JOIN US AS WE TAKE YOU AROUND THE SOUTH OF BALI
8TH MAY'17 - THE UNGASAN
After leaving The Bale hotel, it was time for my birthday celebrations to continue. I had always wanted to come to Bali and after a few hit and miss Birthday's I thought nothing could go wrong being in a tropical paradise. We were not disappointed when we arrived at The Ungasan Clifftop Hotel. There was an amazing view as you entered the lobby of the hotel. The hotel was on a cliff top looking over a beach and with two infinity pools by the lawn in the main common area it was rather impressive!
Our bedroom had a beautiful interior and a four-poster bed with white mesh curtains all the way around. So very romantic! We also had own our private plunge pool and daybed that was on our own patio area. We didn't spend much time there and we had an even bigger pool to enjoy.
Villa pool at Ungasan
Even though you have your own small plunge pool you do get access to a huge pool that overlocks the ocean. We had a shared communal space with 4 of the other villas. It was empty though so we basically had it all to ourselves. This is where Cory did his circuit training! The communal area had a kitchen, a large pool, decking area, an upstairs lounge, a separate outdoor lounge where we had our breakfast and it all came with your very own butler!
The staff were great for my Birthday, bringing me a birthday cake and singing 'Happy Birthday' to me! After blowing out my candles it was time to have lunch. The Ungasan's Sundays Beach Club is a few steps down a gorgeous cliff right by the lobby of the hotel. You take a cable car down to the beach to avoid the many stairs, unless you want a killer workout! There is a great restaurant where you can sit on the beach on comfy bean bags with your feet in the sand. We really enjoyed the food here and would recommend to spend a few hours there enjoying the food and taking a dip in the pool.
Food at Sunday's Beach Club
After eating, we returned to enjoy our beautiful pool area for a moment or so until we got the camera back out again! That evening we took a golf cart to the hotel's oceanfront cliffside dinner and ate under the stars. What a great way to end my birthday in Bali! My favorite part of the day was getting my gift from Cory. He had hand made, yes hand made me a necklace. When he asked me what I wanted for my birthday I asked for something sentimental that I could keep. I did not expect him to go and actually make me a piece! It's so special and I absolutely love it! The next morning, we had breakfast at the huge dining table in the communal area which is always our favorite part of the day. We got amazing footage with the drone, so make sure you watch the Vlog to see this amazing place. Then it was off to our next hotel in Jimbaran...
9TH-12TH MAY'17 - THE LEAF JIMBARAN
The Leaf Jimbaran has an incredibly welcoming staff. The whole place has a very zen feel to it, and upon our arrival, we received a welcome drink called "The Remedy." The drink contained turmeric, honey, lemon and other natural ingredients to help us detox and feel refreshed and energized. It also tasted great too which always helps!
Bathroom at The Leaf Jimbaran
The room was grand and modern with luxurious touches. There was a big blue velvet blanket that was draped across the bed. All around the room were blue curtains that hung from the ceiling all the way down to the floor. The rooms are fully equipped with a kitchen, private pool, and deck area with sun beds. It was nice to have a refrigerator and microwave with a tea and coffee maker right there in the room. The first night we went to the seafood BBQ on Jimbaran Beach, this was not our favorite spot as it was very busy and we prefer quieter dinners.
The restaurant is on the second floor and the top floor has a rooftop bar. The menu is also very health conscious with vegetarian and gluten-free options. The Leaf Jimbaran offers 7am yoga classes by the pool on Wednesdays and Saturdays so there are no excuses not to get your workout in! What we liked was that breakfast and dinner can be delivered to your room at no extra charge. Some hotels like to charge an extra delivery fee and we feel that if you want to be able to enjoy the great room you paid for that you should be able to eat in there!
Private Pool in our room at The Leaf Jimbaran
We took a day trip about 20 minutes from our hotel to see a great surf spot and casual restaurants. We started with lunch at Cashew Tree which I highly recommend as not only is the food amazing and all super healthy, it is a great spot to chill out at. Our plan was to to see Bingin Beach and it is not an easy place to find so I suggest having a taxi drop you off rather than renting a scooter and getting lost! We made it down the many stairs to the beach which is a popular spot. We had a quick drink at the best bar down there called Sandy's overlooking the waves before we headed to a beach bar called Single Fins. I had the time of my life in here because they were playing 90's British music!
Lunch at Cashew Tree
Our last night in Jimbaran we went to a restaurant called Opia. Interestingly enough, a fan from England who follows my workouts reached out to me on social media and told me about this dining spot. I'm so glad she did because it was one of my favorites on the trip. We enjoyed an amazing dinner with great wine. This place is often used as a wedding venue and for a very good reason. I had the best cocktail of my life called The Honeycomb, so if you go order that! The scenery was beautiful so of course we had to share a dessert of fudge and ice cream!
Dinner at Opia
We were luckily enough to experience a massage at the Spa at the Leaf Jimbaran on our last morning there. It was relaxing but I had a huge laugh because Cory had to put on some black lacy panties for the massage treatment! Make sure you check out the vlog for that scene. Up next was a 20 minute taxi ride to Seminyak. There is Uber and an app called Grab that are very cheap. There are certain areas that you can't be picked up from though so just check with your current location before your order!
12TH-15TH MAY'17 - ANANTARA SEMINYAK
Our next stop on our journey across Bali was at the Anantara Seminyak resort. Seminyak definitely had a different vibe. This is the place to be if you want to eat, drink and have a good time doing those two things! There is a vibrant nightlife and busy social scene along the beach with clubs that are open till 4am just 20 minutes away. We only ever made it to 10pm so we can't help you on what the big clubs were like!
We were greeted at the hotel by friendly staff and as we were a little early we had to wait until 3pm to check in. In the mean time we decided to explore our new surroundings for an hour to see what we had in store for the next 3 nights. It was time to check in and see our new room, always a fun part of our trip! Our huge room had an indoor shower, indoor bathtub as well as a big balcony with a jacuzzi tub overlooking the sea. So you can imagine Cory's excitement when he found out we had two baths! This is one of the few hotels here that are right on the beach in Seminyak so we would highly recommend it if you want to wake up to the smell of the ocean.
Pool at Anantara Seminyak
That evening we headed out to check out the local restaurants. We ended up at a place called Azul Beach Club, where we had a quick snack and cocktail. More info below on this place! Of course we had to watch sunset and a great spot where most people tend to go is La Plancha. It has a great happy hour where you can sit on bean bags on the sand and watch the sun go down.
Our second day included breakfast at Anantara’s Moonlite Kitchen & Bar. We dined al fresco on the rooftop to a lovely view of the ocean. We got invited back to Azul Beach Club for lunch, which I was super excited about because I loved this place. The whole structure of the building was huge, all bamboo and wood. On the 2nd floor they even had a pool with day beds which is where we sat to have our lunch. This place is only two years old and the food is unbelievable. We had an amazing mezze platter and a ton of other food washed down by their very unique looking cocktails. Definitely recommend going here for food, the ambiance and a great drink.
Lunch and Cocktails at Azul
After relaxing in our room for a bit from all the food we just ate, we headed to Cocoon Beach Club. This is a place to hit up if you want more of a party atmosphere. During the day you can go a little wild with the large pool and many day beds. It’s right by the beach, you can listen to great music and enjoy a bite to eat. Go here if you want a more upbeat environment for your day chilling by the pool. We were here for dinner so it was a little quieter than the day but still had a happening vibe. Our last stop of the night was Double Six rooftop bar for a night cap. They have a 180-degree view of the ocean and Seminyak, making it a very popular place for sunset. A little later at 8-9 it was much quieter and a perfect way to end a great day.
Dinner at Cocoon
Day three started out with an early wake-up call to take some photos around the property. Anantara has a cool swing out front, along with beautiful architecture and bright greenery. Afterwards, we bartered with some locals to get a ride on the backs of their scooters ($6.) We were headed to the beach to go surfing, but the rains left the water a bit murky. It is not a good idea to go in the sea when its been raining as it brings in a lot of the dirt from the town. Just wait a few days and you will be able to enjoy the ocean again without picking up a nasty bug! Instead of surfing I went to Anantara’s spa to enjoy a hot ginger tea and an incredibly relaxing massage. I even fell asleep! Meanwhile, Cory was huffing and puffing at the fully-equipped gym next door.
This hotel truly emphasizes a healthy, balanced lifestyle. Along with the gym, there are yoga classes available, and the Wild Orchid Restaurant on the hotel’s ground floor includes a wellness menu, complete with nutrition information. Great food, fitness, and right on the beach. One of the best spots if you like Seminyak. For us visiting Bali again we would choose to take a day trip to both Jimbaran and Seminyak as we found places later on our trip we liked better for our needs. Make sure you check back for the next blog to see where else is great to visit or join the newsletter to get a notification!
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