If you love a tropical vacation, you probably don’t need to find a “reason” to take one. We LOVE tropical vacations, and for years we kept saying that we would “go-back” to Bali. Yet, five years passed, and our do-over trip still wasn’t booked. Until… friends of ours said they were taking their kids* to Bali, and they planned to renew their wedding vows. FINALLY, we had a REASON to go back!! Ok, ok, we really didn’t need a reason to go, the beaches, the surf, the food and the people are all reason enough, but add in friends & family, and we knew early on that this was the perfect opportunity to make some new memories!

First stop, Balian and our home-away-from-home, the Balian Beach Villa. The Villa is a traditional Balinese-style house with outdoor bathrooms, open air living space, a loft perch, hand-crafted & beautifully detailed decorations, plus lush gardens. More importantly, it offers privacy, peace, and quiet. The gracious owner arranged all of the extras for us, from in-villa massages, to drivers & transport. Added bonus, it’s a short walk to the black sand beach and the waves of Balian. Double added bonus, we had access to the beachfront Pondok Pitaya hotel – with expansive green lawns, a sculpture garden, ocean-front swings, and an ocean-view pool.

Our lovebird friends, with their twin boys at their side, renewed their wedding vows at the nearby Gajah Mina hotel, overlooking the beach. The adults toasted with Bintang beers, and everyone jumped in the pool to celebrate!

Next stop, the Bukit peninsula (Pecatu), and S Hidden Valley Resorts – an expansive property, literally tucked into a hidden valley! What it lacks in ocean views, it more than makes up for in amenities and services. They offer yoga, movie-nights, and daily transportation to the most popular beaches & surf spots. But the pièces de résistance, for adults and kids alike, THREE distinct swimming pools (plus a wading pool, complete with a life-size elephant sculpture, just for the kids!).

Of course, we thoroughly enjoyed it all. From morning yoga, to nighttime swims, and days spent lounging at the beach.

These are the notes from our trip!

Best Beaches

  • Padang Padang – a small but beautiful patch of sand, perfect for tide pooling, people watching, monkey spotting, and surfing. Beware, if you sit close to the waters edge, you’ll have a constant stream of  tourists wandering by. Alternatively, if you sit close to the cliffs edge, you might spot a monkey (or several) – but hold on to your belongings because the monkeys are above the law and they take what they want. Side note – we were there during the much publicized Rip Curl Cup – whose tagline is “It’s on when it’s on.” Alas, the surf was never quite on, so the contest didn’t happen. Not to worry though, we caught a different contest, another day, at a neighboring beach.
  • Uluwatu – The fellas surfed while the ladies and the kids chilled at the Blue Point Top Pool. For a fee, you get access to the ocean-view infinity pool, the kids slide pool, drinks, lunch, loungers, clean facilities, and shopping nearby. It’s a good deal, and it’s an easy spot to pass time if the cliff-side warungs & stairs aren’t your thing (with two 5 year-olds in tow, the stairs were not our thing).
  • Bingin – Once again, the fellas opted to surf a spot accessible only by billy-goat-like stairs (good for goats, maybe not so good for twin 5 year-old boys). With luck and coincidence, we bumped into newly made friends that were staying at a lovely cliff-top, ocean-view bungalow. They invited us to crash their pool, and crash we did, belly-flops and cannon balls included.
  • Balangan – this quickly became our favorite spot, with the easiest access for everyone. We kept going back, for the umbrella and lounger rentals, the endless warungs to choose from, the expansive beach for walking, running & playing, and the consistent waves. Add in vendors offering popsicles (yes please!), jewelry & sarongs (Yes!), and lounge chair massages (YESSSS!!!), this beach was pretty perfect for our tribe.

Memorable Meals

  • Pondok Pitaya Hotel Restaurant (Balian) – after 24+ hours of travel, their “cure-all” ginger and lemongrass tea elixers made everything better.
  • Deki’s Warung  (Balian) – perched precariously, and perfectly, on the cliff’s edge. I dug into a massive bowl of ramen and vegetables, quite content to have a hot bowl of soup in the middle of a hot day.
  • Casa Cafe (Balian) – breakfast to go (or “take-away”), pitaya fruit & grain bowls, plus fresh juice, AND pea & goat cheese toast (DELISH!), accompanied by a neighbors home cooked duck eggs (extra delish!!).
  • Habitual Quench & Feed (Seminyak) – this spot was recommended by an ex-pat who said we had to try it, and we’re glad we did (twice!). I sampled everything, a massive “traditional” burger, a fish burger, a cashew burger with “wild rockets” (arugula), fries, fries, and more fries, and MILKSHAKES!
  • Casa Asia (Ungasan) – just as the name implies, it’s a hip & legit Italian restaurant! Get the linguini with pesto and green beans, a wood-fired pizza (any pizza!), and the affogata for dessert.
  • Black Rose Resto (Pecatu) – try the chicken curry, the chicken bahn mi, the veggie pho, the rose water, or my personal favorite – the tickle tongue juice (lime, mint, and ginger)!
  • Ayu’s (Pecatu) – finally found my beloved jaffle, and a traditional plate of chicken satay with fried rice. If you go, check out the gift & souvenirs (from the heart!) in the attached boutique.
  • Drifter Surf Shop, Cafe & Gallery (Uluwatu) – it’s easy to get sucked in to the massive storefront – so when you’re done shopping for graphic t’s & hats, work your way to the garden cafe in the back – we shared a “breakfast burrito,” just like at home.
  • Land’s End Cafe (Uluwatu) – a super sweet spot, for breakfast, lunch, or just a smoothie stop to cool off!
  • Sangkar (Bulgari Hotel, Uluwatu) – the Mr. and I snuck away for a date night. Go for the service, the view, and sunset cocktails at the hotel bar, and then stay for dinner. We indulged in the barrundi fish, the pork ribs, and the cheescake they sent over.

One of my absolute favorite food discoveries this trip, was a roadside cart selling Martabak (sweet Teran Bulan). It’s a spongey, double-stacked cake, sweetened with condensed milk, and sprinkled with your choice of toppings. We opted for chocolate and nuts, for the kids, you know. But you can pick raisins, strawberries, and bananas! Never has street food been SO SWEET! The cart craftsman doesn’t start his day until 8 pm-ish, and by the time we arrived, he already had a long line of patrons. Waiting gave me a chance to study how it was made, and I was quickly obsessed. I’m still trying to persuade Mr. Vacay to open a Jaffle+Martabak cake shop back home!!!

*A side note on traveling with kids. Kudos to the parents that take their kids anywhere. From my perspective, navigating a neighborhood grocery store with a child can be… interesting. Never mind taking twin 5 year-old boys around the world on a trip-of-a-lifetime, adventure vacation to Bali. I can’t lie, initially, I thought our friends were crazy, like out of their mind crazy. But now, I think of our friends as super-humans. They pulled it off, and it was awesome to share the experience with the whole tribe. Their boys are epic (which in hindsight should be a no-brainer considering how epic mom & dad are). But what was really special, was seeing this foreign land through the eyes of a child. It gave me a sweet new perspective on everything. The boys were curious, adventurous, and full of joy. Will they remember this extra-special trip? I don’t know, but I certainly will!!