Last week, I went on a trip to Bali with some of my closest friends and it was without a doubt one of the most incredible trips of my life. I'll be honest, I had slight reservations about the place because of the reputation Bali tends to have for being too "tourist-ey" or "a party town".
That said, my experience was truly amazing. The places we went were beautifully put together and everyone we met made us feel so welcomed and comfortable. Besides that, the quality and selection of bars and restaurants we experienced really is second to none and complemented with stunning views and breeze of the ocean everywhere we went.
Because a lot of my foodie friends I know had been to Bali before, I got to put together a really great itinerary based on their recommendations and some research that I've done on my own. I loved sharing the photos from my trip on Instagram (@winceeee) and thought it's best I shared our itinerary here on the blog as well in case there's people who's traveling to Bali too and want to know where we stayed, what we did and where we ate as a guide.
Accommodation
We found our villa on Flipkey and must say we were extremely happy with our choice. For us, this one stood out from the crowd as we were looking in the price range of AU$250 or under per night for 4 people. It ticked all our boxes, including:
- New condition (only built last year)
- Convenient location (10min away from city centre)
- Great pool (love the lighting at night and lush greenery)
- Nice toilets (lots of stone with skylight you feel like you're showering outdoors)
- Rooms facing the pool (something nice to wake up to)
Besides that, they were so accommodating to our requests while we were there and really went out of their way to help us out in any way that they could. It was very much appreciated.
---> Link to villa: HERE
We seriously fell in love with our villa and loved everything about the place. We couldn't get enough of the pool as well and was used it as much as we could whether it's first thing in the morning after we woke up, just before we need to head out anywhere, after we got back in the afternoon or even at night after we got back from dinner. Too good.
And I highly, highly recommend you guys get one of these inflatable pool toy/lounge things because it's the best thing ever if you've got your own private villa!! I was searching high and low for it and finally found this one online from Toys R Us for AU$30 and it was INCREDIBLE. Didn't even matter that I had to bring it all the way from Australia and back. It was so big and fun to use and even came with a cup holder loved loved loved it. Please get one too, you won't regret it.
---> Link to pool lounge: HERE
Day 1:
1. Check in to our villa
Quick dip at our hotel pool before heading out! Looked too good and we couldn't wait!
2. Late lunch at Santan Restaurant @ The Seminyak Resort & Spa
Modern Indonesian meal. Delicious food with great presentation. We had the Nasi Goreng (fried rice) and Mie Goreng (fried noodle) and it was great. Sure, we could've gone to somewhere really cheap and local to have the same dish but no way would it have been as beautiful as this. Plus, it was really tasty and we had to be at the resort anyway for our massage later.
---> Link to restaurant: HERE
3. Massage treatment at The Kahyangan @ The Seminyak Resort & Spa
Stunning facility. A little pricey but I wanted to experience the spa at a 5 Star resort specifically with a view of the ocean. The whole spa area was great I enjoyed our time here.
---> Link to spa: HERE
Modern Asian meal. Was actually one of my favourite meals from the trip. Food was absolutely stunning and still remained quite true to the traditional Asian flavours but executed in a rather refined way. Beautiful place to eat if you want to have some local flavours during your trip.
After a great meal here, we headed straight back to our villa for a night dip in the pool and some champagne. Great way to cap off our first night in Bali, I must say.
---> Link to restaurant: HERE
Day 2:
1. Exploring Seminyak Square
This is the main town centre in Seminyak with lots of shops and cafes to check out too. Just a place to stroll after we woke up and took a morning dip just before our lunch reservation.
2. Sunday brunch at The W
I've heard so much about the sunday brunch buffet at The W from numerous people who's visited Bali and it seems like one of those meals that you really need to experience when you're here. Our meal was sensational. The seafood was delicious and I loved the selection of food that you got here. Great spread of East and West options. And so glad I got to have my Babi Guling here too! I made a special request for a table with a clear view of the ocean and definitely recommend you do too! Such a great experience. Definitely recommend it. Sooooo crazy full after this meal. Perfect time to head straight back to the villa for another quick dip and some drinks as the weather was too hot to do anything else.
---> Link to restaurant: HERE
3. Massage at our villa
After a quick dip following that massive lunch, we booked an appointment for a massage at our villa and it was FANTASTIC. You got to enjoy a great session right at the comfort of your own villa and what I liked was that it was so breezy because it was outdoors and you get to listen to your own music to relax too. I had Spotify going. Plus, it was only AU$15 for a whole hour and hands down the cheapest massage we've ever gotten. So damn good too.
4. Sunset at Jimbaran Beach
This is such a beautiful place to visit when you're in Bali. Great view of the sunset and also love walking along the strip past all the great restaurants where they've got tables and chairs placed on the beach itself for people to enjoy their meal as they watch the sun go down. I'd eat here too if we didn't have a dinner reservation already.
5. Drinks at Rock Bar @ Ayana Resort & Spa
The Rock Bar was a place that we really, really, really wanted to come to to watch the sunset after seeing all the photos of the place online. Unfortunately, the place was a little far and we couldn't make it in time. That said, we still got to head to the Rock Bar for drinks before our dinner. Had no idea that this bar and resort was that famous and I can see why. The resort itself was incredibly beautiful and the bar was se all along the edge of the cliff.
---> Link to bar: HERE
When we got to the bar, there was a woman singing on a small stage on a raised island set back from the cliffside where she's facing the people enjoying their drinks and atmosphere of the bar. On top of that, we could feel the gentle breeze from the ocean as well as hear the waves crashing in the background. Sensational feeling. Oh, and my cocktail was damn good too. It had beetroot in it.
6. Seafood dinner at Kisik Restaurant @ Ayana Resort & Spa
I was researching on the Internet for a place to have great seafood. I really wanted to have lobster that night as it's something I almost never have and wanted to treat myself this trip. I rang around asking each seafood restaurant if they had lobster and this was one of the very few that actually said yes.
Food here was seriously AMAZING. If you are looking for a place to have seafood, this really is the place to come to. And boy, that lobster was really incredible! So glad we came all the way here for the Rock Bar and this gorgeous seafood dinner. Please come.
---> Link to restaurant: HERE
Day 3:
1. Waterbom!!!
Trip Advisor voted Waterbom as the top activity to do in Bali and it was something that we've been looking forward to all trip. I absolutely love water theme parks even though I get scared shitless so damn easy. They had some seriously mother effing scary rides and also other really relaxed ones. It was so great to have overcome the really challenging ones with your best mates. The whole place was so much fun and I really recommend people check this place out and challenge themselves to trying out every single ride, no matter how scared you are. It was an experience we will never forget.
---> Link to Waterbom: HERE
Feels so good to have conquered Waterbom!!!
2. Lunch @ Restoran Sederhana
Besides Babi Guling, I think that Nasi Padang really is the other thing that you must eat when you're in Bali. Basically, it's a very traditional Indonesian type of food where you get to eat a large array of local delicacies. The staff basically brings a large number of dishes to your table and you just eat whatever you want from it. You don't have to eat all of it (but we did) and they will just charge you for the dishes you've eaten. Make sure you check out what else they've got at the shopfront too. So delicious.
---> Link to restaurant: HERE
3. Massage @ Jari Menari
We definitely felt like we needed to relax after that intense session at Waterbom. My good mate Bryan recommended this place to us and after doing a bit of research, turns out it was one of the most popular massage places in Bali too. We really enjoyed our session here although if I'm being honest, I still preferred the one back at our villa.
---> Link to spa: HERE
4. Dinner @ Sardine Restaurant
I've heard so much about this restaurant and thought it was the perfect place to come to on our last night in Bali. The setting was really beautiful and what's special was that it was set against a paddy field. It sounds weird but was actually very breathtaking and hard to describe in words. All I will say is that you absolutely have to be here.
The food was Modern Asian and although if I'm being honest the food wasn't as memorable as I thought it would be but I still got to have my lobster (again) and like I said, you really have to come here for the dining experience.
---> Link to restaurant: HERE
5. Drinks @ Motel Mexicola
One place that you really must visit when you're in town as it's known for making you feel like you're in downtown Mexico. The vibe was buzzing and has a great DJ that kept pumping out awesome tunes to get us in the mood and on our feet. It's obvious that everyone there seems to be having a great time. Great place for a night out!
---> Link to bar: HERE
Day 4:
1. Lunch at Seminyak Italian Food @ Double-Six Luxury Hotel
Okay I must be honest by saying that I really couldn't stand the name of this restaurant but believe you me when I say that the quality of food here was quite outstanding. Every dish that came out of the kitchen really hit the spot and was delivered to near perfection. I especially loved my clam pasta with zucchini flowers and also the beef parmigiana. It was crumbed to perfection and used real authentic Italian tomato sauce and mozzarella. Fantastic food here. Again, it was great to be able to sit outdoors and enjoy the view of the ocean and its breeze.
---> Link to restaurant: HERE
2. Massage at our villa (again)
It was our last day in Bali and we really enjoyed our massage at the villa so much that wanted to squeeze in another session before we left! Soooo good.
3. Sunset and drinks @ Potato Head Beach Club
This place is so packed and I now understand why. It's buzzing but not sloppy and has incredible views of the ocean for you to catch the sunset. There's also a lawn for people to go sun bathing as well as a pool for people to take a dip if they want. Plus, great drinks are a plenty. I loved the whole vibe of the area and spent at least 2 hours here. So stunning. Was honestly the perfect place to visit on our last day just before we had to head straight to the airport to catch our flight home.
---> Link to beach club: HERE
Final thoughts
I must say that I really enjoyed Bali a lot more than I thought I would. The place really exceeded all my expectations and we had the best time there. I hope people find this post helpful and please feel free to contact if you have any questions about my trip or Bali. Happy to help.
It was a jam packed 4 full days in Bali and I'm glad I got to share the experience with some of my closest friends that I actually haven't seen in years. Missing all those good times together already!
#villalife
This was the inflatable pool lounge I was telling you about... BEST!!!!
Ending the trip with the most perfect sunset. Bali, I'll be back...
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