Bali — mika ohata

Bali may be at the top of your to-go list ~ and within good reason. Bali is a magical, beautiful island with delicious food, nice people, and some of the most incredible ocean and jungle views. I think this has been one of my favorite trips hands down. Whether you’re traveling with friends, family, or significant other, you’ll definitely have the time of your life.

Day 0.5:

If you’re traveling on a budget, Air Asia would probably be the most affordable flight for you. From Tokyo, Bali is around 8 hours away on a direct flight. We decided to save a couple of hundred dollars by taking a budget airlines with a stop over in Kuala Lumpur. While it bumped our flight time to around 13 ~ 14 hours one way, we were happy in the end with the overall experience and of course saved tons of money. We left on a red-eye flight from Haneda airport towards the end of Golden Week. In Japan, there is a huge holiday and this year, everyone got a week off of work for the holiday. Luckily, since our schedules are flexible, we were able to schedule a trip halfway through golden week to avoid peak air fares. Air Asia, like many Asian budget airlines, has a semi-strict 7 kg carry on policy. I always overpack and carry at least two bulky cameras with me. Luckily, they let my bags slide since it was a little over weight. And we took off on time!

Day 1:

We landed early in the morning at Kuala Lumpur International Airport where we had a three hour layover. Erin’s dad recently got a credit card that allowed us to get into all the airport lounges for free! We went to the lounge, ate some free food and relaxed until our next flight. From there, we departed and made our way to Denpasar Airport. When we arrived, the air was hot and humid but we were glad to see the sun peaking out of the sky. We arranged for a driver to meet us at the airport where he picked us up and drove us to our place in Ubud. Ubud is located around one hour from the airport, so if you book a stay there, be prepared to add an extra one or two hours of travel after you land. Since Bali does not have a good public transport system, you do need a rental car or a driver. We paid 350,000 IDR (close to $25) which we thought was reasonable for the length of the drive. If you decide to take a taxi, make sure to take one with a reputable company such as the blue bird company.

By the time we got into town, it was around 3 PM. We got dropped off nearby our airbnb and tried to find it. The place we reserved was on Jalan Karna street, known for holding the Ubud art market. Since it is a narrow road, no cars are allowed on the street, so we walked up and down looking for it. It was kind of hard to find in the beginning, especially because none of the buildings have any numbers or ways to identify it. But finally we found our place, checked in, dropped our bags, and got ready to explore! The rooftop of the airbnb had a cute patio where the host made us a yummy vanilla welcome drink. After sitting for a bit, we walked around trying to find some food.

For a late lunch, we each got some açaí bowls at a nearby health foods shop. The woman next to us got a Mediterranean plate that looked sooo good so naturally we had to try that too. It came with falafel, hummus, babaganoush, other salads, and pita bread to share. The acai bowls were really good too and came topped with some fresh fruits and the server arranged everything so nicely. After lunch, we made our way to the Campuhan Ridge Hike around 15 minutes away from the Ubud Center. On the hike, you can see beautiful greenery around you and even the ocean far in the distance. The only bad thing was that the Bali heat was real bad and I was sweating incredibly hard…luckily it rained a little to cool us off. We enjoyed the sunset walking along the pathway and made our way back to town as it got darker.

For dinner, we noticed that most restaurants offered a bogo deal, so we stopped by a place called “Oops Ubud” on the main strip. Erin and I tried the coconut mojito and gin and tonic (you had to get two of the same drink for the deal) and split a delicious roasted pumpkin salad. The ambiance at this place was amazing. We sat in the chairs facing the street to people watch. But they also had live music and a really friendly staff. The singer at the restaurant took some of our song requests and created such a chill vibe. The salad itself was really flavorful despite it being all vegetarian. We decided that we were still hungry after so we also stopped by Lacasita Fonda Mexicana for some tacos. The restaurants in the area were so trendy and really affordable so we definitely splurged this night. We got chips and salsa as an appetizer, and shared an order of jackfruit tacos. Both delicious and filled our Mexican food cravings we’re so deprived of being in Tokyo. To end the night, we treated ourselves to some delicious gelato on our way home!

Day 2:

We woke up really early this day to go on a tour of Ubud I booked through Airbnb Experiences. We met our driver, Putu, at 5:30 AM nearby our place. The tour included driving to Lempuyang Temple, Tirta Gangga, Tukad Cepung Waterfall, Coffee Luwak, & Tegalalang Rice Terraces all for only $57.

Since it was so early, Erin and I fell asleep on our way to the first temple. After about 2 ~ 3 hours driving, we finally made it to our destination! Lempuyang Temple is a beautiful temple located on the top of the mountain. You must wear a sarong and cover your shoulders to enter the temple, which your guide would probably provide for you. Sadly, it was really touristy to the point where people just went there for a instagram picture. Putu said that the line can get over two hours long if you don’t arrive early enough…so crazy! We were lucky to arrive before it got too crowded and only waited around 30 minutes. The temple itself was beautiful. Although it was too cloudy to see the scenery in the background, the temple gates were incredible and well built. It earned the title “gates to heaven” for a reason. Most people don’t know but the temple actually does not have a lake. The pictures that most people take are a mirrored pic made to look like there is a body of water under the gates. Since it was so “instagramable” the photo taking is a bit nerve-wracking and rushed. You wait in line, and once its your turn you have about five minutes to change poses and get your shot. Thanks to the ladies taking photos, we had lots of options to choose from!

After the temple, Putu bought us some mangosteen, bananas and snakeskin fruit from a stand outside for breakfast. My favorite was definitely the mangosteen which was so sweet and delicious! As a tropical island, Bali has so many great fruits that you must try. It was my very first time trying mangosteen and it was so tasty, I’m still craving more! The snakeskin fruit is a native Indonesian fruit with an apple like texture. It wasn’t my favorite, but nice to try. After stopping for fruits, we made our way to the next stop, Tirta Gangga, a former royal palace. The gardens were stunning, complete with a koi pond, waterfalls, and relaxing ponds. The sun came out for us at the time making it super hot but all the more beautiful!

For lunch, Putu took us to a beautiful outdoor restaurant with an even more incredible lookout. We got some seats at the edge where we could see the incredible view of some rice terraces. We got some fresh fruit juice and ate an indonesian buffet. The food was okay but I would definitely go back again solely to see the view! We took our time to relax, indulged on some fried banana for dessert, and soaked in all the greenery surrounding us!

We changed into our swimsuits and headed to Tukad Cepung Waterfall for our next stop. Putu led us down the path to the waterfall area. It was crowded with tourists but still very pretty. The waterfall can only be accessed by walking through shallow water, so I would recommend to wear a swimsuit, leave your valuables in the car, and wear waterproof shoes or sandals. Putu did his best to get some nice photos of us but they turned out not so useable for us. From the parking area, it only takes around 15 minutes to walk down to the waterfall, so it’s do-able for anyone (but has some steep steps). I thought this part of the tour was a bit rushed and would have liked to spend more time swimming or sitting by the falls. If you’re in Ubud for a while, definitely find other waterfalls to enjoy too!

Our next stop was to Coffee Luwak, a coffee farm somewhere in the Ubud jungle. We went with a guide who gave us a tour of the farm. They produce “Luwak” coffee which is produced when cat-like animals called Luwaks eat coffee berries and poop out the coffee bean. Essentially you are drinking poop coffee, which is considered one of the most luxurious coffees in the world! Our guide told us that in some parts of Europe, they sell cups for $50 ~ $100 (WTF!)

We made our way to the tasting area where we were greeted with incredible views of the jungle and a huge coffee, tea, and chocolate tasting. Each cup was flavored with palm sugar and cream which made everything quite sweet but still very tasty. My personal favorites were the Bali Coconut Coffee, Ginseng Coffee, and Mangosteen tea. At the end of the tour, you can opt to buy some coffee and tea. The flavored coffees are all packaged as instant mixes so its easy to make. After spending so much time sipping the coffees, I felt obligated to buy a few bags to take home and give away as gifts. I got a mangosteen tea for myself and ginseng coffee for my grandparents. And Erin and I each bought a pack of Luwak coffee for our parents to try. It’s a bit pricey for a small bag of coffee beans (around $12) so were hoping it tastes good!

To end our day, we made our final stop at the Tegalalang Rice Terraces, something thats been on my must do list for Bali! We arrived late in the day so luckily it wasn’t that crowded. The only downside was that we didn’t have much time to explore the area and it was quite dark for pictures. The famous swing was not included in the tour, so we payed 150,000 IDR each to ride it! Funny enough, you can also pay to rent these flowy dresses if you’re really in it for the instagram pic. The swing was very fun and the view from it is truly beautiful. While pricey, the price is expected for a tourist destination, and I thought it was worth the money for the experience. If you’re not brave enough to go on the swing, they also have a bunch of other lookout spots where you can pay to sit in for a picture! If you’re a bit more adventurous, they also have zip lines and cable bike riding to ride on as well. Putu explained that this specific spot of rice fields are unique as they are terraced rather than flat. Of course now, its become a huge tourist attraction, but still remains beautiful for the locals of Bali as well. Its a breathtaking view, and a must visit in Bali.

Our tour finally came to an end around 6 PM. The whole tour was $57 and we tipped Putu 100,000 IDR each. For a 13 hour tour, it was an amazing price. We visited so many places around Ubud and the surrounding areas and had an amazing driver and tour guide! If you are ever visiting Bali, I would highly recommend booking this trip to get the most out of your day. While there are separate costs like lunch and the swing, everything else including transportation is all covered. A truly amazing tour!

For dinner, Erin and I headed to Casa Luna to get some authentic Indonesian/Balinese Food. Every restaurant in Bali was so chill and each had its unique ambiance. Casa Luna had live Jazz music on the top floor. We shared some tapas like tempeh skewers, chips and guac, and I had some duck rice rolls while listening to the music. For our entrees, Erin got a pumpkin curry while I got the Nasi Campur Chicken plate. My dish had a mix of foods like corn fritters, beans, pepper salad, chicken curry, and satay all for only 60,000 IDR!

Day 3:

We woke up again really early to depart for our cooking class! I found an airbnb experience with really great reviews, so we decided to book it. This tour takes you to an organic farm in Ubud where you can cook in the “jungle”. They offer two time slots, one in the morning (we met the driver at 7 AM) or one in the afternoon (around 3 PM). Since we stayed in Ubud, the company had free pick up and drop off services as well! We were picked up nearby the hotel, and stopped to pick up other guests along the way. After we picked everyone up, we started our morning with a market tour. A guide met us to explain about local veggies, fruits, flowers, and other ingredients. The market was vibrant and full of color. We tried mangosteen, passion fruit, coconut pastries, and more! Balinese cooking has a lot of similar ingredients to thai cooking like galangal, kaffir lime, lemongrass, etc.

After stopping at the market, we passed through the rice terraces, and then arrived at the farm. The cooking area was set up in the middle of the garden, surrounded by beautiful greenery. Erin booked a vegetarian course while I booked a regular course, so unfortunately we were separated once we got to the farm. We went on a farm tour to learn about the local veggies that the company grows. And later returned to the cooking area to start prepping and cooking our meals. We cooked six meals (two appetizers, three entrees, and a dessert). The class itself is better for couples or pairs of friends as you prepare each dish at a station with a partner. We started off with two appetizers: Mixed Veggie Stir Fry and Sweet & Sour Tempe. I love meat, but throughout the trip, I had some of the most amazing vegetarian cuisine I’ve ever tasted. After preparing the two dishes, we sat back down at the table to try our cooking! My favorite was definitely the tempe, which is something I had never tried before coming to Bali.

Next, we started to cook the three main courses: Tuna with Sambal Matah, Bali Sate, and Chicken Curry. We started off by making “Bambu Bali” which is the base flavoring used in a lot of Balinese dishes. We combined a bunch of ingredients into a paste and used in both the pork sate and chicken curry. After preparing the dishes, we sat down again to enjoy our meals! The best was the seared tuna which was cooked just enough. The sate and curry were very “balinese” and it was great to try as well. To end the class, we enjoyed a black rice pudding with bananas that the kitchen prepared. All in all, it was a great start to our day! Although Erin and I didn’t get to cook together, we each got to meet new people from around the world and enjoyed the experience!

We arrived back in Ubud around 2 PM, so we decided to stop by the Royal Palace. Entrance is free, but the area is actually quite small and there isn’t much to see. We walked around the grounds in around 10 minutes and headed back to our hotel to cool off. After a quick break, we walked through the art market to find last minute gifts. If you’re looking for a straw bag, Bali is one of the places to buy one! Almost every shop has a straw bag in practically all shapes and sizes.

After shopping, we caught a grab (similar to uber) towards Yellow Flower Cafe to get some smoothie bowls. We were super excited to get açaí bowls everyday, but actually, Bali is more known for smoothie bowls rather than açaí bowls. The cafe was located around 25 minutes walking from where we were, so we thought it was a bit far to walk there especially in the heat. You can order a ride share car if you have wifi or data with you which made it very easy to get around for this day. However, we learned that many grabs are hard to get since the city of Ubud doesn’t like ride share cars around the area as it interferes with the local taxi companies.

Regardless of that, we got picked up and made our way to the cafe. It’s a bit hard to find as you have to walk up these steps where a bunch of villas are. Our grab dropped us off a bit farther away so we stumbled upon an abandoned building while looking for it. Once you see a sign with a list of villas and homestays, go up the stairs and follow the signs to the cafe. If you’re looking for a great view and great food, definitely stop by this cafe. Although its a bit farther from the city center, the cafe is very trendy and has some of the best bowls we had in Bali! Don’t forget to bring some mosquito repellent though, because you’re bound to get bit here since its outdoors. I tried the pitaya bowl that was topped with strawberries, bananas, coconut shavings, granola, pitaya, etc. They also serve a free tea drink when you sit down!

To end our night, we caught another grab to The Sayan House, a restaurant and bar that overlooks the incredible jungle. While the sun was a bit covered by some clouds, we still enjoyed the incredible lookout from the bar. We split a pitcher of sangria and talked until the sun went down. As we were getting ready to leave, the power went out, it started pouring, and we couldn’t get the bill as the systems were down. Naturally, we ended up ordering more drinks at the bar. The bartender was super friendly and ended up making us some delicious drinks on the house! By the time we finished, we were too tipsy to do anything else. We tried to order a grab, but none seemed to want to pick us up. We ended up catching a taxi home, and finally went to bed. I had asked the restaurant to call us a taxi and the hostess quoted us 80,000 IDR. When we finally got to the hotel, the driver said 130,000 IDR. A note to everyone traveling, if you do end up taking a taxi, decide the price BEFORE you get in the taxi. We made the mistake of just getting in, and got quoted a much higher price. Luckily, we were able to bargain it down to 100,000 IDR in the end.