I recently returned from the trip of a lifetime to Bali, one of the beautiful islands that make up Indonesia. I've never travelled so far East and so far away from home - 24 hours of travelling later, my boyfriend and I arrived in Denpasar airport. The 16 days we spent exploring Indonesia has positively affected the way I think, feel and look at the world. Thus, I thought I'd share this lil blog post pinpointing 10 of the many reasons I'd return to Bali. It's way more than just a pretty island you see on Instagram...
Carefree Nature
One of my favourite things about visiting Bali HAS to be everyone's carefree nature. ANYTHING GOES. The people were super lovely, everything is executed so effortlessly and no-one seems to worry about the little things I always find myself thinking about when in the UK. For instance, something as small as my skin breaking out would have caused me so much distress at home but when the long flight caused a spot eruption all over my face, I seemed to adapt to the nature of the Balinese and didn't give a F*CK! Their love and anxiety-free ways were super infectious, leaving me relaxed and pleasantly mindful after returning home.
Value
The most-asked question on my Instagram during my Bali trip was - 'how expensive is it to go?' Money seems to be the biggest query for anyone lusting to travel to Bali, and to your delight, you'll be happy to know that it is more affordable than you probably think! The flights are definitely the biggest expense - we paid roughly £700 at the beginning of September and I'm sure it reaches the £1000 mark in peak season - however, I believe if you're smart, buy tickets in advance and scope the web, you'll be able to pick up some reasonable flights along the way. Once you've saved for flights, you'll be able to head over to Bali in no time! The food, accommodation and everything in between can be done on a super low budget - many activities seem to be negotiable too on the island.
Versatility
When picking a holiday destination, you always think of a specific type of place or things you're looking for - e.g. a relaxing two weeks on the beach, a fun city break sightseeing or a bit of both. THIS IS A HUGE REASON I'D RETURN TO BALI. You can have all of your favourite types of holidays rolled into one - Ubud is ideal for visiting lots of interesting temples, Seminyak is perfect for party/nightlife and the Gili islands are sensational for that relaxation holiday of dreams. Bali is, for sure, the most versatile place I've ever visited and it's one of the reasons I'd recommend it over anywhere else I've travelled in the world.
The Food
Oh MY G O D. Balinese food is to die for - I always thought that the Instagram expectations would exceed the reality but WOW. You need to go, just for the food. I didn't realise how much I love Asian food until this trip; trying so many different dishes, exploring new textures and tastes was so fun! Aside from the delicious-ness, the presentation did not disappoint. Every place we visited, from the small family-run warungs to the tourist favourites, all the staff were pleasant and presented our food in the most extraordinary way. My favourite dishes had to be Nasi Goreng and the unreal variations of chicken skewers.
Community Feel
Something I adore about travelling and experiencing different cultures is discovering the majority of collectivist communities there are. I always find that the UK has a strong individualist community and is something I dislike and feel brings about bad personal traits. I love the idea of giving to the community and helping others who live around me. In Bali, I felt extremely welcomed and adored how everyone around you would smile, help and assist you. Something I found so lovely was the amount of people on the side of the roads helping you to cross safely when the traffic was super busy. This community feel just added to our stay and positively impacted our time on the island.
Coffee
Soooo this time last year I despised cof...coffe...I can't even say it. Bali grows some of the world's most incredibly tasting coffees and some amazing places surrounding Ubud offer the chance to visit their plantations, tasting what these family run businesses have to offer. I adored the Bali coffee and continued to drink it at many an opportunity throughout our trip. I'm not usually one to drink hot drinks in hot climates but Aidan and I felt like we couldn't resist! The best coffees we had were definitely at Coffee Cartel in Seminyak and B52 on Gili Air.
Consistent Weather
Yes to consistency. I love a bit of consistency in my life, especially when it comes to weather. The UK weather is soooo awful in summer in terms of consistency and you can NEVER rely on planning a sunny BBQ day with family or going for a picnic with your friends. My plans always seem to flop in England so knowing you're going to get amazingly consistent weather when you're on holiday is a DREAM. You can definitely count on Bali to stay sunny throughout your stay, if you're going September - December then you won't have to worry at all.
Nature
Being able to admire the different plants, animals and lots of species of flowers was something I thoroughly enjoyed during our time in Bali. Seeing new sights that I'm not used to is so special and I can honestly stare at sunsets and landscapes for hours. Breathing in the fresh air from the forests, watching the monkeys run around the sanctuary and getting to bathe in lots of beautifully smelling flowers on our spa day, just made me appreciate the diversity of Bali's nature. If you're a nature lover, or enjoy seeing new things, Bali is the place to go.
Location of Island
If you are a keen traveller, the location of Bali is ideal when hopping from one country to the next. In the near future, I'm hoping to go travelling all down the East of Asia, meaning heading back to Bali is definitely on the cards. A lot of travellers or people in Bali that we met or overheard were talking about how they'd just come from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand etc etc. I was super jealous of all of their travelling stories and couldn't stop thinking about the perfect location of the island. I'd also love to explore more of the Indonesian islands too.
Sustainability
Something I loved when travelling through Bali had to be the extreme care and passion when it came it sustainability. Most of the island seem to have gotten on board with reducing unnecessary plastic packaging, plastic straws, using sustainable resources when cooking and mainly using ethically sourced foods. It was so lovely being surrounded by people who wanted to spread awareness of the current stress on the environment and the negative impact human's are contributing to the atmosphere. I'm not saying Bali are 100% sustainable, as the amount of fumes from the mopeds/motorbikes is definitely not ideal, but they've made a huge effort to cut down on plastic usage and using locally sourced goods.
To check out my Bali food recommendations, the best hotels, things to do + the cost of travelling, check out my ULTIMATE BALI GUIDE VIDEO!!
Don't forget to check out my Bali vlogs too - here is my BALI PLAYLIST.
Have you ever visited Bali? What was your favourite part? Is it on your travel bucket list?
Lots of love
Carefree Nature
One of my favourite things about visiting Bali HAS to be everyone's carefree nature. ANYTHING GOES. The people were super lovely, everything is executed so effortlessly and no-one seems to worry about the little things I always find myself thinking about when in the UK. For instance, something as small as my skin breaking out would have caused me so much distress at home but when the long flight caused a spot eruption all over my face, I seemed to adapt to the nature of the Balinese and didn't give a F*CK! Their love and anxiety-free ways were super infectious, leaving me relaxed and pleasantly mindful after returning home.
Value
The most-asked question on my Instagram during my Bali trip was - 'how expensive is it to go?' Money seems to be the biggest query for anyone lusting to travel to Bali, and to your delight, you'll be happy to know that it is more affordable than you probably think! The flights are definitely the biggest expense - we paid roughly £700 at the beginning of September and I'm sure it reaches the £1000 mark in peak season - however, I believe if you're smart, buy tickets in advance and scope the web, you'll be able to pick up some reasonable flights along the way. Once you've saved for flights, you'll be able to head over to Bali in no time! The food, accommodation and everything in between can be done on a super low budget - many activities seem to be negotiable too on the island.
Versatility
When picking a holiday destination, you always think of a specific type of place or things you're looking for - e.g. a relaxing two weeks on the beach, a fun city break sightseeing or a bit of both. THIS IS A HUGE REASON I'D RETURN TO BALI. You can have all of your favourite types of holidays rolled into one - Ubud is ideal for visiting lots of interesting temples, Seminyak is perfect for party/nightlife and the Gili islands are sensational for that relaxation holiday of dreams. Bali is, for sure, the most versatile place I've ever visited and it's one of the reasons I'd recommend it over anywhere else I've travelled in the world.
The Food
Oh MY G O D. Balinese food is to die for - I always thought that the Instagram expectations would exceed the reality but WOW. You need to go, just for the food. I didn't realise how much I love Asian food until this trip; trying so many different dishes, exploring new textures and tastes was so fun! Aside from the delicious-ness, the presentation did not disappoint. Every place we visited, from the small family-run warungs to the tourist favourites, all the staff were pleasant and presented our food in the most extraordinary way. My favourite dishes had to be Nasi Goreng and the unreal variations of chicken skewers.
Community Feel
Something I adore about travelling and experiencing different cultures is discovering the majority of collectivist communities there are. I always find that the UK has a strong individualist community and is something I dislike and feel brings about bad personal traits. I love the idea of giving to the community and helping others who live around me. In Bali, I felt extremely welcomed and adored how everyone around you would smile, help and assist you. Something I found so lovely was the amount of people on the side of the roads helping you to cross safely when the traffic was super busy. This community feel just added to our stay and positively impacted our time on the island.
Coffee
Soooo this time last year I despised cof...coffe...I can't even say it. Bali grows some of the world's most incredibly tasting coffees and some amazing places surrounding Ubud offer the chance to visit their plantations, tasting what these family run businesses have to offer. I adored the Bali coffee and continued to drink it at many an opportunity throughout our trip. I'm not usually one to drink hot drinks in hot climates but Aidan and I felt like we couldn't resist! The best coffees we had were definitely at Coffee Cartel in Seminyak and B52 on Gili Air.
Consistent Weather
Yes to consistency. I love a bit of consistency in my life, especially when it comes to weather. The UK weather is soooo awful in summer in terms of consistency and you can NEVER rely on planning a sunny BBQ day with family or going for a picnic with your friends. My plans always seem to flop in England so knowing you're going to get amazingly consistent weather when you're on holiday is a DREAM. You can definitely count on Bali to stay sunny throughout your stay, if you're going September - December then you won't have to worry at all.
Nature
Being able to admire the different plants, animals and lots of species of flowers was something I thoroughly enjoyed during our time in Bali. Seeing new sights that I'm not used to is so special and I can honestly stare at sunsets and landscapes for hours. Breathing in the fresh air from the forests, watching the monkeys run around the sanctuary and getting to bathe in lots of beautifully smelling flowers on our spa day, just made me appreciate the diversity of Bali's nature. If you're a nature lover, or enjoy seeing new things, Bali is the place to go.
Location of Island
If you are a keen traveller, the location of Bali is ideal when hopping from one country to the next. In the near future, I'm hoping to go travelling all down the East of Asia, meaning heading back to Bali is definitely on the cards. A lot of travellers or people in Bali that we met or overheard were talking about how they'd just come from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand etc etc. I was super jealous of all of their travelling stories and couldn't stop thinking about the perfect location of the island. I'd also love to explore more of the Indonesian islands too.
Sustainability
Something I loved when travelling through Bali had to be the extreme care and passion when it came it sustainability. Most of the island seem to have gotten on board with reducing unnecessary plastic packaging, plastic straws, using sustainable resources when cooking and mainly using ethically sourced foods. It was so lovely being surrounded by people who wanted to spread awareness of the current stress on the environment and the negative impact human's are contributing to the atmosphere. I'm not saying Bali are 100% sustainable, as the amount of fumes from the mopeds/motorbikes is definitely not ideal, but they've made a huge effort to cut down on plastic usage and using locally sourced goods.
To check out my Bali food recommendations, the best hotels, things to do + the cost of travelling, check out my ULTIMATE BALI GUIDE VIDEO!!
Don't forget to check out my Bali vlogs too - here is my BALI PLAYLIST.
Have you ever visited Bali? What was your favourite part? Is it on your travel bucket list?
Lots of love
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