Ubud (4 nights):

Where did you stay?

In Ubud, we stayed at the Viceroy Bali. I cannot say anything bad about this resort. The food was exceptional, the complimentary activities were awesome, the views were unlike anything I’ve ever seen, and the hospitality was a 10/10. Upon arrival, we arranged transportation from the airport, and Margi was one of our favorite drivers on the property. From the very beginning to the very end, we could’ve stayed here the entire trip. It is certainly a must-visit if you’re coming to Bali. They went above and beyond in every capacity, and it was impressive how much time the staff spent memorizing small details such as your names. The property is pristinely kept, and the rooms are worth every penny.

Since we booked through a luxury travel agent, Jetset and Travel, we received additional perks during our stay. We booked the Pool Suite room, but since we were eligible for a complimentary room upgrade, we were given a double room upgrade to the Deluxe Terrace Villa. The room was bigger than our house at home! It had a large sofa, his and her sinks, a king bed, a huge private infinity pool, loungers, and an outside bungalow. Our rooms’ location was close to the CasCades Restaurant, directly across from the fitness center, and a minute’s walk to the shared pool. They also have golf carts on-site that you can call to get to your destination.

What activities did you do?

We arranged all of our activities in Ubud through the resort. Upon check-in, a WhatsApp itinerary was sent to us, mapping out our stay details. It was helpful to have it all in one place as a quick reference guide to what we had going on each day (including complimentary activities).

On our first morning, we woke up at 2 am to do a sunrise volcano trekking hike on Mount Batur. The resort provided us with a breakfast box on the go as the drive was around an hour. Once we got to the bottom where the hike started, it took us nearly two hours to get to the top. Our tour came with a guide who assisted us to the top. The rocks were slick, so his expertise was much appreciated! The reviews said it was an easy hike, but I promise you, it was quite challenging. I’m glad we brought our hiking boots! Once we reached the top, we watched the sunrise. Unfortunately, since it was overcast and raining, the sunrise didn’t offer the beautiful sky colors, but the view was still breathtaking.

The next stop was to the Batur Natural Hot Springs. We relaxed here for around an hour as we were pretty tired from the early wakeup call and the hike. The afternoon was spent relaxing by the pool until our complimentary couples Balinese massage at 2:00 pm at the Akoya Spa.

The last activity we had planned for the day was the hotel's social hour at Pinstripe bar. The resort offers complimentary beverages twice a week during this hour to gather feedback from their guests and to socialize with others staying on the property. It’s a pretty small resort, only accommodating 44 rooms. We stayed for half an hour to take the shuttle into downtown Ubud for our dinner reservation at Donna.  

The second day, we used the shuttle to take us to their stop by the Monkey Forest. We wanted to go right when they opened, as we heard that’s when the monkeys are usually the most active. We didn’t plan for this activity in advance, and bought tickets at the entrance. I would avoid going here if it’s raining, as the monkeys can sense the rain and typically seek elevation to hide during inclement weather. They also offer“selfie stands” throughout the sanctuary, where, for a few extra dollars, a worker will take a monkey selfie for you. The monkey will sit on your lap without hesitation, and the worker will feed the monkey so it gives the appearance of a selfie. It’s a must-stop if staying in Ubud! We spent the afternoon soaking up the nice weather in our private villa and exploring the resort grounds.

For our final morning, we booked the hotel’s complimentary yoga class. If you’re at the property on one of the days these classes are held, it’s a great way to start your morning! We thoroughly enjoyed it, although it was a sweaty activity. After breakfast, we planned a private half-day tour through the resort to the Aloha Swings, Ceking Rice Terrace, Coffee Plantation, and Ulu Petanu Waterfall. It was a beautiful morning, and we didn’t run into too much traffic. Afterwards, we had a late lunch at CasCades. We then had a dinner reservation at Sayan House that evening for our final night.

‍Where did you eat?

We ate at the Viceroy’s CasCades Restaurant for breakfast every morning (complimentary). The views were amazing, the options were overwhelming, and everything was delicious. It was the perfect place to start our day. We also ate many lunches on-site when we weren’t out and about. It was convenient, the selection was great, and the food was delicious. You can order in your room or even poolside.

We made a dinner reservation at CasCades for an evening when our resort offered complimentary Balinese dancing. They performed 4 dances that symbolized different aspects of the Hindu culture.

The only reservations for dinner we made ahead of time were at Donna (in downtown Ubud) and the Sayan House (we hired a private driver). Both restaurants need to be booked in advance if you want to guarantee a table. Donna was a quick walk from one of the hotel's shuttle points, and the Sayan House was around 30 minutes away, excluding traffic.

Donna offered a unique ambiance with delicious Mediterranean and Latin American cuisine. The restaurant was highly rated, and we looked at the menu in advance. The service was great, and my Australian steak was only $30. The menu indicated they do something unique to their espresso martinis, so we had to order to find out.They serve them over dry ice! It was an exceptional experience from start to finish.

Sayan House is an extremely popular and must-visit restaurant offering Japanese-Latin Fusion cuisine. We made our reservation right before sunset so we could admire the amazing view of the Ayung River during sunset. The Four Seasons Ubud property was visible on the other side of the river. If you’re in Ubud, secure a reservation here; you will not be disappointed!

How did you get around?

The resort also offers complimentary rides into downtown Ubud, only 5-10 minutes away. They operate on a set schedule with two different drop-off points, so make sure you’re on time. We didn’t know that on the first day, so we missed the shuttle.

The resort is also connected with a few local private drivers if you’d rather go on your schedule. We used one to drive us to Sayan House for our dinner reservation. It’s relatively inexpensive to get around, but bring plenty of cash.

Uluwatu (3 nights):

Where did you stay?

We stayed at the Hidden Hills Villas in Uluwatu. We booked this resort through Booking.com. We initially booked the Santorini room, but unfortunately, we were not aware that there was a lot of construction affecting that villa. We asked to change rooms, given that the view was obstructed by construction, but they couldn’t offer one until the following day.  

After the first night, Jordan woke up with three bumps on his arms. He didn’t think much of it other than that they were itchy (luckily, we had Benadryl). I instinctively knew from the placement of the bites that it was from bed bugs. Jordan brought this to the front desk's attention, and all they did was apologize. There was no follow-up from management throughout the entire duration of our stay, which was disappointing to say the least.

We were then upgraded to the Seychelles room for the remaining two nights. The hotel could use some refreshed amenities, the resort pool was quite small, and the gym had one cardio machine and not much else. The fitness room also had a musty smell. The reason I booked it initially was the proximity to a lot of activities we wanted to do, but I wouldn’t recommend staying here. I wish we had booked The Ungasan resort.

What activities did you do?

We arrived from Ubud around 4pm with no plans for that evening. There were a few recommendations I had researched, but I wanted to see what we were in the mood for after our travels. We ended up at Single Fin on aSunday for dinner. This place is a party on Sundays, there is limited space with a first-come, first-served experience. We were luckily able to find a couple of bar stools. A server took our drink and food order, and we enjoyed the sunset views and the surfers.  It was loud, crowded, and the place to be on a Sunday. After we ate, we decided it was too overwhelming and walked over to Ulu Cliffhouse. It was much less crowded; the service was wonderful, and the view spectacular. It was more of our kind of vibe.

The following day, we had nothing pre-planned, so we went out to explore. Our first stop was to grab iced coffee at Jack’s Coffee. It was a warm day, so we wanted to shop around their little downtown area. We browsed in some boutique stores, and came across this busy place called milk & madu when it randomly started to rain. Since we already had breakfast, we were in the mood for a smoothie. Once the rain stopped, we continued down to Thomas Beach. This beach is geared more towards surfers. There were several steps to go down, and since the tide was high, we couldn’t even walk on the beach. We decided it was time to go back to the hotel to lie by our private pool for the afternoon.

One of the most popular activities in Uluwatu is the Kecak and Fire Dance. This is in the Uluwatu Temple. You can see the temple for a fee, without seeing the fire dance (an additional fee). Make sure you book your tickets in advance. We had to go two hours early to wait in line to see if more tickets would be released. They only sell so many online in advance. They have two shows every night, at 5:30 and 6:30 pm. Be careful at the temple as the locals call the monkeys in the temple the “naughty monkeys” because they will steal your personal belongings (i.e., sunglasses, hats, cellphones, purse, keys, wallets, etc.) as a bartering method for food. The dance was not quite what I expected, but it was a cultural experience.

On our last day, we made a VIP twin bed reservation at Sunday’s Beach Club. This is one of the most iconic beach clubs in the area. We arrived right when they opened and had breakfast before we were shown to our reserved beds. The weather was perfect, the service was exceptional, and the water was warm. We stayed until early afternoon as we had another reservation to watch the sunset at El Kabron. Unfortunately, the sunset wasn’t the best, and there was a minimum spend per person. It had the nightclub vibe, which isn’t our scene.  

Where did you eat?

The resort didn’t include breakfast, so we only ate at the resort's restaurant once, the Hidden Gem. We weren’t that impressed, so we decided to try local restaurants instead. We didn’t make any reservations in advance, but did make one at the last minute.

On our second evening, we at eat an Italian Restaurant called Rolling Fork Padang Padang. They had a Monday Espresso Martini special that was buy one, get one free, so naturally we had to order two! These martinis were in the biggest glasses I’ve ever seen, and the balance was perfect. We were starving, so we ordered a caprese salad as an appetizer.

All of their pastas are homemade, so I ordered the gnocchi alla sorrentina, and my husband had the lasagna Bolognese. Both were spectacular! The service was wonderful, and all around, it was a good dining experience. If you’re in the mood for Italian food ,this is the place to go!

On our last night, we were scrambling for a place to eat because we decided we didn’t want to eat dinner at El Kabron. The food was expensive, and their selection was mostly seafood. We ended up walking into Yuki and were luckily able to get seats at the bar. They had live music playing and a bustling ambiance. We each ordered a couple of sushi rolls, but be mindful of their limited menu.

How did you get around?

Throughout our stay in Uluwatu, we used the Grab app as our main form of transportation. It was easy, reliable, and convenient. You can choose a motorbike, a regular car, or a luxury car with extra leg room. Sometimes we had to wait a little longer, but we went places with no problems. A nice feature about the app is that you can also book your ride in cash. Unfortunately, since we used it so often, my credit card marked the transactions as fraud. That prevented us from booking a ride, but we found out we could select the cash option and pay at the end of the ride instead. It’s the way to get around in this area, and we learned a private driver isn’t necessary.

Seminyak (2 nights):

Where did you stay?

We booked the W Bali - Seminyak resort. Since we booked through Jetset and Travel, we were eligible for extra perks throughout our stay. We received a complimentary breakfast, a room upgrade, and a $100 resort credit. This is the second trip we used her travel agency, and we highly recommend it! She always checks in after the trip to ensure we had the best time and everything went smoothly.

Since we arrived at the resort early, the room wasn’t available yet, but we got upgraded to an ocean view room.  We went down to the breakfast buffet before it closed to grab a bite before the room was ready. You can still use their amenities before being assigned a room, but luckily, it was available after we finished breakfast! They took our bags and brought them to the room when we got assigned a number. The service here was next level.

Where did you go?

We didn’t have many activities pre-planned in Seminyak, as we wanted to use the last couple of days to relax before our long travel ahead. The resort grounds were beautiful, there wasn’t a need to leave. We spent the first day relaxing by the pool and used the poolside service. When we had enough sun, we went back to the room to freshen up before dinner. We wanted to go during sunset, so we arrived early to secure a table without a reservation. La Lucciola is a waterfront dining experience, and I'd make reservations here if you want to dine.

When we were finished with dinner, we went to Mano Beach House and grabbed another drink to enjoy the ocean breeze. They have little bean bag tables that they use when you’re not planning on ordering food, but they’re rather comfortable! My husband wanted to check out the Beach Bar at the AlilA resort because that was our second choice to the W. Unfortunately, we got there right before they were closing so we only had time for one drink, but since it was so close to our resort, we were able to walk the beach back to the W.

The next day, we took advantage of the resort’s gym before breakfast. Once we finished, we spent the morning and early afternoon at the pool. We were ready to explore, and I was in the mood for shopping. Thanks to Jetset Cristina’s recommendation, we stopped at Bali Boat Shed and left with some cute boutique shop pieces! I get compliments on the dress I purchased all the time.

Since it wasn’t dinner time yet, we stopped at Mano Beach house to have a cocktail and watch the sunset. It was one of the better ones we saw while in Bali. Afterwards, we were ready for dinner and decided to go to Motel Mexicola. It was a fun, vibrant, and colorful experience. It was well decorated and had great service at the bar. The tacos and margs were wonderful, until we got Bali Belly that night. Even eating at reputable dining places and being extra cautious can't always avoid the sickness.

‍How did you get around?

Similar to Uluwatu, we primarily used the Grab app as our main form of transportation. In one instance, we used a Blue Bird Taxi because no Grab cars were available, and we won’t make that mistake again! Since it’s not regulated, the driver tried to charge us $10 for a 2-minute ride.

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