Living on Island Time: A Bali Weekend Getaway after COVID

One of the most appealing influences on my choice to relocate to Singapore was the easy access to SE Asia travel. Formerly recognized as the best airport in the world, Singapore is a major travel hub just hours away from destinations like Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka & Malaysia, to name a few. However, with Asia adhering to strict COVID policies far longer than other regions, this kind of travel has not been possible…until now. This past week I was finally able to take my first weekend trip to Uluwatu, Bali!

Unlike many of my trips in the past, this was not obsessively researched for every minuscule detail of a precisely managed itinerary, no this was more of a go with the flow and see what happens kind of solo trip. The reason? Well for starters, getting out of the city to adhere to an even stricter schedule in nature seems a bit counterintuitive, and to be honest, I think I will be back enough times to see it all without rushing around in pursuit of a bucket list experiences and photos (but the Bali photo goals are real!) Lastly, throughout the years I have started to notice my travel style evolve, I have perfected the art of doing more, cramming 1 month's worth of activities into just a few days but there’s a lot that gets missed, in the culture, the nuances and the vibe- you know that feeling you get when there's actually time to stop and smell the roses?

So without any further adieu, these are the things I learned on my trip to Uluwatu:

Getting there:

With new protocols in place there is no longer a need to quarantine or even test to get into Bali! * The people rejoice* All that is required was proof of vaccination and I was able to get a Visa on Arrival for $38. The lines still took a little longer with this added step but it was well worth the wait.

Where to stay:

Scrolling Instagram you inevitably see a wide range of gorgeous beaches and rice fields, lush forests and waterfalls…it’s all stunning- so how do you choose? Call me naive but I had underestimated how large the Island of Bali really is, imagining something like Oahu where you stay on one side but pop back and forth for different activities during the day. Overwhelmed with options, I deferred to the opinion of some friends with extensive Indonesia travels; the request was “chill vibes and surfing,” and the answer was “Uluwatu.”

Bali is a popular destination for the digital nomad community, and among vacationers, most people spend at least 1- 2 weeks minimum, so my short 3-day weekender turned a few heads. “It’s not enough time!” - and it’s really not. The follow-up was “How did you find Uluwatu?” Or “You lucked out this is my favorite place in Indonesia”

Located about 40 minutes South of Denpasar Airport (DPS) on the SW Coast, Uluwatu is best known as a surfer's haven. It gave a few poor man's Hawaii vibes as the nature, decor, and food were all similar but at a tiny fraction of the cost.

I booked a 1 bedroom room at Sriyana Homestead on Airbnb for $47/ night; with the $20 service fee it was only $162 for 3 nights. Skeptical of a good deal, when I arrived at the property I was blown away, Sriyana was centrally located with lots of greenery and cute Bali decor, there was a cafe, pool, slack line and skateboard half pipe. The owners, a German family with a passion for surfing, gave me recommendations and arranged my scooter. I was so pleased with this last-minuteslackline, find, but the most amazing thing is that this seems to be the norm, and I saw a ton of awesome places worth trying. I loved Uluwatu and am already looking forward to returning.

Fun note: The word “Kuta” means “Center.” I was told not to stay in Kuta, which is the city directly near the airport …in the “center” of Bali but I was confused when the word Kuta was in descriptions for other places… like “Kuta Uluwatu.” Is it Kuta or is it Uluwatu? It was the center of Uluwatu, very different than Kuta the city!

Getting around:

You will want to hire a driver to get to and from the airport, you can pre- arrange with your hotel/ accommodation, book a Grab or Gojek (Like Uber in SE Asia), or hire a taxi at the airport. My international phone plan wasn’t initially working and I was left with no choice but to hire a taxi. Upon exiting the airport there was a flood of drivers offering rides, this was a bit overwhelming without knowing the going rate or conversion rate- not my best travel moment.

The taxi from the airport to Uluwatu was 500,000 IDR ~ approximately $35; I had the driver show me on google how much it would be in USD and at that point I didn’t care if it was a “high price” as $35 for a 40 min-1 hour drive seemed completely fair. Of note, the return trip from Uluwatu to DPS was 250,000 ~ $17.

Once you have arrived at the main destination most people rent scooters to get around, the rate was 100,000 IDR/ day~ $7/ day (but I believe it is about 5$/ day for rentals). The scooters are easy to use and the best option as there aren’t many sidewalks, but proceed with caution as oncoming cars and bad roads can be quite dangerous. The petrol for scooters is sold from stands along the side of the road out of recycled alcohol bottles...bizarre.

longer-term

If you aren’t interested in renting a scooter, the aforementioned apps Grab and Gojek are easy to use and you can opt for either a car or scooter. The benefit of this is that they are much more knowledgeable of road conditions and therefore it’s slightly safer; the drawback is that there may not be enough drivers off peak hours or for farther locations. P.S. They are required to carry helmet for you so use it and protect your noggin!

Cost

Come to Bali and be a millionaire! Seriously the conversion rate is EXTREME ( think $0.000069 USD to 1 IDR) but this is further exasperated due to the shockingly low prices.

When booking my trip and looking at prices I was in a constant state of disbelief and “what’s the catch?” But really- that CHEAP! Breakfasts run about $4.5-$6, fresh fish for dinner was less than $10, and I saw a man walk away from a taco stand becaus6-stare their outrageously prices $2 tacos. It’s not just the food, everything from outrageous ultra it's hotels priced hotels at bargain rates to hostel stays for $8 and entire day island tours at $25. I kept waiting for something to be lacking, and I’m still waiting because it was all amazing and affordable. Note: There are still expeoutrageous hotels priced of ultrait's-lux6 star hotels available for more than average joe can afford, I mean where else would Beyonce be able to stay?

ultra-lux

Getting cash Converting money before a trip is sometimes annoying but possible, also an option is carrying your home countries cash and switching it over at the airport/ a cash converter(they are plentiful) as needed. I almost always (out of laziness) just use my debit card to pull money out in the local currency. I stopped at the ATM before even leaving the airport, and this rate may be slightly higher but the ATM itself also feels quite safe. The second time I went to withdraw cash out in town was quite a task… the first 3 ATMs were broken, out of money or did not support my VISA ( I will also be bringing my Singapore bank card for future SE Asia travels). This isn’t a “do it how I do it” section, you can definitely be a wiser more prepared adult than me and save some stress.

Use your 0% foreign transaction fee credit card whenever possible. It will help you minimize ATM visits and conversion rates. If you are ever asked if you want to pay in your home banks denomination or local rate ALWAYS opt local (this is for all travel to all countries), otherwise your money is getting converted twice with fees from both sides.

Food

Food is so important, it can make or break a destination…in my years of travel, I have decided that a key factor in determining where I could live long term often lies in what’s on the menu. For example: Singapore is a top-tierAsian dining destination but there is no farmland, so fresh fruits are outrageously priced. Moretier Asian rice,Asian cuisine usually incorporates cooked vegetables which makes it tough to get a salad… enter Bali. The food in Bali is the stuff of dreams, fresh and healthy like Hawaii but incorporating Asian influences with spices, rices, and curries. This would be an ideal location for vegans and plant-based, diets as every restaurant seem to accommodate. Oh and the açaí bowls, coconuts, and fresh juice?!?!? Don’t even get me started!

The people

The main religion in Indonesia is Muslim, however, there is one exception as an overwhelming majority of Balinese people are their own brand of Hindu known as Agama Hindu Dharma. This is actually quite an interesting tale of colonialism and forced religion (how unique) that I will not attempt to summarize but the unique blend of culture and religion in Bali is part of what makes it so special.

Initially I had reservations regarding crime, especially after COVID in a country supported primarily by, tourism. However, after many friendly conversations with locals, I have concluded that the general population is not only extremely welcoming but also morally opposed to theft on a soul level because the laws of Karma. In fact, this is a plug that the best thing we can do is to support the Balinese people post-pandemic is by visiting and spending our money locally! Yes, we love saving, but also there's no need to haggle someone down $2.00 for something you would have paid 5x more for back home.

Another interesting dynamic is the value of Mother Nature, sacred areas are more than just temples but also in nature… there was recently an influencer deported for removing her clothes and posing naked on a tree- talk about morning wood.

What to do

Surfing:

Come one, come from beginner to pro there’s a wave for everyone.

Uluwatu got its roots as a surf town, “The Peak”, first spotted from a plane in 1970, was Bali’s first premier surf break. To this day it remains at the most famous, attracting pros and skilled enthusiasts from around the world to enjoy clean and consistent waves, but not without harsh conditions; between the reef, current, and linesall of pro surfers, this is not the spot for your first paddle out.

I came to Bali in pursuit of that relaxation you can only achieve through an adventurous day at the beach: sun semi -Privatechoose, salt, sweat. I found it with @SURFTEAMBALI at Balangan beach, which had smaller waves than those near the Peak! I had taken a lesson years ago when living in Hawaii but this was basically like starting at square one, Felix was an amazing coach and I was standing right away. There are so many instructors and beaches to choolines allse from but I will definitely go back to Felix at STB. Prices were : Group Lesson @ 350k/pp ~$24, Semi- Private @ 400k/pp ~$28, Private: 500k/pp ~ $35 including board. Feel free to ask any questions you may have.

Yoga:

Do you want to take a yoga class? Do you become want to learn to teach a yoga class? Do you need to heal? Do you want to become a healer? Chakras? Alignment? Stretching? Massage?…all of it- this is the place! I tried two separate locations for yoga, both in beautiful wood shalas that I can’t wait to that return to!

Morning Light Yoga Shala Uluwatu Surf Villas: This is a daily class at 0730-0900, it is 100k ~ $7 ,and is located so close to the ocean you can hear the waves. I believe the yoga style changes depending on the instructor but this was a vinyasa flow and I was dripping with sweat.

Yoga Searcher: Directly across from my Airbnb, this property is geared towards yogis traveling to enhance their practice. There were more classes available throughout the day and while not near the beach it was still a beautiful practice that ended with singing bowls. The price was 120k ~$8.25 but I believe there are different options for those in training.

Beach Day:

It almost is so obvious that it goes without saying to check out some of the glorious white sand beaches, most well known and popular is probably Padang Padang Beach. This is actually the spot Julia Roberts frolicked with her hunky love interest in Eat Pray Love- that was me except I went running and there was no love interest and it was actually the polar opposite because I was still in the Pizza eating Italy stage ….I digress

Movie Night:

Every Tuesday night Ulu Cliff House hosts a “cinema under the stars” movie night out by the pool. I made a last minute decision to go watch “Dog” while eating at their main restaurant. There are also day beds available for booking, check their IG page @ulucliffhouse.

Sundays at Single Fin:

The perfect spot to watch surfers catch Bali’s legendary waves as the sun goes down. Single Fin turns into a party with live music or DJ every Sunday night, they are the self proclaimed “Home of the Sunday” and will give you the most iconic Sunday session in town.

Below Single Fin are tons of low key restaurants and bars stacked along the jagged limestone cliffs edge all the way down to the beach. You will notice photographers and drone pilots perched up around every corner looking to catch that perfect shot. There were a few pros in town when I went which made this especially true.

Sea Caves: At the bottom of the cliff is Uluwatu Beach and to the left are the Sea cliffs, this area can change dramatically depending on the tide and is worth exploring. Uluwatu Temple: About 70 meters above the wave is 1 of the 6 Balinese Hindu Sea Temples, locally known as Pura Luhur Uluwatu. The entrance fee is 30k ~$2 and every evening at 6pm the is a Kecak - monkey fire- dance performance, tickets at 100k ~$7 Beach Clubs: Spring break vibes? There are plenty of places to spike your coconut around here. Didn’t make this part of my trip but I’ve heard all the 6 pm good things for Sunday’s Beach Club, Sundara at Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay, Ulul Cliff house, & OMNIA Dayclub.

AIRBNB Experiences: I’m usually not this much of an AIRBNB advocate but if you’re in the market for an easy place to find all sorts of attractions this might be up. From photo tours, guided waterfall hikes, and day tours that take you to the ends of the island and back AIRBNB is offering them all and very reasonable prices.