. It has a wide sandy beach with beach bars as far as your eye can see – BUT! The beach is not clean. It’s not a white sandy beach like you see on other tropical islands. It’s actually covered in plastic and is quite dirty. It could be worse, but it’s still not a beach I’d swim at. It saddened me to see how much plastic there was everywhere.
Legian Beach Resort
This was where I stayed in Legian, and it was gorgeous! The whole resort was beatifully decorated, and the staff was so nice and friendly. The resort had two pools, and a good selection of restaurants.
The pool at Legian Beach Resort wasn’t bad – right?
Azul Beach Club
Besides hanging by the pool at my own resort, I discovered this gem right next door! It was my favourite place to hang, and the whole atmosphere was to luxurious, and made me feel like I was in Tulum, Mexico!
Azul Beach Club was such a dreamy place. The view wasn’t bad either.
Canggu
Canggu is the place to be for young people! It’s packed with cute cafes, stores, bars, and beach clubs – all totally Instagram-friendly of course! I could easily live here for a couple of months, I felt at home right away. Unfortunately I only spend one day there, so I didn’t get the chance to fully explore all the places I wanted to.
The Mocca
I had lunch at this cute little cafe one day, and it was so good! The food was delicious and healthy, and the space itself was adorable!
So delicious! Agnieszka (@pink.lem) got a smoothie bowl, Paulina (@moments_of_yugen) got a salad bowl with fist, and I got a salad bowl with tofu and tempeh – yum!
Mad Pops Bali
So, if you’re following just about any blogger that has ever been to Bali, no doubt you’ve seen a picture or a thousand from Mad Pops. There’s the red designed Mad Pops in Seminyak, which is the most Instagrammed one, and then there’s the blue designed Mad Pops in Canggu. All their ice cream is 100% vegan, and 101% delicious! Can’t recommend this enough, and it was also one of the only must-see places on my list for Canggu!
Absolutely in love with Mad Pops! So cute! Here I am with my friend and fellow travel blogger Dee (@thedesertcarnation)
Old Mans
Probably one of the cheapest bars in town with the best vibe! Every day from 4 PM they have Happy Hour with two beers for one. It’s located just before the beach, and this is where most of the young people hang out, so it’s always packed. If you go here, you’re guaranteed a great night!
Ubud
Ubud was without a doubt my favourite place in Bali. The only thing that could’ve possibly made it better would’ve been one of those perfect (clean) white sand beaches. Ubud is the jungle and rice fields in the middle of Bali. It has so many amazing hotels, villas, cafes, restaurants, bars, and just about everything your heart can desire!
Jungle Views Villa
This will hold the first place over most amazing Airbnb’s I’ve ever stayed in for a very long time. My villa was literally on the edge of the jungle, with the most amazing view from my bed. It was so serene, and completely peaceful and magical. I actually had a view to the famous Campuhan Ridge Walk! Definitely a place I can recommend you to stay. The only downside was that it was a bit outside of Ubud city centre, so you’d have to catch a cab to go to the city.
The green roof you can spot behind me was my villa. So yeah, that was my view. Crazy right?
Campuhan Ridge Walk
Again, you’ve probably seen this place on Instagram (you can also see it on my Instagram here). It’s a long path that goes on a ridge through the jungle. It’s absolutely stunning, but also absolutely packed with tourists. If you want to get a picture without a thousand other people in it, you have to go around sunrise.
How gorgeous is this? Felt so lucky to watch the sunset in this paradise
The Elephant
Best. Restaurant. Ever!!! For real. This adorable restaurant was just down the street from my Villa, and had the same view – just a tiny bit better. Still a perfect view of the jungle, but on good days you could also see the volcano Mt. Angung from here! The interior was so “Bali”, and the food was mouthwatering good – and vegan! Don’t let the vegan thing scare you, this is so good, you won’t even miss the meat! And it’s always nice with a light lunch, where you don’t get too bloated.
Y-U-M! Everything was so good!
Fair Future Foundation
If you want to try some of the best local food in Ubud AND support a good cause – you have to eat at the Fair Future Foundation. This restaurant (and foundation) was founded by a Swiss man, who wanted to help the less fortunate. So every meal you order here gives two medical treatments for people in need. It was such a cute little place, so local, and so good! The food is definitely some of the best I tried on the whole trip! You can donate to the Fair Future Foundation here.
Folk Pool & Gardens
A cute little hidden pool club! I got Folk recommended here before going to Bali, and when I finally found it, I was so happy I knew about it! From the street it doesn’t look like much, and you have to walk in through a small path, and then you find something close to paradise! They have a gorgeous pool with cabanas, and a pool bar! It’s free to use, as long as you buy something to eat or drink.
We had lunch there, and it was so delicious! I got the vegan rice tjaffel, and it was hand down some of the best food I’ve ever tasted! I couldn’t stop eating although I was really full!
Not too shabby, am I right?
Tegalalang Rice Terraces
Again, if you’ve ever followed an Instagrammer that has been to Bali, you’ve seen this place. It’s probably one of the most Instagrammed places on the entire island – and there’s no doubt why. You have the most stunning view over hills covered in rice terraces. Granted, there’s a bit too many tourists, but it’s still beautiful! There’s also multiple swings around the terraces, to you can get another famous Instagram shot.
Yes, it might be totally Instagram cliché, but no, I don’t care cuz’ it’s so pretty!
Mt. Batur Hot Springs
Another stunning place (Bali is full of them), where you’ll have some crazy views. Around the still active volcano, a crater lake has occurred, causing a lot of underground hot springs to occur as well. Around the lake you’ll find tons of hotels and spas, that each offers a swim in the healing hot springs. It’s such a special experience, and I really recommend it!
Those mountains in the back gives me the craziest Hawaii vibes!
Sanur
Sanur is a city on the east coast of Bali. It’s rather small, and not as touristy as the west coast. The city has a beautiful beach promenade, but not a beautiful beach. Well, it would be, if it wasn’t covered in plastic. This beach was devastating to look at. I’ve never seen anything this bad, and I still can’t believe it. There was a group of tourists who started cleaning the beach and collecting plastic, but after working for 2 hours and filling more than 10 big bags with plastic, you could barely see the difference. So, please always recycle when possible, and always think about your actions and the environment.
Artotel Beach Club
This place was heaven! Loved the design, the vibe, the food, and everything about it! It reminded me a little bit of the Azul Beach Club in Legian, because they also decorated with big bamboo. They serve some amazing food, so if you’re in the area I can highly recommend you to eat lunch here!
Not the worst pool right?
Things to know about Bali
Here’s a few things, that might be nice to know before you’re going to Bali. You’ll be fine no matter what, but it’s always nice to know.
You need to know how to bargain
Like any other place in Asia, there’s local prices and tourist prices. When you ask how much something costs, they’ll take one look at you and tell you a price that’s like 4 times higher than their actual price. So you need to know how to bargain. Always at least cut the price in half.
They drive like crazy
And you need to be patient as never before. The traffic in Bali is a living nightmare. So don’t ever rent a car, and only rent a scooter if you’re feeling 100% confident. You can easily get everywhere with a cab, and it’s not expensive, so that’s what I recommend.
Their food is mostly healthy and vegan
Bali is vegan paradise. I’ve never been anywhere with this many vegan restaurants and eating options. Which is once of the reasons I love Bali even more! So if you want to challenge yourself or just try out living vegan on your vacation, it’s never gonna be easier than in Bali.
Most people speak English
Because Bali is a popular tourist destination, most of the local people speak perfect English – even the kids. So never be afraid to ask anyone for direction or help, they’re happy to help.
Go early for photos
Bali is packed with tourists. Everywhere. I thought it was bad in Barcelona, but I think Bali might be worse! So if you want to get a good shot without a million other people in it, you have to go as early as possible.
I was one happy girl on Bali! It’s pure paradise.
This was all my advice on Bali! I hope you liked it, and that you found some of it useful. Stay tuned for my blog post about the Gili Islands 🙂