Barts Bali list: the hotspots where you want to be
Imagine, you could now pack your bags for a country far far away, then you choose sun, sea, beach, good food, nice people, interesting culture and just a lot of beauty... Aaaah Bali! One of the world's most favorite holiday islands, where tourism has increased enormously in recent years, but where you can still find peace and space. Of which deed, just look at the list above. Each and every one of them is an address where you won't necessarily find the crowd and where even with a big belly (our Barts has been there, done that) can stay. These are the hotspots of Bali to go
Sleeping in the open air of the Jungle… Always wanted to do this? Yes, we do too and we prefer to do this at Buahan. No fewer than 16 wooden villas to choose from; each equipped with a copper bathtub and its own pool, spread across a swath of undulating jungle just north of Ubud. Buahan's goal is to bring guests closer to nature 'than any other Balinese resort has ever had' (as they describe it). So the villas are open-air houses and you are even so close that you can reach and brush the palm leaves from your bedroom. Oh and have you seen the view yet? yes please.
Via a hilltop in Jimbaran Bay to a private beach, is where the big newcomer on the island is: Raffles. The villas – complete with butlers and infinity pools – combine traditional Balinese influences with signature 'chic' (think lots of polished wood and creamy color palettes). You can also enjoy a tasty bite to eat, ranging from farm-to-table riffs on Indonesian classics to candlelight dinners in a “secret cave.”
Villa Kimpton Naranta is located between the mountains of beautiful Nusa Dua in Bali. Food is the focus here: an indoor/outdoor speakeasy bar, an all-day feel-good diner and a Japanese-Western barbecue spot that hosts jazzy supper clubs on weekends. Oh and the hotel is also beautiful with lovely rooms.
In Ubud, Titik Dua celebrates local crafts in a boxy, tropical, modernism-inspired building by renowned Indonesian architect Andra Matin. The cozy rooms feature handmade furniture and textiles by local artisans, and the hotel's coworking-friendly café and art gallery often host talks and exhibitions on Bali's burgeoning art scene.
Boho-beachy hideout Woods is just one of the reasons why locals clock the once-sleepy Pererenan as the new Canggu. The mainstays of Bali brunch are all here: expect flower-strewn avocado toasts, fruit-laden smoothie bowls and live jazz on Sundays.
On the same street, Mosto, from the group behind Seminyak hotspot Motel Mexicola, is another natural go-to for wine. The menu features Indonesia's largest collection of global biodynamic wines and rare cuvées, including the country's first pet-nat, produced and bottled by the same collective.
A cosmopolitan breakfast and lunch restaurant and the place where freelancers order their coffee next to their laptop. The poached eggs with avocado are delicious. In the heart of Seminyak, close to everything and not to be missed. Sisterfields
A bamboo house.What? Yes, a bamboo house on the edge of the jungle valley with the most beautiful view of Mount Agung. The house is completely open and you are in nature 24/7. And yes, that includes insects and critters like that. This Bamboo house is located in the Karansgasem area, close to the small village of Selat. You start the day well with the sunrise. And furthermore, just look at the pictures, because they say more than enough.
This is a dream to say the least. This house belongs to the same owners as Café Bali, you know that restaurant in Seminyak. They have several houses in Bali in Seminyak, Bingin and on Gili Meno you will find the very beautiful Robinson Beach house. The Beach house is actually two combined with a connecting door if you are with a large group of people. For a moment, this is a private home on the beach. Snorkeling is at its best here, relax and look around at all the beautiful things. Lie by the pool for a morning swim and enjoy the tastiest breakfast ever. Would you like to know how everything is set up? Beach vibes, nice tiles on the floor, warm colors. It's a big Bali beach. Barts Bali beachBoel.
To find out more about these beautiful houses, scroll down…
Modern, tropical and serene, sounds good, right? This villa is the perfect place if you are looking for luxury on the island. Everything is white and minimalist with enough space for everyone. The house has two floors, a swimming pool, an open living room and kitchen. How about a massage in your own home? Exactly, dream, book and go.
Look, this is one of those places that could have been on another tropical island. And if you come to sunbathe with a book in your hands, it's wonderful. Buuut, there's more, much more. Because people don't go to Bali just for your book and the sun.
Dreaming about traveling is allowed, take a look at this Costa Rica , South Africa or how about Sri Lanka? And how about one round trip with the kids.
When you think of Bali, you think of rice fields. And of course, not only that, but the rice fields are an important thing and certainly worth walking through. Because 1) culture, 2) it's beautiful and 3) just relaxing. We stayed a few nights at the Tegallalang rice fields. And sleeping, swimming, relaxing, just having a really hard holiday, that was all too good this lovely house.
A beautiful house with a picture-perfect view over the rice fields of Tegallalang. A private swimming pool, good breakfast and excellent service. If you want to experience more hustle and bustle, this is also arranged. There is one every afternoon shuttle bus to Ubud. And Ubud is of course a bit touristy, but also fun with that Jungle-like atmosphere vibe.
Penny Lane. Just when you think Bali has enough nice cafes... Well, there's another one: Panny Lane. Open from breakfast to cocktails in the late hours. Everything is possible here.
Milu By Nook. Highly recommended, even if you are in Bali with the family. Enjoy going out with the little ones while mom and dad enjoy the picture-perfect view over the rice fields. The food? Healthy and tasty.
The Lawn Canggu. A nice beach hangout with restaurant. At the weekend they have a nice breakfast concept here. From 08:00 AM to 12:00 PM you can hang around, chill and order as many delicious things from the menu until you are okay. And no people, things are not going well here like they are in the Netherlands all inclusive eating concept. Here it's just good food, hanging out and enjoying your weekend.
Aaaah so much to see, so much to do – where to begin? NRV Family Travel, gives a loving push in the right direction. Here you have everything in one, from hotels, restaurants, activities, culture tasting, the best places to sleep and everything kid-proof. And the best part is, you don't have to arrange anything yourself. This can be useful if you already have your hands full with your kids. For a small one sneak peak to give:
- Palm trees, jungle, volcanoes (with sunrise), temples and surfing with the kids.
- Experience culture: from offering bowls, traditional dances to parties.
- In Bali by bike through the rice fields, the city of Ubud, past waterfalls and temples.
- Snorkeling at the Gili Islands and reading a book on the beach of Sanur.
- Dolphin spotting in Lovina.
And so on and on... Bali is wonderful. Point.
You (like us) don't go to Bali to surf or spend a night in Bali Canggu but relax all the way? Then you almost have to stay a few nights The Island Houses books. The collection of holiday homes is like walking through an Instagram account with the perfectly diffused Instagram filter applied everywhere. So beautiful. There are six houses on the 'main resort', a short walk from Seminyak. The photo here was taken in what I thought was the most beautiful of the whole bunch, the Desu House. But actually everything is beautiful. The walls of all houses are unpainted but coated with earth, which produces beautiful natural colors. Combined with the most beautiful soft fabrics, cushions and vases everywhere and fresh flowers and and and… Well, exactly how you would like it at home, including swimming pool and climate, please. Every morning the sweetest house sitters come to clean and, if desired, prepare your breakfast (piles of fresh fruit and an egg - perfection) and it is raining, then sitting on the couch, half on the veranda, half in the house, is no punishment.
Bali is nice and beautiful and you get the point. The islands around Bali are secretly even more beautiful. A few days to Ceningan is highly recommended. Half an hour of sailing for 15 euros and you are in a completely different place. Rent a scooter here and you'll get around a lot picture proof places against.
La Pirate Beach Club is highly recommended on Nusa Ceningan. The perfect place to sleep, you get your own beach house with an outdoor shower. And you understand, right on the beach on such an island... the most beautiful sunset ever. Holiday vibe is on.
Quite a bit smitten we were at Kelly's Warung and the whole Bingin Beach vibe. Relaxed and for the whole day. Cheap, oh so friendly and perfect for hanging out with a book and a delicious fresh juice. Please note: quite a climb and wrong walking (and then having to climb over the cliffs) is just around the corner. Nice too, because you get beautiful views in return and if all goes well you will have set aside a whole day for Bingin Beach, so you will have plenty of time to relax.
The fact that you can shop well in Bali is of course not new news. Tip: don't overpack your suitcase so that you have enough room for your new purchases on the way back... If you are in Uluwatu, make sure you stop at The Find. It is the nicest store for your sunglasses, summer hat, bikinis, jewelry, natural beauty products, but you are also in the right place for your Bali-inspired interior accessories.
The nicest in Bali is surely La Brisa. You've certainly seen it all over the place, just like The Lawn a little further away, and gosh, it's even been described a few times here on this site. But La Brisa really is the nicest place in Bali. Real. Because: Grand Café Bali style with an in-house swimming pool on the beach. The popularity of the address is also due to the size of the place (always you can find a spot somewhere), and as mentioned, the location right on the beach, a stone's throw from the popular part of Canggu (such as Old Man's). It's also about being fun for everyone: here the kids roam among the hipsters and the elderly look for a place to sit with the students. And everyone thinks it's fine. In fact, everyone enjoys it. The sunset is beautiful and the food is good. Not as affordable as many other addresses on the island, that's for sure. But you're either popular or you're not, right?
Do you think La Brisa is the end all be all? Then take a look at the sisters: La Favela (great for the later hours), La Plancha (a beach bar with a thousand colored parasols) and La Laguna (a gypsy mecca).
We will stay in Canggu for a while, where you will also find the remarkably quiet and nice Copenhagen Canggu. Here again healthy food as we love it, in a very nice store – as you would expect and actually get in Bali. The menu is a mix and match tapas style menu with a bit of Bali and a bit of Scandinavia. Perfect for brunch, the staff is very friendly, but most importantly: the location is close enough to all the tourist spots (which you always want to visit) but far enough away to still be that well-kept secret.
Also Instagram here, but from it fantastic plastic kind of thing and we're kind of done with that, right? Too much, too busy, too much noise, too arrogant staff. Nah. Why in this list? Because sometimes you might feel like having that hysteria, and then it's the least bad of its kind. It's also nice to watch sometimes, so to speak. Plus it's within walking distance of The Island Houses so oh well.
Yes, Bali is a surfers paradise, but the great thing is: even if you don't want to or can't step on a board, you get the best of the wonderful surfers vibes. With a dot at 1 Dreamsea Surf Camp Bali, a little way below Bingin Beach. With the rest a dream resort. You can sleep here, to name just a few, in attractive white-painted wooden 'huts' with a view of the sea. There is its own restaurant (if you want) and less than 3 minutes after getting up you can be on the beach (if you want). Moreover, the prices are something to laugh about (and to come back for again).
Also in the category Rest, Regularity and Cleanliness: Own Villa Bali. This fairytale mini-complex is located just behind the smoke of Canggu, a short scooter or taxi ride from Seminyak. Own Villa Bali was once (though once… not that long ago) built as a holiday retreat for the Italian family that still hosts it today. Everything was made self-sufficient and built completely ecologically. And with taste, but you can see that for yourself. Too beautiful to keep for themselves, the family thought. And so they now rent out the bedrooms under the gabled roofs. You don't have to walk to one of the restaurants in Canggu or Seminyak from Own Villa Bali, but you don't have to: the family brought their age-old Italian family recipes to the island, taught a local chef how to make better pasta and the same chef also assisted to add some Balinese wisdom. The result is delicious!
Bali does not have the most beautiful beaches, let's be clear about that. That's okay, because the island has the best waves (hello surfers!) and the most beautiful hotels too (hello babymooners). These hotels normally also have the most beautiful swimming pools (check out The Hanging Gardens of Bali, for example! A dream). If you still make a mistake with your own hotel swimming pool, there are places like Mrs. Sippy and La Brisa. And there's Panama Kitchen & Pool, a fresh and fruity, Bali-ista-proof spot where you can just go into the pool without having to have a hotel room card. Bam.
Dreamy white with a beautiful veranda and a garden with tables under thatched roofs. Naturally surrounded by beautiful plants. A picture! And the menu is just as worthy. Healthy whole foods is what it's all about. Expect raw, but also vegetarian burgers. Bowls in all colors and flavors. Kombucha, rolls and juices to complete the healthy list. And it may be expressly said that it is done right is. So no dry cubes of tempeh but original combinations of healthy ingredients. We want to eat healthy every day.
“Late night pizza” in a cozy, sunny, light and fresh room. Voila, da maria, a place for everyone who loves Mexicola, for example (we still do, sorry not sorry) but a little less hysterical. Da Maria is tasteful in yellow and blue and it is one of the nicest new addresses for those who, after their (good!) bite - not just pizza: there is also fresh fish, satay and more - want to go out for cocktails and a dance. Not far from, for example Motel Mexicola, more in the bustle of Seminyak
Ow Helloooo Hipster Heaven! Admittedly, the whole of Canggu is connected to the Hipsters and the Surf Dudes & Chicks (you hate or you love…) but Crate takes the cake. And secretly belongs yours truly certainly to the 'you love' part of people. And it's really nice that it's there! Two years ago, Crate moved to a larger location with a rice field in front of you and a small shop attached to it. Good to know is that the Crate is always busy, so waiting in line for fifteen minutes is the most normal thing in the world here. Something we are slightly less good at, but still completely worth it.
The best part of Bali is the endless breakfast places with the never-boring avo smash, delicious smoothie bowls and good coffee. And Revolver is certainly a pro at the latter, the whole shebang of coffee, cappuccinos, espressos, etc. We once started in a very small business on a side street of the Oberoi and unfortunately, to our regret, Revolver has exchanged this for a slightly larger restaurant a few blocks away. A second business quickly opened again called Baby Revolver in Petitenget.
A magical place for when you are out of Genasigoreng and feel like having an Italian bite. Don't imagine much, because it is just a simple hut where everyone walks in with their slippers, sometimes with their beach outfits on (even if you haven't washed those crispy sea locks yet, you will be let in). There is a downstairs and upstairs section and you actually sit upstairs with a view of Canggu, which is even nicer than downstairs.
Good coffee, colorful everything vegan everything bowls, a pink wall and fun texts, both on that pink wall and IN those pink bowls... Well, then you know that your business will be a hit. Certainly not bad, but a shot for an open goal.
