S E M I N Y A K

Our final stop on Bali was the hip, popular beach area of S E M I N Y A K. Resisting the temptation to splurge on a luxury hotel we booked an inexpensive room at Pelangi Bali Hotel. With a gorgeous infinity pool stretching across the property Pelangi (which means Rainbow) was an excellent choice and the location could not have been more fun and convenient on Double Six Beach. 

Because of Seminyak's popularity I had my reservations when deciding where to stay for our last four days. (Would it feel too busy? Too touristy? Dirty? No, not really, and definitely not.) I wasn't against it but in weighing locations Bob was the one who pushed for it more. Turns out I am a Seminyak enthusiast. I immediately fell for the laid back vibe here on these colorful golden shores; host to a learn-to-surf crowd, a parade of eternal beach vendors, insanely beautiful sunsets and a fantastic restaurant scene. It would have been an absolute shame to miss it. 

The sand is darker here - ranging in colors from golden brown to dark gray, but not as dark as a pure black sand beach. The waves are intense and you do need to be mindful of a strong undercurrent. We rented a boogie board the first day and took surf lessons the next. This was our first time ever surfing and we loved it! Our instructors were expertly skilled at teaching newbies. We also made sure to treat ourselves to massages and in my case a mani-pedi right on the beach. Absolutely no need to book at the spa when you can get your nails done from your lounge chair while listening to the waves crash ashore. 

Double Six Beach is home to a vibrant scene all day and into the night. Around 4pm the popular row of beach bungalow bars set out their infamous rainbow bean bags and everyone gathers for sunset cocktails, shisha and live music. Seminyak's west facing shores showcase a tremendous sunset. This became our cherished routine every evening. Then we'd freshen up and grab a taxi into Seminyak Square. Late dinners are no issue in this town - we usually ate around 9 and most restaurants serve until 11 or 12. And Seminyak has plenty of nightlife! A nice change of pace from all our downtime in Pandawa.

B A L I - you were the best decision to date. Thank you for being everything we dreamed of and more.

B U K I T Peninsula

Our third destination on this great Indonesian adventure was the most remote yet! We hopped a flight from Lombok back to Bali on Gardua Air and from the airport in Denpasar headed south to the Bukit Peninsula into a rural village called Kutuh on a cliff set high above Pandawa Beach.


We were basically nestled in between two popular areas of Bali - beach resorts to the east on Nusa Dua and cliff top resorts to the west in Uluwatu. Further up the west coast of the peninsula is the popular area of Jimbaran. It was really tough deciding where to stay on Bukit - that goes for which beach area and which hotel. I almost made Bukit a splurge destination and spent a crazy amount of money at a resort before finding this incredible Modern Beach House at Pandawa. The resort prices were not worth a second glance.

I encourage a look through the Airbnb listing showcasing the villa's remarkable interior and how its unique architecture is revealed against the landscape. Looking back, I still can't believe how private and secluded this home and neighboring beach area are. I genuinely don't think I have ever been more relaxed in my entire life. 

You do not have to splurge in Bali to feel like you are doing it right. In fact, I think it's just the opposite! See: Me running + jumping + cartwheeling around and Bob casually exploring the shores and caves of our remote beach. Happy and carefree and not really needing a whole lot to feel that way.

This stretch of Pandawa Beach with it's outstanding caves + cliffs + tides + secrets has now topped all the rest. I would love to come back to Dina's Villa someday. This two bedroom, two and a half bathroom home is a crisp, clean, minimally decorated yet comfortably furnished architectural wonder. The sprawling upstairs primary suite has dreamy front facing balconies. The back patio area off the kitchen is the recipient of all.the.sunlight. We spent a lot of time lounging around in the pool, which is luxurious enough for a nighttime swim, too!

We actually did not have power when we first arrived due to construction down the street. The owners were super helpful about the situation, even sending their driver back to take us to dinner when the power did not come on as timely as expected. Things happen! Even with a few minor inconveniences, I'd go back a 1000 times. 

As far as not splurging is concerned, also see: spicy RAMEN NOODLES, fresh dragonfruit, bottles of white and rose, giant Babybell Cheese, Bali Hai + Bintang cans of beer....what I'm trying to say is it was fun grocery shopping, stocking our own fridge with local goodies, and cooking lots of our own meals for a change of pace.

I was so happy we took a gamble, strayed from the norm and went for the remote locale for a few days. There was barely a soul around. 100% it does not get better than a distant beach on the southernmost point in Bali, seemingly in the middle of nowhere....
We rejoined the crowds one afternoon at Sundays Beach Club, an oasis tucked below the steep cliffs of the luxurious villa resort The Ungasan. (The hotel I almost splurged at!) It is also the farthest point west we could walk along the Bukit Peninsula shoreline from our house at low tide! 

We planned our walk one morning but the tides deceived us and we ended up making it only as far as Green Bowl Beach. This was not a bad thing - the caves at Green Bowl were so much fun to explore. After a couple hours here we hiked up a stone pathway where we were lucky to snag a cab over to Sundays for a clifftop swim in the Ungasan Pool, followed by a relaxing afternoon drinking Heineken, lounging, snorkeling and reading at the beach club. 

Once low tide approached we were determined to make the trek back to our house! It was a beautiful and adventurous walk. (Below is at Green Bowl Beach.)

On our departure day we had our driver make a quick detour to Uluwatu Temple. The clifftop views here were something else!

Pandawa + Kutuh: The most Z E N ever.

Next destination: Seminyak!