BALI, has been on my bucket list forever. I’m sure it is for most people.   This island has been a dream place of mine to visit and let me tell you it was definitely a beautiful place.  I have always had a love for city life but Bali makes you appreciate the natural beauty of nature.  Like most of our trips, this was also a short trip so I wanted to do what you would say most of the “touristy” things to do.

So here is our itinerary in Bali:

Internet access:  like always, I use tep wireless (portable WiFi) to help me get connected with the internet.  Click here to rent or find out more which countries tep covers

Transportation:  I made reservations for a service to pick us up from our airport to our hotel and hotel to airport.  BOOK HERE.  They were really good with making sure to stay in contact with you ensuring you were aware of the meet up place as well.  I suggest to download the app Viber as it is a free app where you can get in contact with anyone who also is connected with this app. I did not have phone service aside from internet access so the driver was able to get in contact with me through this app.
Cost for a roundtrip: $61.16

Accommodation:  Probably the highlight of this trip is our hotel! We stayed at Ulun Ubud Resort, about 1.5hr drive from the airport.

Inclusion:
Welcome drink and chilled towel upon check in
Daily breakfast for two
Seasonal fruit plater upon check in
Free shuttle from hotel to Ubud centre based on schedule
Free afternoon tea served at our restaurant from 15:00 to 17:00
Free WI-Fi access entire hotel area

I directly made reservations on their website. You don’t have to pay immediately but they take your card information to reserve the room and you pay once you arrive.  My sister and I stayed here for three nights for $288.92 at this fancy resort and I am telling you it was very well worth it!!  And most importantly, the staff was so friendly and willing to help you in anyway.  Great service over all!  BOOK HERE

Due to our short stay I wanted to find a tour that highlights the must see sights to see in Bali and of course the most Instagram worthy!  So I booked a tour with Get Your Guide: Bali Instagram Tour: The Most Scenic Spots, I mean the title itself was pretty much what I was looking for!  This was an all day tour that highlighted the best of Bali. We also had an awesome tour guide who showed us around Bali and gave us information about the history and culture of Bali.
Cost: $72.43/per person

• Includes
  Tour guide
  Hotel transfer (if private tour option is selected)
  Entrance fees
  Jungle swing
  Mineral water
• Excludes: lunch (even though this is not included, your tour guide will take you to a spot to have lunch.  With your expense)

Tour includes the following to see:

• Gates of Heaven at Lempuyang Temple (photo above) – keep in mind that this is a must spot to take a picture so wait time is very long.  We waited for about 2hrs! YES, two hours!

Just a little FYI:  if you compare this photo from above, you can see that there is obviously no water that reflects on the image.  It’s because THERE ISN’T!  Fun fact, as you get your turn in line a local will take multiple photos of you and will use this handy mirror as a way to give that reflection effect on your photo and taddaaaaa you get a very Instagram worthy photo!! Also it is advised to tip these locals after taking the pic.  We gave 20,000IDR which is about $2.  Anyway, not to disappoint you on this info but regardless on the photo trick the view up there is indeed NOT photoshopped.  Too bad it was very cloudy that day that Mount Agung which was behind those clouds was not visible, as our tour guide said, “you can’t control mother nature.”  However, visiting this must see temple was a very spectacular experience.

 

• Tirta Gangga – former royal water palace in Eastern Bali

• Tukad Cepung waterfall

 

Getting to this waterfall was definitely a work out! It had lots of steep stairs so be ready for a hike.  But isn’t that how nature works? To get the good view you’ve got to work hard to get there first. And yes it was definitely worth it, although my whole body and definitely my legs were like jello by the next day, it was an experience I would never forget.

• Fly over the jungle and experience incredible views on a jungle swing

 

and of course, a trip to Bali is never complete without swinging through the beautiful vast jungle.  Yes, I am afraid of heights and almost chickened out but what a relief I didn’t! Also, this was the place where we learned about the “animal poop coffee”, which is also called Kopi luwak which is by the way one of the most expensive coffee beverages.  And yes, it is indeed made from animal poop.  We were showed how this process was done and of course we had to try a cup ourselves and surprisingly it was good, actually, not just good but BETTER! And that is culture for you!

Although this was a very short trip, this was also a very meaningful trip for us. Regardless of the length of our stay we definitely learned a lot about the world of Bali and its important culture and especially its wonderful people.  I am grateful to be able to see this wonderful country and has indeed have a special place in my heart.

Watch our video to see our adventures in Bali.

Reminder: All my travel itineraries are based on my own travel expectations. Of course, it’s up to you to omit or add more to it. I’m just here to hopefully be that stepping stone for those who simply seek suggestions.