Visit Bali

“As I began my trek, around 10 minutes in, going uphill I came across my first obstacle. An incredibly aggressive looking dog. Immediately he started barking, growling and getting closer to me. Nervous, I lent down and picked up a couple of rocks. Luckily his owner working outside on the farm, yelled something which made the dog go inside. [...] Not long after I reached the local rice paddies, I immediately understood what my hosts meant. Being the only tourist there I pretty much stood out like a sore thumb and as you've probably gathered from reading this blog, I love having a place to myself! Or almost! Local people were working and a few were bathing in the streams. I wandered around sticking to the path, not wanting to intrude. It was truly beautiful and wonderful to experience the serene quietness and freshness of the paddies.”

“It was our (me + partner) first time in Bali. We had a great time. We followed advise not to drink tap water, even for brushing teeth. We didn't get "Bali belly". We've done 2 tours - different drivers/tour guides. The second tour guide/driver kept on insisting of taking us to the turtle sanctuary instead of Uluwatu temple then finishing with sunset dinner at Jimbaran beach. We said no to the turtle sanctuary and sunset dinner because we'd rather go to the temple. Well, it rained so it wasn't good to go to the turtle sanctuary anyway. The driver said that Uluwatu temple was far and that monkeys steal people's glasses and hats and that we have to walk/trek 10 mins. I don't think he really wanted to take us there but we pushed for it. True enough, we witnessed a monkey stealing a person's glasses. [...] They sort of made us feel "guilty" for not tipping. Really awkward.”

“I've honestly never seen a resort like this before - the sheer size, ocean views/access to Rock Bar and service was some of the best I've ever experienced. However, after a couple of days, the resort started to feel a little bit removed from the rest of the Island. My wife and I aren't great at just relaxing at a pool for more than a day or two, so this wasn't the best setup for us.”

“I have a driving license but don’t drive at home, so I was a bit scared at first since I read everywhere how chaotic traffic in Bali is, but that’s not true at all. Yeah, when you come for the first time and see so many scooters and cars, you’ll be terrified, but when you go for a ride, you’ll realize how simple it is. And most important – scooters are THE FASTEST WAY to get around the island. With cars, you quickly get stuck in traffic jams and lose time on waiting.”