7 Ways to Enjoy Bali

written on September 6th, 2013 by Carlo Villarica

For many Filipinos, Bali isn’t on the list of places to vacation outside the Philippines. Most of us aren’t very familiar with Bali or ever Indonesia. We don’t know what to expect or what to do. You would probably even be surprised to know that you can get a direct flight to Bali from Manila via Philippines Airlines (PAL).

We recently visited Bali and it was an exceptionally unique experience, but that’s not to say that it was entirely different. In fact, we noticed plenty of similarities between Bali and many places in the Philippines:

The prices for food and clothing compare favorably.
The weather is similar. Meaning HOT.
Walking the streets near Kuta Beach, it’s difficult not to think of the Philippines. The look and feel is very similar to walking around Boracay.

There were plenty of interesting things to discover as well.

You’ll notice many statues clothed all over the place. Ask the tour guide about it. It’s a very interesting peek into Hinduism and Balinese culture.
The food is different from Filipino food. Balinese cuisine seemed to have much more spice sprinkled in. You’ll be happy to know that rice is also a staple meal and we even got to sample their version of roasted pig. It was very much like a lechon.

Part of traveling is exploring new cultures and being open to trying new things. With this in mind, here are a few activities we did while in Bali.

(1) Let’s get the most obvious activity out of the way. Go surfing in Kuta Beach! Don’t know how to surf? No problem! We didn’t either. It was easy to get a lesson. There are many people on the beach willing to offer you lessons. We got our surfing lessons from Odysseys Surf School.

(2) Bring home a Balinese souvenir. Many of these items have a distinct Indonesian feel to them. These masks and statues represent gods and spirits. It also showcases the carving skills of the Balinese people. You can find small statues and trinkets as well.

(3) Take a bike tour! We spent a day biking through the Sribatu Valley. We got to pass bamboo trees, temples, rice fields and fast downhill roads. It was a comfortable ride since most of it was going downhill. The best stop was when we visited a Balinese house. We got a glimpse of what it was like to be a local.

(4) Balinese art is its own genre within the art world and is famous all throughout. Within Bali, there are towns that have gotten a reputation for having impeccable art. The town of Ubud, in particular, is considered an artist hub. You can find plenty of galleries filled with paintings and a booming local shopping industry.

(5) Speaking of shopping, Bali has plenty to offer. The streets are literally littered with stores and boutiques. You can find many familiar shops like Zara, Quicksilver, DC, etc. But also plenty of unfamiliar boutiques for the curious shopper. The best part? The prices are very very reasonable.

(6) Coffee lovers here’s your opportunity to try the most expensive coffee in the world. Luwak Coffee, as you might have guessed, are from the coffeebeans that have been eaten and uh… “released” by the Luwak (Civet). After they have undergone the digestive process they are cleaned, dried, roasted and grounded. Take a sip.

(7) Visit Bali’s best waterpark! It’s called Waterbom and is filled with all sorts of rides and pools. It’s perfect for the kids and the young at heart. The kids will love all the pools and small slides. While the bigger kids are going to test their courage in some of the park’s scariest rides. It is scary.

7 Ways to Enjoy Bali

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