Bali Adventure Guide

Bernardo Faigenblat
Jan 10, 2023
4 min read

Updated: Apr 1, 2023

June 2022

I recently had the chance to visit Bali with a group of friends, and it was an unforgettable experience. From snorkeling to exploring ancient temples and playing with monkeys, Bali has something for everyone. In this post, I'll share some of my experiences and highlights of the trip.

Our first day in Bali was all about settling in and getting to know our villa. We stayed in a gorgeous villa with four rooms and an open concept living room and kitchen that faced a beautiful pool and garden. We had a group of four guys and four girls, and we were grateful that the girls had taken the initiative to plan our itinerary. After settling in, we headed out to Ling Ling's for dinner, where we enjoyed cocktails and delicious food. We called it an early night since we had to wake up at 4 am for our first full day in Bali.

The next day, we met our tour guide Iwayan, who took us to a jewelry making factory and the Batuan Temple. While the guys in our group were not interested in seeing yet another temple, the girls filled us in on the ancient artifacts found in recent archaeological digs.

We then headed to the Tegenungan Waterfall, where we swam for about 20 minutes and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. On our way back to the van, we bought coconuts to drink from and headed to the Ubud Monkey Forest.

As someone who had been bitten by a monkey when I was younger, I was a little apprehensive about the monkey forest. However, it was amazing to see the monkeys coexisting with humans, and there were moments when they even seemed to be having fun splashing around in a fountain.

After a delicious lunch at Cafe Lotus, we spent the rest of the day hanging out at our villa before heading to Boy'N'Cow for dinner. We enjoyed a variety of different dishes and had a great time before stopping by La Flavela for a night out.

The next day, we headed to Double Six Beach, where we hung out and took a dip in the water. We then headed to Finn's Beach Club, where we got a table in ankle-deep water and enjoyed discounted food and drinks during happy hour, the rest of the night was a blur.

On our last day in Bali, we woke up early to head to Nusa Penida Island for a snorkeling tour. It was an incredible experience to see the manta rays up close at Manta Ray Spot, and we even saw coral and sea anemones that looked like they were straight out of Finding Nemo.

Afterwards we went to a restaurant, I was blown away by the stunning view it offered. My stomach was growling from a busy morning, but the meal and the ambiance more than made up for it. Next, we visited Paluang Cliff, which had an absolutely breathtaking view, perfect for some memorable photos. After that, we headed to Crystal Beach to soak up some sun before boarding a ferry back to the mainland of Bali. Due to low tide, we had to walk quite far out into the water to board a smaller boat that took us to the bigger ferry.

After a tiring day, we were excited to have hired a private chef to cook for us that evening. We enjoyed a delicious dinner of chicken, fish in banana leaf, corn fritters, rice, and salad. The next day, we headed to Denpasar, another stunning part of the island. Thanks to my friends and family discount, we stayed at the Andaz Bali, where we spent the day on the beach sipping on lychee martinis and smoking hookah. That night, I went for a walk around the neighborhood, but unfortunately, everything was closed due to the dark and rainy weather.

The next morning, we had breakfast on the property before heading to the airport. However, we were in for a surprise when we were informed that we didn't have the necessary visas for our next destination. After much discussion, we decided to extend our trip for at least another week and got a great deal for three separate hotel rooms at Astagina Resort Villa and Spa. The hotel was just a couple of minutes' walk from the beach, making it a convenient location for us.

We spent the next few days relaxing by the hotel pool and soaking up the sun at the beach. We also made sure to revisit Finn's Beach Club, a personal favorite. At Seminyak Beach, we stumbled upon live local performances at night and ended up becoming friends with the performers. After a few drinks, we even performed in front of other tourists. It was one of the most memorable experiences of my life, stepping out of my comfort zone and feeling like I was on top of the world. There were plenty of food options in the area, making it the perfect spot to meet other travelers.

Overall, Bali had so much to offer, from stunning scenery to delicious food and plenty of activities to keep us entertained. Whether you're looking to relax or explore, Bali has something for everyone. Don't forget to check the visa requirements before booking your trip!

Our Villa Dinner by Private Chef