If you are looking for a laid-back tropical escape, Bali is the place to be. Going to Bali feels like going on a never-ending adventure – there is an activity to suit every soul! Experience incredible Temples, surfing, delicious food, trekking beautiful rice fields and exotic sunsets on the beach. Certain areas of Bali have been influenced by tourism, with hubs of cute cafes, hip bars and amazing night life. Other areas are still quite remote, maintaining their uniquely Balinese beauty and charm.

Arriving to Bali we were hungry & so jet lagged! We went to a beautiful hip restaurant right on the beach called Potato Head. After eating and a few drink we layed on the beach and enjoyed the sunset. Perfect first day.

The next day was filled with exploring! We headed to some pretty incredible places! Pura Lempuyang, a temple on a mountain in East Bali, also known as Heaven’s Gate. It was a long drive to get to the temple, but it was an incredibly scenic one, so the drive and the time flew by incredibly quickly with stretches of beautiful and pristine rice paddies, winding roads and breathtaking mountains. After arriving we had to rent a sarong to wrap around us. This is a sacred place filled with temples. here are many temples going up this hill and to see all of them, you would need to set aside a good 4-5 hours, however, the most beautiful one is only a short hike away from the entry point. But being 6 months pregnant I wasn’t sure I’d even make it to that temple. I pushed myself a bit and wow was it worth it. Once we reached the top the views become truly worthy of the long trip. It isn’t hard to see why this place is nicknamed the Gateway to Heaven! It is nothing short of magical.

Our next stop was the beautiful water palace located in the village of Ababi. Tirta Gangga is a very beautiful royal water palace, a must-visit popular destination in East Bali, consisting of tropical gardens, wading pools, fish ponds, and fountains. There was such a sense of piece and tranquility there.

Final stop for the evening was The Blue Lagoon!This Beach has a salt and pepper mix of golden and black volcanic sand. Surrounding cliffs are almost hidden by a camouflage of prickly pear cactus. Along this coast there are many fishing boats lined up neatly and ready to take you diving in the sea. But by the time we got there the day had cooled down, so there wasn’t too much time for snorkeling. Oscar was the only one brave enough to give it a shot.

Next day we headed to the beautiful Jungle and took a tour of the tour the Coffee Plantation. Kopi luwak Coffee is the best product of this garden. The coffee grows at the foot of the Hill. Kopi luwak is the world’s most expensive coffee. It has been produced from the coffee beans which have been digested by a certain Indonesian cat-like animal called the Civet Cat. To keep the coffee aroma, all processes are made from a natural process, drying coffee beans using the Sun and the process of roasting coffee is still using the firewood. This process keeps the coffee always in best quality. We did taste the coffee and to be honest I just couldn’t enjoy it because I knew that well, the civet cat shit it out! I enjoyed the rest of their non digested coffees though, up at the terrace enjoying the beautiful scenery of green hills, relaxing atmosphere and great friends!

The next place we visited was the Tegalalang Rice Terrace. One of the most beautiful landscape I’ve ever seen. With tall palm trees, and lush tropical greeneries surrounding different levels of rice fields are surely a breathtaking sight to behold. While here some of us tried the huge swing swinging over the stunning rice fields, and others tried the zip line. I on the other hand took advantage of the beautiful bird nests and stunning views, we did a fun anniversary photo shoot for Marilyn & Mark. You can see the full session in my previous post.

We finished this day visiting Ubud. There is tons of shopping here, the Monkey Forest, center for goldsmiths and silversmiths & the famous Ubud Palace, which is several hundred years old. With ornate carvings, grand structure and lush manicured gardens. Would have loved to stay and explore more of Ubud’s Art Market. But the guys were tired and wanted to head back to our hotel. If I had more time in Bali I would have loved to check out more of their Balinese Art and sculpted wooden figures. I was just so AMAZED with their creativity. Next stop Singapore!