A friend of mine is headed to Bali and is in the process of creating her itinerary. I gladly gave her my recommendations and thought of posting about my own itinerary here for the benefit of everyone else who might also be bound for Bali soon. :)
Bali has a lot in store for everyone and it’s all really just a matter of preference. When planning your vacation, the main question to ask yourself is what do you want out of your Bali trip? Are you the on-the-go, explorer kind whose goal is to see as many of Bali’s world-famous cultural and natural attractions as you can? Perhaps you’re the laid-back, ocean-obsessed type who wishes to spend more time lazing on the beach (and getting a good tan while at it) than anywhere else? A mix of both like me, maybe?
While I was going to Bali mostly for the beach, where I intended to relax and get my mind off things back home (with a mojito in hand, preferably. Hee!), I also cannot simply give its temples and natural wonders a miss. That’s one thing I knew right away I wanted for my trip – for it to be the perfect balance between sightseeing and relaxation. Another is for it not to be one of those guided tours my family and I joined in all three separate times we were in Europe where a tight schedule was followed. Guided tours are stressful and exhausting in that regard, and I was having none of that in Bali. I simply want it to be at my own pace and not be bound by time.
And that’s exactly how my stay (albeit short) went! :)
First things first and of rather high importance: how I got around Bali. I hired a personal driver who was also referred by a friend. For only 25USD per day, Made picked me up at the hotel, took me places, even doubled as my tour guide/photographer, and drove me back to the hotel at the end of the each day. Made’s really nice and surprisingly charges so little for the kind of service he provides. I know his Facebook page and all you have to do is leave a comment in case you also want to hire him for your vacation.
On to my itinerary. In a nutshell, this was how my technically-5-days stay looked like:
Day 1: I arrived from Manila at around 10AM, went straight to Tanah Lot (pictured above) and spent about an hour learning about its historical and cultural significance, had some Balinese lunch at Kafe Betawi, headed to the hotel to check in and get settled, went for an evening swim in my awesome hotel pool before finally calling it a day.
Day 2: Pick-up was at 8AM. First stop was the Tirta Empul Temple, where visitors bathe in the pools in hopes of giving themselves a karmic cleanse. We then drove for an hour to Ubud, where I 1.) attended the Putra Barong & Kris Dance show, 2.) made a stop at a hand-loomed weaving factory and watched weaved textiles being made in the act, 3.) had buffet lunch at Kintamani Restaurant overlooking Mt. Batur (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), 4.) got my pictures taken with Mt. Batur and the lake surrounding it as my backdrop, 5.) went next to the Tegalalang Rice Terraces (also a UNESCO World Heritage Site) where I met a 6-year old local who volunteered to take pictures of me after sensing my struggle, 6.) shopped for souvenirs I was bringing back home at Ubud Market (the same exact market where Julia Roberts shopped in Eat. Pray. Love). We then left for Seminyak and instead of going straight back to the hotel, I asked to be dropped off at a nearby restaurant where I had dinner. I capped such a busy day off with an amazing massage at the hotel.
Day 3: Beach and relaxation day! This day wasn’t really planned location-wise and I left it to Made to decide. He brought me first to Balangan Beach, which wasn’t really ideal for relaxation since entrance was free and there were already a bunch of people when we got there. I asked him to take me somewhere private and more conducive to relaxation (I didn’t mind paying for it) and so off we went to Sundays Beach Club.
Sundays Beach club, located down the steep cliffs of the luxurious villa resort The Ungasan, is beyond nice to say the least! You have to pay Php1,000 if I’m not mistaken and in turn you get 1.) a cable ride to take you down the cliffs and the majestic views that come with it, 2.) nice beanbags to sit/lie on while sunbathing. and 3.) one complimentary meal on the menu that’s priced within the entrance rate. They also serve beverages including the alcoholic kind – my favorite! :)
I stayed at the Sundays Beach Club until around 4:30PM and by then I was already 1.) 3x darker than I was coming in, 2.) tipsy from all the Cuban Mojito I drank. I have a thing for “cocktailing” while sunbathing, you see!
From Sundays Beach Club we went straight to the Uluwatu Temple where for the first time in 3 days, Made and I really had the chance to talk about what I do for a living, where else have I traveled, his family, his previous clients, etc., until the sun started setting – kind of a cue that it was time to stop chatting and just enjoy the view! I was back in the hotel by 7PM, took a shower, got dressed, and stepped out to have dinner.
Day 4: Surfing day! Surfing lessons c/o Rip Curl School of Surf from 10AM-12NN, quick lunch afterwards, did a bit of walking on the Double Six Beach before going back to the hotel. I also started packing my bags (which I hate, by the way) because I was leaving first thing tomorrow morning. I went to La Plancha for dinner and drinks after which, I headed back to Seminyak for some last minute shopping.
Day 5: Early-morning flight back to Manila.
There ya have it!
One last thing, though. There are about twenty thousand temples in Bali and there’s absolutely no way a 4-day stay like mine in Bali will allow you to visit every single one of those. My suggestion? Make a research beforehand and come up with an initial list of temples that you find interesting. Now take into consideration 1.) the location – how near or far apart they are from one another, 2.) how are you getting from one temple to the next, 3.) which temples are you willing to let go for now and which ones do you really, really want to visit. You’ll be able to trim your list down that way.
Hope I was able to give you tips and more importantly, you’ve picked up a thing or two from my itinerary to add to yours. Although I realized I should really start taking notes especially of rates and prices if I want this blog to be really helpful. Something I’ll make sure to do when I go on my next adventure.
Enjoy your time in Bali. I’m pretty sure you will! :)
BEAUVELISTA 