Beautiful, Amazing, Lovely, Irresistible–that describes and spells out BALI! I left my heart in Bali so I went twice. Bali is a solo-travelers dream destination. The Balinese (Indonesian) people will take you in and you will feel like a relative visiting before your stay is done, I wholeheartedly mean this. As I reminisce on my time there, I honestly plan in my thoughts when I can get back.
My first visit to Bali I stayed in Ubud. Ubud is two hours out so if you plan to stay there be prepared for a long journey. Once again (in Dionne’s cell phone life), I arrived with no reception and was nervously teetering with my phone part of the ride but alas it finally kicked in. Indonesia does tap into our WIFI but because of the roads you initially travel you may or may not have reception right away. I was greeted by my driver Dewa and he was my driver the entire time I was in Ubud.
Ubud
Ubud, in my opinion, is the part of Bali namely if you want to, see the temples and shrines (there were
temples right in the neighborhood where I stayed) visit the Monkey Forest, elephant caves, yoga and bike ride in the rice paddies. Ubud is definitely more of the holistic part of Bali.
As mentioned, during my time there I was provided a driver by the resort as most destinations are not within walking distance. I stayed at http://senetan.villas and highly recommend this resort if you decide to stay further out. My accommodations were a one-bedroom villa with a private pool. The views were so awe-inspiring that just from reading this and seeing the pictures you are already booking your trip right?
Upon my arrival, they washed my feet because of my long journey. Senetan provided as mentioned a driver, private yoga lessons, masseuse and lots of serenity. My villa had a kitchen outside but in the villa (most people who know me know that was used just for a great photo-op ☺), along with my bathroom and shower being outside but in the villa.
Ubud is also known for its superb coffee and a visit to Bali Pulina Plantation www.balipulina.com is a must. The Luwak coffee history and scenery is one you will not forget. Once you finish your coffee you must head to the Monkey Forest to visit the monkeys.
The Balinese longed tail monkeys roam freely in the park and generally will not bother you unless you are
bearing a gift of bananas. If you do decide to feed them sometimes they jump right on your shoulders to become more acquainted with you ☺. When I left the Monkey Forest, there were monkeys outside of the park roaming like tourist it was quite hilarious.
Nusa Dua
If you go to Bali once you must go twice or even more times if you can. I generally plan two destinations and always check to make sure they are close. While in Singapore, I planned Bali once again! Don’t fall out when I tell you that a roundtrip ticket from Singapore to Bali is $128.00 and only a 2½-hour flight. Nusa
Dua is in the southern part of Bali and is known for its sandy beaches. It takes 40 minutes from the airport to where I stayed Hilton Bali Resort https://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/indonesia/hilton-bali-resort-DPSBAHI/index.html. If you are a solo traveler I highly recommend booking your ground transportation through the hotel.
The beauty of this part of Bali was my hotel sat on a cliff overlooking the water. The Hilton offered yoga, golf, horseback riding, snorkeling, and water skiing. Nusa Dua itself offers an
abundance of activities one being Water Blow which means you can watch the water erupt from the sea into the sky this rock formation is closest to the Grand Hyatt Hotel.
One of the more popular excursions is Serangan Island or Turtle Island. Oh yes, and monkeys are in this part of Bali too as one came right to my terrace door!
Luckily, I had just closed my door otherwise he would have happily come in and helped himself to whatever he wanted. He stayed at my door and gave me puppy eyes until I told him I couldn’t have company then he sadly jumped down to his next destination.
To treat yourself further a massage outside is a must if you decide to stay at the Hilton. Massages are
generally cheaper in Bali even at the resorts. I forgot where I was and fell asleep while I received mine. Hopefully, I wasn’t snoring.
Lastly, you can’t come this far without indulging in Chicken Satay (chicken skewers) or Nasi Goreng (Indonesian stir-fried rice) or a dessert of Pisang Goreng (banana fritters) YUMMY!
Let’s all pack our bags and head to Bali one of the most peaceful places on earth.
Pergi Dengan Damai (“Go In Peace”).
Travelers Tips:
Bali’s low season (when airfares are cheaper) is between April-June and high season July-January.
You do not need a Visa for Bali. Good travel pairings are Singapore (no visa), Sri Lanka (you will need a visa), Cambodia (you will need a visa), Vietnam (you will need a visa). I paired my
first trip with Kuala Lumpur and second trip with Singapore.
Do not be discouraged if you need to get a last-minute Visa most of the countries do VOA’s on arrival, however, if you go this route set it up before you arrive to alleviate your wait time. I HIGHLY recommend www.vietnam-evisa.org if you decide to go to Vietnam.
Resort transportation cost is not included in your accommodations cost. However, I strongly suggest if you travel solo you go through your resort.
The local currency is Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) 1 of our dollars is 13,000 IDR. I did not exchange but I did take American currency (singles) as I sometimes tip in our currency.
Again, don’t be discouraged by the long flight. A good airline will make you forget. My picks again Emirates, Cathay and Japan Airlines. These airlines provide 32-34 inches of legroom free. I stayed in Dubai overnight (once again through Emirates as they put you up). Take advantage of your overnight stay in Dubai. I did a Dubai night tour my first trip and layover to Bali.
Dionne Dickson is in the Legal Profession and the proud mother of three wonderful adult children. You can catch Dionne traveling the globe, dancing to a great song in an Instagram story or catching a spectacular sunset sipping wine somewhere magical on Instagram @imbizzie_traveling.
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