How did we get there?
There are lots of nice places to stay on mainland Bali. In the South, to name a few, Canggu, Seminyak, Kuta, Uluwatu, Jimbaran. Northern Bali is also meant to be beautiful but I haven’t managed to adventure that far. Most places in the South are easy to get between via taxis.
Where did we stay and for how long?
During my 3 week trip, I stayed in Kuta for one night due to ease of access to the airport, Jimbaran for 2 nights as a base to visit Uluwatu and surrounding areas and Seminyak for 2 nights to visit some beach clubs and bars.
What did we do whilst we were there?
What to say about Kuta! Some love it, some hate it! It’s a great place to stay to be close to the airport but many say it is the Aussie’s Ibiza and is full of clubs and bars and people going there just to get drunk. It is pretty hectic and there are definitely nicer areas to stay in. There are however a few good things to do in Kuta. The beach is good for surfing lessons, there are streets and streets of little market stalls making it a good place to haggle for some souvenirs and there is also a fancy Western shopping centre if you happen to need a taste of home (Topshop, Zara etc.!). It is also a very easy place to pick up a minibus to Ubud. Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t be in a rush to return here.
We stayed in Jimbaran for a few nights to give us a good base to get to Uluwatu. There isn’t that much in Jimbaran, the town seemed quite spread out but the main beach front is gorgeous. A very long sandy beach with an incredible sunset. There are also lots of seafood restaurants actually right on the beach with their tables in the sand which makes the perfect setting for a chilled dinner. We had dinner here and they had a live band come along which was great! From our hotel here, we got a taxi to Tegenungan Waterfall which turned out to be a long old way (probably easier to get to from the likes of Kuta or Ubud). It was cool but not the most impressive waterfall I have ever seen so not sure I would 100% recommend this one, might be best to look for some less touristy ones.
If not staying in Uluwatu, then a day trip here is well worth it. We spent the early afternoon at Blue Heaven Restaurant which is perched on top of the cliffs overlooking Padang Padang Beach. As long as you buy some food/drinks you can have access to the infinity pool and sun loungers all day. The views from here are spectacular so it’s a pretty nice way to spend the day. Later in the afternoon we headed down the road to Single Fin sunset bar to watch an amazing sunset with the waves crashing in below us. They have DJ’s here and it can get very busy so arrive early to get a good spot! Alternatively, you might want to spend the sunset at Uluwatu temple where you can explore the ruins and watch local dancing.
Seminyak is just along from Kuta and is quite similar except a bit nicer with some fancy hotels, beach clubs, nice restaurants and shops. I have heard it is similar to Canggu which is the next town along the coast but we didn’t have time to go there. The beach in Seminyak is pretty nice with a choice of beach clubs along the front such as Potato Head, W Hotel, Ku De Ta, Finn’s Beach Club etc. We arrived early in the morning around 10:30am to get some sun beds for the day but everything was already taken and there was a waiting list which we couldn’t believe as it only opened at 10am! So if you are serious about going here for the day, I would get there really early! Seminyak is a good spot to have some nice meals out and beach bar kind of days.
Adventures with H 