Bali Holiday
I took my family on a spontaneous holiday to Bali—something I never thought I’d do! It all started with an impulsive decision when I met with my travel agent. I asked her where we should go, and she suggested Bali. I simply said, "Okay, let’s book it."
In the days leading up to our trip, I took care of all the visas, tourism taxes, and health declarations. It was time-consuming, but I’m so glad I did it, as it saved us a lot of hassle upon arrival.
When we landed, we hit a small snag as one of my children’s passports wouldn’t scan, so we had to wait in a customs line. Meanwhile, my husband had already passed through, and porters quickly assisted him, making him think they were just friendly airport staff. It wasn’t until later that we realized we had to pay for their help. The porter was kind and even showed me pictures of his children, so I gave him a tip of $10 in Indonesian rupiah, which is a significant amount for them (100,000 rupiah).
Upon arriving at the airport, we were warmly greeted by our driver, who took us to our hotel. We stayed at the Pullman in Legian, right across from the beach. It’s funny because, despite the great location, we never actually went to the beach—it was just too hot! Instead, we ended up doing an incredible amount of shopping.
Just around the corner from our hotel, down a quiet laneway, we discovered an amazing hair and beauty salon called Casey's. They also offered a laundry service for just $2 per kg, where they washed, dried, ironed, and neatly packed our clothes. The fresh scent of the laundry was delightful! The staff was incredibly kind and friendly, and they took care of our laundry every morning, so we could pick it up in the afternoon.
Casey and her team were always polite, smiling, and welcoming. I enjoyed daily massages, and my daughter and I even had our hair braided into tiny box braids, a process that took 4 hours with the help of 8 lovely ladies.
Casey has become a beautiful lifelong friend, and I am so grateful to have met her. She even showed me her gorgeous home, which made the experience even more special.
During our time in Bali, we had the pleasure of hiring an incredible driver, Roby, who owns Roby Transport. He has a team of drivers throughout Bali and comes highly recommended on TripAdvisor, and for good reason. After we shared a few things we wanted to do, Roby planned the rest of our itinerary, taking us to so many amazing places.
One of the highlights was visiting the Hidden Zoo, where we had the chance to hold snakes, bats, tarantulas, scorpions, hedgehogs, birds, owls, and more. It was such a unique experience! Another unforgettable experience was the Bali Safari Night Tour, which cost about $100 AUD per person. We walked around part of the zoo, had a welcome drink, and then got into the back of a caged truck to feed lions, tigers, elephants, zebras, camels, and African cows. Afterward, we enjoyed an all-you-can-eat buffet in the zoo while watching a fire dance show was such an amazing experience!
In Ubud, we visited The Happy Swing, where we paid about $140 AUD for photos on various swings overlooking the rice fields, and dress hire was included. Despite the hot day and many stairs to climb, it was totally worth it. Afterward, we visited Roby’s friend’s coffee plantation, where we got to hold bats, snakes, and a civet (the animal that produces the beans for luwak coffee). We toured the plantation, sampled a variety of coffees, teas, and chocolates (all of which were fantastic), and purchased several bags of coffee to bring back to Australia. While we didn’t try the luwak coffee due to the unique process of it being made by a civet’s digestive system we respected the tradition and still bought a few packets.
Across the road was a beautiful temple, where we received blessings on both land and water, and had the opportunity to feed large koi fish. Our children loved it! We also visited another temple and fed the koi fish there as well.
One of our final stops was Krishna Oleh Oleh, a hidden gem located on the bypass road. It’s a three-story souvenir shop with a pool and restaurant at the top, where the locals shop for items to resell in their stores. This place is a must-visit for anyone looking for authentic souvenirs!
Before our trip, we researched a lot about Bali, especially the dos and don’ts. Many people warned us not to drink the tap water or to ask for no ice in drinks, as even the locals drink bottled water. However, we took a chance and drank filtered water, even enjoying ice in our drinks and frozen cocktails without any issues. We also watched a football game in a bar full of Aussies and visited the bustling markets at Poppies Lane in Kuta and Garlic Lane in Legian. At first, I was nervous about bargaining, but after my third purchase, I became much more comfortable and loved scoring great deals.
In Bali, IV drips are popular for all sorts of ailments. My husband got one the day after we arrived to help with a headache, and it included a mix of vitamins. The nurse came to our room with a tackle box full of medications and vitamins, and he felt much better afterward.
Bali was very hot, and the humidity was high, but after 3 or 4 days, we adapted. In a funny twist, I ran into one of my coaching trainers at the breakfast buffet in our hotel—what are the chances of that? Hahaha!
Would I go back to Bali? Absolutely! I felt so safe walking the streets, even at night, more than I do in Australia. The people, the food, and the places we visited were all incredible.
What’s stopping you from booking your next adventure?
Could Bali be your next unforgettable destination?
