AT FIRST, I WAS WORRIED THAT I WAS TOO LATE TO THE BALI TRAIN

in my brain i had built bali out to be an overly touristy beach town that would be loaded with only beach seeking american or aussie tourists. this mindset was 100% wrong. bali is an island full of beautiful culture, warm locals [& transplants], delicious and fresh cuisine, cool beaches and all around cozy vibes. there is an immediate feeling of calm & welcoming when you arrive on the island and i immediately knew that this wouldn't be our last time to this special place. our time in bali was a little over 2 weeks – our itinerary was: bingin >> ubud >> canggu.

after a late arrival and a 45 minute taxi ride from the airport, we arrived in bingin – the most famous spots in this region are uluwatu, incredibles beach & padang padang. that being said, we think bingin beach is a much cozier, less crowded and all around more fun part of the island. here are a few of the things we loved:

• THE LODGING: bingin is full of cute little bungalows and hotels. they range from mega inexpensive little huts that run you about $15/night, to affordable luxury. we stayed at mu villlas and could not have been happier with this decision and our time there. 

R E A D  M O R E: ECO-LUXURY ESCAPE: MU BUNGALOWS IN BINGIN, BALI

• THE SURF VIBES: this part of bali reminded me so much of hawaii – people are constantly barefoot, surfing, doing yoga, and all around very zen ... most of bali is like this, but for some reason bingin had a homier, more inviting vibe to me. this cafe meets surf shop meets art galley is a must see. 
• THE HEALTHY FOOD: bali is FULL of colorful and fresh cuisine, bingin's local cafes did not disappoint. our favorites were the cashew tree, lands end cafe and drifter. a seafood dinner where the sand meets the ocean of bingin is a really fun experience too.
• THE SCOOTER LIFE: the entire island is scooter-friendly, but the traffic is much more calm here making you feel a whole lot safer. everything is a quick zip away. 
• THE BEACH: we spent a lot of our time at the beach, as it was walking distance from our hotel. here it feels less crowded than incredibles or uluwatu, but still gets good surf and the chill, relaxing vibes are strong.
• THE SPA PRICES: for gals: a bikini wax here is $10 and a massage runs you not more than $7, and the spas are just as nice as any place you would go back home. save some money and get your wax once you arrive!
   

R E A D   M O R E   S E   A S I A:
SAILING THROUGH THE PHILIPPINES WITH TAO EXPEDITIONS