Bali
I’m up in the air with my friends, imagining that we are about to land directly in the middle of a beautiful paradise. However, when the plane lands, I open my eyes to a busy airport and crazy rain. I thought, “Is this really happening?” We quickly realize that we are going to need to explore Bali beyond the ocean if we plan to encounter our much dreamed about paradise.
Luckily, getting around Bali is easy and inexpensive. We immediately book a driver to take us on a day trip from our resort in Nusa Dua to the Mount Batur volcano, with a few stops in between. Coffees in-hand, we head to Ubud, the island’s cultural center. Here we shop for local crafts in the brightly colored market, and explore the ornate Batuan Temple. Our next stop is the Satria Agrowisata coffee plantation. We try everything, and are especially thrilled to try the local luwak coffee. Energy restored and thankful the weather cleared up, we now have perfect views of the active volcano! As we begin to travel back to our hotel, we are surprised at how amazing the Terraced Rice Fields in Tegalalang are! We jump out of the van for one last stop to admire the perfect views.
West coast - bukit peninsula Now to the best part—the weather is perfect and the beaches have been waiting! We head to the west coast to check out Dreamland Beach and to lunch next to the infinity pool at the Klapa Beach Club. Also on the west coast is the uluwatu Temple or the “monkey temple.” This is a must-see for stellar ocean views and some fun with crazy monkeys. Tip: remove all your accessories.
For dinner, Jimbaran is perfect for local BBQ seafood right on the ocean, or for more of a party scene, head to Seminyak and watch the sunest on the water at Potatohead Beach Club or La Plancha.
hip stop
hip stop
