Apart from my dad who came to this island on a quick business trip a decade ago, none of us had visited before. (Side note: if you are travelling around Asia, please do something right and fly Air Asia).
Our trip was for barely a handful of days so we chose to stay in the tourist-centric Legian, in a villa booked via AirBnb. While it needed a good repainting and the garden could have done with some tending to, the villa was spacious for our family of four, and serene as it was set a few streets away from the main strip.
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| Goa Gajah - The Elephant Cave Temple |
Besides the beach, Bali's main draw cards are the beautiful temples found everywhere on the predominantly Hindu island.
As one can expect, the real Bali is beyond the touristy Kuta/Seminyak/Legian area. So we hired a car with a tour guide/driver to explore the rest of the island.
Our travels coincided with the full moon, a significant day under the Buddhist and Hindu calendar (amongst others). Balinese are very pious - it's hard to miss shrines and altars everywhere you go. On extra auspicious days, the devout take the day off to pray and give offerings at the temple, as well as stay in traditional dress all day. So colourful and festive!
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| Pura Tirta Empul - temple with 12 purification fountains |
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| Tanah Lot temple - only accessible when the tide is low |
Culture and architecture aside, I was beside myself to be able to swap the cold NYC winter behind for some beach and ocean time.
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| Legian beach gate |
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| Anthropologie Cuilin Dress, Nine West zebra sandals (sim), Marc by Marc Jacobs Petal to the Metal, Ray Ban Aviators, Club Monaco necklace |
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| Anthropologie Stamp Art Dress |
Great photos! The cold and snow here is making me wish for a warm destination...but if I were there I'd probably be complaining about the heat. :P
ReplyDeleteAhh I did slather on the sunscreen but in all honesty would prefer a scorching day anytime!
DeleteI've never been to Bali but I've heard amazing things about it. In fact that's where my brother went for his honeymoon!! The Japanese love traveling to Bali!! And seeing your beautiful pictures I can tell why people love it and go back. Btw I love the Cullin Dress on you!! That dress is made to be worn under the pretty sunshine!!
ReplyDeleteIt is a wonderful honeymoon destination Sayaka - you should do a stopover on your way to Japan next time. Even the kids will love it!
DeleteThe Cullin dress is pretty cute isn't it - I can't wait for warmer weather to wear it again.
I've also never been to Bali but it looks beautiful from all the photos. In fact, I've never been to Asia! Hopefully I can make it there one day and dress as cute as you while I tour around. I love all of your pretty dresses :)
ReplyDeleteOh you have to fly over to Asia - perhaps in December this year? ;)
DeleteSuch beauty- the colours and textures and architecture...thanks for sharing these pictures! It must have been wonderful too, to live in an independent villa with your family rather than the hotel experience!
ReplyDeleteI love how the Cuilin dress adds some more green to the landscape!
Bali is so pretty - it's in a funny little situation being a very strong Hindu society in a very Islamic nation - I highly recommend paying a visit (on your way to Malaysia of course!)
DeleteAnd the AirBNB experience is certainly different and frankly much better in locations where hotels are more expensive than hotels! My only advice is to read reviews carefully - especially between the lines!
I was in Bali this jan on our honeymoon and had a blast ! We were at Puri Santrian in Sanur. Great place, perfect weather and wonderful locals. We made a point to explore the local cuisines & thanks to our driver were able to eat at several warungs. My only disappointment was how hard it was to find local cuisine. Italian cuisine has overtaken every restaurant which has a namesake Nasi Goreng on its menu :( The local beauty products are amazing .DId you have a chance to pick up any ?
ReplyDeleteCongratulations!! What a wonderful place to celebrate your new status as newlyweds! Sanur would have been a wonderful alternative to the craziness of Kuta so well done!
DeleteBeing Malaysian, we found it easier to convince our driver to take us to local spots. Having said that there were a lot more warung options where we were - perhaps that is a Sanur-specific situation? or the Balinese must really like pasta?!
Souvenirs wise - I bought a few pieces of Indonesian batik but didn't get any beauty products though. We did have massages every day on our trip - what a luxury that was! Do tell me what you purchased - I will keep an eye out for them the next time I am in the region!