Here's Why Marcella Visited Bali Twice During Her World Tour
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GAFFL
19th Mar | 4 min read

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    Marcella is a 27-year-old from Rotterdam, Netherlands. She works as a Content Coordinator for a webshop and also freelances as a Virtual Assistant. She is the founder of the Dutch Reiswijven Instagram account and Travel Blog! She did a beautiful one-year World Trip in 2019-2020, which ended right at the beginning of the first COVID-19 Lockdown. Bali was one of the countries she visited during her Asia tour and it has a very special place in her heart. You can connect with her on her Instagram MARCELLA ❤︎ (@marcella.vb)


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    What Inspired Me to Take This Trip to Bali

    My boyfriend traveled to Bali 3 times before already and was always so passionate about the Island. It was on my bucket list for a long time so we started our Asia tour in Bali and came back again after a few months because we loved it so much!



    Itinerary for Our Trip

    The first time we traveled around Bali for 5 weeks. We started off in Canggu for 1 week where we mostly relaxed at the beach, went to a lot of nice restaurants and beach clubs, and visited places like the Tanah Lot temple and some spots in Seminyak. Next, we traveled to Uluwatu for a few days and then Sanur, where we departed to the Nusa Islands for multiple trips. After we got back to the mainland, we visited Sidemen, Ubud and drove to the north of Bali to Munduk. We ended our trip again in Canggu where we stayed for 1 more week since we loved it so much!

    The second time we visited Bali, we stayed in a Co-living Villa in Canggu where we spent a month living and working while enjoying our favorite town in Bali!

    What I Packed Specifically for This Trip

    Mostly light clothes, swimwear, and sportswear. We traveled with backpacks so brought as little as possible. In Bali, you spend most of your time in a bikini so you really don’t need much!


    How We Managed Our Hotels, Flights & Bookings

    When we flew to Bali we booked our ticket 2 months in advance. We booked the first hotel for 2 nights and after that, we just wanted to go with the flow. Bali is small so it’s easy to travel here and just to see what you feel like. Each spot is a maximum of 1 to 2 hours drive by taxi or scooter, so there is no need to plan too much in advance.

     


    Length of Our Trip

    The first time we traveled to Bali, we stayed around 5 weeks, but you can easily see everything in 3-4 weeks as well. It depends on how long you want to spend on one place, but it is a small island so you can even just stay in one place and do day trips from that point. 

     


    Our Experience Meeting Other Travelers in Bali

    Yes, we met many travelers since Bali is a very popular destination and we even met up with some familiar people from back home! The locals in Bali are the kindest people ever and very welcoming everywhere you go. They are so happy to have you around and will do everything they can to help and comfort you. Please do not take advantage of their kindness because they need to be respected at all times!


    Bali’s Food Is Amazing! 

    We loved to mix our food with (hip/fancy) Western and local places. Bali’s food is amazing so you won’t regret going to a small Warung (local restaurant) as much as possible! The western places are also the best you will ever see. The food and interiors are spot on and every kitchen you can think of is available in Bali. 


    Favorite Memory From This Trip

    It’s hard to come up with one favorite memory because the whole trip was beyond our dreams. But two places and moments come up first when I think about it: when we accidentally booked a place in Sidemen instead of Ubud, which turned out to be the best decision we could make. This place is really quiet and so so beautiful! From there we also did a sunrise tour to Mount Batur, where we climbed the Vulcano in the middle of the night to watch the sun come up over Bali. Definitely, a must-do when visiting Bali! The second place was at the Sekumpul Waterfalls near Munduk in the north of Bali. These were the most beautiful waterfalls I have ever seen in my life and the guide took our all-time favorite picture of me and my boyfriend there!


    How We Managed Costs

    In Bali, the prices are very cheap, but if you go out to eat 3 times a day and also visit beach clubs and do several tours, the costs can go up. When we stayed in Canggu for 1 month during our second visit, we made our own breakfast, sometimes even our own lunch and for dinner, we went to a local Warung to have cheap but delicious meals. This really saved us a lot of money to spend on other things!


    Recommendations on Hikes and Sights Not to Be Missed

    As mentioned above, the sunrise trek to Mount Batur is one I can really recommend! Also visiting the Nusa Islands is a must because it’s less touristic and very beautiful. The last thing which I can recommend is doing a hike through the Waterfalls in Munduk, which takes about 2 hours and brings you to 4 or 5 beautiful waterfalls with great scenery around!

     

    My Suggestions for People Doing This Trip for the First Time

    Make sure you take at least 3 to 4 days to explore each place. That way you have the most time to check out all the hotspots and can also go and find some undiscovered places!


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