Bali Guide

BALI: some ideas for things to do on the “Island Of The Gods”. Whilst some suggestions are “quite heavenly” it’s certainly not an “exhaustive universe” of thoughts.

GENERAL:

• Download the GRAB or GOJEK APPS. They are like “UBER” or “Deliveroo” but all-in-one transport and/or food delivery options if you need = MAJOR HELP!
• WARNING: traffic can be TERRIBLE in Bali these days, so, leave extra time for your journeys. A motorbike ride is WAY FASTER than getting a car, just make sure you wear a helmet on any motorbike trip!
• Have “small cash” on you to pay for your rides, as many drivers don’t have “change” and you can’t pay them direct by card.
• Many (new) Bali businesses are on Instagram from where you can WhatsApp them to discuss what you need directly.
• To minimise the chance of contracting “Bali Belly”: drink bottled water. Avoid ice cubes in drinks (can be frozen from tap water). Wash hands regularly. Hand sanitize!
• Choose ATM’s that allow you to withdraw larger amounts at a time, to avoid repeated (and varying) commission fee’s on lots of “smaller withdrawals”.
• If in negotiation with a vendor for “goods and services”, “haggle” where you can on price to get cheaper. They always start with a “high” price, so, “haggle” them to get lower! NOTE: they love a “haggle”!
• Get (alot) of mosquito spray!

PLACES TO GO OUT: where do I start! It’s extensive and depends on “what you want!” Some suggestions in Seminyak/Canggu:

• Finns Beach Club: book online
• Atlas Beach Club
• Ku De Ta: Beach Club
• La Brisa: Beach Club
• Potato Head Beach club
• Old Mans Bar: club/drinks
• Sandbar: club/drinks

FOOD:

• There are SO MANY NEW & COOL places to go out for food. Just walk around and you’ll see lots of “shabby-chic” and “very high-end” looking restaurants that sell GREAT TASTING FOOD, inexpensively! MOREOVER, there are the “warungs”, local authentic Indonesian ”eat homes” or roadside stalls – the best way to get a true “taste of Bali”.

EATERIES: some favourites of mine (mainly in Pererenan and Canggu):

• Penny Lane (dinner)
• Mexicola (dinner)
• Crate (Breakfast/Brunch/Lunch)
• Two Face
• SHELTER
• Zali Bali
• Little Frenchie Bali
• Motion Cafe
• KYND Community (great Açai)
• Seoul Soul Project (cool bar above too
• OakBerry Indonesia (Açai
• Ulu Garden (dinner)
• Ulu Artisan (great scrambled eggs)
• Yuki in Uluwatu (Japanese)
• Rolling Fork (dinner)
• Ours (breakfast or dinner)
• Kelly’s Warung (lunch)
• Lola Mexican (dinner)
• Cashew Tree (brunch)
• La Barraca (Italian)
• Livingstone Bakery

FOR MORE FOOD IDEAS check-out:

• Guide to Bali’s Hot Spots: OFFER HERE
• Instagram @‌hungryin.bali

FITNESS:

• The Wrong Gym (Pererenan): no-joke, one of the most high-end gyms and recovery zones on the planet!
• The Body Factory (Canggu)
• Wanderlust (Berawa): CrossFit Mecca
• Nirvana (Kuta)
• Obsidian (Pererenan)
• Bambu Fitness Uluwatu (shred class or lift)
• Bali Training Camp
• Padel (pádel) or padel tennis, despite a racket sport of Mexican origin, is becoming BIG in Bali. Typically played in doubles on an enclosed court slightly smaller than a doubles tennis court.

SURFING:

• Komang Surf Bali (Seminyak): +62 818-0560-2690; TOP COACH!
• Budiarta +62 877-4335-1756, usually an early start, 6am type thing.

CO-WORKING SPACES:

• TRIBAL in Pererenan: SUPER COOL “Google HQ/Apple style” vibes.
• IZE in Pererenan
• ZIN Cafe in Canggu
• BWorks in Canggu
• Nirvana Cafe (2 floors) in Kuta

SUNSETS VENUES: Bali has some of the best sunset scenes in the world! So:

• Any of the Beach Clubs listed above.
• Ulu Cliffhouse: they do “Sundown Sundays” and “Movie Night Tuesdays”.

BEACHES: THE WHOLE ISLAND is surrounded by beautiful beaches, just go for a walk and you’ll see!

• Pererenan/Canggu/Seminyak/Kuta = the most populated
• Padang Padang: careful of the monkeys
• Bingin Bingin
• Sundays Beach Club
• Uluwatu and Nusa also have great beaches

OTHER LOCATIONS in Bali:

ULUWATU: 60 minute cab from Seminyak.
Uluwatu some places to stay:

• Dreamsea
• Gravity Hotel
• If you can find a hotel near Bingin Bingin beach, also good.

UBUD: about a 1-2 hour drive (from Seminyak): Places to stay

• Would recommend a spa hotel somewhere in the area.

Things to do in Ubud:

• Rice terraces
• Ketuts Cooking Class
• Firedance
• Hike up Mount Batur
• Massages
• Tibetan sound healing place at the Pyramids of Chi
• Hire a day bed at Creyta

Food:

• Lucky Buddha
• Milk and Madu
• Lazy Cats

OTHER ISLANDS that are a short boat ride from Bali:

• Gili T or Nusa Lembongan: Gili T takes longer to get to and is more of a party scene at night. Whereas, Nusa Lembongan, whilst also amazing, alot more chill vibes with cool bars for the evening.
• From Ubud you can go to Padang Bai to get to Gili T: use the Bluewater express and pre-book your tickets.
• From Ubud you can do to Nusa Lembongan from Sanur harbour. You can use a local boat here but again pre-book.

Gili T:
Places to stay:

• Best not to stay too close to the harbour as it’s noisy at night.
• Look for places an approximate 20 min walk from harbour.
• Best way to get around the island is cycle, so hire a bike from your hotel.
• A place called Ponte Villas is a good location.
• There is no motorised transport on the island so be prepared to walk when you get off at the harbour.

To do:

• Swim with turtles: this company (link below) only have 9.30am or 3:30pm slots. If you do the 3:30pm slot, you can also go to watch the sunset afterwards; http://www.viator.com/tours/Gili-Trawangan/Snorkeling-with-turtle-and-statue-in-Gilis/d50505-260991P1
• Diving: Stingray Diving Centre, incase you want to get your paddy.

Places to Eat:

• Kayu Cafe
• Banyan Tree
• Regina Pizzeria
• Casa Vintage

Nusa Lembongan:
Places to stay:

• Mahagri Resort or anywhere around that area.

Things to do:

• Scuba with mantarays
• Surfing
• Go over to Cenigan Island (famous yellow bridge)
• Paddleboard in the mangroves

Places to Eat:

• Bonzer Cafe (best breakfast and also dinner)
• Fin Island Bar (dinner)
• Zero Waste Cafe (breakfast/brunch)
• Lemongrass
• The Coconut Hut
• Three Monkeys Bar

Regardless of what you do, ENJOY EVERY MOMENT!