The Best of Uluwatu

Bukit Cafe Tomato Egg Bake and Bacon

Single Fin Sundays

Single Fin

Fresh juice at the Corner Cafe

Bukit Cafe Breakfast Burrito 

Suka

After two months in our Uluwatu nook, we're sad to leave but feel accustomed to life in Southern Bali and ready to release our "Best of Uluwatu" list to link you with some of our favorites.  Many of these places you'll need; some of them, you'll want; others you'll wonder how you lived without.  We agree on most, but for a few categories you'll see our personal thoughts...overall, you'll can't go wrong in Uluwatu.  

The best motorbike rental company...

• Ulu's Family, on the right as you turn off towards Single Fin
• Safe bikes, deals for renting for longer periods of time, personable service

The best place to buy, rent, or customize a surf board...

• White Monkey Surf Shop

The best nightlife...

• Single Fin, Sunday Nights
• You have to get there early to get a table, but even if you can't get one you'll enjoy an epic sunset, bird's eye view of awesome surf, great DJs, and people from all over the world

The best driver...

• Mario, WhatsApp +62 896-9832-4488
• Kind, helpful, and so reliable

The best activity coordinator...

• Agung, WhatsApp +62 896-8393-0428
• Organized Mt. Batur, secret waterfalls, Gili transport and beyond
• We met him back in February and he's a gem

The best laundry...

• Padang Padang Laundry, across from Buddha Soul; this small place accounts for every item when you drop it off, giving you a copy of that record that you bring back for pickup
• Laundry smells great and is nicely folded, but they get busy and often need two full days

The best dive company...

• Bali International Diving Professionals
• Avandy Djunaidi is the Yoda of diving; don't learn anywhere else. (Note: He's not technically in Uluwatu, but he'll arrange transport and he knows underwater Bali better than anyone else.)

The best daytime beach...

• If it's low tide, get down to Single Fin and head left though the caves.
• You'll find a secret beach with shipwreck ruins and a lot of privacy

The best sunset...

• Balangan Beach Sunset Point
• Use maps.me to get here through the Bingin Beach entrance; the black sands are worth it

The best place to get a book...

• Yeye's is an Uluwatu staple- great food, beautiful atmosphere, awesome gift shop, and huge selection of books
• Trade two you've read for one that you want

The best breakfast...

• Bukit Cafe- anything on the menu
• Buddha Soul- the chocolate smoothie bowl, and all of their other healthy options, will keep you coming back 
  • Be sure to try Om Burger for lunch (same owner, epic black rice buns)
• Corner Cafe- There are two, and they're both great.  Cash only, but great prices.

Best juices and smoothies

• Yoga Searcher- fresh, healthy, organic (you can do yoga in the back and even book villas there)

The best Italian food...

• La Baracca is a newcomer to the Uluwatu scene, but the owners are from Rome and their food is exceptional (Jay's Pick)
  • Beautiful nighttime ambiance and personable service
• Rolling Fork is one of our favorite places to enjoy a long, slow, blogging dinner (Chantal's pick)
  • Homemade pasta is a must, and the lava cake will make you wish you started with dessert

The best milkshake...

• Suka Espresso has pretty much the best EVERYTHING
• Their Unicorn Milkshake is unbelievable 
  • This isn't about a milkshake, but the Lemme Wrap (chicken wrap) will change your life.

Last But Not Least: Lembongan

Blue Lagoon, Ceningan island

As I sit down to type one of our final posts of the summer, I'm at a loss for words and feeling so many emotions at once.  Our final days in Uluwatu passed with the beautiful simplicity that marked all of our time here and I can now testify that you can feel nostalgia for a place before you even leave it.  

I missed it as I lived it: those final days at our favorite restaurants, waving to our summer neighbors who'd become part of our daily lives, and waking up without a big plan or agenda.  I missed the cows as we sped by them on our motorbike; I missed Jay's curly summer hair blowing in my face as he wove us through our familiar streets; I missed the dark walks home where you could see every star in the sky.  I missed Jay's big smile as he burst in from a great surf session.  I missed the wifi being unreliable and being deeply present in everything we did.  I missed the sound of the morning rooster and the unknown creature that made another special noise all summer.  I missed the joy that radiates from the people here, which is more beautiful than any of the breathtaking places we've been lucky enough to see.

View from our room at Song Lembung Huts, lembongan

When a place becomes part of you, you know you've been more than a tourist.  You've carved out a tiny piece of your life and heart to leave behind.  I think that's what it means to travel- and, for me, to live.  I hope we've spread as much love and joy as we've received.  

We jammed our suitcases full and took off to our last stop.  Last, but not least, an island half an hour from the southeast part of Bali: Nusa Lembongan.  Lembongan is commonly described as "Bali 10 years ago" and is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen.  

The Song Lamgung huts sit on Coconut Bay, near the popular Mushroom Bay, and we can hear the waves crash as we fall asleep at night.  The deck of our hut is set into the cliffside and overlooks a quiet, aquamarine bay, decorated by small colorful boats and light surf. 

Yesterday, we walked about 10 miles exploring the island, crossing the bridge to the tiny sister island, Nusa Ceningan, finding secret beaches and some of the most breathtaking cliff views.  We passed through tiny villages, greeted warmly by everyone, and got lost on the same paths that eventually took us exactly where we were supposed to be.  We watched the ocean form whirlpools that sparkled and roared with the blues and greens that never look real in photos.  

We watched waves hit the cliff so hard they erupted and misted us high above.  We lay out sarongs and watched the sun drop in front of us, a ball of fire dancing through slivers of clouds and painting them cotton candy pink.  We stopped taking photos because they simply pale in comparison.  

Yellow bridge from Lembongan to Nusa Ceningan

Nusa Ceningan

Blue Lagoon, Nusa Ceningan

Secret Beach, Nusa Ceningon

Today, we explored Nusa Penida's underwater world, equally as majestic as the surface.  Our "dive monster" (as our diver master at Tamarind Divers wanted to be called) navigated us through heavy currents that basically channeled us across the most incredible coral reef walls, like astronauts flying through space.  We saw lobsters and eels, hidden in rocky crevices, big tunas, turtles, and so many colorful fish that it was hard to know where to look.  This was the clearest of all the places we've dived, and it was easy to see why Lembongan is a world renowned spot for scuba.  The locals call to each, boat to boat, laughing and smiling and endlessly joyful.

Sunset Beach, Lembongan

Waiting on sunset

There's a contentedness here, which stems from a simplicity of living in the moment- not for a big promotion, or saving for a new car, or a bigger house.  Everyone works together, and everyone is relational.  They want to know where you come from, they want to share their stories, they want you to enjoy the day as much as they are.  And that's how I know that joy is infectious, as much as stress and as much as negativity.  It is also how I know that joy is not a better job, or a nicer car, or even the next awesome trip.  

Joy is a choice and it's about people- how you treat them, how you treat yourself, and how you treat the world.  If you can respect all of those things, and appreciate them as they are, then there is joy.  It is not a place.  It is not a different day.  It is not losing 10 pounds.  It is not winning the lottery.  It is no more available on a Sunday than it is on a Monday.  It's all around you.

So that's what we're bringing back- and hopefully a bag that's under 50 pounds.    

Sunny Side Up Tropical Music Festival

Potato Head is an Awesome Venue

Already August

Manusia Dunia Green Lodge, Gili Air

I have no idea how it is already August.  Time is a funny thing.  Some lazy afternoons seem to last forever and then all of a sudden the plans we made and adventures we dreamed up have become stories, and photographs, and memories.  Our neatly packed bags are strewn across islands, jammed with sea shells, horse shoes, maps, tickets, and a whole lot of life. 

I'm sitting on our porch on a tiny island called Gili Air.  Jay is sleeping in while I sip tea and blog to the sound of the rooster crowing.  We spent our last days on Gili Trawangan catching breathtaking sunsets and exploring life under water.

Exile Beach Sunset Point, Gili Trawangan

Jay and I love scuba.  I think Jay's as at home in the water as he is on land and scuba is the perfect fit for us.  On the Gili Islands, you take boats out to different spots and our first stop was Turtle Point.  The boat was packed with people and while heading to the spot the locals throw wetsuits, booties, fins, and vests at divers.  Do they fit?  Well enough.  They didn't ask for proof of our certification or number of dives.  The honor system is alive and well in Indonesia. 

The dive groups are small, and Jay and I had one other girl and a "dive master" accompanying us.  (I put that in quotes because we knew he was a certified dive master about as much as he knew we were certified at all.  Honor system.) 

When it was our turn we quickly checked our tanks and suited up, sitting on the edge of the boat like we'd seen others do.  Mind you, we entered from the shore on previous dives so entering the water by boat was new.  I asked a few questions and was quickly shushed by Indiana Jay.  "Just lean back!" he said.  And we did.  And we were fine. 

Turtle Point, north of Gili Meno

As quickly as we fell backwards off the boat, our dive master said, "Let's go down," and our adventure began.  Jay and I, pun intended, dove right in, feeling grateful that we were trained by the legend, Avandy.  We knew exactly what we were doing and had a great dive.  I tend to overthink things, and this trip has been a great lesson in running on instincts and just "doing".  

So many parts of life you can only figure out as you go.  I'm learning that more every day. 

Massive turtles and eels and colorful coral were everywhere.  I can't even put into words our time under water.  It makes us awestruck every time.  Tomorrow we will dive again off Gili Air, the smaller Gili Island closest to Lombok.  Stay tuned for that.

But how did we get to Gili Air?  Funny you should ask.  There are two boat options: slow boat and fast boat done by private charters.  You can imagine which one is the bargain price, and at this point probably know that Jay and I always take the bargain price.  For about $4 USD a person, we took the slow boat (40 minutes) from Gili T to Gili Air.  I don't know that "slow" is the right adjective for the boat; I like to call it the adventure boat. 

If the boat looks sideways, it's because it is.

But we made it to the Gili Air dock

My most vivid memories of those 40 minutes are water flying in, the boat careening side to side, and planks popping up as people walked down the middle of the boat.  You get what you pay for.  I eyed the life vests figuring out a strategy to float our bags and use that flotation system like a kick board to get to shore.  Luckily, this terrible idea never had to be tested.  

The shoreline approached, and the bluish green waters welcomed us to another beautiful island.  Gili Air is even smaller and more remote than Gili T, with all the charm that comes with that remoteness and simplicity.  We are staying at Manusia Dunia Green Lodge, where there are rechargeable lanterns because the electricity often goes out island-wide.  This happened twice during our dinner last night, and the live band just kept on singing.  Jay and I, having forgot our lanterns, walked home in the dark and fireworks erupted over one of the other Gili Islands. Life here doesn't seem real sometimes.  

As we head into the last two weeks of our trip, we're soaking it all up and missing all of our family and friends back home.  We can't wait to share our travels with you.  Thanks to everyone reading along with us- wishing you a beautiful August. 

Reading deck at Manusia Dunia, Gili Air

Peace on the porch, Manusia Dunia, Gili Air

Shells of Gili

Gili Air transport

Gone To Gili

On Thursday, we caught a ride to Pandang Bai where we negotiated a fare to Gili Trawangan, one of the three tiny Gili Islands off the coast of Lombok, Indonesia.  As you’ve probably figured out, there are very few set prices in Indonesia and the speedboats operate with the traditional, free-spirited Bali attitude.  The docks are flooded with passengers, all with tickets to different boats set to arrive at 9 a.m.  The boats arrive every few minutes for the next hour or so and passengers and luggage are shoved onto them while vendors hawk Pringles and Bintangs, often from the dock onto the boats.  Once on the boat, you bump your way about an hour and a half wondering if the life vests jammed into compartments on the ceiling are enough for the passengers, especially since there aren’t seats for every passenger.  At least we aren’t in Titanic temperature water and Jay and I had our scuba masks and snorkels.  This was my thought process.  This boat is not recommended for people with motion sickness, but worth every moment of what waits on the other side.

We stepped off the boat into the water and our luggage was thrown over the side to us.  We walked up onto the dock into another new world.  The Gilis have no cars and no motorbikes.  You can walk.  You can bicycle (through sandy, unpaved paths). You can take a horse carriage.  Yes.  As in an 1800's cart attached to a horse that flies down the dirt roads and makes you cling for dear life to the cart and pray an axle doesn’t break.  I haven’t cared about an axle since I played Oregon Trail in middle school.  

But it all works beautifully. 

DOCK SALES

Speed Racer

colorful even on a cloudy day

Our beautiful Gili T Home: Pandawa Resort and Villas

POOLSIDE PEACE AT PANDAWA

KING OF THE POOL

Gili T (as Trawangan is nicknamed) is the most social of the three Gili Islands and the largest, though you can walk the perimeter two hours.  The magic, mayhem horse carriages could probably fly you around in 40 minutes.  It’s one of the quaintest, most charming places I’ve ever been. 

The colors of the water and the sky seem impossible; no matter how beautiful the photographs, the reality is ten times more vivid and awe-inspiring.  The beaches are lined with swings in the water, so you can enjoy the cool water on your feet as you watch the sun slip into the horizon.  There’s a childlike simplicity in the swings and the colorful umbrellas and beanbags, the bells that jingle from the horse carts, and the bicycle bells dinging.  Lanterns light up the night and restaurants have live music and amazing barbeque filling the air.  Laughter and music and joy are everywhere.  It’s hard to put into words.  The island is intoxicating. 

Take the Long Way Home

Our stay at Canggu (pronounced CHAN-goo) came to an end and we set off on our way home, but not without some classic stops.  South of Canggu is Seminyak, where we had an epic brunch at Sisterfield, rated one of the best restaurants in Bali but completely unassuming on its corner.  Swanky and hip, the wifi password was “UlookGoodInBikini”- maybe not after eating there! 

My fried eggs had dill in them and between that and the smashed avocado I was in Heaven.  As if that wasn’t enough, we stumbled into MadPops ice cream shop and couldn’t resist their coconut ice cream on a cone.  More Heaven.  Later, we ducked into speakeasy-esque coffee shop, Revolver, hidden down an alley and it was like slipping into another time and continent. 

Seminyak has a hipster vibe to it, remixed with Bali classics like the fish pedicure.  Jay couldn’t resist that one.  We had some fun in the shops, pretty much said “yes” to everything, and had a perfect, casual Thursday afternoon.  Jay handled the crazy traffic like a local, performing a new trick that I call the “foot slap”- slipping between the curb and aggressive traffic, the bike becomes unstable during the weaving and the best way to combat this is to stretch out the leg closest to the curb and slap the flip-flopped foot repeatedly against it as you pray through the madness.  “Foot slap” makes a noise that I will not soon forget, but got us to Kuta for a great ramen dinner (we’ve been craving pho and found a great spot at Kuta Beach Walk) and home safely back to Uluwatu.

First small detour worth mentioning: On our way to Kuta we realized that the 3D Museum was close to us.  (If you’ve never used maps.me, it’s an AMAZING app that downloads maps and then navigates without wifi- we use it to get everywhere, and it’s perfect about 75% of the time.  Nothing a few “foot slaps” can’t handle, and it reveals interesting places like the 3D Museum.)  I know what you may be thinking…this sounds touristy.  Aren’t you the tourists who hate tourists?  Yes. To all claims.  They took our shoes, so barefoot and ticket paid we forged on. And the first few rooms were terribly lame.  The art is incredible, don’t get me wrong, but the poses are mostly ridiculous and the employees there to frame your photos seem about as excited as the Chuck-E-Cheese workers in America (without big furry mouse heads to hide their lack of enthusiasm inside).  However, we decided to go with it and ended up laughing hysterically and loving the goofy, terrible photos.  The optical illusions are pretty spectacular on some of them, and when you watch other tourists lay on the floors to get the shot you pretty much have to up your tourist game.  Done and done.

Another small detour worth mentioning: Before leaving Seminyak, a promoter stopped us.  He was wearing a Karma Beach shirt, which I recognized from beach parties advertised around town.  Jay had just gotten his feet exfoliated by fish, so we must have looked boujee. He handed us sealed promotional cards, which we opened to reveal “prizes”.  Jay won two t-shirts, but I got the golden ticket: a 7 night stay at one of the Karma Beach Villa Properties (Bali, Vietnam, Thailand, Germany, or India), a GoPro, or 2 million rupiah ($150 ish cash).  The only catch was that we had to scratch off the official prize AT the Karma Beach Jimbaran property, after a “short” presentation.

Jay said scam, but I think he was just bitter with his two t shirts.  So he humored me the following morning.  See next blog. 

A hint for how to find Revolver

That is not me getting braids in the background

sunset at kuta beach

The Tourists Who Hate Tourists

tanah lot with jay on the rocks

It’s official.  Jay and I are the tourists who hate other tourists.  We want to see all the landmark spots, but we don’t want the crowds or hecklers.  We don’t want the selfie sticks and we don’t want the chatter.  I’m not sure who we think we are, but we continue to be shocked at the sacred places that cost money.  Tanah Lot was our most recent temple visit.  Jay can explain:

Tanah Lot, from the pictures, looked really beautiful. It's a temple on a huge, stand-a-lone rock with a a staircase leading up to it. The pictures made it seem like a private temple that you can peacefully walk around and take beautiful pictures with a sunset in the background, no-one in the way. Chantal and I, skeptical at first, said let's just go for it. The driver took us from our Canggu villa and as we pulled up to the front gate, I could immediately tell it was a huge mistake: tour busses, crowds, selfie sticks everywhere, and loud noise... Lions, tigers, and bears, oh my! Welp, no going back now. Chantal and I made the best of it. As we entered, there were gift shops, local restaurants, and grass fields leading up to Tanah Lot. Not going to lie, we were a little salty walking through the area getting knocked in the head by a selfie stick or two, so I broke down and bought an over-priced "sweet corn-on-the cob" and devoured it in seconds while Chantal ate ice cream to cool herself down.

We decided to walk towards the temple area since it was getting close to sunset only to discover mobs of people around the whole thing. It was an absolute zoo. Scanning the area, we decided to walk a half-mile down the beach to a cliff that would overlook the temple and sunset in the distance. We made the best of it as we relaxed, laughed at the crowds in the distance, and enjoyed the view on the cliff as the waves crashed below us. 

tanah lot at low tide

Kites and Sea Shells

One of my favorite things to do as a little girl was to go to the bay in San Diego.  I always loved the colorful kites, so free in the breeze.  Sometimes we would attempt to fly one, but most often my mama and I would lay on a blanket and watch the kites dance above us.  

Kites are always flying in Bali, and yesterday at Jimbaran Beach took me back to my childhood wonder.  We braved the motorbike and made the 30 ish minute trek to Jimbaran (north of Uluwatu). We stayed all afternoon and into the amazing sunset.  

One thing I know for sure is that the sun does not set the same way in any two places- it's different sizes, and shapes, and paints different colors on different landscapes.  The sun is huge in Bali and sets directly in front of Jimbaran Bay, a ball of fire dropping into a cool blue ocean.

HINDU CEREMONY AND KITE ELATION 

LAST RAYS OF JIMBARAN

As it set, we watched the kites, children jumping and chasing them, men with carts barbecuing corn, and Hindu ceremonies passing by.  The Jimbaran airport landing strip to our right, we watched planes take off and we watched with fascination as the beach restaurants dragged dozens of tables to the edge of the water and transformed the shore into a collage of chatty patrons.

The energy on the beach was electric and it was beautiful to see so many people taking time to appreciate the colors spreading across the sky. 

It was no different tonight, as we adventured to a different beach after exploring Cafe La Pasion and slipping down to Balangan Beach.  This beach goes from white sand, to black sand, to corroded rock structures that create tiny pools of water; the sun glistened off of them in every direction and there were so many sea shells.  Just like the kites, the shells transported me back to one of my favorite childhood past times where my mama and I would collect dozens of shells and glue them on popsicle stick frames.

As the sun slipped down over Balangan, Jay helped me find the best shells and I realized how lucky I am to be with someone who marvels at sunsets and will take the time to look for tiny shells in this vast world: someone who understands that it's all the little things that take us from sunset to sunset.

CAFE LA PASION, ULUWATU