2 weeks in Bali - my luxury Bali vacation

I always love stopping in at Seminyak when I visit Bali. Its a busy area packed with boutiques, villas, hotels, healthy food restaurants, cafes and bars. Its a great place for entertaining everyone, and best of all you can end the day watching the sun set over the ocean.

If you like being centrally located, and enjoy lots of facilities close by, Seminyak is a great place to base yourself in Bali. Slightly less tacky than Kuta (which is NOT on my itinerary) but it still offers something for everyone. It's also a place that would be great to visit if you're a solo traveller, as you'd make new friends instantly!

My spot in Seminyak is The Royal Beach Seminyak which is located on Seminyak /Double 6 Beach but is still in walking distance to plenty of action. 

Some places I recommend to visit while you're in Seminyak:

1. Mauri Restaurant if you're a true foody and don't mind forking up for an immaculate degustation. Absolutely stunning food and service, and worth every cent of the small fortune you'll pay to eat here

2. Biku is a great cafe that offers plenty of traditional Indonesian food options, but also does a fantastic high tea. You can also book in to have a Tarot Reading. Think Indonesian high tea, fabulous cocktails and Tarot..... that's a cool way to spend an afternoon!

3. Revolver Espresso if coffee is important to you. Best coffee in town, and worth noting. You'll go back daily for your brew needs.

4. Seminyak Square is a great little market where you can pick up some bargains (with a little bartering). 

5. La Plancha is 'the' place to go at sunset. Think brightly coloured bean bags, under brightly coloured umbrellas, drinking brightly coloured cocktails while you watch a brightly coloured ocean sunset. Is there anything more holiday perfect?

I haven't visited every part of Bali's coastline, but I've seen a bit, and this is the best of what I've seen. The Padang Padang / Uluwatu coast is lined with cliffs and spectacular beaches, and the area attracts surfers from around the world.

My visit was a short 2 night trip, but it was a feast for my eyes. I stayed in a waterfront room at Dreamsea Surf Camp, and waterfront is almost an understatement. I cannot imagine a room more waterfront that this one. The rooms were decorated with the coolest boho vibes, the food was absolutely sensation and the views were just ridiculous.

I spent one afternoon exploring Uluwatu Temple which is absolutely worth doing. There is plenty to see there and the coastal views are absolutely world class.  The rest of my stay was spent enjoying Padang Padang beach and exploring the area by foot. 

While the food at Dreamsea Surf Camp is almost impossible to beat, if you're looking for a bit of variety, check out The Mango Tree Cafe who do the most divine, healthy smoothie bowls and fish tacos.

I'll let the photos do the rest of the talking for this destination.

I've been to Ubud 7 times, but this itinerary is based on my most recent trip.

My husband and I fulfilled a bit of a fantasy we had to stay in a Luxury Pool Villa at The Mandapa Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Ubud. On this trip we spent most of our time just enjoying the villa space and the resort, but we did get out to do visit a couple of Ubud favourites.

1. Hanging out at our villa and the Mandapa resort

2. Kubu at Mandapa restaurant. Even if your budget can't reach staying at Mandapa, true foodies will not regret splurging on a night out at Kubu. Our favourite restaurant in Bali.

3. Campuhan Ridge Walk. This is a favourite of ours too. Start off in Ubud town to walk to a local village. You'll pass beautiful temples, rice fields and enjoy spectacular views. 

4. Finish the Campuhan Ridge Walk at Karsa Spa where you can get the most divine massage amongst rice fields. Afterward enjoy a chilled juice and a local meal.

5. Enjoy some French cuisine while watching Ubud life go by at Kebun Bistro in Ubud town

6. Visit the Monkey Forest. This sanctuary is worth the visit just for the stunning forest and temples. But it is absolutely full of monkeys which make it a really unique experience. Just watch your bag - those monkeys are very tame and very cheeky.

Ubud offers so much more than what we covered on this trip. You can enjoy cycling, treking, white water rafting, rice fields, yoga retreats, shopping, art galleries and so much more.

Personally, I'd have no problem filling 2 weeks with activities in Ubud.

Sideman is the kind of place you want to visit if you're interested in getting out of the main tourist areas and experience a little more of the 'real' Bali. Unlike all of the other destinations in this trip, Sideman is still primarily a local village. If you want to see a real Balinese market, visit Sideman morning markets. You can visit working rice fields, eat at local warungs and there isn't a souvenir or boutique anywhere to be seen. This is the spot to visit for long walks, nature and meeting locals (although most don't speak English in this area).

I visited with a new drone, so was keen to get some footage of the local rice terraces (and I got some amazing video!). I also love Balinese cuisine and local warungs (cafes) overlooking rice fields. Sideman was so much more than I'd expected, and will be a place I visit again and again in the future.

There are a handful of stunning resorts you can visit that have fantastic  bars and restaurants, but mostly, Sideman is about tranquillity. Taking time out to just enjoy nature, eat well and relax. 

I stayed at Cepik Villa, which was a lovely mid-range property, but if you're after luxe, check out Wapa di Ume for luxe pool villas, or Samanvaya Luxury Resort, a stunning adults-only property. I visited both properties and dined at their restaurants. I'd not hesitate to book either.

This is a resort stop, and is perfect for 2-3 days of relaxation and luxury. Ayana is really made up of 3 resorts - Ayana Resort and Spa, The Villas at Ayana and Rimba Jimbaran. Guests can enjoy the facilities of all 3 resorts. That makes up an incredible 12 pools, 19 restaurants, bars and entertainment venues, an 18 hole-golf-course, private beach, spas and shopping arcades. It really is an all inclusive holiday just being at the resort.

We spent our first night at Ayana, but with holiday optimism, we upgraded to do a couple of nights in an ocean front pool villa.

There was just so much to do in the resort, that we didn't venture out the entire time. And we definitely didn't experience all that the integrated resort facilities offered. That would take a week!

But highlights included:

1. The Rock Bar - this is one of Bali's most famous and exclusive venues. Ayana guests get priority access, but people come from across the island to line up to get into this bar. The best way to experience it is to stay at Ayana. 

2. Restaurants - Our favourites were Kisik which is located right on the ocean and does amazing seafood. We also loved Dava which is located in The Villas complex. But the options seemed endless.

 3. Spa - I enjoyed a massage at the spa, but the highlight was Thalassotherapy which was this huge saltwater therapy pool where you work your way through a series of hydro massage stations. Very relaxing and you do it all with fabulous ocean views.

4. Pools - there were so many to visit, and we certainly didn't get to most of them, but our favourite was the River Pool (and the private pool in our villa!)

Ayana is the Disneyland of Balinese resorts. There was so much to do and see here that there really was no need to leave. We didn't step foot outside of the resort the whole time we were checked in, but it was an amazing way to finish a Balinese holiday.