Destination Bali.💖

Gorgeous beaches, live rock music, exotic food, and scenic views, isn't that the literal definition of a perfect summer getaway? If you're looking for a place to relax and unwind, yet have some heart-stopping adventure at the same time, then Bali is the place for you! It's an experience in itself, a paradise where tourists arrive from all over the world to mix in with the vibe and street shop until they drop. So grab your sunglasses and strap on as I take you through our 4-day trip to Bali; with exclusive content and tips!

Day 1- Oct 22/Oct 23

On 22nd Oct, we had our flight at 11:30 pm. It was a five-and-a-half-hour flight to Malaysia, from where we had to switch flights and again sit for a good three hours before we finally reached the airport at Denpasar, Bali. We were staying at the Kuta Beach Heritage, which was, all in all, quite a good place. By the time we checked in, it was already 4 pm. We were exhausted so we slept for a bit. Since we didn't have much planned for the day, we decided to explore the vicinity. Our hotel was located in a top-notch tourist destination. Surrounded by restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and even a mall, there was just too much to do! Finally, we settled for an early dinner at Rosso Vivo, a small outdoor restaurant that served the most exotic platter of seafood that I'd ever tasted. After having our amazing dinner, we walked around a bit, just exploring. Before we knew it, we were at this place called 69Bar, where a live band was playing. The band was amazingly awesome and the lead singers, Stephanie and Brown were the greatest! When we told them how good they were, they actually invited us to sing with them on stage! It was a surreal experience, and as a mega-fan of music; one I will never forget. Reluctantly we left there around midnight only to arrive at a dessert shop, FlapJacks. The dessert we had there was just big and covered with chocolate; it was perfect! We finally arrived at the hotel, a little past midnight; exhausted like anything, but so ready for Bali.

Day 2- Oct 23

The second day was entirely dedicated to water sports. We left the hotel at around 10 am after breakfast, and from there it was a twenty-minute ride to a place called Nusa Dua, where we were going to spend our day. Most of the water sports were a part of our package so we didn't have to waste much time hassling with the guides. We started off with the Banana Boat and the Flying Fish, both being extremely fun and easy, without much "danger". But the third ride was the Jet Ski, which in my opinion, was the best part of the entire trip! Initially, the guide would drive the ski with us holding on to it, but after you cross a certain area, they let you drive it which is just amazing!

A tip: the faster you go, the easier it is to handle the ski.

After jet skiing two times we were ready to go parasailing but unfortunately, it started drizzling. But that's when the good-natured Indonesians stepped in and invited us for a game of volleyball. Before we knew it, all of us were absorbed in a spirited game of India VS Indonesia! One thing I loved the most about Bali was that the people there are VERY friendly and they will do everything in their power to make you feel welcome. After almost one hour of playing volleyball did the rain finally stop and we were able to go parasailing which too like its predecessors, was an experience in itself. We washed up and changed over there and at around five we ate our lunch at an Australian hotel while our parents hit the street shops. However, it AGAIN started raining after an hour or so, so we had to cut our shopping short and head back to the hotel. By the time we arrived, all of us were dead tired. In the evening, we kids preferred to stay at the hotel while the elders got a taste of the electrifying nightlife of Bali.

But suffice it to say, it was a day I'd never forget.

Day 3- Oct 24

Day three for us was a deep dive into Bali's renowned culture and heritage. You'd notice that there are no temples included in this trip because exploring each and every temple of Bali along with all the other sights would take you more than a day and honestly, our interests were lying somewhere else ;)

Our first stop was supposed to be the Kintamani Volcano but before that, we were distracted by a gold and silver jewelry shop. One thing you will notice in Bali is that outside each and every jewelry store, there would be people, mainly women, sitting there and arranging intricate pieces of jewelry to make a variety of designs and then adding color to it with the help of natural colors. All of the silver jewelry there is made by these people and you can clearly see the amount of time as well as dedication they put into it. After buying some souvenirs we resumed our journey to the volcano. Unfortunately, after some time it started raining heavily which very much dampened our mood. By the time we reached the volcano, only a silhouette of it was visible as a major portion was hidden amongst the fog and clouds. On top of that, the weather completely did a one-eighty and before we knew it, we were shivering in our clothes. After having our lunch at the volcano site, we started off toward the famed coffee plantations of Bali.

For those of you who don't know this, Indonesia is worldwide famous for the exquisite coffee that it grows and manufactures. Our tour of the coffee plantation was quite interesting in many ways than one. The guide was very sweet and tried to converse with us in the minimal Hindi she knew. We came to learn (and see) that the world's most expensive coffee is made from animal poop, namely Luwak poop. There were people inside the coffee plantations who were roasting the coffee, grinding it, and basically creating magic from their hands. Later on, we were made to taste about twelve different kinds of coffee out of which I personally adored the Vanilla flavor more than anything else (which I'm currently drinking now ;)

After the coffee plantation, our next stop was the Ubud and Celuk villages, famous for their gold and silver jewelry along with beautiful wooden carvings. The moment we reached the village we were surrounded by shops on both sides, overflowing with gorgeous wood carvings, both big and small. We met some locals there and they were kind enough to let us click pictures with them. As I mentioned before, the people there are so good! Leaving the village, our last destination of the day was the Tegenungan Waterfall, famous for its unparalleled beauty. However, when we reached there at around six-thirty, it had already closed :(

Yet there was a long staircase that enabled us to go at least near the waterfall and that's when we discovered that there was a small vibey hotel cum bar called Omma right beside the waterfall which was just the perfect place for dinner. It was an amazing place, with lovely décor, chill music, refreshing drinks, and a waterfall for a view...it was perfect. After a decadent dinner, we finally arrived at our hotel at around 10 pm, exhausted more than anything. It had been an unforgettable day, albeit a tiring one.

Day 4- Oct 25

By day four, we had lost all that initial excitement and were just...sleepy. We were made to wake up at the ungodly hour of 5:30 am, and then by 7:00, we had to be at the boat because today...we were going to Nusa Penida for snorkeling. The speed boat ride to the island was just twenty minutes long but my word was it amazing! After arriving at Nusa Penida the plan was to visit a couple of "Instagram destinations", have lunch, and then head to the main beach for snorkeling. We quickly decided to cover Angel Billabong and Broken Beach as they were literally beside each other. Both were gorgeous destinations and you must visit them at least once. These are the areas left untouched by man and you can clearly make out the vast expanse of God's creation. After visiting these spots and having our lunch, we finally arrived at Crystal Bay for snorkeling. At first, we kids just played and jumped around in the water because it was unrealistically clean and the waves were huge! Finally, it was time for us to do the much-awaited activity of the day; SNORKELING! Now I personally had never done snorkeling or scuba before this so I had quite an...experience. So, let me tell you about the whole drama that took place when I first tried snorkeling.

The guide was taking us three at a time; my best friend and I, along with her dad were together. So for those of you who don't know this, they make you wear a stupid head-gear kind of thing that helps you breathe through your mouth and not your nose. My best friend and her dad had some experience in wearing and adjusting that gear whereas I had none. So, naturally, I had trouble with the gear and water ended up going in my mouth over and over again which just frustrated me even more. Initially, all three of us along with the guide were together; not very far from the shore but still quite at a distance. From there you could see the very tiny black and yellow fishes swimming around and the moment we would see them, my friend and I would come up and laugh for some reason...little did we know we weren't supposed to take off our gear. Now what happens is that when you swim with your head under the water and use your gear inappropriately while being a one-hundred percent novice, water starts getting into your mouth; really fast. You start panicking and try to come up in that situation but the more you fight against the water, the more the waves start pushing you. That's exactly what happened to me, I started panicking and somehow broke through the water only to realize...I was alone. The guide had gone off somewhere with my friend's father and she had apparently disappeared into thin air! That's when I started really freaking out. Only about ten seconds shy of a heart attack did I see my friend slowly making her way toward me. I somehow told her that I'd had enough of it and was so mad at the guide I decided to swim back to the shore...which was quite hard :'')

When I finally reached back to the shore (thankfully, alive) I literally threw off my gear and swore I'd never come to the sea again (I know, dramatic but true). The guide had left the both of us in the middle of nowhere and gone with my friend's dad because he had realized it was hard to manage three people in the deep ocean. Only after a lot of encouragement and motivation (mainly FOMO, though) did I again go in the water, along with the guide and he took me into the deeper part of the ocean.

But man, it was worth it! I saw a water snake, a big stingray, and hundreds of beautiful corals! Pink, yellow, red...each and every color of coral was present there...and among them were tiny black, yellow, and red fishes which would just appear out of nowhere! One small one actually got stuck on my goggles before I had to pry it off; it was amazing!

After changing and showering there we returned back to the speed boat at around 4:00 pm and then just street shopped for a while before heading back to the hotel. Our trip to Bali had officially ended. Although with many ups and downs, this entire vacation was a surreal experience and to date, my most memorable one. The people, the food, the places, and the memories will always hold a special place in my heart. Bali will always hold a special place in my heart ;)

Tips:

1. Don't expect to get free water at any place in Bali. Always carry a water bottle or get ready to empty out your pockets; because it's expensive.

2. Most Indonesians understand minimum English only. So, instead of talking in sentences, try to emphasize the important words...this will help reduce the language barriers that you will experience once you get there.

3. The people there are very hard-working and friendly, so try not to disrespect them by doing anything hurtful.

4. Don't bring too many clothes; street shop as much as you can because believe it or not, it's worth it! Also, put your bargaining skills to use here!