Escape to Bali 2018: 5-Day Travel Guide

We flew Air Asia on our recent Bali trip — the main intention of which was to have our prenup photoshoot, and explore the other islands of Bali.

Bali is easily our (Klentz and I) favorite vacation place. It has a little bit of everything that satisfies us both – instagrammable spots for me, chill spots for Klentz; vegetarian food for me, satisfying comfort food for him; yoga for both of us and beach clubs with affordable cocktails. And to top it all, spacious cozy villas everywhere!

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Don’t miss the following restaurants / hang out places

SEMINYAK AREA

1. Motel Mexicola
2. La Favela Seminyak
3. Sisterfields Cafe
4. Potato Head Beach Club
5. Nalu Bowls / Shelter Cafe
6. Italian Job

CANGGU AREA

1. La Brisa
2. The Lawn Canggu
3. Old Man Canggu

UBUD

1. Milk & Madu
2. Tukies – best coconut ice cream
3. Nomad Cafe
4. Sukawati Art Market – less touristy tiangge where you can purchase local art and Bali rattan bags
5. Ubud Traditional Art Market
6. Bambu Indah Eco Resort – Best vegetarian meal I’ve tried! Get their Broccoli and Goat Cheese Salad and Nasi Campur. Access their menu here
7. Bali Swing
8. Bebek Joni Restaurant – house specialty: roasted duck with rice terrace view

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Where we stayed

We booked all our accommodations on Airbnb at a very affordable price. Total for 5 nights: Php 20,260 (includes fresh towels daily, excludes breakfast)

[UBUD] Villa Madella

The villa manager, Okta, was very helpful with car rental booking and airport pickups. We were on Whatsapp a month prior to our flight so we can coordinate on schedules. We felt very welcome even if our flight from Manila arrived late in the evening. I give them five stars — highly recommend staying with them!

[SEMINYAK] Valka Villa

We chose Valka Villa not only because of its affordability at only Php 1780 per night, but also because of its strategic location. Located in a small alley in central Seminyak, it is only a 3-5 minute walk from Nalu Bowls and local souvenir shops, and a 10-minute walk from Jl Sunset Road (main highway).

Sample 5-Day Itinerary

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Nusa Penida

Where else to go, you ask? Why not try island hopping to the neighboring Nusa islands – Penida, Ceningan, or Lembongan? You’ll need at least a day for each. For this trip we opted for the biggest island,  Nusa Penida.

Nusa Penida offers some of the most breathtaking rock formations I’ve seen in my life! It is a developing island so major roads are still being constructed. The car ride was pretty bumpy and it can take over an hour to go from one point to another, so make sure you have your paracetamol with you in case you get an intense headache from the ride.

Kidding aside, we booked our private day tour with Instagram account @nusapenidatrip, which includes hotel pickup and dropoff from Bali, packed lunch, boat transfers, and a local driver / guide.

Transportation

Read about transportation guide post here

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Tips on Changing Money

Don’t be fooled by the very high FOREX rates for Indonesian Rupiah! Only change money at authorized stores and double check your money before leaving. This is from our personal experience. Because we badly wanted to maximize the exchange rate, we ALMOST got scammed.

How to spot one an authorized money changer? Check that they have the following:

• Storefront signage with proper shopfront or kiosk
• Electronic display of rates (some have these)
• Official or acknowledgement receipt
• Located along main street, not in narrow/dark alleys
  

If the rate is unusually high and the staff look shady without proper store front and/or uniform, then most probably they will scam you. I’m not even kidding!

We went to this one place in Seminyak where we got enticed by the signage outside that looked legit and had a high rate of 14999 USD to IDR conversion (versus the 14375 of others)– refer to the photo on the left above. However, the catch was we were asked to walk farther from the main road, to an inner lane where a small white cottage was strategically located.

Then the horrible thing happened! These people tried to trick us by counting the money several times (at first they’ll let you know that it is the correct amount), portioning it to several millions of Rupiah to confuse you, recounting the bills twice and thrice, then keeping some of the bills in a hidden drawer under the main counter, to short-change you with the final amount. They do everything so fast you’ll barely notice it! Good thing my fiancé had quick reflex and shouted “Hey, you hid our money!” so they returned our USD back and walked away. This is a true story and sadly it is a trick they get away with other tourists as a way to compensate themselves for the fairly high rate.

It is a sad truth that there are people who take advantage of tourists in a lovely place such as Bali. But I guess that comes with traveling, even in Europe! As a tourist, always be alert and aware of your surroundings! Never trust anyone, especially with money matters.

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I hope this serves as a useful guide for your next trip in Bali! I am excited for your adventure! Share your own personal experience by posting comments or sending me a direct message.