In the past, the vacations that I've taken have always fit neatly into one category that labels the trip. Like Romantic Getaway, Family Vacation, Group Trip – among many others. And there are destinations that come to mind when you think of each category. For me, Mexico is great for a Romantic Getaway, Disney World (obviously) makes for a great Family Vacation and Las Vegas and Girls’ Trip go together like. I'm sure a few of your own came to mind as well.
But my recent trip to Bali, Indonesia was my first crossover vacation situation. Combining the sweet moments of a Romantic Getaway and the adventure of a Group Trip.
So I submit to you, that Bali is great for Lovers AND Friends.
There will be 2 parts to this blog series and first, I want to talk to the LOVERS… those planning a destination wedding, honeymoon or just looking for a beautiful place to make beautiful memories. Make sure Bali is on your list.
Here Are My 4 Reasons Why
1. Luxurious Accommodations
The place where you rest your head each night and wake up each morning should only enhance that romantic feeling. We stayed at the Sunset Boutique Villas in Seminyak, Bali and it did just that. Our villa was 1 of 10 on the property we shared with about 20 other guests but each room was completely separate from the others and had its own bathroom.
The property was so spacious that there were many times it felt like we had it all to ourselves. It has 3 full outdoor kitchens and dining spaces, 3 semi-private pools and the staff was so accommodating and handled our every need and request with a smile.
(The view of the pool from our bedroom)
(One of the outdoor eating spaces where the staff made us breakfast each morning)
To get the full experience you can see more pictures featured here where the villa is listed and available for rent. Sunset Boutique Villas is just one of the many many villas that you can rent for a low cost compared to other tropical destinations. More bang - less buck. You can’t beat it.
2. Picturesque locales
(One of the photo ops available at the Bali Swing in Ubud)
The nest that Instagram made popular is not the only place in Bali to snap a great picture. Driving through the towns you’ll pass rice paddies and their rolling green fields which are a serene contrast to the hustle and bustle of the traffic in Bali.
And there is a palace or temple at every turn with their beautifully detailed architecture that lingers as a reminder of ancient times.
(Me and the hubby channeling our royalty at a palace in Ubud, Bali)
3. Delicious Culinary Experiences
My husband and I are foodies so exploring the authentic local cuisines of the places we visit, is always top of our list. So as soon as we exited the airport, the first question we asked our taxi driver was what is one dish that we must have while in Bali. And without hesitation he said, Suckling Pig (please forgive me, my non pork eating friends). So on our last full day in Bali we arranged to stop at one of the local restaurants to taste this delicacy.
And this dish did not disappoint. We ordered the lunch portion and it came sorta bento box style.
(Our suckling pig bento box meal pictured: (from the top Left to Right) Hot sauce, blood sausage, hot chili peppers, starchy potato-like vegetable, white rice and sliced suckling pig)
The pork was so juicy and the sides were all equally as tasty and complimented the dish perfectly. The only thing I didn’t love, was the blood sausage.
This was the best meal I had in Bali, which is saying a lot because all of the Indonesian food I had was so good. But it wasn’t just a pork eating fest, we also had a delicious crispy duck.
(Crispy Duck with white rice and vegetables. I'm not sure what the crispy white chips were but they were flavorful too)
We had a coffee and tea tasting experience and tried 10 different local coffees and teas.
(The coffee flight brought to us to try Balinese coffees and teas)
Bali is home to the the most expensive coffee in the world - Luwak Coffee. I'm sure you've heard of it, it's the one where the luwak ingests the coffee beans and after they go through its system and are released, (yes the luwak poops the beans out) they are collected and prepared by hand to get it ready to make the coffee. So we were happy for the opportunity to try it and bring a bag home. It tastes really good guys, I promise.
They also have a ginseng coffee, also referred to as Honeymoon Coffee. I’m sure by the name you can understand why. See, I told you Bali is for lovers (wink).
I am a picky coffee drinker but Balinese coffee is is now on my top 2 list of favorites.
4. Perfect Destination Wedding Location
The catalyst for this trip was the destination wedding of one of my dearest friends. Bali was flying under my radar of places to visit before that, but I never turn down the chance to explore a new country (especially when I don’t have to do any of the planning lol)
(Me and the bride all smiles after she said I do)
Her beach wedding was the ultimate in romance. Their perfectly timed vows were exchanged as the sun set. It was a beautiful experience and an honor to be a witness to the celebration.
(Sunset beach wedding ceremony)
(vows exchange just as the sun set)
So, what do you think, have I got you sold on Bali yet?
Tell me what are the things you look for in a romantic getaway?
Stay tuned, next week for Part 2: Bali is for Friends
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