Indonesia has long been on my travel list, with trips booked and cancelled and plans always changing. Needless to say, I was thrilled to finally make it here. Bali has never much appealed to me as a destination, with rumors of it being totally over run with western tourists and big name hotels. Regardless, we spent a few nights here en route to our other Indonesian destinations.

EXPERIENCE

The beaches and party scene is what Bali is all about. At five months pregnant I was not quite rolling with the Aussie Spring Break crowd. I did the best I could and worked hard to avoid mosquitoes which did not end up being a problem. Our time in Bali was mostly focused on relaxing and soaking up a little sun. We skipped many of the major attractions here since we have a plan to do several temples and Indonesian cultural activities in Ubud in the coming days. While in Bali we enjoyed the resort pool and yummy seafood in Jimbaran Bay. For those looking to be more active while here, I have heard great things about Seminyak but we did not have time to check out this region. Uluwatu Temple and Tanah Lot looked like decent excursions also but was not particularly of interest to us. We also had planned to spend a day at Sunday’s Beach Club, but our resort proved to be so beautiful we didn’t need to venture out for this experience. Be aware traffic in Bali is more intense than we expected and many people rent motorbikes to ease the transportation issues.

EAT

The food in Bali was wonderful! Potatohead came highly recommended. We also really enjoyed the meals at our hotel. They served a spectacular breakfast buffet of fresh fruits and juices, Asian noodle dishes, and Indian Bar, sushi and all the typical breakfast favorites. We also ventured out to Jimbaran Beach for fresh seafood one night. The specific restaurant we ate at is not worth mentioning, but frankly they all seem to be about the same. They have the same menus of grilled prawns, lobsters and fish served on banana leaf platters with sides of spicy dipping sauces and rice. The highlight of this experience is the sunset with the fishermen coming in on their small boats to bring their catch to market.

STAY

While in Bali we took advantage of hotel points and stayed at the beautiful Laguna Resort and Spa in Nusa Dua. This felt right since the scene wasn’t particularly local or charming anyways in Bali and we really needed a few days to rejuvenate by the beach and pool mid trip. This place was absolutely wonderful with beautiful pools, a private beach and great rooms. We were very impressed with the grounds and the service. We spent lazy days by the beach and their many pools while enjoying the restaurants, fresh ice cream stand and gym between dips and naps. I’d highly recommend this place if you’re looking for a more secluded, quiet and upscale Bali experience. This is not the place to hit the clubs and get wild, but it was a perfect place to get some sun on my growing baby belly.

If we return, I’d love to do some of the day trip excursions we had originally planned for this visit. I was hoping to do the trek to see the famed blue flame of Kawah Ijen but an overnight flight delay forced us to cancel this activity. Mount Batur would also make the cut during a less pregnant time.