Tranquil and Peaceful Bali
Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan
There's a reason Travel & Leisure magazine voted this resort the #1 resort in the world in 2018. It was impeccably stunning! The landscape. The tranquility. The architecture. The service. It's unlike any other. Set along the Ayung River, guests can river raft to enter the resort. Or as we chose, we entered across the jungle bridge to the rooftop lotus pond. then we descended the wooden stairs to the open-air lobby. The landscape is made up of rice paddies where the resort can teach you how to farm for rice. Truly an incredible stay!
Ubud Temples
While Indonesia is a mostly Muslim country, the island of Bali is 86% Hindu. The beautiful temples are everywhere - from grand to small. Godly offerings line the streets and the smell of incense permeates the air. Balinese people pray multiple times per day and witnessing this beautiful act is peaceful and serene. Be careful not to step on their offerings. They usually have an incense burning, laid on the ground or sidewalk and have all kinds of offerings to the Gods including candies, flowers, etc.
Ubud, Rice Terraces and Luwak Coffee
We hired a private driver to take us around to some spots in Ubud. We first stopped at a Luwak sanctuary. These are the wild cats that eat and poop coffee beans for the most expensive coffee in the world. Don't knock it til you try it - it was delish! After we roasted some beans and had a tasting, we went to the stunning Tegalalong Rice Terraces. A must visit! They are expansive and you can wander throughout. I even bought a fresh coconut since I was thirsty.
Pura Tirtha Empul
This was one of the larger temple complex where you could do a purity cleansing ritual, see the natural and sacred spring pools or just enjoy the serene complex from 962 A.D.. There are purity rules for entering most temples - including one where women cannot be menstruating to enter. After a day exploring the temples and waterfalls, we took a wonderful yoga class at Yoga Barn in the center of Ubud. It was a great compound with many classes, a cafe and more.
Monkey Forest
Situated in the downtown area of Ubud, you can enter the sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary where monkeys roam free, causing mischief and living their lives. It is not fenced in so monkeys often make their way into downtown as well but don't worry, they stay up on the phone poles. I wouldn't bring in any food or where anything shiny (earrings, sunglasses, jewelry). They are sneaky buggers and will grab them for ransom. The guards wander with slingshots to keep the monkeys in check (not as cruel as it sounds).
W Seminyak
The entrance to the W Seminyak Bali brings you through this picturesque bamboo entry where I caught one of the BlueBird scooters at the perfect time. Seminyak is less jungle and more beachy/party vibes. And the W was certainly no exception with the Woo Bar. All rooms have ocean views. Our bathroom even had an automatic roof so you can shower under the stars!
Spring Spa
Another reason I absolutely love Bali are the many options for self care - facials, massages - are everywhere! And they are so affordable we alternated our 5 days in Seminyak with massages and facials every day. The Spring Spa was just outside the W hotel and they got to know us very well! Of course not all massages are created equal so look for a more upscale massage or spa like this one. Even then, they were only roughly $20 for a 60 min massage!
Balinese Food
We spent the days lounging by the pool, walking along the black sand beach or eating our way through Cafe Organic - a restaurant right outside the resort that features fresh, raw, organic foods, smoothies and coffees. Mostly Vegan but all vegetarian. We ate nearly all breakfasts and lunches here. The quality is top notch and also super easy on the wallet. Most meals when we went were no more than $5 each. Another restaurant we frequented for dinner was just a nice walk down the beach. It was a higher end restaurant called Seasalt and I highly recommend this! Fresh seafood, great cocktails and incredible Balinese sunsets to end your day.
Uluwatu
We were supposed to spend a few nights in Uluwatu but decided to stay at the W Seminyak and just do a day trip. We hired a BlueBird (Bali version of Uber) that took us down there and spent the day at Padang Padang beach. You have to hike down through a tight cave but the beach is serene and wasn't very crowder until later in the afternoon. If you're lucky, you can see monkeys on the cliffs.
A few more pics of amazing Bali
