Bali is Where The Magic Is At

Miles 

-          Bali is magical!

-          Bali is an island and province of Indonesia

-          Denpasar is the capital of Bali, Indonesia

-          The island is known for its forested volcanic mountains, iconic rice paddies, beaches and coral reefs.

-          The population in Bali is 4.2 million

-          Most Balinese people speak Indonesian, Balinese, and English.

-          The Indonesian Rupiah is the currency of Indonesia. The conversion is 13,000Rp to $1USD

-          The national dish of Bali is nasi goreng which is a delicious fried rice.

-          Tourism and agriculture are Bali’s main source of income.

-          The main religion is Balinese Hinduism followed by Muslims, Christianity, and Buddhism.

-          High season is during the months of July and August, during Easter Holidays, and Christmas / New Year (December till 1st week of January). This is the time Bali is the busiest. However, the best time to visit to Bali is April, May, June and September, just before and just after high season.

-          A few words I would use to describe Balinese people are helpful, hardworking, dedicated, beautiful, spiritual, and inspiring.

-          Getting around is fairly easy. Taxis are readily available as well as motor bikes. There is even Uber and their version of Uber, Go Jek. Walking is also an option.

 Qatar Airline

This was my first time flying Qatar Airline and I must say they will have a return customer! This airline allows 2 free bags at check in. The staff is accommodating and friendly. The service is much better on the newer planes. Unfortunately, you won’t know until you are boarding whether or not you’ll be on a new plane, but you’ll have an enjoyable experience nevertheless. The food is surprisingly very good. Everyone receives 2 meals and snacks in between. Seats are comfy and there was a great movie selection. 

Daun Seminyak Hotel

Daun Seminyak Hotel is in Seminyak Bali (very close to Kuta). The location is great, quiet, and safe. Restaurants line the strip along with other hotels. There isn’t much to do in the area in terms of entertainment. You would have to go to neighboring cities which are typically a 10-15 min drive. The overall appearance of the hotel is clean, the rooms are nice with clean, modern décor, staff is welcoming and outgoing. Only gripe I have with them is the towels are dingy 7/10th of the time and the breakfast is average.

Meals

Livingstone

Livingstone was my favorite place to have breakfast. It is conveniently located down the street (about a 10-minute walk) from Daun Seminyak Hotel. The interior is huge and an environment conducive to getting work done. I had several meals there.

The French toast is what made me fall in love with Livingstone! Each slice was fluffy and filled with Nutella!

Avocado toast is yet another great option. This meal typically comes with a poached egg, but I opted for scrambled.

Fluffy pancakes topped with blueberries, strawberries, bananas, and whipped cream. One word… Delish!

Freshly squeezed watermelon juice was so good and refreshing. I drank it with every meal.

They have a nice breakfast combo that includes an appetizer, main course, and fresh squeezed juice, coffee, or tea.

They have free Wi-Fi for customers.

Char Char Bar

This is easily one of the sexiest bars out! The front of the bar is an open space set up stadium style. You can people watch and ironically, people can watch you too! The ambiance is chill with a flare of romance and sophistication. Drinks are reasonably priced, and the music is on point. It’s the perfect place to have a drink and catch up with a friend.

Cafe Organic

Yummy fresh breakfast and lunch are served here all day. They offer health conscious vegetarian meals. Pictured below is the smoothie bowl. This smoothie bowl is called Nagga Dragon, and inside the bowl is mango, strawberries, dragon fruit, dried coconut, oats, chai seeds, house made muesli, almond milk, and wild honey. It tasted just as good as it looks! I ate every last bite and I don’t even eat bananas lol. Cafe Organic was highly recommended to me and I highly recommend it to you!

Winnie Warung

Aside from the food, the staff kept me coming back. Their enthusiasm and willingness to make you feel at home was comforting. I would get either the nasi goreng with pork or fried noodles with pork and vegetables. Both are good, but I prefer the nasi goreng.

They have free Wi-Fi for customers.

Mad Ronin

I’ve never had ramen before but if this is how it’s supposed to taste then I am a fan! Below you’ll find the black garlic chicken with a side of pork dumplings, and lychee iced tea.

Single Fin

This restaurant is well-known among surfers. It’s a beach club vibe overlooking the ocean. The burger was yummy and so was my Rosella Punch!

They have free Wi-Fi for customers.

Mie 88 Noodle

Mie 88 Noodle is a Chinese restaurant. The sweet and sour chicken was an excellent choice and as you can see it was made with love! The lychee tea was very good also.

Exotic Fruit

Experimenting with fruit is always fun in another country. Below are some of the fruits I tried and my thoughts on each.

Salak- This fruit gets its name, snake fruit, from its snake like skin. You peel the skin off and beneath it is the fruit. It kind of reminds me of an apple in texture but is 10x better in taste!

Rambutan- Don’t be intimidated by the spiky exterior. The inside resembles lychee and has a similar flavor and texture.

Purple Mangosteen- This fruit’s exterior reminds me of a ball shaped baby eggplant. Inside it divides much like an orange. It is a very tasty fruit.

Sugar Apple- My family is from the Caribbean, so this is sweet sap for me lol. However, it goes by the name sweet apple in Bali. This fruit is interesting. The same outer appearance is basically how it looks on the inside. It’s like a pomegranate but the seeds are much bigger.

Dragon Fruit-  I’ve had dragon fruit flavored things but never the actual fruit. It’s pretty tasty although I don’t think the one I tried was ripe. Dragon fruit comes in both white and purple. You won’t know which is which until you cut it open. The purple one temporarily stains your hands so be careful.

Durian. This fruit is for the brave. It has an acquired taste and scent. It’s banned from most hotels which speaks volumes to its odor lol. Both the scent and flavor makes me nauseous but it is loved in Bali.

Billy’s Terrance Café

This café has a buffet style option where you can choose from an array of different local foods. The food was just okay, and staff wasn’t as hands on as I would expect them to be. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this place unless you’re in the area and starving. However, the view is beautiful and when you're done eating you can head over to the rice terrace across the street.

They have free Wi-Fi for customers.

Second Street

Second street was disappointing. The English breakfast included eggs, sausage, bacon, hashbrowns, grilled tomato, and a fruit platter, with tea and fresh squeezed juice was mediocre. Everything was greasy. The best thing there was the fresh squeezed juice and the fruit platter.

They have free Wi-Fi for customers.

Memories

Gede (Tour Guide)

If you are looking to do some sightseeing and touring of Bali, Gede is your guy! His contagious laugh and knowledge of his country will leave you content with your choice of picking him to be your tour guide. He has an exceptional day rate. You tell him all the sights you want to see, and he’ll build an itinerary for you (I was able to do all my sights in three days going to central, east, and west Bali). He’ll even take you to some bonus sights if you’re interested. Nearly all attractions you must pay an entrance fee. The fee typically equates to no more than $4 to $7 at most.

You can reach him on WhatsApp with this number: +62 896 85786969 or reach out to him on Facebook: Gede family tour Driver or Holiday Bali Private Tour Tell him that I sent ya!

Pura Tirta Empul

Let’s talk about a spiritual cleansing! This is great for people into spirituality. It’s even good for those who aren’t but want to witness the beauty of this spring. Pura Tirta Empul (Holy Water Temple) is a sacred springs said to have been created by The God Indra and possess curative properties. The ritual is that you go under each spout cleansing yourself. The process is completed once you’ve reached the last spout. There are two spouts that are meant only for cleansing the dead and are for prohibited to be used by the living for the 'melukat' ritual. The entrance fee is 15,000Rp

Uma Pakel

Uma Pakel is where you will get a lesson on the famous Indonesian coffee called Luwak. Interestingly enough, the coffee is made with fermented coffee beans found in the feces of a mongoose. As crazy as this may sound, it makes for a delicious coffee! If that doesn’t quite tickle your fancy, they do have coffees made from the regular coffee process along with a wide variety of teas. They provide a free sample platter of 14 teas (with a few coffees included) that they sell. This is a terrific way to see which coffee/tea you like. A bonus to coming to this agro tourism spot is the infamous swing I’m sure you’ve probably seen by now on social media. If you haven’t witnessed this daring swing, I’ll describe it. The swing hurls you in the air with the backdrop of the scenic Balinese jungle. There is no entrance fee to get into Uma Pakel however you do have to pay a fee to go on the swing.

Banyumala Twin Waterfalls

Not only do you get to witness an astonishing waterfall but you get a two for one deal that includes a hike. I don’t know if that’s a plus or minus for you but let me tell you a bit about it lol. The hike feels like forever but the reward, Banyumala Twin Waterfalls, makes it all worth it! Wear sneakers for the hike and water shoes for the waterfall. The entrance fee 15,000Rp.

Pura Ulun Danu Bratan

Pura Ulun Danu Bratan is one of my favorite locations in Bali. The scenery is immaculate and filled with a variety of flowers (my fav!). The temple is set in the middle of the lake with the mountains behind it creating a scene straight from a postcard. The entrance fee is 50,000Rp.

Side bar: It was the craziest thing. I don’t know if it’s because I’m 6’1, or the fact that I’m black, or a case of mistaken identity, but the amount of people that wanted a picture with me was unreal! I’m positive I took nearly 50+ photos, and it took me an additional 25 minutes to leave. I was extremely flattered but quickly realized I could do without fame lol.

Ujung Water Palace

Ujung Water Palace is a magnificent, well-constructed, garden with a palace that sits on the water. The entrance fee is 50,000Rp.

Tegalalang Rice Terrace

I can assure you you’ve never seen anything like it! Tegalalang Rice Terrace offers an incredible picturesque view of rice paddies formed naturally. This is a huge tourist attraction. The entrance fee is 15,000Rp.

Sacred Monkey Forrest Sanctuary

This was a nice addition to the trip. The Ubud Monkey Forest is a nature reserve and Hindu temple complex in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia. There is only one species of monkey in this forest and it is the Balinese long-tailed monkey. You can feed and take pictures with the monkeys for a fee. The entrance fee is 50,000Rp.

Ubud Market

This is a nice market where you can grab knickknacks and souvenirs. I recommend going for the view and experience, but I have a better place for you to buy souvenirs. Keep reading!

Tanah Lot Temple

Tanah Lot Temple is a famous beach front temple. You can catch a beautiful view of the sunset here. There are plenty of shops in the area also. The entrance fee is 60,000Rp.

Lempuyang Temple

The climb to this temple is somewhat intense but once you arrive you’ll be speechless! For evidence, check out the pictures below. This temple is donation based so payment is at your discretion.

Besakih Temple

This is another temple you’ll be doing a bit of a hike to get to so prepare yourself. Here you get to see where locals worship and how it is divided into classes. The entrance fee is 60,000Rp

La Favela

I have to be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect from a club in Bali. Let me tell you now, La Favela is running with the best of them! The space is boundless with incredible décor inspired by street art and various aspects of art. The DJ was top 10 DJs I’ve ever heard spin. He mixed exceptionally well, and he had the crowd all the way turnt up with back to back hits of different decades and genres. If you’re looking for a night out on the town, you MUST go here! There is no entrance fee.

As you can see, I made some friends at La Favela lol.

Sudari Spa

I have not been to a plethora of spas but I’m willing to bet that Sudari Spa is unquestionably one of the best spas you could ever go to. From décor, to staff, to cleanliness, to products/services, to pricing, I give Sudari Spa a 10 across the board. The Sundari Shakti Ritual which included a massage, body scrub, and facial package was A1. When I tell you, they had me feeling like royalty in there! I wish I could pack it up and bring it back to New York City with me. This incredible deal is 720,000Rp but goes up to 810,000Rp with tax and gratuity. The experience is worth every cent!

Yoga (Desa Seni Hotel)

It was very important for me to do yoga in Bali. Yoga was my savior back in 2010. I haven’t practiced much since, but I knew there was no way I would be in Bali and not take a class. I wanted an outside studio and the one I found closest to where I was staying is at the Desa Seni Hotel. Walking in was EVERYTHING I expected an outside yoga studio in Bali to look and be like. So serene and calming. It was like something straight out of a movie. Class was ah-mazing! The instructor was very good and informative. He made class enjoyable for people at all levels of yoga. It was a beginner yoga class, but they do have different class levels based on expertise. The class is an hour and a half and the entrance fee is 140,000Rp.

Agung Bali (Souvenirs)

This is your go to spot for souvenirs. There is another popular market that is bigger but that market is only bigger with a lot of the same items. Agung Bali is diverse with unique items. The price is also the best I’ve seen.

Seminyak Beach

This beach was not my favorite but, it is relatively close to the hotel I stayed at. It was nice to listen to the ocean as I read. You don’t have to pay to go on the beach, but you do have to pay to use the beach chairs and umbrellas.

School Girls

This is irrelevant in terms of things to do while in Bali, however it is monumental and a memory I will hold near and dear to my heart, so I will to share. As I was exiting my hotel, I heard a lot of racket across the street. It sounded like children playing so I curiously peeked over the gate to take a look. It was a school with elementary aged students out for recess. The first little girl on the left saw me and gave me the biggest smile waving vivaciously. She then called the other girls over showing me to them. They all came running with the same reaction, smiling from ear to ear. This naturally filled my soul producing an ear to ear smile that i returned to them. I waved back and they giggled excitedly. I asked them for a picture using my hands to depict a camera and this was the result. I blew them a kiss thanking them and they returned the favor. I could almost feel each and every kiss land on me. They were so pure, loving, and most of all happy. They greeted me with so much love and acceptance. This interaction proves that we aren't born to hate. Innately we are born to love and with love in our hearts despite differences in appearance, race, or gender. These beautiful souls confirmed that. 

Other notable mentions of things to do in Bali are traditional Balinese cooking class, surfing, Balinese dance performance, La Laguna, and Gili island (need at least 1-3 days here) among many other things.

I hope you found this post helpful; and it brought you one step closer to booking your dream vacation to Bali!