Aussies love Bali, we have for years. So close to home and such a gorgeous place Australians either love it or hate it.
Some of them seem to think it is "scummy" but i bet they've never been, and if they have they let one bad experience ruin it for them because it is just an amazing place.
I spent just over two weeks there last December/January and i truly did not want to leave. The beautiful scenery, the beautiful people and the amazing activities i got to take part in truly made it an experience to remember, and all for a fraction of the cost of most overseas trips.
One of my favorite things about Bali (one of my favorite things about life really) are the animals. I especially came to love the monkeys, even the aggressive ones haha.
This cute little fella had his johnson on display for the world but he was still so fkn adorable. The monkeys there are cheeky little buggers and if you go to the monkey forest you need to be wary of them stealing your stuff.
The first hotel we stayed at was literally next door to the monkey forest and as such they hung out all around the hotel, in the entrance at the pool, on the balconies...
cheeky fuckers stole a pair of my underwear...
For the most part though they were pretty chill, all they really wanted from you was food but if you give them any they won't leave you alone. I gave them lots...
The first hotel we stayed at was amazing, the staff were lovely and accommodating and the facilities were spectacular. Located in Ubud right on the main street, it was close to all the shopping and most of the activities we wanted to do.
There were 2 large pools to choose from, an all you can eat buffet with delicious food and 2 seperate bars to get your drink on, as well as a private massage parlor.
The architecture was also stunning and you can see the monkeys hanging out by the pool.
I got a little off topic so back to the animals :P
Not only was there monkeys but i also made great friends with this cute little lizard, unsure exactly what species he was but i was thinking baby chameleon as he changed colour depending on what he was sitting on.
I found him on a road and he almost got squished but i picked him up and hung him onto my shirt, he stayed there for the rest of the day just chilling and i eventually found a safe place to let him get back to nature, not after feeding him bananas though.
There is also the famous street dogs that roam Bali. While you hear some bad things about them they are completely harmless unless you hassle them, i met some adorable little puppies that were just so affectionate. They can carry disease so you need to be careful, but then again plenty of humans carry diseases too and id much rather be close to some cute puppas.
There were also some cats, though not as many as you might expect. People there tend to ignore the cats and most of them seem to be starving which made me quite sad. Bali is amazing but their animals can make you upset if you're sensitive to that type of thing which i am. I had quite a few sad moments but all in all it was positive.
This little kitty i found quite underfed and scared of everyone. This is the closest i could get to him without him running off but i found a local pet store and bought him a whole bag of treats and some wet food as well as a small bowl of water.
He chomped it down so fast and he let me just touch the top of his head for a quick pat while he was eating. He reminded me so much of my own cat back home i got a little homesick. If i could of taken him with me i so would of, i did what i could to help him and the rest of my group were getting annoyed i was taking so long but meh, fuck em.
The beaches. Not quite what i was expecting, the main beaches are quite dirty and the water is rough and seems quite dangerous, there was still people swimming but i gave the main ones a pass. We did find this secluded private beach that cost to access but we bit the bullet and paid the $50 AUD to get in. Well, it was worth it!
This is the view from where you first gain access, it requires a cable car to get to and is one of the most magnificent places i have ever been. The sand is soft, the water is luke-warm and beautiful.
It seemed to be home to some of the more wealthy travelers in the area, It has a large restaurant/bar snorkeling equipment free to hire, body boards banana lounges etc etc etc. We stayed here from around 10 am until just after sunset and it was an amazing view to have.
Dinner from the restaurant cost us around $35 which isn't cheap for Bali, but watching the sun set over the horizon with a cold beer and a group of friends was just perfect.
From Ubud we moved down to Legian, located in-between Kuta and Seminyak, Legian is more shopping and partying. And party i did.
The first club i found had a special from 6-10 where any beer, vodka mixer or scotch mixer was $10. Not per drink, but rather you pay $10 and drink as much as you can/want in that time of any of those 3 choices. Safe to say i got the drunkest ive ever been in my life and was told i urinated on the floor of our hotel room in a drunken stupour, but i digress.
Our hotel in Legian wasn't quite as amazing as the one in Ubud but for the price it was pretty spot on.
The rooftop pool had an amazing view with a swim up bar and shisha pipes for guest use. A perfect spot to have a few drinks watch the sun go down and relax before heading out for dinner and a night of partying.
Unfortunately a couple of our group got sick whilst here so i didn't get to party as much as i hoped but meh, what can ya do.
Some of the food here was just incredible, for under $10 you could get a massive filling meal and a drink. We found a famous yet hidden away restaurant for our last night of the trip that served cocktails in a carved out coconut, the artwork alone was incredible.
The locals were so lovely and accommodating and i can only imagine how annoying it must be for them to deal with all the drunk tourists, but they take it in their stride and with 1 exception i got along with all of them. It can become a bit of a hassle with all the street vendors and shop salespeople trying to get you into the store but a small negative in an otherwise great experience.
Bali truly was one of my favorite places to visit and im planning a holiday there for next year again. If i had the money i would go right now. I spent around $3000 AUD for one of the best experiences of my life and so far nothing else has come close. Travelling with a good group of people can help make the experience better but everyone there is so friendly its not a necessity.
Thank you for reading, please note all these pictures are taken by me or one of the people i went with and are all from our facebook album.
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