This week I swapped the cold winter in Sydney for hot, sweaty days in Bali. Was it a good idea? Always.
Read on for my highlights and lowlights of the week, or check out my Reel and TikTok below for quick recaps.
Pre-travel prep
It was hard to work on Monday and Tuesday, because all I could think about was what I needed to pack for Bali. We also had a friend stay over on Tuesday night, so we went out to one of our local pubs called The Henson for a catchup over dinner. It usually gets busy for dinner but that night was super chilled vibes, and I loved sitting outside the courtyard because it’s a dog-friendly space! 🐶
Flying away to Bali
I took Wednesday off work so I could pack in the morning for our flight in the afternoon. We got to the airport so early that we couldn’t even check in yet (that’s a first), so we grabbed some lunch. You know how airport food is usually wild and ridiculous? Well, the international terminal at Sydney Airport actually has really good Thai food called Taste of Thai. It was the second time I ordered their rice with sweet & sour seafood. You’ll know the place – it’s where all the people working at the airport get their lunches. 😬
For someone who loves to travel, I HATE flying, but luckily it was a smooth flight and we had 3 seats between us. That’s luxury for me in economy.
It was beautiful watching the sky change colours from day to night.
You know you’re in Bali when you walk out of the plane and feel the HEAT. 🌴 We arrived late and got to our hotel in Canggu before midnight, so I skipped dinner and went straight to bed. 😴
Back in Bali bliss
Here’s a quick recap reel of my first day back in Bali. It’s my 6th trip here – it felt like everything changed yet also stayed the same.
One thing is for sure, it’s busier than ever on the island!
I booked the Surf Motel in Canggu for the first 2 nights of our trip. We wanted simple accommodation in a great location and that’s what we got!
For a budget place to stay, the Surf Motel is awesome. They have great coffee (even my oat cappuccino), delicious breakfast sets and I didn’t expect their dinner to be surprisingly good compared to a lot of restaurants.
On Thursday I woke up at 6:30am and was online by 7am (9am Sydney time) for work. We spent most of the morning downstairs in the cafe and communal area.
Their rooftop pool was also a great place to chill for hours.
Revisiting old favourites
The first place we stopped for lunch in Bali had to be Clear Cafe. Our favourite meals are their tuna burgers and tuna nasi goreng (but this time I tried the tuna sushi bowl and it was perfect – filling and refreshing).
Post-work R&R
Checking into our first villa in Bali
On Friday, we checked out of the hotel and into our villa in Canggu. Luckily my bf picked up our motorbike rental the day before.
Is it possible to carry a big luggage bag on a motorbike? Well…we did it!
The villa was only a 5-minute ride from the hotel and it only took us two trips.
I booked the villa through Airbnb. It’s in a great part of Canggu and only 5 minutes’ walk from Samadi Yoga.
Since it wasn’t a ‘holiday’, we wanted a temporary base to work remotely without moving around too much. So we stayed here for 7 nights and it was great!
Saturday morning yoga
I kicked off the weekend with a session of Vinyasa flow yoga at Samadi. It was great to wake up by stretching (and sweating!) in the open air yoga studio. I opted for an earlier class – there were less than 10 of us! By the time I left, the place had filled up with people.
Sunsets on repeat
Maybe it’s because we’re facing west, but there’s something extra special about watching the sunset in Bali. We watched the sunset at Echo Beach on our first day.
We also loved watching the sunset while sipping on coconuts at Pererenan Beach. Simple, beautiful, soulful – that’s why I love this place.
The best zucchini brownies live in Bali
On Sunday, we headed to Samadi’s organic market for one very good reason – there’s one stall there that makes my favourite zucchini brownies. This time, I got both the zucchini and banana brownies and yep, the zucchini one is still my favourite treat in the world.
It’s so good to be back in Bali. Sure, there are a lot of tourists now, but we just do our own thing so it never feels crowded. My typical routine is something like: Wake up, work, be thankful I don’t need to be in an office, eat good food, dip in the pool, work some more, log off, enjoy the island vibes and that’s it.
The cold back in Sydney was really getting me down, and I needed to step away before mentally preparing myself for a little surgery next month.
This was definitely the physical and mental escape that I needed. 🌴😌
A BIT OFF TOPIC 
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