For our last dinner in Bali, we knew we didn't want to hang out in the strip mall next to the hotel so we searched Trip Advisor for a nearby place with good reviews that would have pickup service...
Blog posts from Bali
Nusa Dua: Grand Hyatt
We wanted to be relatively close to the airport for our final night, and since I had a free night with Hyatt, we decided to stay at the Grand Hyatt in Nusa Dua. I'd seen the Nusa Dua area described...
Candidasa: Food & Drink
Le-Zat Many restaurants in Candidasa offer car pickup which was a really nice feature - even though the main part of town was a manageable walk from our hotel, the narrow roads and alleys make it a...
Candidasa: snorkeling at Gili Mimpang and Blue Lagoon
Our primary reason for staying in Candidasa was the opportunity for more snorkeling with Blue Lagoon nearby and several rock islands in view off the coast. On our first day at the resort I was...
Candidasa: Tirta Gangga, Ujung Water Palace and White Sandy Beach
The east side of Bali has several temples and sights of interest, so we search Tripadvisor and a few other websites for a driver and found Gejor. Before our trip we corresponded via email and...
Candidasa: Puri Bagus Candidasa
The word that comes to mind with the hotel is weird. Enough that we made a list during our stay: When we arrived around 12:30pm the two men at the front desk seemed confused to see us and even more...
Ubud: overall impressions
During our five days in Ubud we did quite a bit of walking around (me more than Eric as he opted to sit by the pool on one of my longer afternoon excursions) and while I found the doorways and...
Ubud: Food & Drink
Saturday, May 24 After a long day of car travel, we eventually made our way to a well-reviewed schnitzel restaurant for dinner. Warung Schnitzel had a 4-10p happy hour on several cocktails, so after...
Ubud: Bali Eco-Cycling Tour
Two weeks before our trip we booked the Bali Eco Cycling Tour as our main activity for Tuesday. Originally we were told to expect a a 7:30-7:45am pickup time. Since the tour also included breakfast,...
Ubud: Balinese massage
Morning price! Sunset price! Anyone who has visited Bali knows that every person on the island can ether give you a massage or has an immediate family member who can. Just ask! Special price! I was...
Ubud: Lobong Cooking Class
I enjoyed a private cooking class in Budapest and a small group cooking class in Thailand on previous trips, so when Eric found a few options in Bali, I knew I had to give it a try. For anyone...
Memory Monday: making a shell pendant
We did a bit of beach walking in Sengiggi on Lombok and Candidasa on Bali and one of my favorite finds were these jewel-like purple shells. My goal was to find at least one intact that I could turn...
Ubud: Alaya Resort & Spa
The Alaya Resort is relatively new, so our driver didn't know where it was. Fortunately we had the location marked (accurately!) on Google maps and were able to guide him to the correct spot. The...
Bali: Menjangan to Ubud
After cooling off from our morning trek we called for a ride to the reception area and completed our noon checkout. Our driver was already there so our bags were transferred to his vehicle and we...
Bali: The Menjangan
For our time in the northwest corner of Bali we decided to stay at the The Menjangan given it's proximity to Menjangan Island for snorkeling plus the National Park that the resort is located in. We...
Bali: snorkeling at Menjangan Island
After breakfast on the water we walked over to the dive center where we first completed some paperwork and were given fins. While there we met Carolyn, an American working in SE Asia who would also...
Bali: Denpasar to Menjangan
The drive from the airport to The Menjangan resort in the very northwest corner of Bali was estimated at 4-5 hours (150km), so we made plans in advance to stop at a few places on the way. Our quick...
Memory Monday: my temporary friend
If you ever have the opportunity to travel around central Bali then you will likely see the Balinese long-tailed macaque (called 'kera' by the locals). The most popular place to have an experience...
Our Itinerary
2023 Trips
San Diego (Jan)
Orlando (Feb)
Richmond, VA (Apr)
Northern Italy (Apr)
NC Mountains (May)
Long Island (Jul)
Wisconsin (Aug)
Chicago (Aug)
Bordeaux (Sep)
Rugby World Cup (Sep)
Castile and León (Sep)
Seychelles (Nov)
Willamette Valley (Dec)
2022 Trips
Florida (Feb)
NC Mountains (Apr)
Washington DC (Apr)
Valencia, Spain (May)
Hilton Head, SC (May)
Pacific NW (Jun)
Long Island (Jul)
Florida (Sept)
Chicago (Sept)
Poland (Sept)
NC Mountains (Nov)
Euro Xmas Markets (Dec)