Bali: Love At First Sight

Audley client Katie returned to Southeast Asia with her friend Erin, just six months after first falling in love with the region

By Audley Travel

August 1^st, 2018

After traveling to Southeast Asia for the first time in early 2017, I was hooked! I reached out to Matthew M., of Audley Travel, about 6 months after returning from Thailand to start working on my next adventure with one of my best friends, Erin. Matt helped me craft the perfect itinerary that consisted of staying at beautiful properties across the island of Bali, trying new things - like white water rafting and surfing, and exploring the local cuisine and markets. Erin and I had the time of our lives and we cannot wait to return to this special place.

My perfect vacation is a mix of beautiful scenery, delicious food, adventure and relaxation, which is exactly what we found on the island of Bali in Indonesia.

Learning from the locals

By day, Erin and I explored the local markets and met amazing people like Enny, who's shop was our absolute favorite! She curated a collection of straw bags, exquisite dresses and other handicraft items- we went home with at least ten dresses and twenty bags between us. We really enjoyed speaking with the locals, learning where they get their goods from, and what they do in their spare time. We also learned to appreciate how big of a focus education is - most of the Balinese we met spoke at least 2-3 languages which we found especially impressive since both of us only speak English.

We also were able to get great restaurant recommendations from the locals as well as Matt, and stumbled upon quite a few gems during our trip. The food in Bali was so fresh, so full of flavor, and so unique. We were even able to cook a traditional Balinese meal for ourselves at a local cooking school, which Matt had prearranged for us. My favorite thing that we cooked was fermented soybeans in a sweet sauce. It was something I had never tried before, which made for a memorable experience!

Soaking up the sun

When we weren't shopping or eating, Erin and I found ourselves enjoying relaxing at our hotel pools. I'm not going to lie - traveling in Bali is a treat as the US dollar goes pretty far, and we were able to stay at beautiful places that were a treat for both of us. One of our hotel rooms even had a private pool! It was so nice to enjoy the beautiful hotels that Matt handpicked for us after a long day of adventures.

The thrill of Surfing

On our last full day in Bali, we spent the day surfing... and never in my life did I think I would ever say that! I have always been a fan of the water and water sports. I grew up swimming competitively, and love spending time at the beach, which is why when Matt suggested surfing I instantly said yes.

We started with a dry lesson, which is where the instructors walk you through the basics on form, for example how to stand up while on dry land. The instructors then gave us our boards and we carried them over to the beach and off we went. There was a great instructor to student ratio, so Erin and I had one instructor dedicated just to the two of us and I was able to stand up after just a few attempts at catching a wave. It was the most exhilarating feeling to be standing on a surf board, in Bali, riding a wave. I wish that I could relive those moments time and time again, I guess I'll just have to go back soon!