Bali has, and always will, have a special place in my heart. For those that don’t know, I lived here on and off for nearly three years after a need to get out of the rat race of London saw me travel around the world for a year. After exploring India, Sri Lanka and Central America, my travels took me to Bali after hearing great things about this small island in Indonesia, and I ended up staying after I landed a job as a Content Editor for a travel brand called Honeycombers.

After setting up home in Canggu, I spent the next few years living the island life! I worked remotely, from my villa or the many, many cafes dotted around the Gu, and spent my free time exploring Indonesia, learning to surf, and meeting people from all over the world who were living that digital nomad lifestyle too.

It is no wonder that I am constantly asked for tips from people visiting Bali, especially recently as it has become a hugely popular place for people in the UK to visit. Although a 17 hour journey, it is easy to see why with its awesome weather and laid back lifestyle, the world-class surf, the Balinese culture and stunning landscapes, the fact it is relatively cheap [although getting more expensive as tourism increases], and it is home to the best food I’ve ever had. If you are looking to go for a two week holiday, check out my tips below. I was sending these out weekly to people, so thought it made sense to make it a blog post - feel free to share!

CANGGU

Seminyak used to be the place to be for tourists visiting Bali but Canggu has taken that title now. It is Bali’s trendiest place, offering a mixture of the tourist necessities [such as beach clubs, shops, restaurants etc] but also a laid-back surfer’s vibe. Spend days watching the surf at the beach sipping on coconuts [or Bintangs - the Bali beer], trying your hand at yoga, mooching in the boutique surfer shops, or eating your way around the modern and hipster restaurants and cafes.

Key spots in Canggu:

Breakfast at Crate - try the Peas Please!
Eat at the Shady Shack - a vegan’s paradise
Eat at Ruko Cafe - a little cafe near Berawa beach that is perfect for a post surf coffee
Eat at Betelnut - best Fish Burrito on the island
Monday night at Two Fingers - it’s Taco Monday, and the cocktails are decent too
Friday night at The Lawn - the place to be on a Friday night for good tunes [prepared to get sweaty]
Thursday night at Pretty Poison - an uber cool bar with a skate bowl in the middle of it
Day session at Finns Beach Club - Canggu’s best beach club, and perfect for a day sesh in the pool
Wednesday night (sunset and onwards) at Old Mans - Canggu’s famous party! Get there for sunset and happy hour, and sign up to the weekly beer pong competition. Dance the night away, and head next door to Sand Bar to continue the party into the wee hours
Visit Sakti Healing store - this is your one stop shop for all things healing
Jet Black Ginger - for all your beauty needs
Esthetic Belle - A new one on the block and a whizz at nail art
The Naked Coconut or Toukan on Berawa beach for sunset, or a beach chill day
O’Threes on Echo beach - local bar owned by my friend Made! Stunning views of the beach and the surf, and he always has pumping music!
One Eyed Jack - the chef used to work at Nobu… need I say more? [Ps the Black Cod Miso is unreal]
La Brisa - fancy pants bar/restaurant on Echo Beach that is great for a sunset date, and also hosts some epic DJs/events
Spring Spa - for all things pampering! I recommend the Balinese massage, and the Hair Repair Treatment [also recommended by Harper’s Bazaar]

The general vibe in Canggu is eat, surf, beach, drink, sleep, repeat! The beaches [Berawa, Old Mans and Echo] are all next to each other, and actually if you walk far enough along the shore you’ll get to Seminyak. All are black sand beaches so not the nicest but still always packed full of people watching the surf, sun bathing and watching the many Bali dogs playing in the sand.

There are tonnes of places to stay in Canggu, and it depends how many of you there are but I would suggest a villa being the most cost effective option [especially as there are so many insanely gorgeous villas to choose from on Air BnB]. If you want something more low key, check out Sol Lila Bali - a lovely boutique hotel that is in the middle of Canggu and Seminyak - tried and tested, it’s stunning.

SEMINYAK

Seminyak is usually where most people head straight to when they arrive in Bali, but since the influx in tourism I only went there on rare occasions to avoid the crowds. For holiday makers though it is great for shopping (both the markets and boutique shops), restaurants, bars and beach clubs. Canggu is the slightly quieter version of Seminyak now, so I’d stay there and just rent a scooter (or grab a taxi) and head in to Seminyak for some of the below.

Key spots in Seminyak:

Potato Head is fun for a day sesh, and also has great DJ’s for a night out [I even went to a secret gig by Disclosure there!]
Motel Mexicola - a very fun dinner spot where you’ll end up dancing on the tables with the waiter pouring free tequila down your throat! Head on to La Favela to continue the party as it’s open until the wee hours.
Waterbomb - Asia’s best waterpark, need I say more!
Da Maria - the place to go for a cheeky Sunday evening sesh! Great Italian food too.
Double Six - this is a spot on the long strip of beach where you’ll find local Indo surfers who you can rent a surfboard or grab a surf lesson from. Seminyak beach is great to learn to surf at due to its sandy bottom and smaller waves.
Kynd - a vegan’s paradise, and great for an insta shot.
Cocooon Medical Spa - for a lil’ summin summin! And there are plenty of amazing spas all over Seminyak for lots of cheap treatments, including the amazing Balinese massage!

ULUWATU

Uluwatu is further down south, and a bit quieter than Canggu. The beaches are stunning - white sands and clear water - and it’s even more laid back than the Gu, especially with its world class surf breaks. Expect to watch some decent surf!

Key spots in Uluwatu:

Sunday's Beach Club - a lovey beach club situated on a private beach at the bottom of a cliff. Head here for the day and soak up the sun, snorkel, kayak and indulge in cocktails. There is even a lift that will take you up and down to save you walking in the Bali heat!
Bingin Beach / Padang Padang - you’ll have to walk down some steep stairs to get to Bingin Beach but its worth it. A quiet secluded beach with some cute boutique hotels and cafes to chill in. Stay at The Sun and Surf Stay - wake up to the sound of the waves and watch the early morning surfers from your hammock on the balcony.
Sunday Session at Single Fin - one of my favourite night outs on the island! They always have great DJs - head here for sunset drinks and food, and stay on until it closes. The views are unreal!
Uluwatu Temple - for a bit of culture head to Uluwatu Temple for the sunset Balinese dance show.
Gravity Hotel - this is seriously Greece vibes - it is nestled at the top of Uluwatu, but its white decor and infinity pool makes it a stunning place to stay.

UBUD

Ubud is nestled in the jungle, and is the place to go to escape the crowds at the beaches. Be at one with nature, do yoga, shop at the markets, and eat traditional Indonesian food in Ubud.

Key spots in Ubud:

Monkey Forest - see the monkeys up close, but just be careful not to get bitten like me!
Mount Batur sunrise hike - you’ll have to get up at 3am and start the trek in the dark but the views when you get to the top as the sun comes up is worth it. Plus you can then add ‘trekked an active volcano’ to your tick list!
Market shopping - Ubud is known for its big market in the centre, pick up lots of cheap bits and bobs here. Including those infamous willy bottle openers!
Visit the Tegallalang Rice Terrace
You can also do lots of day trips from Ubud like bike riding down the mountains, water-rafting, jungle quad biking, see a spiritual healer, and check out the many waterfalls. One of my favourite waterfalls was Aling Aling as you can do cliff jumping and a there is a natural waterslide there!
The Yoga Barn - does what it says on the tin

NUSA DUA

This is where a lot of the big and fancy hotels are, but it is still worth nipping there on the scooter for a day if you have one spare - purely because the beaches are beautiful white sand (which is what Canggu and Seminyak are missing). Gegor beach is the best for a day trip.

THE NEIGHBOURING ISLANDS

I have always advised anyone visiting Bali for two weeks to spend at least 4 days on one of the neighbouring islands, because they are so easy and quick to get to, plus you get the whole ‘paradise island’ vibes. Swim with turtles and manta rays, chill on white sand beaches, try some water activities like snorkelling or paddle boarding, and soak up the laid back lifestyle that you’re probably missing back home! You can easily sort travel to the islands by companies online - it takes an hour or two to get to them by boat (although you would need to fly to Flores).

Gili T

Known as the party island but great for snorkelling and diving and has some chilled areas. There are loads of places to stay, but I’d recommend La Pirate, which is located on the quieter side of the island. It has great music, gorgeous wooden huts to stay in, great food, and hammocks to chill in on its own beach. Gili Anor is a good option too, and super cheap.

Make sure you:

Bike ride around the island
Eat at Casa Vintage Beach - amazing Caribbean food
Sunset drinks at Exile bar - watch the sun set as a bongo player sets the perfect ambience
Rent a mask and snorkel and swim off the beach to swim with with turtles

Gilli Air and Meno

These are quieter versions of Gili T - so much quieter, and less to do and see, but nicer for a romantic stay if you are with a partner. You can travel between the Gili islands by boat easily, so it might be worth a day trip to these islands [to escape the Bintang adorned Aussies [no offence guys] if you are staying on Gili T.

Nusa Lembongan

Another small island off the coast of Bali, and a little less touristy than the Gili’s. I would recommend staying at Le Pirate, especially as this is probably the most westernised spot on the island. Rent a scooter and explore the island, making sure you visit the Blue Lagoon and Sandy Bay Beach Club. Make sure you do the manta ray snorkelling boat trip too - if you are lucky you will get to swim with huge manta rays!

Lombok

I’ve only been once, but desperate to go back as it is so untouched [like Bali was 10 years ago]. Stay near Kuta beach, rent a scooter and explore the island. The beaches are stunning, and the surf is decent.

Flores

You will have to fly domestically from Bali to Flores, but it cheap and only takes 45 minutes. The main island is very quiet and there are many nice places to stay on, but I would recommend staying with Le Pirate on their hotel boat (a boat moored in the water). It is one of those unforgettable experiences I had and would highly recommend it. If there are lots of you, check out Le Pirate Explorer which is their boat that sails around and you sleep on. Make sure you do the Komodo Dragon day trip, the pink beach, and the Le Pirate private island day trip if you go to Flores. I’d suggest you only need about 3 nights here as it is so undiscovered, you’d prob get bored after any more time!

So there you have it! There are plenty of things that I have missed out, but the above are my must-dos and sees on the island from spending the last few years there. If you are doing a two-week trip I would spend 5 days in Canggu, 2 days in Uluwatu, 2 days in Ubud, and 5 days on an island. Whatever you do though, I’ve no doubt you’ll enjoy the magic of Bali just as much as I do!

TIPS FOR BALI