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After an intense Ayahuasca retreat, I decided to go to Bali for a week. These are my notes I posted on Facebook at the time…

Day 01

– Customs are meticulous and made sure I got the practice packing my luggage in my undersized suitcase, I made it through, officially not a drug mule
– The people are as super friendly as they say
– There are ATMs right outside arrivals where you get to type in 7 digits to ensure you have some cash on you (about $70 or R1000)
– You can get a sim at the airport with data bundles. I picked up about 20Gbs for 300k
– It feels like everyone is nursing a hangover first thing in the morning
– It’s hot, like mind-numbing hot
– There aren’t many pavements, it was an adventure navigating the scooters and taxis just to take a walk
– Starbucks feels like a safe space
– If it’s not honking, you hear air con, like you’re hanging inside an old fridge
– Don’t forget your sunglasses and sunscreen, even to walk up the road for coffee
– Everyone’s riding scooters and they’re available to rent everywhere, you’re even offered them by guys riding them
– There are instagramable statues, architecture and scenery everywhere
– Co-working spaces are plentiful and filled with sarong wearing, coffee drinking, smoothie bowl eating, digital nomads
– The beaches are not pristine white, but they are long and while the sand is too hot to walk on, walking on the wet sand is just incredible.
– The water is warm and so inviting
– There are lounging hangout spots all along the beach front
– The temples, shrines and tributes to the gods are everywhere
– Green Tea KitKats are awesome
– Mosquitoes bite you during the day too 🙈
– There are lots of dogs roaming around, especially on the beach
– It seems to rain a lot, but it’s quite lovely

Day 02

– November until December is the rainy season, it rains a lot
– Luwak coffee sampling is interesting.
– Luwak coffee is really good, considering it’s been pooped
– The rules of the road, don’t really apply
– The monkey temple in Ubud is amazing, totally worth a visit
– Temples, museums, paintings, statues etc are plentiful but get tiring pretty fast
– There are lots to shopping to be had in Ubud, there are literally kilometres of stores on the road up to Tegallalang Rice Terraces
– The rice terraces are ok, but I’ve gotten just as excited about a bag of tastic rice 🙄
– It’s really hot and wet
– Get a driver/guide to take you around for a day, worth the 800 bucks
– Food seems to be the same price as drinks, which makes eating really cheap
– The traffic is nuts, the congestion can literally take forever to cover very short distances
– There are plenty of solid little tattoo shops all over
– Not as many bugs as you’d expect for a tropical island
– Always carry sunscreen, even in the rain
– The bananas are tiny, like eating thumbs
– A sarong is cheaper than a large bottle of water
– The people are so polite, wish we could all be like this

Day 03

– Take a taxi, Uber is not available and they are everywhere and very cheap anyway
– Don’t bother with the breakfast buffet at your hotel booking, there are so many breakfast/brunch options everywhere worth exploring
– It’s someone’s job to blow a whistle and step out into the road and stop traffic so people can drive out of an establishment or cross a road
– Lots of Australians and women who have read eat. pray. love.
– Apparently a year ago the island wasn’t half as developed as it currently is, chatting to locals, they speak English quite well
– You can smoke in restaurants as they’re mostly pretty open and airy
– Lots of couple vibes ❤️
– Sunblock is super expensive, bring your own
– A 90-minute massage is 150 bucks, today I opted for an hour foot massage for 75 bucks
– The ocean is like bath water, just amazing
– The sunsets in Seminyak are breathtaking
– Not a lot of places to Skate, but I did find a cool bowl at the vans store
– Even overcast it’s still amazing here without the rain
– Enjoying the sun, sand and sea is the best part of Bali for me

Day 04

– Enjoy the sunny parts of the day
– Bali is whatever you want it to be, I have enjoyed chilled days on the beach as much as I have enjoyed the adventure, just fill your soul with whatever feels right for you
– Carry cash, it’s surprising how many places don’t take credit cards
– SnapScan in Bali would be awesome
– @livingfoodlabbali offers some great healthy breakfasts, try the granola bowls
– An all-terrain electric skateboard would be fun on the back roads
– The novelty of just walking around seems lost on people, I think everyone should be required to live in Joburg once in their life, where the only walking you do is in a mall or on a treadmill
– The fresh coconuts are sweet and an absolute treat on a hot day
– Doing less, is doing so much more in Bali, let the chill vibes do their thing (chicken wing)
– Had a full body relaxation massage for under 300 bucks that hit the spot
– The beaches get packed by locals and tourists to enjoy the sunsets
– Locals seem to like their bbq corn
– Saturday nights are pretty festive

Day 05

– watercress cafe serves some incredible coffee
– Yoghurt, fruit, honey and granola have become staples to start the day
– There’s so much love shared everywhere by these beautiful people
– there are plenty of walk-in tattoo shops, but it’s better to book in advance for larger pieces
– Kombucha is found everywhere, but have not found any kefir yet
– Sunday’s stores are mostly closed or open later
– Watch where you walk, there are daily offerings to the gods everywhere on the streets, mind your step #respect
– Grab is the local Uber. Could not get the app to work, but their drivers are wearing green jackets and they’re everywhere
– Got some traditional Balinese ink at Charlie Rose tattoo
– Watching the locals rock a sarong makes me want to wear them, they have so many good uses for them
– Negotiate your taxi fee up front as you can be taken advantage of, as you know, sometimes the meter doesn’t work 🙄
– It can get a little cooler in the evenings on occasion, quite a refreshing change

Day 06

– The beaches really seem to be endless, You’ll run out of energy before you run out of beach
– Bread seems rather hard in Bali, doesn’t stop them offering it to you every time you walk into a mini mart
– So lovely to have stumbled upon some tourists who took the time to feed the stray dogs #inspired
– I have PlayStation thumb, but on the soles of my feet from my slops
– There are some beautiful hotels, fancy restaurants and high-end stores the closer you get to Kuta
– I am yet to see one yoga place, in fact, I never saw them in Ubud either
– Breakfast at Milk & Madu is a real treat, monkey Magic smoothies are pure bliss
– Gonna miss having sand sticking to my feet 😢
– I walked through the longest tunnel of bamboo ❤️
– Of course, the default is coconut sugar
– Love the wooden salt and pepper bowls in restaurants
– If you have wanted to meet Santa, he will be making an appearance in the 24th at Milk & Madu 😂
– Despite all the delicious food here, I have lost a lot of weight
– Not sure if they are dildos or ornaments, but there’s a lot of wooden dick around
– Watching the final Bali sunset on the beach this evening was magical
– Love how the locals take in the sunset
– I could have brought less here
– The airport seems small. There’s little seating, so it’s easier to grab a coffee at one of the cafes until your flights checkin is open
– Waiters have iPhone SIM card pin if you want to switch out to your SA card again
– Free WiFi at the airport
– I feel light ✨
– I could live here
– 🙏

View my Instagram and YouTube for some photos and videos from my trip