Bali seems to be that destination that everyone wishes to visit at least once in their lives. It also has that magical pull that keeps everyone, who has visited before, coming back every now and then. I myself am visiting Bali for the third time now, my friend however is visiting Bali for the third time in a year! It’s kind of crazy to think of how popular Bali is among the world travelers, countless of blog posts have been written about Bali, some movies are filmed there. Before my first visit in 2008, I imagined Bali to have plenty of skyscrapers and modern buildings in the city center. But I was wrong. The roads were narrow everywhere, and not many skyscrapers were around. Even now, the roads remain narrow. However things are getting pricier and pricier.
Just a little reminiscing of my 2 previous trips to Bali. I first visited Bali in 2008 with my university friends (who are from the same hometown as me). Our trip highlights were climbing Mount Batur, rafting, playing water in Waterbom, and visiting temples. My second visit was in 2013 when my friends and I participated in Bali Marathon, in which I signed up for full marathon but only ran half due to lack of training 😀
Back to my recent trip to Bali. It was a reunion trip with my university friends. We have graduated between 7-8 years ago! Time really flies too quickly! Two of us live in Jakarta and four of us live in Singapore now. We all arrived in Bali at different timings, and different days due to personal commitments. I am part of the first team to arrive in Bali, so I have a lot of stories to tell in this blog!
Itinerary
Here is my itinerary of 7 days in Bali.
Day 1 (Airport – Nusa Dua):
– Arrived in Bali airport early morning
– Checked in and stored luggage in Courtyard Hotel
– Visited St. Regis for lunch and spa
– Dinner at Warung Nasi Ayam Ibu Oki
Day 2 (Nusa Dua):
– Breakfast at Courtyard Hotel
– Visited Nusa Dua private beach
– Dinner at Ulam Restaurant
Day 3 (Nusa Dua – Uluwatu – Legian/Kuta):
– Breakfast at Courtyard Hotel
– Checked out from Courtyard Hotel
– Lunch at Babi Guling Pak Dobiel, Nusa Dua
– Visited Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK), Uluwatu
– Visited Uluwatu Temple and watched Kecak dance
– Checked in The One Legian Hotel, Legian
– Dinner at Warung Made, Kuta
Day 4 (Seminyak – Jimbaran):
– Brunch at Nook, Seminyak
– Walk around Seminyak
– Dinner at Jimbaran
Day 5 (Kuta – Ubud – Kuta):
– Breakfast at Nasi Pedas Ibu Andika, Kuta
– Shopping at Joger, Kuta
– Monkey Forest, Ubud
– Visited Cafe Wayan, Ubud
– Dinner at Bebek Tepi Sawah at Tuban, Kuta
– Shopping for souvenirs at Krisna Oleh Oleh at Tuban, Kuta
Day 6 (Ubud – Kuta)
– Breakfast at Starbucks near hotel
– Rafting with Sobek at Ayung River, Ubud
– Lunch at rafting finishing point
– First round of dinner at Warung Souvlaki, Kuta
– Visited Beachwalk Mall, Kuta
– Second round of dinner at TJ’s Mexican Restaurant, Kuta
– Shopping for souvenirs at a supermarket in Kuta
Day 7 (Kuta – Seminyak – Airport)
– Breakfast at Yoghurt Republic near hotel
– Shopping for souvenirs near Joger, Kuta
– Lunch at Babi Guling Pak Malen, Seminyak
– Spa at Bodyworks, Seminyak
– Smoothie bowl at Nalu Bowls, Seminyak
– Dinner at Bebek Tepi Sawah at Tuban
– Airport
Cost
Here is my cost of 7 days in Bali.
- Flight = SGD 110
- Accommodation = Rp 2.4 mil = SGD 240
- Transport (cab & car rental) = Rp 455k = SGD 45.5
- Food = Rp 1678k = SGD 167.8
- Attractions & activities = Rp 1052.5k = SGD 105.2
- Souvenirs = Rp 387.5k = SGD 38.75
My Total Cost = approx. SGD 707
Closing Remarks
Even after spending 7 days in Bali, we barely had enough. But wallets have been screaming loudly. There are many ways to enjoy Bali at different budget. For me personally, I really enjoy the food scene and the adventure. There are always reasons to go back to Bali, and I think I want to go back for many times in the future.
On side note, a reunion trip with friends is so much different from solo trip, sibling trip, family trip and couple trip. In a reunion trip, you get to reminisce about the good old days, catch up with each other’s latest life events, rebuild the friendship bond, make the same silly old jokes, discover who you used to be, and just have fun. It is a good way to reconnect and keep in touch. We have had a similar reunion trip eight months earlier in Jakarta, and are planning for another reunion in January/February 2017. These trips will be fond memories when we grow old.
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