Prior to embarking on a Viking Cruise, we spent three days in Bali. We had heard much about the beautiful beaches, friendly people, temples, and great hotels. All of these things are true!
Considering a trip to Bali in Indonesia? Read on, dear friends.
The weather was very hot at 96º and the humidity was the same!! Yikes! Can you say bad hair day?!
Apparently, the wet season is just beginning as we had some rain almost every day. And the humidity was at the same level as the temperatures, so it was very warm.
The Temples
First off, while Indonesia has the largest population of Muslims in the world, the island of Bali is almost 90% Hindu. And they are very proud of it! In the first photo, you can see the offerings placed at the temple. The offerings are made three times per day by all practicing Hindus and contain fruit, plants, seeds, and water.
From the Monkey Forest Temple
Beach and Hotel Photos
The rain hindered our ability to take much advantage of the beaches, but there are some truly beautiful ones to see! Our hotel, the Bali Grand Hyatt, stretched along the beach and was absolutely gorgeous!
Here are some photos from the grounds at our hotel:
Absolutely gorgeous tropical flowers, lily pads, trees, and landscaped terraces are everywhere. The beauty was quite unbelievable! Of course, this cute floral clutch with the pink tassels is a little souvenir from Bali and was a definite must-have!
Ethyl Clothing
Prior to our trip, a lovely man named Steve from Ethyl Clothing reached out to me. He offered to gift an outfit in exchange for a post. Frankly, this is not ideal for bloggers as we don’t get much in return for a lengthy post. But I liked his approach and said if he could send the items before we left for our trip, I would try them out in Bali. It turned out to be a good swap, as the protocol for temples is to cover your shoulders and knees to show respect. The outfit Steve suggested worked well for this!
Can you say blogger bags?!!
The short Capri length and fit of the midweight denim were a great choice. The pants are pull-on and great for travel–especially when you are between summer and fall or don’t like to wear shorts. To be honest, I wasn’t too sure about the top, but the stretchy fabric and fit turned made it a great travel choice. And the tie-dye striped pattern and faux ties on the sleeves design were very fun!
Steve also recommended and included this short, bolero-style denim jacket. As it was very warm in Bali, I used it over sundresses for dinners in air-conditioned restaurants. Again, it is very good quality and a really versatile little jacket. I look forward to wearing it with lots of outfits in the future when just a little jacket is needed.
You can take a look at the Ethyl clothing line here. I don’t think the online photos on the website do the clothes justice as they are a better quality than they appear–especially the denim! And the customer service I received was amazing. Be sure to check them out!
Bali Motorbikes
The traffic in Bali is truly horrendous. The roads are narrow as there are SO many vehicles–most of which are motorbikes! For we impatient Americans, it was crazy, but the Bali folks don’t let it faze them. At least the ones we talked to! And rode with!
For my final photo, I’m sharing just a few of the hundreds parked at a local market.
Final Thoughts on Bali
A few things to be aware of if you are considering a trip to Bali. Remember that it is a third-world country and the markets and streets are full of sellers–mostly women and children–trying to sell you that little trinket. If that kind of bargaining isn’t for you, you would want to stay in the hotel areas.
There are truly some amazing hotel properties in Bali, so if you enjoy exploring hotel amenities, you might be interested. The traffic, once again, is horrific, but the people there take it in stride. (All I could think about was the road rage that would occur here in the U.S. with the motorcycles all cutting into the lanes, etc. Lol!)
If beaches are your thing, there truly are some gorgeous beaches with accompanying sunsets. The price of food, drinks, and amenities is also very low, so if you desire an inexpensive trip, this might be a destination to consider. Be sure to keep in mind the flight time in getting there. For us, it was over 20 hours!! Yikes!
I hope you enjoyed this little jaunt through Bali and feel inspired to plan a trip to some new and exotic destination in the future! In the next few weeks, I’ll share additional insights and photos from our cruise to various Australian towns and cities from Darwin to Sydney.
Until next time…
I had an opportunity to review a couple of darling pieces from Ethyl Clothing and was very impressed. I like the capris, tee and jacket you have shared in this post. That denim jacket is adorable with your sundress and the perfect wrap for keeping you comfortable in the Bali air conditioning. What a gorgeous spot to visit.
I lived in Panama for six years and never completely adjusted to the rainy season there. We only had AC in our bedroom, and then just a small window unit. During the rainy season everything…everything felt damp. And my hair was so curly for six years. Ha!
Thank you for sharing these lovely Ethyl pieces.
Hi, Leslie,
Oh, I’m so glad to hear that you also reviewed some Ethyl pieces. They are very well made and I will purchase from them in the future.
I hear what you are saying about living in the humidity. Bali was SO humid!! Every bit of curl–and fuzz–was on full display while we were there! Lol!
Thanks for sharing your personal experience. I loved reading it!
Best,
xx Darlene
Bali looks fabulous Darlene! So rich in culture. Your outfits are great and its good to hear that the quality is high and you’ve had such a positive experience with the service. I makes such a difference xx
That’s so true, Maria. It does make all the difference! The peop;e of Bali are truly wonderful and the culture reflects
that.
Thanks for the comments!
xx Darlene