The Bali trip was my friend’s and my small attempt to end the year on a slightly better note. By the time November 2019 came around, it had become more than just a plan we had been working on for months. Flights, hotels, itineraries, Excel sheets, etc., it turned into a side project for us.
Both of us being thorough planners, what struck us was the kind of hotels we were finding. They felt unexpectedly luxurious for the price. Almost too good to be true. As per our plan, we booked hotels across Kuta, Gili Trawangan and Seminyak. All three turned out to be comfortable in their own way, with breakfasts that became something to look forward to.
We also had a local driver, a thorough gentleman, who made getting around feel easy. He helped us rework our itinerary from a list of places into something more practical. It’s something most tourists probably realise only after they arrive.
We reached Bali Denpasar Airport from New Delhi via Kuala Lumpur, quite excited and hungry. The first thing was to have lunch, which we had at an Indian restaurant near our hotel in Kuta. In the evening, we stepped out into Kuta’s Legian streets. It had that expected holiday energy of being busy, dazzling and slightly chaotic.
The next day was spent at one of the Bali swing parks. There were swings, nests, frames — nine or ten variations of the same idea. People moved from one to the next, taking photographs to take back as memories. I liked being there and taking some pictures, but it also felt like something everyone visiting Bali ends up doing. A bit of hype around it, perhaps, and something you could skip if you wanted to.
Our next stop, Ubud, felt quieter and more settled. The rice terraces stretched out in a kind of green that doesn’t feel real at first. You sit at a café overlooking it and without noticing, time slips. It’s the kind of place where doing nothing feels enough. Alongside that, we visited Batuan Temple, Tirta Empul in Tampaksiring and a local art market. Each place had its own pace, but together they gave a fuller sense of Bali beyond the obvious views.
The following day took us towards Nusa Dua. We stopped at Turtle Island and I tried paragliding for the first time. From there, we drove to Ulun Danu and Lake Beratan, and then up to Kintamani and a viewpoint of Mount Batur and Lake Batur. The smoke we saw there wasn’t even from Batur itself, but from Mount Agung nearby, which had erupted earlier that year and was still releasing dense smoke. We stopped by a Luwak coffee plantation on the way, partly out of curiosity.
Adding Gili Trawangan to the itinerary turned out to be the most important decision of the trip. The journey to get there was something else. We took a fast boat from Bali to reach Gili. What we didn’t expect was the rough waves of the ocean. We started feeling sick 15 minutes after the boat started and imagine we had to tolerate that for the next 45 minutes.
After reaching the island, it took us a fair amount of time to feel normal. We then realised there are no motor-driven vehicles on the island, which means almost zero pollution. What they had was horse-driven carriages called cidomos. Riding them were so much fun! Also the whole island is walkable so you don’t need transport, except for when you are carrying luggage to and from the boat point.
Our resort opened almost directly onto the beach. The Indian Ocean stretched out in front, with Mount Agung faintly visible in the distance. Mornings were unhurried and evenings even more so. One sunset in particular stands out, not because it was planned, but because it wasn’t. I’ve realised I often expect very little from these moments and maybe that’s why they arrive quietly and complete.
Returning to the mainland, Seminyak felt more social in comparison. Our hotel sat right in front of the ocean. Mornings came with frangipani flowers scattered around. These are small details you don’t look for but begin to notice once you slow down. There’s a certain balance in those moments where nature is doing its part and you simply respond to it. In the evening, we visited the well-known Potato Head beach club. It had its own rhythm, but what stayed with me more was the setting than the scene.
Next day, we visited Uluwatu, set against the edge of the sea, it looked beautiful. I remember thinking I wouldn’t mind visiting a temple every day if they all looked like this.
In the evening, we were at the famous Rock Bar in Jimbaran Bay. We hadn’t planned it when the day began, but we reached just in time for sunset. Set right above the water, facing the horizon, it felt less like a place and more like a pause suspended in time. The light, the sea, the slow shift into twilight… it all looked like a painting.
Next morning at Taman Ayun, the gateways framed the sky and revealed another side of Bali, with mountains, lakes, plantations and quieter landscapes that don’t usually make it to postcards.
Looking back, what stays isn’t just the places, but the space they created for stillness. I can say the trip did what it was meant to do. It helped us end the year on a better note.
I realised I don’t mind the humidity and occasional sunburn when the sky and water stretch endlessly in front of you. I think I could live beach life for a while… close to the sea, where days move slower and moments arrive without being chased.
