Dear Diary, 

If you’re adventurous and have a love for nature, you’re going to fall in love with Bali. There is so much culture and scenery to take in. I spent a little less than a week there and I am so ready to return. Spending less than a week there will be extremely hard crossing everything off the list, however with the good planning and early mornings it is all possible. I hope you have already read my guide on everything Bali, so without further ado…….

—>Lets go BALIstic<—

Monkey Forest in Ubud

“Hey let’s go to the monkey forest and take pictures with the cute little monkeys” they said.

“It’ll be fun” they said.

Yeah okay! “They” lied lol. The monkeys here are vicious! You’ll learn that they are aggressive before you even get the chance to walk into the front gate. You will see monkeys all over Ubud while you’re driving up or trying to shop at all the markets nearby. As you walk around, you will find stands with women selling bananas. (You’ll see the monkeys constantly trying to steal the ladies bananas as well). But a set of bananas cost about 10,000 rupiah ($1 USD). Some monkeys will come and calmly sit on your shoulders but others will only go to you if you have bananas. Some will grab the banana and take off, others will entertain your photo opportunity and eat on you lol. We were told to hold the banana over our heads, that way the monkeys will have no choice but to climb on your shoulders to get it (hoping they will stay for a photo opp). I made the mistake of holding the bananas while I was walking, and sure enough, a monkey ran up like a thief in the night and took them from me *embarrassing*.

If you plan to visit, try not to wear anything loose (sunglasses, bluetooth on your ear, loose jewelry oh and your wig might not be safe either) etc. The monkeys will grab it and run, and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it! One of the monkeys actually unzipped my friends backpack and was going through it! We thought he could smell the bananas inside but the next thing we knew, he had money in his hand & he took off swinging on ropes.

This is certainly an experience to remember. If you’re in Bali, you must visit! Click HERE to check out a YouTube video of my monkey experience.

Time: 8:30am-6:00pm

Adult tickets: 50,000 rupiah (About $4USD)

Ubud Rice Terrace Field

This place is absolutely beautiful and certainly gives you the postcard perfect photo you need. There’s an “entry fee” of 10,000 rupiah ($1 USD). We were given a ticket to enter, but instead we went shopping first. When we went to “enter” there was no one to collect our tickets-no booth or anything. After visiting, I read reviews saying it was free to enter *palms forehead*. Some say the $1 was for a parking fee. It was only one buck so I won’t be mad, i’ll call this a Bali scam lol. There are also a ton of reviews that say people ask for money as you walk along the field. It all sounds like locals just trying to get money from people. There was no one asking us for money but that was probably because it was raining and they didn’t want to deal with the weather. Thanks to the rain, it was also very slippery trying to walk around, so we kind of just stayed put and took a ton of postcard pictures lol. If it is raining while you visit, you can rent umbrellas from the local shops for $2. Yes I said RENT! How cool is that? I think they should do that everywhere lol. But anyways, there are a ton of places you can bargain shop at around the rice fields, and that also means there are a ton of people begging you to shop with them. You’re guaranteed to find kids making you feel guilty for not buying their accessories. Just enjoy the experience and remember this is how they make their money for a living.

Bali Swings

Visit the Bali Swings for 550,000 rupiah ($40 USD). Entry fee also includes unlimited soft drinks and a Balinese lunch buffet.There are 5 swings all together -soaring at different heights so you can swing at your own comfort level. There are also 2 nest and a giant stone all in the same area. We were able to swing as many times as we wanted, and for the most part you are able to enjoy each activity for as long as you like (be respectful of those waiting in line behind you). You can hop off and get back in line as many times as you please. I challenge you to take a risk and get on every swing!

Open 8am-5pm every day

 Tirta Empul Holy Water Temple

When visiting the temple, remember you are visiting someones worship site. Therefore try to dress appropriately! It is required for everyone to wear a complimentary sarong, given at the main entrance. This is included with your entrance fee of 30000 rupiah (about $2 USD) 

There are 30 showers, each for a different cleanse. For a donation, there are locals around the temple that will teach you to understand the bathing rituals. It was said “most people do it all wrong”. If you really want to immerse in the culture, I would suggest having someone there to break it down for you. I was told some of the fountains were bad luck. Unfortunately we didn’t have time for a guide, and due to the rain, there were a limited amount of locals around.

When entering the water, you cannot wear the sarong (wrap) given at the main entrance. You must change into one that can get wet. You can rent a solid green wrap for just 13560 rupiah ($1 USD) near the locker rooms to the right side. Otherwise, if you prefer to buy a nice wrap, they are only 135000 rupiah ($10 USD) and it would be at a shop towards the left side.

Warning: The water is freezing! Probably below freezing. I seriously thought I was in Antartica on the coldest winter night. Don’t say I didn’t warn you! Also, you are not allowed to wear shoes in the water even though the rocks are very slippery and painful to walk on.

This temple is about 30 minutes from Ubud. Don’t forget to pack a towel & extra clothes to change into after you leave the water.  Lockers are available for $1USD. Get there early to avoid crowds, and before you go, check to see if there are any holidays or any ceremonies happening that would make it crowded.

Mason Elephant Park & Lodge

After a little research (and visiting the wrong “elephant” zoo) we happily found these gentle giants. The park here is beautiful! We seemed to be the only ones in the park (we can probably thank the rain for that) but we did end up seeing a few more groups towards the end of our journey. However, for 930000 rupiah ($68 USD) we got to take pictures, I mean bathe  an elephant, followed by walking them into a pond where some participants had the opportunity to ride in the water while others stood by shaking in their pants. After riding, they allow you to take showers and change into something dry. Note: don’t forget to pack extra clothes! And if you’re anything like me, you may want to bring your own towel and wash cloth (i’m picky about sharing that type of stuff). After the showers, we watched an interesting 15 minute elephant talent show that I won’t spoil for you. And finally my favorite part, we had the chance to take more pictures feed the elephants. I would love the opportunity to stay at the lodge and wake up to elephants right outside of my window. So if you have the opportunity, I say go for it! This was truly an amazing experience and I definitely recommend everyone to stop by!

Note: To interact with the elephants at the actual Bali zoo is $500 USD. You will act as a zoo keeper for a day; bathing elephants, cleaning the cages, feeding etc. Be careful which zoo you plan on visiting.

Relax with a massage

Bali is known to have $7 massages! YES 7 US dollars!!!! We all deserve to be spoiled for one hour for just 7 bucks. It’s pure heaven and I seriously wanted to go every morning just for the heck of it. Most places are under $10 so if you find one over that price, you’re at the wrong spot. 

One Bali Agro Tanah Lot “Luwak Coffee”

Ever wondered why some coffe tastes like shit? Well come here and you’ll learn all about why. OK i’m being extra but we did learn coffee beans are fermented from civets poo here. I don’t drink coffee or tea but I heard this makes it taste so much better. If you’re into coffee or tea, you can come here to get a pallet with free samples (of course its to lure you into buying).

Tanah Lot Temple

Open from 7:00am-7:00pm →Entry fee: 60000 rupiah ($4.50USD)

We came to Tanah Lot Temple during a ceremony that is only held once a year. It was crowded and if you don’t know what’s going on, you’ll be wandering around lost. Unfortunately, this was not one of my favorite spots to visit. You are not able to actually walk into any of the temples unless you are Balinese, so you’re just admiring from a distance away. It was raining when we arrived and we left before we got the chance to see the sunset that everyone talks about. I personally feel like it was a waste of time (especially since it is an hour away from Ubud). My favorite part was eating the pork from the street vendors. #sorrynotsorry. Most of the people here probably have never seen a person of color before, they stared and stared and stared. And the kids were definitely in shock when they saw us. Some people forced us into family photos and some just gave dirty looks. I hate to sound so negative, but this place just wasn’t it for me. If there wasn’t a ceremony, I’m not sure what there would be for us to do.

Seminyak Square:

This is the location of the ‘I love bali” 3d sign. You didn’t visit Bali if you didn’t take a picture with this sign right? The Bali wings are also located here. There is also a ton of places to eat and lots of shopping, from upscale stores to small local buys. You can exchange money here for a fair price. I honestly believe most people appreciated this area for the air conditioning lol. 

They have a line of cars available to take you to your next destination. They will try and tell you that you have to pay for their parking ticket—don’t fall for it! 

If you have time, make sure to check out the many beaches in Bali as well as Heavens Gate & Tegenungan Waterfalls. Also make sure you have a floating breakfast in Ubud.  I didn’t have time for this, but I will be sure not to miss it on my next visit.

Download the Uber app using my code anisab344ue for money off your first ride. 

I hope this list of activities puts Bali at the top of your list! If you have any recommendations for places in Bali that I didn’t cover please share them in the comments below.