All posts tagged: Bali

Climbing Mount Batur in Ubud, Bali

Climbing Mt. Batur in Ubud was such a great experience; at the time I couldn’t be bothered (you have to set off around 2am) but once I got to the top it was so worth it. Myself, my housemate Sinead, my friend and fellow blogger Lulu and her boyfriend Will all climbed together. We paid around £20 each after a little bit of haggling, but I met someone who paid less (and many who paid more). Mount Batur is a proper tourist trap, there are people bussed in in their hundreds. So you’ll be part of a big group ascending in the dark. We were assigned a guide, there’s one guide for about six people, and given torches. My torch didn’t actually work, and they didn’t replace it, so I was climbing in the dark… fun! The climb up isn’t hard but it’s difficult because it’s pitch black and also the volcanic rock is quite loose – I definitely slipped a few times. Having a little group of us meant we kept morale up and we …

What I Wore: Bali Edition

On holiday my style gets way more colourful and outlandish – in London I feel as though you get funny looks if you go brighter than navy. I’ll often be the most colourful person n the tube, wearing cobalt or red in a sea of grey. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking neutrals, my work wardrobe is mainly black, white, nude and navy. And it works. But when you’re in vaycay mode anything goes and you can just have way more fun with fashion. Last time I went to Bali, my main lament was that I just didn’t bring enough bikinis, so this year I brought about 10… which may have been too many but whatever, I loved them all. I got one special (read: expensive) bikini from independent label Just Sauced, a few cheap sale styles for ASOS and some sporty bikinis from Topshop. H&M are also failproof for swimwear. My body shape doesn’t suit one pieces as my stomach is basically my least-fat body part, so why am I going to cover …

Pretty Poison, Canggu Review

I bloody loved Canngu (read my Canggu travel guide HERE) and I’m already planning on visiting again. One of the highlights of my time there was Pretty Poison. An awesome California-style skate bar and club on the edge of a rice field. My boyfriend and I drove there on our bikes, parked up and went in. We arrived around 7.30pm so it was super quiet – everything in Bali gets busy much later. I’m glad that we arrived so early though, as it meant we could see the place properly and we had time to get a tattoo before it got too busy. Getting the tattoo was a great experience, they used all the proper sealed and sanitised equipment but it was super-relaxed. I was having a beer and listening to hip hip – it doesn’t get any better. A small tat will set you back about £15. We visited on the hip hop night which saw classic tunes being spun back-to-back by local DJs as well as a live MC battle and live graffiti. …

Uluwatu Travel Guide 

I only spent two days in Uluwatu, Bali but I really enjoyed my time there. The scenery really is stunning and there’s a lot of beautiful Cliffside views and places to watch the sun go down over the ocean. GETTING AROUND The first thing to mention about Uluwatu is that this is not a walking spot. Most places are pretty spread out and the roads don’t have sidewalks, or streetlights – and due to the hilly topography of the area, the roads are super winding. So I would not recommend walking anywhere for your own safety. To get around, like most places in Bali, hire a scooter – they’re really cheap and make getting around so easy. I can’t drive (at all) but they’re super-easy to get the hang of. Just drive slow and wear a helmet and you’ll be fine. My housemate who I was travelling chose not to ride a bike for personal reasons and found that taxis were VERY expensive here (around £6 for a 5-minute journey which is ten times the …

Gili Teak Boutique Resort, Gili T. Review

  I’m usually very much a budget traveller – I’m happy enough to be in the sun and not working. But I do love a good hotel (read my hotel reviews HERE). So while in Indonesia this year I thought I’d treat my boyfriend and I to a chi chi place in Gili Trawangan. My friends Grace and Sean put me on to this place, so thanks guys. Gili Teak resort is on the quite side of Gili T. – and island known for its parties and as the rowdier sister to Gili Air and Gili Meno. I love Gili T. and the fact it’s busy and you can party on a night, but there is a quiet part, so you get the best of both worlds. After getting off the boat from Bali, the heavens opened and there was a huuuuge tropical thunderstorm, which made the 20 minute walk to the hotel from the boat more like 40 minutes. And I was terrified I was going to get struck by lightening – not to …

The Cool Canggu Travel Guide

  My first time in Canggu [pronounced chan-goo], Bali was such a blast. You know when you arrive somewhere and just instantly love the vibe. It’s definitely a more western part of Bali, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing – especially when the western bits are all the good parts I like from back home. There a surfer vibe, of course, being that the beach is supposedly home to some of the raddest waves (am I using that term correctly?) in Indonesia. Also there are lots of super cool clubs and bars to party at. Overall the vibe is super-chilled but there’s loads to go as well.   GETTING AROUND Canggu is a little more spread out than some places in Bali, so travelling on foot, especially at night isn’t a good option – like most of Bali, there are no sidewalks. Renting a scooter is the best option, you can usually do this for £2-4 a day, and petrol is a pittance (£1-2 a week). The taxis here are good too – reliable …

JungleFish, Ubud Bali Review

*WARNING* Overzealous use of superlatives, hyperbole and general gushing in this article. Sorry in advance. Jungle Fish is a bar/restaurant in the middle of the jungle which features a breathtaking infinity pool. Words and pictures can do this place no justice, but let me say this; my friend Amanda had tears of joy/awe in her eyes when we arrived. It’s that magical. Surprisingly it’s not that well known I don’t think, after speaking with people here in Bali it’s definitely still under the radar. My Tinder habit/addiction came through once again as it was a potential date who told me about this place. Seriously I get so many travel tips from Tinder – even if you’re not single it’s worth using it for that. You have to spend 150,000 Rupiah minimum to use the Jungle Fish pool, but that’s only about £8. My friends and I spent an afternoon there enjoying their sublime food, fluffy towels, excellent service and out-of-this-world cocktails. Happy hour is from 4pm to 7pm and gets you 40% off drinks; try …

Seminayk, Bali

Seminyak was my least favourite place in Bali, it was just soulless, dull and boring. Full of resorts with an ugly beach and little to no nightlife. Plus it was full of traffic, quite urban and built up and had no natural beauty. But I was recommended this place by many people so I went, WTF they were thinking I know not, but I gave it a crack. I’d recommend you skip Seminyak but if you have to see it for yourself don’t spend longer than a coupe of days there. Stay Capsule Hotel which is actually a hostel is amazing, there’s huge common area and bar, roof terrace and movie room. There are dorms but my friends and I styed in a private room for 5 people which was split level with the comfiest beds ever. It was like staying in a New York loft. Despite the impressive facilities and nice staff (hi Neil) the hostel didn’t really do it for me. I got the sense it was massively overcompensating for the location which …