Bali 2023

Holidays are great, especially in Bali. But, early morning flights are not. Waking up at 4.00 am was so grim that I briefly considered skipping the trip entirely. Mustering the energy to get out of bed seemed like an impossible task. It took a hot shower and an hour long drive to the airport to gather myself. Getting to the airport early came with some advantages though - plenty of time to go through security, shop at duty-free and get breakfast and coffee at the Centurion Lounge 😅 Not everyone was able to access the lounge and we had to split into two groups. While it was against the spirit of a boys trip (and turst me, there was a sense of guilt), it was hard not to enjoy the free coffee and breakfast 😉

The overall experience on the flight and after landing was quite smooth - flight was only 6 hours long, take off was timely, there were no queues at customs and the process for visa-on-arrival was pretty straight forward.

In contrast to our flight, the drive from the airport to our villa was quite tiring as we had to contend with the dreaded Bali traffic - taking almost 2hrs for 20kms! Cars, motorbikes and pedestrians shared the same road in both directions with complete disregard for lanes and logic, relying instead on trust-based manoeuvring. On the way, we talked to our driver about Balinese culture and history. The religious and mythological stories of Bali are much like to the ones I grew up with in India. It was quite fascinating to learn how similar philosphies are practiced in a different part of the world. On reaching our villa, we were all pleasantly surprised to find that it looked exactly like the photos - luxurious, classy, clean featuring an infinity pool, open outdoors seating area and comfortable and clean rooms and living areas.

Over the next few hours, we relaxed in the pool, walked the main street of the town and got local Indonesian food for dinner with Bintang - a fruity Pilsner! And then, we sketched out the plan for the rest of the week. The result - the next 7 days were full of good food, drinks, adventures leaving us with excess weight to lose and stories to tell 😇

On Adventure

Bali is a haven for adventure sports including ATV, watersports, hiking. Mindful of hangovers, we decided to spend time on adventures during the first half. In retrosepct, this was a wise decision. The energy and immunity was truly tested in the latter half of the trip.

To kick off, we rode ATVs (All Terrain Vehicle) in the countryside, surrounded by a beautiful rainforest. It was not as simple as rocking up at the meetup point and setting off on the bikes, however. Booking the experience in person was a thrilling experience in itself - the prices at least double than what we had seen online. We were humored and shook. After 15 minutes of driving a hard bargain - back and forth between myself, Pranay and the organizer - we were able to lock in a package deal for ATVs, Swings and Lunch for lower than the the online rates. Growing up in a culture where upselling and bargaining is bread-and-butter came in handy 💪 In retrospect, the whole experience was made a lot more fun because of the initial battle - had we not spent all that time and energy to get a cheap deal, I would have regretted falling for a tourist trap! After having our welcome drinks and safety training, we put on our wet boots and helmets and and set out to the forest to spend the next 2 hours jetting through rice terraces, coffee plantations, bamboo and banana forests, jungles, rivers, villages and picturesque panoramic waterfalls. For a French couple, who signed up for this activity with us, the highlight was skidding in dirt and showering each other in muddy water (eww).

After cleaning up, we headed to the swings. When we first rocked up to the top of the hill, looking down onto the river, my first reaction was to back out. Still in doubt after all my friends did it, I was not sure if I can get up there without throwing up. I somehow told myself it was a good idea to put my life on the line (at least that is how it was in my head) and took a shot at it. I have to say, after the first 10 seconds, it was a genuinely liberating and joyful experience. Witness the jaw-dropping views of the valley from up there, as a fresh breeze blew on my face, was a numbing yet stunning feeling! I may or may not be up for it again 😉

Later in the trip, we went to Tanjung Benoa, for watersports. Unfortunately, it was only after coming back from Bali that I learnt about other places where we would have had a much better experience. Not knowing much about the place, we'd taken a chance by booking a reasonably priced package online. When we rocked up to the shed, it was obvious to us that we'd made a mistake. Not only was each activity short lived (10 mins or less), they were organized in the inland waters and not at the sea. The water was not very clean, and the lack of people was a clear indication of poor quality for something as popular as jet skiing or parasailing. The wild donut right, consider it a consolation, was definitely worth it however. We ended on a high as the boat driver made sure we got splashed and swooshed!

Disappointed and ready to move on from the watersports, we headed toward Melasti Beach to witness the Kecak Dance. Kecak is a form of Balinese Hindu drama (represented with dance and music) that was developed in Bali. It was predominantly performed by men (since the 1930s) and the first women's kecak group started performing in 2006. Based on the story of the Ramayana and traditionally seen in temples and villages across Bali, the dance is performed in a circle by a few dozen performers wearing checked cloths around their waists, powerfully chanting "chak" and moving their hands and arms. The performance depicts a battle from the Ramayana, in which the monkey-like Vanaras, led by Hanuman (or “Anuman”'), help Prince Rama fight the evil King Ravana. I am not sure whether the original art form includes fire but in the modern representation, there is often use of real fire to depict some of the scenes. Growing up, I've studied the stories, music and poems of Ramayana. I was quite intrigued by the Balinese take on these stories. When the performance first started, the sun was still out. As the sun set over the horizon, the orange-lit clouds and the blue ocean set the perfect backdrop for the synchronous melody of the singers and dancers.

On Sunrise Hike

Over the last 4-5 years, I have been to innumerable hikes and coastal walks in Australia. I've hiked the entire coast of Sydney, most peaks and waterfalls in Blue Mountains, around Dove lake in the beautiful Cradle Mountain in Tasmania and the top of Mt Kosciuszko (highest in Australia), Mt Pushpagiri hills in Coorg (India) and the top of Mt Tamalpais in California. I am thrilled by the physical challenge and in love with the beautiful scenery, fresh air and soothing sound of creeks, falls and rustling trees. The journey to the top is filled with freedom, adventure, wonder, curiosity. Getting to the end is invigorating!

Whenever I travel, I am on the lookout for any opportunity to climb mountains or walk along coastlines or into the bushes. So it is no surprise that my favorite memory from this trip, without a doubt, was (drum roll please), the sun rise hike to the top of Mt Batur.

To me, every hike is like a story - it has characters, twists and lessons.

We were told by our guide to be up by 2am and ready by 2.30am in order to start the hike on time. With that knowledge, we thought it wise to stay up and pull an allnighter instead of getting enough rest 👀 Yep, that was definitely a bad idea. We tried our best and go really far but in the end, it did not matter. At 1:00am, we gave up and decided to get some shuteye only to wake up 45 mins later, putting our body clocks off significantly and barely staying up in the car to the starting point. We walked out of the car half asleep. At the base of Mt Batur, we got handed our headlights and walking sticks around 3.30am while we were still trying to figure out why we did this to ourselves. Our saviour was an old lady who offered us some freshly cooked banana fritters and hot coffee at 3:45am just before we started our journey to the top.

We paid the tour guide their fees and set out, amongst hundreds of others, to climb to the peak. It was pitch dark all around us, except for a long trail of white lights. This is how we knew how far we had come and how much further we had to go. We bumped into many tired hikers on the way, made at least a dozen pit stops to gather our breath and bring our souls back into our bodies. The challenge was received differently by some in our group and we needed to pace our climb to avoid any mishaps. One thing that I found pretty cool about the hike was the availability of food and drinks on the way up. Every few hundred meters, there would be a pop-up shop selling snacks and water. This isn’t something I have ever seen in Australia.

After a few hiccups and mini-sprints, we made it to the top merely seconds before the sun started peaking out through the clouds. When I looked around, I felt an innate connection with hundreds of strangers around me - all of us feeling the same sense of joy and fulfillment, having conquered this feat together as much as individually. Part of me wanted to remain stuck in that moment forever. With a banana sandwich 🍌🥪 and hot chocolate, we peacefully watched the sky around us go from blood orange to bright and sunny within a matter of minutes. We took some photos and relaxed at the peak for around an hour.

Mt Batur is a volcanic mountain and we noticed hot steam emerging from the surface in more than one part of our hike. It was cool to start this hike in chilly weather and finish it at the top where it was all about volcanic steam! Adi and I were giving ourselves a tour of the peak when a stranger - someone with a keen passion for photography - offered to record a professional video of us. Thanks to him, we have a video that manages to beautifully capture the true majesty of Mt Batur and some dramatic plumes of volcanic steam 💨

On the way down, Pranay and I enjoyed our run down the gravel slopes with our meme of a tour guide - Ari. Ari had unlocked an extra lung and appeared a different person to the one we had climbed up only a few hours ago. He started roasting every one of us and asked us to pose on the edge of the mountain so he could take epic photos. He then proceeded to make some edgy jokes that we all enjoyed - who doesn’t love banter!

Also on our way down, I heard an “excuse me”. Five minutes later, I was acquainting myself with someone (I've never met before) who works for the same company as I and had managed to recognise my backpack! It was a lovely moment to encounter Kim, who was in Bali all the way from the US. What are the odds!?

With negligible sleep, tired legs and broken spirits, when we finally got back to the meeting spot, we were ready to change and jump into the natural hot springs - off the same mountain that we had just hiked! We spent over an hour relaxing in the geothermal pools washing off the exhaustion.

Note to self: Ever since my hiking buddy moved to Melbourne (still salty), I haven't been on many hikes. So, now that I have renewed my energy and passion, I will strive to make a conscious effort to do more of what I've loved so much over the years.

On Food

Having heard claims about Bali being cheap for a holiday, I was excited to wrap up our trip for a couple thousand dollars. Needless to mention, we got the worst airline deals and spent way too much money on luxurious villas. The food, however, was so cheap! And more often than not, absolutely delicious 😋

In the mornings, there were two groups of people - The coffee and croissant fans and the late bloomers. Pranay was on a mission to find the best almond croissants and I was on the lookout for the best coffee. We would spend the last few hours before sleeping researching places nearby so we could wake up early and walk there.

In Ubud, our favorite morning was the one where Pranay and I had a genuinely fresh and fruity pour over coffee at Anomali Cafe before walking to Acai Queen for one of the best acai bowls either of us has ever had. The coffee was manually brewed for 10 minutes with utmost patience and love. The delicate caramel and chocolate flavors of the single origin beans were dancing on my palate and put a wide smile on my face. In the morning, there is nothing more that I love than a warm coffee, brewed to my liking. Or so I thought, until we tasted the fresh coconut cream and the coconut flakes served with a fresh fruity acai bowl in the morning market! The purple picnic vibe with comfortable homey seating was exactly what we wanted. It is a shame that we could not find such an acai bowl again during the entire trip. This was one of the highest moments in our trip, hands down!

However, the coffee did not disappoint. Another sassy cafe we went to was Luc Coffee in Seminyak. I usually order something I have not seen before and here, I ordered their aromatic cold brew - a cold brew infused with spices like ginger and cinnamon. At first, I did not know what to expect but on taking the first sip, I felt a kick of freshness and a surprising gush of positivity. My friends had ordered their usual mochas and iced lattes and were not so happy with their drinks. So, I offered them my drink and the next morning we were back at Luc's for them to get the aromatic cold brew (subtle flex of my palette). This time, I tried the manual brew of their Cinnamon profiled single origin beans. This time again, I was delighted with how well it was brewed - showing all the characters as the notes described.

Earlier in the day, at More, I tried another manual brew (yes, it became a thing at this point). This time around, the coffee was much more fruity and light on the palate which was apt for the first one of the day.

The strangest and the most mind-boggling coffee that I had during this trip was the "Bulletproof" at, well, Revolver cafe. A Long Black (or Americano if you may) with MCT oil (coconut oil, I think?), grass-fed ghee (Grassfed Ghee is made from the milk of pastured cows, fed on fresh green grass in spring through fall) and cinnamon. I drink a lot of coffee from a lot of places around the world. This is likely the only coffee, for which, I have had to spend more than 10 minutes googling the ingredients. Why? Well, this coffee had no milk, yet it looked nothing like a black coffee and tasted like a shot of melted butter mixed with espresso. I was scared at first, fascinated after two sips and nervously excited for the rest of my drink until I finally decided to trust the process and enjoy it.

Last but not least, the Luwak (aka Cat-poo-chino). Luwak is coffee dervied from partially digested cherry beans that have fermented inside a nocturnal animal's intestine and been passed out with fecal matter. We went to one of the many coffee plantations in Bali, where after receiving a tour of the plantation, we tasted a selection of 16 different coffees and teas. The way that they infuse flavours into tea leaves and coffee grinds is pretty fascinating. When the beans are roasted and ground, they add real Ginseng, Rice Tea, Ginger, Coconut or Avocado along with milk powder and then add warm water to this mixture. All the ingredients combine with water to give a milky texture and the end result is a yummy warm beverage that the locals love in cafes around Bali!

Most cafes in Bali that serve brunch, have a lot of variety on the menu. For us, this meant that you must get lucky with what you ordered - it could be delicious or not so much. However, there were some places that really stood out for me.

For our first night, we went to Nomad for dinner. When we walked out, we noticed the buzzing vibe of Baba Bistro next door. We all looked at each other and decided that we must go there for dinner. Unfortunately, when we rocked up there the next day, there was no vacancy. However, we were not completely out of luck. We stopped there on the way home, after our hike and were glad to find a table. The desperate hunger from hiking Mt Batur may have played into making this experience better but that doesn't undermine the quality of the food and service we received at Baba Bistro. We ordered a variety of dishes including full english breakfasts, 3-egg omelets, french toasts and even DIY (mix and match) brekkies. I am a fan of their whipped feta, smooth in texture, perfectly salinated to accompany my ham and cheese omelet with avocado! On the side, we all ordered some fresh juices and smoothies. I could barely keep up after the lack of sleep and the monstrous hike and decided to order a "Cleansing" juice with fresh ginger. I felt a rush of freshness and energy that helped me enjoy my meal even more! The service was rapid and the prices were affordable. The flavour of the food filled our stomachs and the love filled our hearts. I am devastated that we did not get a chance to try their dinner menu - the kebabs looked absolutely delicious.

Revolver was a unique cafe - a New York style bar+cafe ambience boasting a global-American fusion menu. Both, the airy outdoor seats and the neon-lit tables inside, were occupied - by people from all around the world. Truth be told, the food was not special but it was fresh and tasty and reasonably priced. I enjoyed my Nashville Burger and Acai Bowl very much along with my bulletproof coffee (described as mind-blowing above). Unfortunately, we were all so full that we did not have any space to try their tiramisu. We were pretty happy with the service and the food. So much so, we ended up going to their other branch at the airport on the same evening before catching our flight back home. There too, we all enjoyed our burgers. And this time, we ordered two tiramisu and they were absolutely lovely! Creamy on the top, chocolate-y in the middle and perfectly coffee-soaked biscuits at the bottom. A perfect way to end our last meal in Bali 🤤

Shoutout to Adi (self-appointed brunch sheriff) for deciding which places to go to 😄 By dinner time, we were usually hungry and exhausted. We would walk into the city, have a look at a couple of places and then pick something with a decent vibe after quickly checking the reviews online. Within that pseudo-randomness, there were some places that served more than just food - a captivating ambience, menu of carefully crafted delicacies or flawless service.

One such place was the Clear Cafe. The aroma and serenity had us captivated even before we entered. At Clear Cafe, "organic. delicious. pure. natural." values are practiced as soon as you enter the doors. After taking off your shoes at the doorstep, you walk barefoot through the main lobby as peaceful mellow music is preparing you for a relaxed evening. As you look on the left, there are plenty of fish in the pond surrounded by real trees making the air as pure as it can be. On the right, people are seated on their comfortable foam mats and cushions, becoming one with mother earth. As we walked to our table upstairs, we noticed their in-house wellness studio! I can only imagine how a massage would have made this dinner experience even more magical! The vegetarian and seafood menu made a good fit for the casual chic vibe. On our way to wash our hands, we noticed a table tennis table. Needless to say, we spent the next 30 minutes showing off our corporate table tennis skills 🏓

I'm not someone who usually eats at Maccas (or McD). But Pranay kept insisting that we must go at least once. So we did. I have to admit, I was paranoid enough that I checked the menu beforehand and surprisingly enough, I was excited to try the spicy PaMer 5. I love spicy food and can usually handle an above average level. However, the chicken here was fiery! So hot, it opened my sweat pores, unblocked my nose and left me teary-eyed but smiling nonetheless 🥵 Taken aback by an unexpected experience, I was keen to go back again. After spending a whole day at Finns Beach Club, we decided to get a (culturally appropriate) midnight snack at McDonalds and this time, I was prepared, excited and completely in support of the idea. This time, I ordered a McSpicy Chicken Burger and was happy with the spice level - thanks but no thanks to the burning PaMer 5.

I am blessed with a lifestyle where I can eat food not out of necessity, hunger or a need to survive, but with an invested interest. The lack of any dietary restrictions and food allergies enables me to make food a hobby. Before even leaving Sydney to go to Bali, a few people had strongly encouraged me to try “Ayam Bakar'' - a traditional Indonesian dish consisting of grilled chicken and rice. So, from the onset, I planned the meals on this trip to accommodate for as much exposure to Ayam Bakar as possible. At Gedong Sisi Warung, everything is served in a magic charm of love, passion and hospitality. The first thing that immediately caught my eye was their “Tipat Kuah'' - Rice cakes with vegetables and chicken served in spicy Balinese broth. It was perfect for a cool evening. As good as the Tipat Kuah was, it was soon overshadowed by the superstar dish of the evening. Pranay and I shared a Kare Ayam - grilled chicken with vegetables, sauce and rice. This dish was prepared with simple flavors and ingredients but when the medley of spices hit my taste buds, there was a sudden release of dopamine and I could feel the joy throughout my body 🥘💙

Motel Mexicola was, hands down, the best experience (food wise) throughout the entire trip. On the corner of the main street, Mexicola presents a frontage similar to that of a beach shack in Spain. The inside, on the contrary, is buzzing with a completely different vibe - one that you might get when you cross a diner with a dance club. Dim lighting, marble walls, plants and cocktail bars were the perfect setting for our dinner among many others. There is a huge variety of authentic Mexican dishes - you couldn't go wrong with anything! This made it extremely difficult to know what to choose but thanks to our savior and server - Tommy - who we trusted with choosing our dishes for us as part of the set menu. We were impressed, happy and in love with everything that we got and it was reasonably priced, perfectly within a budget. We were already drooling after only eating our first two dishes - starting with Esquites (grilled corn with toppings) and Baja Tacos (Fish). Having started on a high, we were skeptical that the next few dishes won't be able to maintain the standard. Maintain they did and it only got better! Chicken tostadas had us asking for more and that was followed by the best dish of the night - CHAMORRO DE BORREGO - lamb shanks cooked to perfection, served with grilled green tomato salsa, Mexican rice and bread on the side. The way the meat fell off the bone was absolutely heart melting. Every last bit of the spicy broth was so delicious, I couldn't stop eating even after being well over full 😋 Just when we thought it was all over, we were served the churros coated in cinnamon sugar with caramel sauce and chocolate sauce. Now, I am not usually a fan of churros but this is the kind of dish that changes your mind forever. Crunchy on the outside, gooey on the inside, I don't know if I will ever have churros this good! Thanks to Tommy and the chefs, I will remember this meal for a long long time.

On Partying

Ubud was all about activities and food. But what is a trip to Bali without parties, especially when you have a gorgeous villa all to yourselves! Aneesh insisted that the last night in Ubud must be a memorable one and it wasn't an offer we could easily reject. Starting after dinner, we brought the drinks outside and enjoyed some dancing in and by the pool. If it were up to Jobin, we would have stayed in the pool all night long but at midnight, we thought it best to move the party indoors to the living room and dance to hindi songs - EDM got nothing on 2000s bollywood pop songs 💪. After at least an hour of jumping around to upbeat bangers, we settled down around the center table and sulked into the 80s and 90s. Finally deciding to call it, we headed up to bed at 3.30am hoping to wake up just before checkout. Only, the planet had other thoughts for us. Around 4am, we were woken up by an earthquake! I can vaguely recollect going down the stairs, sleep walking, barely able to think straight and regretting all the decisions I'd made in life. Luckily, we walked away without any damage and a cool travel story to tell 😅

On our way to Seminyak, the real party town of Bali, we stopped over at Reef Head Beach at The Apurva Kempinski - one of the many 5+ star resorts in Nusa Dua. We entered into a massive lobby and were immediately impressed by the huge chandelier, under which, a beautiful lady was playing piano and singing pop songs. We then walked around, looking over the giant estate that boasted at least half a dozen swimming pools and restaurants and a jaw-dropping architecture where all 100+ rooms got a view of the beach. And what a time we had there. After getting an expensive but flavourful lunch at their beachside restaurant, we sat by the pool in comfortable cabanas. After sunbathing and giving ourselves some time to digest the food, we jumped into the infinity pool looking over the beach. The water was perfect for a few laps and water taxis! To finish off the experience, we ordered some almond and peanut croissants from the lobby on the way out and they were perfectly layered and puffy 🥐

In Seminyak, we wanted to spend our second night bar hopping. Having looked at some old photos and menus, we were trapped into the vibe at Single Malt, hoping it would be a haven for the perfect scotch to start our night. On entering, I wasn’t impressed with how empty the bar was, both in terms of people as well as the whiskey collection. We decided to leave from there and find another place. While my friends were looking for places, I caught a two-wheeler taxi (Grab) to the villa for a change of shoes. Once comfortable, I met my friends outside a sports bar. When we heard the loud “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie” chants from inside the bar, we had to walk in to see what was going on. What we saw next was an apt epitome of Bali itself. A solo guitarist singing pop songs, standing on a table in the middle of a bar, surrounded by four Aussie lads, two of whom had a beer in one hand and their own mic in the other. The makeshift band was chanting “Aussie-Oi” and “Bali-Jigger” like an original song they’d known for years!

After a few mins, we headed to La Favela next door. When we first entered, we were not sure what we were doing there. There was a real live band performing slow music and there were a couple dozen people getting cocktails. And then we kept walking inside, and the place kept getting bigger - another cocktail bar on my left, another seating area in front, a whiskey bar on the left, a dance floor in the corner, and private seating behind me. Just when we thought we had seen it all, we looked up, and there were two more floors of the same! This place was massive. We got some cocktails at the front bar and enjoyed the music until 9pm, when, on the dot, the band handed over the reigns to the DJ right behind us. For the next 5 hours, we remained on the dance floor 💃 After losing our senses, legs and hearing capabilities, Adi, Aneesh and I decided to call it a night, leaving the rest of the lads to continue.

The final full day in Bali was all about Finns - one of the most instagram / tik-tok famous places in Bali 🏝️ We booked a Daybed, with the pool on our right and the beach on our left, it was the perfect location to lie down, order some drinks and food all day long! The most ordered drink of the day was obviously our favorite - Bintang Radler🍺 All afternoon, we sipped on cold crisp lemonade-like bursts of freshness. As the sun began to set, we got the most picturesque seats in one of the swimming pools, ordered some cocktails and watched the beautiful bright day club turn into a dreamy dim lit night club as the sun set over the horizon as majestically as it always does 🌅 We decided to immerse fully in this moment and not bring our phones for any distractions. After the sun set fully, we got out of the pool, got some food and headed onto the dance floor! We danced for the next 3 hours, on the dance floor, in the pool, next to our bed, wherever we were. So much so, we built up an appetite and decided to get a midnight snack at McDonalds on the way home 🍔

On Everything Else

One of the most beautiful aspects of traveling is the randomness and surprising nature of events that can happen to you, in addition to and despite all the planning that you may have put into it. Some events bring joy, others teach you something and then there are those that just leave you wondering.

It does not matter where you come from or where you are going next, when you are traveling, you will put aside all your differences and get immediately acquainted with another traveler. I experienced this strange yet beautiful feeling of innate human connection with innumerable strangers on this trip. We met some interesting people almost every day - a French couple throwing dirt at each other in Ubud, fellow Aussies at Finns, Mexican girls at La Favela, Indian hen's party group at multiple locations, a colleague on Mt Batur, and the list goes on and on. Sometimes people would stop by for a sneaky photobomb and other times, they'd indulge us in long conversations. The joy I get from hearing about people's stories and becoming part of their journey is impossible to describe in words.

One person who became part of my story was Harry, at Bali Barber. On one of the mornings in Seminyak, there was unanimous approval (within seconds of initial suggestion) for a self-care morning. While some boys chose the entire package including manicure and pedicure, I settled for a more traditional haircut, or at least I thought so. For the next hour, I received multiple hairwashes, an unhurried haircut and a sharp beard trim and a shoulder and scalp massage. For me, this was a surprisingly long time in a barbershop and I have to admit, I was pretty skeptical at some points but I walked out with a big smile on my face. The hospitality in Bali is like I have seen nowhere else.

Parting Remarks

I am almost entirely sure that this will not be the last time I visit Bali. However, there are many things I will do differently next time. Traveling with a large group of friends is fun but it comes at a cost - everyone must get a chance to explore and travel the way they prefer. With only 8 days, that is not enough time to cover everything I wanted to. And even if it was possible, I'd prefer not to do that. I would spend a lot more time exploring each place. Every cafe, mountain, beach and beer has layers. I'd also spend a lot less time traveling in the car and prefer to hire a bike and show myself around, like a local!

Lessons learnt. Pre-hiring a driver is needlessly expensive. Grab in Bali is extremely cheap, even cheaper in groups. Bintang is a great beer, perfect for hot Bali days. Cocktails are not worth spending on, outside of a vibe-fitting Finn’s Whiskey Sour or similar.

Tips for the future. I'd also love to see other areas of Bali. I heard many good things about Nusa Penida, Nusa Dua, Gili T and other islands nearby! I would love to spend a few weeks in Bali combining work and vacation like many "digital nomads" and try a different way to experience this beautifully chaotic gem!