Bali Baby

When looking for somewhere to go for our summer travels, we didn’t really know where to start. We have so many places on our list, it seemed to be an impossible decision. After much deliberation and research into flights, we settled on Indonesia, more specifically Bali and the Gili Islands- Gili Trawangan and Gili Air.

Best.

Decision.

Ever.

 

We arrived in Bali on 15th June and spent one night in Kuta (very interesting!) before transferring to our week-long yoga retreat in a local village near to the city of Tabanan. We didn’t really know what to expect but when we arrived at Bali Green Retreat we were welcomed with open arms by Ketut, Heni and their family.

Bali Green Yoga Retreat, Tabanan

• Black Sand Beach Yoga session: Amazing and unique beach near Tabanan City that we visited for our yoga class.

• Daily meditation and yoga classes: Each day we took part in morning and afternoon meditation. I definitely recommend trying this, it is very calming and peaceful.

• Visit Tanah Lot Temple: A big tourist destination and very busy but still worth a visit, it is quite a sight at sunset, great photo opportunity. I recommend heading up the hill and having a drink/ snack whilst looking down on Tanna lot as around the temple itself gets crazy busy.

• Amazing delicious balinese food: We were cooked for by the local family that ran the place we stayed at and it was amazing.
• Visiting a local waterfall: There are a lot of beautiful waterfalls around Bali, the one we visited was close to Tabanan and there were no tourists here only local people.

• Visit to the Shaman: Whilst we were on our retreat we had the opportunity to visit the local Shaman (Village Holy man) at his home. We were blessed by him and had the opportunity to ask any profound questions we had. An enlightening experience indeed!

• Balinese cultural activities: We visited local villagers and they showed us how to make offerings, coconut oil and medicine. We even had a balinese language lesson!

Our next stop was Ubud. We LOVED Ubud. It was a huge change from the quiet, very local village we had been staying in near Tabanan but great nonetheless. It is a busy, fairly touristy place which has a great vibe about it. There are a variety of restaurants and cafes including many vegan and vegetarian options. Ubud is also full of yoga studios, so plenty of places to brush up on your skills.

Ubud:

• Yoga Barn: Amazing food- tons of vegan and vegetarian options as well as ayurvedic juices, smoothies and meals. Also a Yoga, pilates, meditation and dance class hub- very cool vibe!
• Farung Warung Bale:  The concept here is fab. It is a very cool restaurant where you can have a delicious meal and all the profits go to charity, they also have a donation menu so as well as having lunch or dinner you can contribute to the charity by buying vaccinations, medical supplies, clothes etc. Worth a visit!
• Rice fields Walk: A narrow track through the rice fields- no cars allowed so you only have to watch out for the Mopeds. A relaxed stroll and plenty of food and coffee places to re-energize. There is also a couple of handicraft stools along the walk.

• Mount Batur Sunrise climb: Really good experience, not the easiest of climbs but worth it for the views- weather permitting of course!

• Bali Swing and rice fields: Fun, touristy things to do for adrenaline seekers. A different way to get a great view of the rice fields.

 

• Campuhan Ridge Walk: A good way of getting away from the hustle and bustle and tourists of the main streets of Ubud. Great views of lush green landscapes.

 

• The Green School Bali: A must see if you are an educator or just interested in sustainability.

 

We did so much within these three weeks, we didn’t want to cram too much into one post. Next week is all about our trip to the Gili Islands and Seminyak.

Have you been to any of these places or anywhere else in Bali?