I bet you’ve heard a lot about the fantastic island of Bali as it has become extremely popular nowadays. Its awe-spiring natural beauty, golden beaches, relaxed way of living and spiritual vibes were calling to many different people across the globe. And I was no exception.

Ever since I watched one of my favorite movies with Julia Roberts “Eat Pray Love”, I wanted to visit Bali and feel its unique incomparable mood. Besides, I have seen tons of picturesque and gorgeous photos from this island online and was literally tempted to go and check it out myself. Thankfully, my job allows me to work from any place in the world, so I thought why not change my usual working space to spend some time in Bali. Without further ado, my boyfriend and I packed our things and booked two airplane tickets on the next flight to Bali. This time planning a trip was the easiest thing to do with our new useful finding – Tripety travel planner. Using this app, we were able to manage all our expenses, organize activities, store documents and tickets and the list goes on. Highly recommend this travel planner app to keep all your journey details in order.

After several weeks spent in Bali, I have to say that this place is unlike any of the places I’ve been before and that’s saying a lot. It’s impossible not to be soaked in the island’s laid-back tropical atmosphere filled with exotic landscapes, friendly people and the variety of delicious food.

Now, I want to give you some useful tips and personal recommendations if you are considering taking a trip to Bali or simply don’t know where to go on your next trip. So, make yourself a cup of coffee (or better a smoothie) and let’s set off on a journey together!

Quick tips to prepare for your first journey to Bali

As a person who has had an experience of living in Bali for a little while, I would like to outline some of the essential things that may help you to prepare for your upcoming trip. Some of the following tips I realized only after staying in Bali for some time so I want to make your life a bit easier and prevent you from making the mistakes that we did.

So, first of all, it’s important to have travel insurance. Make it a rule to always draw up travel insurance wherever you go. You never know what may happen to you in the unknown exotic country – from stomach disorder to stolen things. As for us, we got sick during our stay and had terrible food poisoning (apparently thanks to the street food) and were unable to do anything for two days. Fortunately, we had travel insurance that covered all our medical expenses, so please don’t forget about this step while planning a trip in your travel planner app.

Secondly, be careful with Balinese crazy traffic. If you’re planning to rent a car or a bike, you have to pay maximum attention while driving as the locals prefer simply not to follow the traffic rules. Be constantly aware of what’s going around you, but what’s even better, don’t drive yourself and use taxi driving apps instead.

Thirdly, you should stay away from monkeys! This golden rule you must ALWAYS remember and never break. I know that these creatures may seem nice and cute at first sight, but believe me you don’t want to be attacked and robbed by them. When you see a group of monkeys, stay as far away as you can, and don’t wear too much jewelry and accessories as these things attract their attention a lot.

And, finally, take a bug repellent with you. There are lots of different bugs and mosquitoes in Bali, so the bug repellent is obviously one of the first things to add to your travel planner checklist. Still, I know that some people don’t take it on the trip which is a big mistake. Not only the mosquito’s bite is quite a displeasing and painful experience, but also these insects are the carriers of different serious diseases. So, please, put it inside your suitcase, once you’ve decided to go to Bali.

Variants of accommodation

You may find absolutely different types of accommodation on Bali, suitable for any wallet. Here I will tell you about the variants to choose from, so you could decide what’s best for your particular trip.

Hostels

If you are traveling on a budget and want to save on your accommodation, this variant may be perfect to you. The hostel is usually represented by a small guest house where you may rent a room or only a bed sharing a kitchen and bathroom with other people. It is the most affordable accommodation on the island that you may find and if you aren’t looking for a fancy place to stay, why not choose a nice-looking hostel close to the seashore?

Hotels

There are a great variety of hotels in Bali. From moderate and less-expensive to luxurious and gorgeous five-star ones. It’s only up to you and your travel budget planner what to choose. We lived in 2 different hotels during our journey and had a great experience living in both of them. I can highly recommend U Paasha Seminyak Bali in Seminyak town. Clean rooms, high-level services and excellent massage rooms were the best points for me in this hotel. Next was Ogix Cliff Paradise in Nusa Penida which captured our hearts with magnificently decorated rooms and lavishly green territory.

Villas

This was my favorite type of accommodation, to be honest. Of course, villas are pretty expensive, but they are totally worth it. We lived in a fantastic villa in Ubud and this was the best place to live in my whole life. I even had a crazy thought of buying one:) Just imagine, you are living in a beautiful wooden villa with a marvelous tropical interior design, private pool, exotic plants and delicious food brought directly to your house. Isn’t it a paradise?

Private rentals

You have an opportunity to rent a house directly from the locals and agree on the price that suits both sides. These types of accommodation are easy to find via Airbnb or Booking. So if you want to meet Balinese residents and feel that you may bargain a nice cost, go ahead. Still, you’d need to be careful and learn as much as you can before renting such a homestay.

Towns to stay in

During our two-week stay in Bali we’ve lived in four different towns that had their unique things to do and interesting places to visit. I’d like to share with you a short info about these towns and some interesting things to do if you decide to choose any of them to stay in.

Ubud

This nice town is a cultural centre of the island with an abundance of galleries, museums, temples and rice terraces. On top of that, Ubud has one of the best healthy food restaurants across Bali which is a big plus for vegetarians and vegans. There are plenty of reasons to put this place into your travel itinerary planner and here are some of them:

• Visit Ubud’s amazing attractions. Ubud offers a great number of interesting and exciting places to visit. First of all, I recommend visiting Puri Lukisan Museum. Here you can see the best art works from the whole island and dive deeper into peculiar Balinese culture. Next you should appreciate the beauty of the Taman Saraswati Temple. It is located in the most beautiful location possible surrounded by exotic green plants and a small pond with lotus flowers. The temple hit us with the gorgeous traditional Balinese architecture and marvelous carvings. Another exciting place to see in Ubud is Puri Saren Palace, simply known as Ubud Royal Palace. The palace is a great example of classical Balinese architecture and is still used by the Royal Family of Ubud. Plus, here you may see the dancing performances and know more about Ubud’s local traditions.
• Check out rice terraces. As you might’ve heard, rice terraces are one of the most beautiful and magnificent things to see on Bali and many people come to the island mainly to see them. They were created with a special technique (‘subak’) that helped to form a stair-like landscape. In addition to that, this is a great opportunity to learn more about rice planting and producing in Bali. We were visiting the Tegallalang Rice Terraces and remained extremely happy with our visit so don’t hesitate to include this place into your travel route planner.
• Have dinner at the finest restaurants. Ubud is said to have the best cafes and restaurants on the island and we can confirm that this is completely true. Firstly, be sure to visit Locavore restaurant, loved by many people across Indonesia. I was really impressed by the fusion dishes that were represented by a mix of local ingredients and European techniques of cooking. Also, you may check out Sari Organik restaurant which offers not only delicious healthy food, but also a breathtaking view of rice fields. Great vegan and organic meals can be found in Alchemy Cafe. What personally I liked most was a chia pudding and a carrot cake. Put any of them in the travel planner, and you won’t be mistaken.

Seminyak

We spent a fantastic time in Seminyak enjoying the beach, dining in nice seaside cafes and visiting various places of interest. Seminyak is loved by many for sports activities, ancient temples, buzzing nightlife, great shopping and art galleries. Take this place into account while planning a trip to Bali in your personal travel planner as you definitely won’t regret it!

• Go surfing and diving. Seminyak Beach has some decent waves and offers great opportunities for surfing. If you’ve never tried surfing, this beach is the right place to begin. Apart from that, there is a great scuba diving school in Seminyak with amazing teachers and diving lessons.
• Take yoga classes. Bali has a certain cult for yoga and healthy lifestyle in general. The whole atmosphere on this island inspires you to take some kind of sport and eat only organic food. So I decided that it would be nice to try yoga. I can say that this was a great experience and I really felt some positive energy and good vibes inside of me. If you have an opportunity to take yoga class in Bali, go ahead and include this activity to the Tripety travel planner!
• Relax visiting spas. Seminyak is famous for a huge diversity of spa centers with various procedures such as massages, waxing, facial and nail care and so on. I visited one of them called Bodyworks and was very satisfied with their high-quality work for a reasonable price. I’ve never felt so relaxed and renewed, so you should definitely check it out.

Nusa Penida

Nusa Penida is one of the Nusa Islands that are located near Bali. This is perhaps the most beautiful place we visited during our trip. If you are looking for picturesque scenery, splendid cliffs and waterfalls, welcome to Nusa Penida. This island worth being in your travel planner and here’s why:

• Visit Kelingking. This is a famous cliff which resembles a T-Rex shape in some way. Honestly, Kelingking was the reason why I wanted to come to Nusa Penida so much. You must have seen amazing photos from this place on Instagram and other social media platforms, so no wonder that it’s extremely popular. We climbed all the way down the stairs to reach the Kelingking Beach which took us almost an hour. Even though it wasn’t really safe and I won’t take a risk to recommend you doing it, this cozy beach was perfect and did feel like a small paradise.
• Take a look at the Peguyangan Waterfall. Another sight that impressed me a lot with its beauty and small number of tourists was the Peguyangan Waterfall. We took a hike down the blue stairs (which were way more secure than the Kelingking’s ones) and found ourselves close to a lovely waterfall and a temple. Needless to say, that the viewpoints during our descent were magnificent, you better go and see this with your own eyes.
• Swim with Manta Rays. Nusa Penida is also famous for its vast marine life. Being aware of that, we took a boat trip to Manta Point and tried swimming and snorkeling in the company of these amazing creatures. Don’t worry, it’s completely safe as Bali manta rays are not interested in humans at all and don’t have those poisonous tails. This was perhaps the most unusual and exciting experience which I’ll remember for the rest of my life and can definitely recommend if you are still hesitating.
• Check out Tembeling Natural Pool. Tembeling is concealed from most people’s eyes and can be reached only by scooter or motorcycle. This is a small natural pool, hidden in the forest, filled with beautiful turquoise water and a chill atmosphere. If you are looking for something completely unique and remote, plan a route to the Tembeling Natural Pool in the travel itinerary planner and you won’t regret it!

Spaces for co-working

Lots of people like me choose Bali not only as a travel destination, but also as a beautiful and exotic island to work in. Personally I got so inspired by the stunning views of lush greenery and magnificent ocean that worked even harder and effectively on Bali than I did back home. If you are a freelancer like me and want to try working from an amazing tropical place, then check out my personal list of the best co-working spaces I tried myself and can highly recommend.

Hubud

Located in the centre of Ubud, this place created a perfect working environment for freelancers and techies from all over the world. Hubud has a very nice and cozy interior made of bamboo and eco-friendly materials. Beside from a great cafe and lovely garden, this place provides accommodation and even different courses and coaching. It was really nice for me to be in the company of like-minded people and make new friends. If I have an opportunity, I’ll definitely come back here again.

The Onion Collective

Another great space in Ubud that I fell in love with was The Onion Collective. What I liked the most about it was its tranquil creative atmosphere. This place simply inspires you to create something new using your imagination. It also provides co-living opportunities and different facilities like pool, sauna, massage and many more. Also, the food was beyond top-notch! My favorites were banana pancakes and smoothie bowls. I can highly recommend you adding The Onion Collective into the travel planner while considering a working place in Bali.

Biliq

Biliq, situated in Seminyak, is considered to be one of the best co-working spaces in Bali. Its territory is very green and you can constantly enjoy the view of Balinese rice fields around you. Apart from open space it has separate offices, meeting and Skype rooms for your convenience. Co-living is also possible and you can use all the necessary facilities you want including the jogging track. If you are staying in Seminyak, then be sure to check this one out!

The time we spent on Bali was full of interesting events and unforgettable emotions. The outstanding Balinese landscapes, fantastic attractions and easy-going people are going to take a special place in my heart. Should you have an opportunity to come and hang around  on this magical island, use the best travel planner to organize a fantastic trip and enjoy every moment spent here.