I recently spent eight beautiful days in Bali with my husband on our honeymoon! It was amazing, we had the time of our lives. I live in Calgary, Alberta Canada which means there are no direct flights to Bali. We flew from Vancouver to Hong Kong and then had a quick four hour flight to Bali from there.
All in all, the long flight was a fairly good experience; I’m glad we didn’t have a million connections and flying Cathay Pacific meant we were taken care of and well fed. Once we arrived in Bali it was time to find our hotel. We opted for one hotel “splurge” and one more affordable place to stay.
Our adventure started at The Banyan Tree (our splurge) which meant a private villa with our own infinity pool, we were doted on and felt like royalty! The food was amazing, the pool was stunning and the spa was oh-so relaxing. Because this hotel was so far south in Bali we waited till the second leg of our trip to do any exploring. That being said, we did manage to sign up for a cooking class during our stay. Here we learned how to to cook a traditional Balinese dish, Nasi Goering, which is a delicious fried rice dish and it’s even vegetarian!
The second stop of our trip was to The Mulia, which I’ve heard great things about. This hotel was definitely busier, and reminded me more of a resort that you might find in Mexico, swim up bar and all. Nonetheless, it was beautiful and the staff were amazing!
From here we decided to go exploring around the island. We saw a lot of things, but here are my top 3:
1. The Elephant Safari Park
This is probably one of the best things I’ve done in my life to date! Elephants are such majestic creatures and during our time with them we were able to feed, wash, swim with, and ride the elephants. It was amazing! The Elephant Safari Park is a Sanctuary and have rescued 31 elephants from other islands in Indonesia that have experienced deforestation. It was important to us that we support a place that treated the elephants with dignity and this place definitely did.
2. The Rice Terraces in Ubud
How incredibly picturesque. There is a lot to see in the Ubud area but you definitely need to check out the rice terraces. There are miles of rice terraces in the middle of the hillside, and they are stunning. I’ve personally never seen anything like it before! This stop is a must!
3. Nusa Dua Night life
Nusa Dua is where all the tourists go. There are tons of hotels and as such there is a little area for the locals to share their culture. It felt like an outdoor market, with live music and some great restaurants. We strolled up and down the street, had some local beer and enjoyed the evening, it was perfect!
Have you ever been to Bali or dream of going? What’s on the top of your to-do list in this exotic locale?
About the Author
Janine is a tax specialist and personal finance blogger for Calgary, AB. She is actively pursuing her CPA designation while fighting her way to financial freedom. She is the Vice-President External for the not-for-profit Her Success and enjoys sharing her financial knowledge with her peers. When she is not at work or studying Janine enjoys traveling, baking, yoga and ending off the day with a glass of wine.
Website: mypenniesmythoughts.com