Earlier, I mentioned my plan to travel four times a year while maintaining a full-time […]
Earlier, I mentioned my plan to travel four times a year while maintaining a full-time desk job. In 2024, I managed to travel five times, as two trips occurred close to the beginning of the year.
This was my first trip to Bali, and I tailored the experience to suit my needs. My primary goal was relaxation, so I avoided overloading the itinerary with pre-planned activities. The trip focused on dining (with advance reservations due to the peak period), exploring by foot where possible and massages. I skipped Bali swing, rice terraces, monkey forest and hiking since it is the rainy season anyway.
Locations
Popular areas in Bali include Canggu, Seminyak, Ubud, and Uluwatu. Given the trip’s duration (around 3.5 days) and the proximity of locations, I went to Pererenan, Canggu, and Seminyak.I stayed in Seminyak for its convenience, with malls, restaurants, and cafes nearby. Western tourists seemed more concentrated in Canggu.
Weather
Traveling during the rainy season meant cooler temperatures during the day. It rained heavily the first night but only drizzled during the day. The following two days were bright and sunny. On departure day, it rained again, but fortunately, the rain stopped during the ride to the airport.
Flights
The flights cost approximately $300 per person on Scoot and Jetstar.
Hotels
My top priorities were location, cleanliness, and soundproofing. Hotels meeting these criteria are available for about $50 per person.
- Potato Head Villa: >$300 per night. Breakfast options seem good - order from menu
- Kanvaz Hotel: $200 per night. Good buffet spread including mini pastries from Vincent Kanvaz.
- 4-star hotels: Around $100 per night. Decent and meet my criteria.
Transportation
I alternated between Gojek and Grab for rides, as prices varied.
- Rides within Seminyak: < $4
- 1-hour ride (e.g., Seminyak to Pererenan): ~$9-10
Dining Highlights
Pererenan has a row of renowned restaurants and cafes, making it worthwhile to travel two hours round-trip to dine at the restaurants. (Go jek delivery is available too)
Restaurant Meals
- Ultimo: Flavorful dry-aged beef with delicious sauces. Other dishes (e.g., pizza, fried cheese, crème brûlée) were alright.
- Santera: Our favorite! Exceptional starters, mains, and desserts, including foie gras, octopus, goat cheese, and wagyu chicken skewers.
- Vincent at Kanvaz: Excellent pastries, including chocolate croissants and éclairs. I bought cookies and chocolate bar.
- Naughty Nuri’s: Tried corn ribs and pork ribs. Both are good. Would like to try the rest of their menu (nasi goreng, pork soup) if they are good. I find the pork ribs alright, not as fantastic as the reviews were. It is better than Morganfield’s as the bbq sauce is not that heavy.
- Riviera Gelato: Outstanding pistachio and chocolate gelato. Rich and creamy, 2 scoops for $3.30.
- Local Snacks: Recommend Pie Susu Afik and cheese/chocolate piah from Bali banana. I would skip the dense and not sweet Bali banana cake.
- Shelter Restaurant: Middle Eastern cuisine, but less impressive than others.
- Potato Head Beach Club: Went at 9 AM to enjoy the view without the crowd. There is a minimum spend for day bed which offers a good view of the beach. Otherwise, the free seats are not that comfortable.
- Riviera bistro: Fantastic dishes like focaccia, spinach ravioli, chicken liver brulee, grilled prawns, and tuna tartare.
- Filo Kitchen: Remarkable mushroom gnocchi in miso sauce, lobster risotto with al dente texture, juicy scallops and beef tongue tacos. The pumpkin cocktail was excellent for whisky lovers.
Breakfast
- Sisterfield: I like the sourdough so much that I bought the loaf but it was so salty. Had avocado toast, acai bowl, grilled pumpkin, and big breakfast.
What stood out was the affordability of premium dining in Bali. Despite ordering extensively, costs were much cheaper than similar meals in Singapore, with outstanding taste and craftsmanship.
Local Street Food
With Gojek, we could eat local street food, such as ayam betutu, mee soto, rawon, and mixed rice dishes conveniently. Bali’s babi guling, while good, lacks the pork-forward flavor of the Filipino version.
Miscellaneous
Water: I didn’t always use mineral water for brushing teeth. Restaurants typically use it for drinks, and my hotel provided mineral water or refill stations.
Traffic: Bali’s roads are narrow. There’s heavy traffic throughout the day, even for non-peak timings. I mainly used cars for safety reasons.
Airport: Finding the Grab pickup point was challenging; follow the signs through the large parking lot. The airport had good dining options (e.g., Revolver Cafe, Made Warung) despite higher prices.
Experience
Tourists and locals were friendly and helpful. Service staff gave excellent recommendations and hold my reservation despite several changes in timing. Overall, the trip was an ideal blend of relaxation, culinary exploration, and cultural discovery.