We were lucky enough to spend January on this magical island in Indonesia, and we can now say that Bali and its people will keep a special place in our hearts.
Our days were filled with delicious food, laughter, and exploring on motos - starting in the area of Canggu, where our friend Alessia lives with her lovely parents, who moved there in the 90s.
We felt so privileged listening to their stories and getting to visit the places they shared with us. We didn't plan much before the trip as we wanted to be able to flow between areas and let them guide us - it turned out to be perfect and we have curated a list of places for you.
WHERE TO STAY
Some of these beautiful hotels are on our bucket list for our next trip to Bali, but we did get to stay at the Yama Balian - it was out of this world.
Whilst we were there, we were recommended to try a yoga class in the morning. It was the perfect start to the day before indulging in a delicious breakfast, paddle boarding on the river, and heading to the beach - which was only a few minutes away.
WHERE TO EAT
All the food in Bali is great, from the cheapest local warungs to the more curated restaurants.
Above you can find a few of my favourites - we found ourselves heading back to Times on several occasions, to get food in their stunning beach bar. Honorable mentions to our idilic dinner dates at Mana, Woods and Sunday (the best Brazilian food).
WHAT TO DO
Beaches of Uluwatu
This is a film picture of us in the mountains of Ubud, during the Melukat ceremony - a Balinese ritual to cleanse the body and soul - wearing our sarongs and carrying the basket of offerings.
WHERE TO SHOP
Of course we had to take some small souvenirs home with us and the selection of products at Bokashi was impressive. I went for champaka essential oil as a small reminder of the sweet scent of Bali.