If you are looking for somewhere to escape to from the busy city life then look no further…

You cannot go wrong with a trip to Bali. Whether you are looking to find your inner zen, want some downtime on a beautiful beach, or want an active holiday with a few days reserved for relaxing, Bali has it all.

I travelled to Bali with a friend in September 2018 for 10 days but I wish I had spent longer there and already am itching to go back. We started off in Seminyak, which is known for its beautiful sandy beaches that are particularly suited for surfing, and stayed at the Marriot Hotel in Kuta near to the beach front. We gave up on the idea of surfing after one lesson and spent most of our days at the beach clubs (namely Potato Head Beach Club and Finn’s Beach Club) or pigging out at one of the many delicious restaurants. They have a variety of options to cater to anyone’s palette, from Aussie style brunch cafes (try Sisterfields) to local Indonesian food (try Mades Warung) to fine dining (try Sarong restaurant).

After having our fair share of beach time we moved on to Ubud to experience the tranquil environment Bali is best known for. Our hotel, Padma Resort, was beautiful and had the longest infinity pool in Bali which was set deep within the jungle. This setting, coupled with daily yoga classes, massages and delicious food (my favourite restaurants in Ubud were Hujuan and Locavore), had me feeling completely relaxed and switched off from the real world, which as a corporate lawyer is almost impossible to do. To top it off I would always end my day with charcoal flavoured ice cream from Gelato Secrets, an interesting flavour that had me going back for more.

Now if you are anything like me, I cannot relax for 10 days straight without doing some sort of activity, and so I decided it made complete sense to wake up at 5am and hike to the top of Mount Batur in the dark to watch sunrise…and I do not regret it all! This was another side of Bali that I am glad I had experienced, and standing at the top of Mount Batur whilst watching the sun rise over the rice paddies made me feel deeply satisfied and content…Bali has this effect on you. If hiking is not your thing there are plenty of other activities to fill your days in Bali, from surfing to zip lining for the adventurous to visiting the rice paddies and the monkey forest for those who are more laid back.

Finally, no trip to Bali is complete without taking in the culture and being a part of it. The Balinese are spiritual people and you can find a temple almost on every corner. We only managed to visit some temples in Ubud but there are some striking temples all around Bali that are worth a visit, such as Pura Tanah Lot, Pura Luhur Lempuyang and Uluwatu Temple.

Bali has a special place in my heart and I will definitely be back soon. If you are planning a trip to Bali please do get in touch for any information, I will happily provide my list of recommendations for food and sight-seeing.