Off to the airport for a travel adventure to Bali.  I signed up with www.zirkeltheworld.com for an 11 day adventure where we landed in Bali, spent two nights in Seminyak, 4 nights in Ubud, 2 nights on the island of Gili Trawaggan or Gili T as it’s better know (my personal favorite) and then one night in Sanur before heading home.

Now, I had no other vision of Bali other than what I had seen in the movie Eat, Love and Pray with Julie Roberts and Javier Bardem but I knew that I wanted to visit and visit I did!

So we took (that is the group!) a 1:00 a.m. flight from JFK and got to Bali the next day at 2:55 p.m. in the afternoon.  We went straight to our hotel in Seminyak, www.mutiarabali.com, unpacked, rested a bit and then went out to dinner.

Then the next day after breakfast, myself and two other travelers ventured off for a long walk to the beach and OMG it was sooo hot.

The humidity in Bali is 100% and so it’s very sticky there as well as very hot!!!!!

So what happenedLOL when was when we finally got to the beach was because it was sooooo hot that there wasn’t a soul on it.

So we walked back to the hotel, made a few fun purchases and then upon return had a group meeting about the possible activities in Ubud, our next stop!

Then off to Tanah Lot Temple to watch an absolutely beautiful sunset…

Then back to the resort and after another showerSoLOL and off to a great restaurant called Vin where we had an amazing dinner under the intriguing Balinese sky!

Well the next day after a very yummy breakfast (love that watermelon juice and that balinese french toast-drenched in coconut) and with our luggage on the van we were ready for a full day of touring on our way to Ubud, our next stop for the next 4 nights.

So it was on our van ride to Ubud that we first stopped at The Goa Gajah Temple.  This interesting Hindu temple was built in the 11th century and you could feel all of those centuries easily surround you!

Then our next stop was The Tegenungan Waterfall and then off to an amazing coffee and tea plantation where one’s choices of teas were incredible tasting and medicinal at the same time!

Then on to visit the Sacred Monkey Forest which had just closed for the day but let’s not forget those monkeys that didn’t know it had just closedSoLOL and had escaped out onto the street and yes, were hanging off the trees…SoLOL!

Then reaching home stretch to Ubud we arrived at our Villa!

Yup, in the middle of what felt like nowhere, way out of the center of town we found our way through the middle of rice fields on a road that seemed endless and that seemed to be going nowhere.

But then we arrived at Villa Agung Khalia and Wow and you can watch the video below to see what the place looked like!

Yup, staying at the Villa was an amazing experience!

The place was not only beautiful but the food was equally as amazing and the staff was the NICEST EVER!

So after dinner in our private dining room, I felt completely exhausted and called it a day!!

Now the following day in Ubud was an open day and so myself and another gal in the group decided to leave the Villa with our own driver (yes, that’s right! with our own driver—You see the Villa is in the middle of no where—right in the middle of those rice fields and so the Villa provides drivers for you 24/7 to go where ever you want to go and then all you have to do is to call them when you’re done and then they pick you up).

Now a girl could get used to thisSoLOL Just sayin!!!

So with our driver that day we decided to visit the Agung Rai Museum where we saw both Classical and Modern Balinese Art and then had a wonderful lunch.  Then off to a local art cooperative (of course with our driverLOL!) where my fellow traveler got a beautiful drawing and then onto the supermarket to get some local CDs as gifts.

Then back to the hotel for what turned out to be the best massage of my life for eight dollars-that’s right—you read it right-eight dollars for an hours massage and then out for another great dinner.

Now the next day, we took a Balinese Cooking Class from 8 to 2.  It was so interesting.  We started off in the main market of Ubud where our guide introduced us to all kinds of Balinese food, some of which we would later be using to cook and from there we went to a village complex and made the food listed on the school’s menu and then ate it!  It was an awesome experience and I totally recommend it-if in Ubud.

Then back to the Villa, chilled some and then some and then out to dinner.

Now the next day was another free day and I had another Balinese massage with the same amazing masseuse and then off to the Bali Zoo where I had the opportunity YEAH! to ride an elephant!

 

Then off to buy my Mom a gift at a store where they made the sterling jewelry and displayed the process and then off into town (with my driver, of course!) and then back to the hotel for dinner.

Also, I now needed to pack for our early morning departure to Gili T.

OK. So I love the island of Gili T.  There are really no words to describe Gili T.

So here are some photos and a video to show you the experience…

 

Yup, no cars, no dogs and no post office. Can you feel the chill…LOL

So below is a video of the main street in Gili.

I just love this place…

And so what is a gal to do  on Gili if you don’t surf, snorkel or scuba diveSoLOL!

Well, I went island activity lookingLOL and found a three hour sterling silver class and made myself (with the teacher’s helpLOL) a lovely ring-which I’m wearing right now-as I post!

Then there is biking the island…

and then there was a very fun dinner at The Pearl.

And so our time on Gili T is coming to an end and it’s time to go back to our hotel rooms-boo hoo and pack for our departure tomorrow morning for our last night in Sanur back in Bali.

And so if you’re thinking of going to Bali—Just go—.

It’s a great place to chill and disconnect from the “western” world so to speak—and I know that our friend below would say the same thing as well!!!

Happy Bali-ing

 

 

In Seminyak-www.mutiarabali.com

In Ubud-www.villaAK.com

In Gili Trawangan-www.vamana-resort.com

In Sanur-www.holidayvillahotelbali.com/