Indonesia · Travel Recs

Tips

If you’re feeling adventurous, Bali is one of my favourite places to take GrabBikes. You have to be comfortable with the driver weaving through traffic and occasionally off-roading, but you feel so much more alive and present in your surroundings.

Accommodations

Bali is home to many affordable luxurious accommodations, and I loved renting this villa for a friend’s birthday (7 people). Infinity pool, butler service, and cozy beds. It’s remote, but it was well-worth the privacy and surrounding foliage.

Attractions

Uluwatu Temple

Scenic cliff-side temple with some great short trails. Excellent for monkey-watching; the staff on-site feed the monkeys with corn and sweet potatoes so they’ll be less likely to harass visitors, and that monkey buffet was quite fun to watch. Please be hyper-aware of your surroundings at all times though! Monkeys will steal your snacks, phones, watches, or your dad’s glasses (RIP).

Seminyak Beach

The most-beautiful sunset I’ve ever seen was at this beach. These photos are unedited, it was genuinely this colour. Nusa Dua Beach was also great for sunrise watching.

Mt Batur

Would recommend a sunrise hike here. It was a memorable moment to crest through the clouds and watch the sun rise above them. It is a moderately challenging hike; it took us 2 and a half hours to summit from base with a group.

Subak cooking class & Cooking class in ubud

Well-organized place for Balinese cooking classes. They prepare all of the equipment, spices, and ingredients for you ahead of time, and you help partially-complete 12 dishes. The end result was honestly just ok food, but the overall experience was enjoyable.

Food

Bread Yard

Beautifully-designed eatery resplendent with natural lighting and greenery. Loved the smoked salmon rosti; the crisp potato worked so well with the typical eggs benedict flavours. The danish brulée was also great.

Sisterfields

These pancakes were unreal. Topped with salted caramelized goats milk (cajeta) with puffed black rice and cashew crumble for texture.

Merah Putih

Gorgeous venue for elevated Indonesian cuisine. We enjoyed the braised beef cheek (terik sapi) and chargrilled fish fillet with mixed rice (ikan bakar nasi campur).

Kilo Kitchen Bali - Seminyak

The first time I came here while studying abroad, I was mind-blown. My expectations have since tempered, but Kilo’s still a great place for high-end Indonesian fusion. Favourite dishes are: crispy softshell crab with compressed watermelon, squid ink rice with crispy baby squid and garlic aioli, and cream of ebiko pasta with grilled tiger prawns.

Warung Babi Guling Sari Dewi Bp. Dobil

For a more affordable, authentic Balinese option, this spot was my favourite for crispy roast pork. Be prepared to sweat as it can be quite spicy and there’s no A/C, but it’s tasty!