In October last year, Becca and I travelled to the other side of the globe to Bali, and at 17 hours it was the longest time either of us had ever spent flying. Fortunately we’re both very comfortable on planes and had no issues with the long journey, but my God was I happy to finally be on the ground again i’m already dreading the journey to Australia lmao.
As we’ve both only really ever travelled to more built up, westernised places, Bali was like nothing I’ve ever experienced and I can confidently say I loved every minute of it. Seriously, you cant go wrong with stunning waterfalls, peaceful rice terraces and fascinating temples with the most intricate details. So if you’re thinking of planning a trip to Bali which you should start planning immediately here’s a few of my favourite experiences from our trip.

Nungnung Waterfall
When I added this waterfall to the list of things I wanted to see in Bali, I definitely didn’t do my research properly. Upon arrival we quickly realised we were descending a never ending staircase. I kid you not, this was the steepest, longest staircase I’ve ever had the displeasure of climbing down in a dress in blistering heat we wont even mention the climb back up, so definitely be prepared if this waterfall is on your list too!
After passing some of the locals on our way down, one of which was carrying a whole ass tree up those steps, we had finally made it to the waterfall and it definitely didn’t disappoint. We had arrived quite early and we were some of the first people there, so we were able to appreciate it for the most part without being disturbed and we also got some banging pics. It was phenomenal to see such a huge waterfall and feel the spray against our skin as we paddled in the stream. I would highly suggest adding at least one waterfall to your list if you’re visiting Bali plus you get a workout if you visit this one.

Tegalalang Rice Terrace
One of the things Bali is most known for are its rice terraces, which have become a huge tourist spot for many people visiting the island and its not hard to see why. They are incredibly picturesque and like most popular tourist spots this one has been heavily commercialised by adding a coffee plantation, multiple swings that let you soar over the terraces and many odd ‘nest’ looking photo opportunities. Of course Becca and I completely ate this up and took as many photos as we could as we wandered around the rice paddies.
We were feeling quite adventurous so we decided to have a ride on one of the swings. We went on the biggest one, and got 15 pushes which we were both super excited about since we’d been sweating buckets the entire time we’d been in Bali and couldn’t wait to feel the wind in our hair.

Pura Tirta Empul
We visited quite a few temples during our time in Bali (Goa Gajah, Besakih and Ulun Danu Beratan just to name a few) but this is one I certainly wont forget. It was our last stop on the first day of our trip, which was quite lucky since we ended up getting very wet. I had read about the pools here filled with holy spring water and how Balinese Hindus would use these pools to perform purification rituals, and I wanted to experience it for myself.
We decided to take a look around the temple first, and as we walked around we saw that they were preparing for some sort of festival. Some sections were blocked off, and there were women making hand woven baskets. The temple itself was very beautiful, and there were many offerings laid around.
Once we were satisfied we had seen everything, we went to the changing rooms to rent a green sarong that we could wear in the pools. The changing rooms are split by gender, each just a small room behind a curtain, and let me tell you nobody cares about about nudity here so don’t be nervous to just whip it all off to put your sarong on.
Upon entering the pools the water was cool which we were both very grateful for. There were small fish swimming around, and we queued up at each fountain to purify ourselves. There were 30 fountains all together, but we didn’t end up using every one. In all honesty, we weren’t quite sure exactly how to perform the ritual, so we ended up observing those around us and doing as they did. I found it to be a very peaceful experience and would definitely recommend coming here if you’re visiting Bali.

Ubud Monkey Forest
In all honesty I was a little bit nervous to come here. After visiting Nara Deer Park in Japan, I realised the deer were much more aggressive than in all the viral videos i’d seen and would quite happily ram you with their horns to get a biscuit or two, so I was skeptical about how nice the monkeys would be. I did a bit of research, and read a few horror stories about the monkeys attacking and stealing from people, but decided to bite the bullet and go anyway. After locking my belongings safely in my backpack, we entered the Monkey Forest.
Right away we were greeted by monkeys sitting on the path, grooming each other. They seemed much more interested in each other than any of us. As we explored my confidence grew, and we even got a selfie with one of the monkeys which ended up being one of my favourite photos from the trip.
It was all going smoothly, that is until one of the cheeky bastards locked his sights on Becca’s pocket. He stopped dead in his tracks, and we knew exactly what was going through his mind. Next thing we knew, he had lunged forward, latched himself onto her leg and tried to shove his sticky little paws in her pocket. But Becca was quick to react and shoved her own hand in there to protect her digital camera. Victory! Or was it? All I heard next was “He’s biting me! He’s biting me!” and there was fuck all I could do, I wasn’t about to get into a throw down with this beast. Eventually he lost interest and bounded away back into the forest, and we inspected Becca’s hand to find he hadn’t broken her skin which was a relief as I didn’t really want to spend the next few hours in the medical room.
We went on to meet some really cute baby monkeys, which happened to be much less aggressive, and much more adorable. All in all, our visit to the Ubud Monkey Forest was a roller coaster of emotions, and has given us some funny stories to bring back with us. If you like monkeys, its definitely got plenty of them so you wont be disappointed, just make sure you follow the rules as they’re not only there for your safety, but also the safety of these amazing slightly terrifying creatures.

I hope this gave you some inspiration if you’re planning a trip to Bali, it truly is a beautiful place and I cant wait to go back one day.