This past summer, I had the privilege of visiting one of the most beautiful and enchanting places on earth: Bali, Indonesia. For those of you who have not seen the film adaptation of Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir, ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ (which was filmed in Ubud, Bali), imagine the most tranquil and beautiful scenery you have ever seen! I have never envisioned a place with such vibrant colors, untouched areas, and spiritual vibes.

My trip to Bali was a mere 4 day weekend getaway from a longer vacation I had taken to Singapore. I decided to spend 2 of those days inland in the artsy, and cultural town of Ubud, while the next 2 days were spent on Bali’s luxurious beach peninsula, Nusa Dua.

My first two hours in Bali were terrifying! Having grown up in Europe, I am used to aggressive driving and expected the same in Bali.  It turns out however, in Bali signals and signs are mere suggestions, not rules. I eventually realized that honking is used as a form of communication between drivers (since they do not follow signals/signs).

Amongst the manic driving and cacaphony of horns, I was surprised to see a whole family piled onto a tiny scooter. That’s right:  a toddler on the handlebars, the father driving behind, and a mother holding her baby on her lap in between them (with the legs to the side of course, just like a true lady).


Ubud is known as the cultural town of Bali, is infused with local craft, art galleries, museums, cooking classes, yoga and Balinese dance performances. Among the top things to see in Ubud are its lush rice paddies terrace, and the sacred monkey forest.


The accommodations in Ubud are mostly villas and low-cost pensions, no luxury hotels, although a few upscale villas are located just outside of Ubud. Food is also extremely inexpensive in Ubud: the average price per meal was around $3-$8 CAD.


Because my time there was so limited, I decided to do a guided cycling tour. The early morning and 30 minute drive was well worth it! We started at a small terrace restaurant overlooking one of Bali’s active volcanoes, Mount Batur and Kintamani Mountain, and its largest lake, Lake Batur. To say the very least, it was the MOST spectacular scenery I had ever witnessed while breakfasting.


We then commenced our downhill cycle through a range of vivid rice fields, breathtaking rainforests and charming local spots. As we passed through the small villages, the local children would run out on the street to give us high-fives!


We stopped at one of the rice field’s through our trek down to learn about how the locals harvest their rice, as we were lucky enough to catch them during harvesting season!


After a 25 km downhill trek, we stopped at a home in a small village 20 minutes outside Ubud, where a family hosted our lunch. They had tasty local dishes, and the view (once again) was sensational, overlooking a rich rice field.

The next day, I took a 2 hour car ride to Nusa Dua, Bali’s South-East Peninsula, known for its luxury hotels and fine sand beaches. My driver, Ketut, had never tried chewing gum before so I decided to share. Almost immediately he began sneezing, and considering Bali traffic the combination was frightening!  Eventually he looked up at me and said “This thing called gum is so cool”.  He was a bit of a hunk too, which made the whole experience rather adorable.


Nusa Dua is a great couple hot-spot, with opulent fine-sand beaches, and luxurious hotels and spas. It is a great place to soak up the sun, relax at the spa and try para-sailing if you’re feeling adventurous. I had a great time relaxing on the beach.


There is something utterly inspiring and magical about Bali. The locals will be the first to tell you that Bali is a place so special, it is rare that someone would ever want to leave.