Beautiful Bali - Adventures in Seminyak, Ubud and Sanur

The pathway from the hotel to the swimming pool and the beach - Seminyak, Bali

Bali will forever be one of the places in the world that I always enjoy visiting. Ever since I was a young boy living in the metropolitan Jakarta, capital of Indonesia, Bali family vacations were a treat. Accompanied by an adventurous father, and a caring mother, and two nature loving sisters, our family vacations to Bali were always exciting. Every visit, we would explore new beaches, venture down different streets littered with cultural vendors and little shops, and dine at simple restaurants where you sit cross-legged in a little hut or in beautifully woven wooden chairs eating an assortment of local and international foods.

Fast forward to December 2022 - I spent two full weeks in Indonesia and one amazing week in Bali with my father and sister. The journey started with a cheap flight from the Soekarno-Hatta airport in Jakarta to Denpasar, Bali. We took Super Air Jet airlines. Similar to Canadian budget airline, Flair Airlines, the cost was very cheap, and there is risk for delayed take-off. An OK trade off is you ask me unless your flight gets cancelled, but flights to Bali are rarely cancelled.

After landing in a newly renovated Denpasar airport (this has been a major upgrade since I was a child), we hopped into a taxi that took us straight to the town of Seminyak, where we stayed at the Balisani Suites Hotel . This hotel features a family friendly pool, but the highlight is being able to walk straight to the pristine beach from the hotel, and swim in the waves. Unlike Kuta and more popular touristy areas, Seminyak boasts clean and soft beaches. Although the beaches here have grown in popularity over the years, you can still feel that paradise feeling without any disturbance as you lounge in a beach chair. It is not littered with people trying to find a spot to sunbathe, vendors coming up to you every 5 minutes and trying to sell locally hand-crafted items, or people offering to take you away from the beach and into their stores or their kiosks or their massage/tattoo parlors. Vibes are important when deciding which beach to visit. Bali has an assortment of beaches, and our family always tends to choose the quieter or the least known ones.

Here are some pics of two spots on Seminyak beach. One morning, my family and I took a stroll along the beach and stumbled upon a little hut. To our surprise, they were serving a simple breakfast. Perfect! How could we say no to that?

Following a pleasant few days at the beach, we traveled to the central town of Ubud. While Ubud lacks beaches, it offers a variety of activities to enjoy. Our passion for nature and exploration leads us to take walks, and there is no better place for an engaging stroll than the Jatiluwih rice fields. Renowned for its network of rice terraces and diverse pathways (including the farmers' mud paths and the tourists' stone paths), one could spend hours navigating this UNESCO World Heritage site.

We wrapped up our trip with a stop in Sanur, another popular tourist spot with long, wide beaches. We stayed at a different hotel for the rest of our time before catching a ride to the airport to head back to Jakarta. Sampai jumpa Bali! Cannot wait to return to this paradise sooner rather than later!

P.S. The food scene in Bali is super diverse. You can dive into local dishes that are perfectly spiced and super healthy. Or, if you're craving something else, there are burger joints, steakhouses, seafood spots, and even fusion places with all sorts of cuisines. Plus, the fresh juices are amazing, and if you're up for a cocktail, just check out any bar near your hotel or along the beach.