Bali part 1 - South
A tropical paradise or a surfer's paradise - that's Bali. It's a place you won't see anywhere else on earth, unique, beautiful, but for some it can also be disappointing. In the following articles you will learn why. This is not to say that I didn't like Bali, on the contrary, I fell in love with it! Only my ideas before visiting it were different from what awaited me right there.
This first article (part 1) is about the southern part of Bali - Uluwatu, Padang-Padang and the surrounding area, where I spent my first week.
Important thing to say is that I traveled by motorbike all the time and I strongly recommend you to do the same, by car you will be still waiting in traffic jams! It is better to rent a motorbike for longer period of time as it is cheaper, do not be scared to bargain.
I can definitely recommend a visit to "The Bakery", which is very popular and always full. It is a bit more expensive, but they have excellent coffee and their cinnamon rolls are simply divine!
My tip for delicious brunch is "District 6" or "Suka Espresso". Both are more like European prices, but Eggs Benedicts, coffee, Acai bowls and I guess like everything we tasted was really worth the money. Also the vibe at these places was so good.
Where I stayed?
Devata Giri homestay which costed 30EUR/ double room/night.
Nice cosy room with private bathroom and balcony. Homestay offered also a swimming pool with sunbeds. It is close to Padang-Padang beach and you can find some very good brunch places, bakery and restaurants nearby.
Beaches
As for surfing, I can recommend Padang Padang beach, but be careful if you are a beginner, because there is a rip current that can pull you into big waves at the back, so stay in front. It's the type of beach where you paddle backwards downstream on the left side and come back on the right side where the waves are going, it's kind of a wheelie.
As for the beaches, most of the time you have to go down the cliff by stairs and also there are usually waves on the beaches, so I don't recommend with kids. The beaches are sandy, but there are often corals and stones in the sea.
The other beaches I visited were: Suluban beach, Thomas beach, Nyang Nyang Beach (but be careful, there is no signal - not suitable for "home office"), Dreamland Beach, where the waves were so big that you couldn't swim :D and Balangan Beach.
What you shouldn't miss
If you visit Bali, I definitely recommend going to see the views from the cliffs and the sunsets.
One of the most beautiful sunsets I've seen was at Uluwatu temple, the place where I recommend going but avoid the monkeys, they're not very friendly and watch your belongings.
I was lucky enough to be celebrating a my name day, so we went to the luxury party club Savaya, which is located on a cliff and has infinity pools with breathtaking views. That day was Jason Derulo's concert, which I got as a gift, it was unforgettable. I mean - sunset, cliff view, pool, great company and a Jason's concert? Could it possibly get any better?
