Bali Solo Trip!

I took another solo trip. This time to Bali, Indonesia. This is a blog about my experience. If you prefer to receive information in video form, please check out the vlog.

Travel Info

Bali does require an eVisa or VOA for US citizens. You can do this when you arrive, but I opted to do it ahead of time to avoid waiting in an additional line. You can apply at https://molina.imigrasi.go.id/ and the cost is about $35.

I traveled on China Airlines from SFO - DPS via TPE.  Be prepared for a long travel day if you are coming from the USA. It was about 17 hours of flying each way between the two flights. I think flights may be even longer from the East Coast.

I didn't eat much on my first flight, but the food was decent on all remaining flights that I took. I pre-ordered a lactose-free meal since I am lactose intolerant. They were accommodating of other dietary restrictions as well. The seats were not particularly comfortable especially on the longer flight. The plane seemed to be a bit older based on the quality of the seat-back screen as well. If you are planning to bring a carry-on, please make sure to weigh it before leaving home. They have a 15lb/7kg limit for carry on bags which is very easy to exceed. I ended up having to re-arrange some things at SFO to get my bag under 8kg (it was originally 9kg) and they decided to let it slide. They did not weigh my bag on the way home, so you may get lucky. The limit for checked bags is the standard 50lb/23kg limit that most airlines have.

I was able to use my Priority Pass membership to visit Oriental Club Lounge in TPE and take a shower which felt amazing after being on a plane for 12+ hours. I would highly recommend doing this if you have a long enough layover. I believe TPE has publicly available showers as well, but I'm not sure of the details of how to access them.

I stayed at Avani Resort Seminyak for 2 nights in a Private Pool Villa. The villa was quite spacious with a king bed and a sofa bed. The sofa bed and kitchen were separate from the bedroom/bathroom area so this could provide some privacy if you're traveling as a couple with kids. I enjoyed staying here. The staff was super friendly and there are multiple restaurants, bars and stores within walking distance. I had no issue being picked up for my activities here. I had initially booked a different hotel, but it was outside of the pickup area for multiple of the activity providers, so please be sure to check that when booking hotels near Seminyak.

I then moved to Alaya Resort Ubud for 5 nights. I was in a standard king room here which was less expensive than looking for another private pool villa. I enjoyed staying here as well. I had a nice view of a courtyard and rice field from the balcony of my room.

A note on hotels: there are plenty of hotels in Bali as well as private villas that are less expensive than these. I intentionally chose higher end places to give myself a luxury experience for significantly less than what comparable hotels would cost in the USA.

I arranged transportation from the airport and between hotels with the hotels directly. I booked transportation to the airport on Get Your Guide, but this could have been arranged with the hotel as well.

Day By Day

Sunday

I had breakfast (included) at my hotel, then spent the day on a snorkeling excursion. It was a bit of a journey to get to the snorkeling location. This was also probably my least favorite snorkeling experience when comparing to Cabo and Belize, but overall, I still enjoyed the experience.

After snorkeling, I spent some time walking around Seminyak. I had some Balinese coconut gelato from Coco Bello then ended the day with dinner at my hotel since I was in need of some alone time.

Monday

I had breakfast at my hotel again then took a cooking class at Warung Nia. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It was very well organized. We were divided into groups with staff members available to help. The chef was very knowledgable and was sure to point out substitution options in case we did not have access to a specific ingredient at home. Since we made so many items, there wasn't enough time to fully make everything ourselves, but they had us do enough of each item to be able to make it at home. They also gave us a certificate of completion as well as a cookbook with all of the recipes.

After the cooking class, I walked back to my hotel. I stopped to have a drink at Hibiscus Restaurant Seminyak. I had a Bali Majesty which was pretty good. I then met my driver to head to the next hotel in Ubud where I relaxed for the rest of the day.

Tuesday

I did an all day tour which included the Ubud Monkey Forest, Ceking Rice Terrace at Tegalalang, Holy spring temple at Tirta Empul and Tegenungan Waterfall. We also stopped at a coffee and tea plantation where we were able to sample some Luwak coffee.

I spent the remainder of the day lounging at my hotel pool and having dinner at Sally's Kitchen.

Wednesday

I was dealing with some back pain, so I didn't do much. I had previously booked an activity at Aloha Ubud Swing Park so I went ahead and did that. After that, I got a massage from a local spa and relaxed for the remainder of the day before picking up dinner at a local restaurant.

Thursday

My back was still hurting, so I didn't do much on Thursday. I had a mini photo shoot at the hotel which was complimentary and included one photo. I paid for two additional photos. After that, I relaxed at the pool for a bit then switched to my balcony and watched the World Athletic Championship.

Friday

This was my last full day. I thought it would be a good idea to participate in some self-care before traveling home. My activity included a water purification ritual in the morning followed by breakfast at a local hotel. I lounged at the hotel pool before the yoga and meditation class. I had the option to relax at this hotel for the remainder of the day, but I opted to go back to my own hotel to relax before packing up my things and preparing to head home.

I enjoyed participating in the water purification ritual as other cultures and religions are very fascinating to me. If your beliefs do not support participating in other religions, you will probably want to skip this activity.

Cost Breakdown

Flights: ~$1600

Hotels and Ground Transportation: ~$1550

Visa: $35

Food, Activities, Misc Spending: ~$550

Total Cost: ~$3800