We were off to Bali with a pretty sizable list of things to go and places to see – as always.
But then life happened.
In a good way, of course.
Because, with barely 5 days in our pockets, on an island where getting around takes quite a bit of time (despite the relatively decent infrastructure) there was just too much to do & waaay too little time..
At some point, you have to tell yourself to: just chill the heck down & enjoy the show.
So I abruptly tore my to-do list and brought it back to basics, giving in to the most delicious piece of laziness I’ve had in quite a while.
If you’re looking for tips & tricks on what to do in Bali, this post won’t help you. 🙂
I do want to invite you on a journey, and maybe help in your choice of accommodation, if you’re planning on Bali-ing soon.
First impressions
They say first impressions tend to stick with you in a rather permanent way. I’m happy to say that this was not the case with Bali. Eventually..
Over crowded & over priced, that’s what I saw upon setting foot in Bali.
And admittedly, one should not count first impressions at the airport.
And yes, I spent far too little time in Bali, to be able to form an objective view of things.
But then again, traveling is anything but objective.
It became apparent to me that Bali is unfortunately no longer the paradise sought by the Eat- Pray-Love fans because, well – because of those people precisely.
But heaven is what you make of it, right?
There’s travel, and then there’s travel..
And then there’s complete sensory immersion to the wonders of your destination. Which is what I decided to do, in an attempt to reconnect with what Bali used to be a few decades ago.
So: after being put off by the anti-climatic first encounter with (surprise, surprise!) taxi drivers and absurd negotiations
– because who would pay 30$, or even 10$ for a 1km drive, really?! –
I was more than happy to rip my list to pieces and take in the beauty of the Balinese nature, from my own personal back yard.
A back yard pulled out of heaven!
This is now my sanctuary of laziness and here’s nothing I can do about it!
To be fair, we did go out for a bit of seadventure.
Oh, and food. Ubud has way too many options of deliciousness, and it’s a shame to skip the Ubud food trail.
But first things first.
Payogan Vila Resort & Spa
Oh, Payogan, you’ll have a faithful fan in me forever, and ever, and to infinity (pool), and beyond..
I am serious, and I am equally surprised at myself. Because I’ve never felt so deeply for accommodation before.
But this place, oh this place..
I can’t even be bothered to look elsewhere the next time we’re in Bali (and trust me, there will be a next time!)
With the risk of being salesy here – and btw this is completely pro-bono, they’re not paying me anything for my heartfelt review – Payogan has everything I could ever want and more:
- exquisite Balinese style villas
- huge private pools, the most perfect lush gardens
- set in the most perfect tropical setting
- and a (practical) shuttle into Ubud so you can splurge on all the delicious food it has to offer..
I saw the Lyrids here: them floating on the sky, me floating in the most amazing private pool.
Perfect skies for shooting stars, I am in love!
I listened to the early morning birds chirping above the canopy of trees.
I also enjoyed the scattered thunders and a bit of rain droplets, while skinny-dipping in (the same) too-good-to-be-true pool.
And, since a very long time, I squeaked in childish surprise at the sight of fireflies, which I probably last saw … 8 years ago, maybe?
Thank you TripAdvisor, for sharing this little secret with me, and here’s me giving it back to the world:
Payogan villa 401 has everything you’d dream of, and then some.
Perfectly secluded, overlooking the jungle, with your own private pool that fits a small army, and that’s it: the world is now your playground!
Here’s some Payogan rolling credits:
Oh, and they’re apparently also Booking’s Top picks for 5-star resorts in Ubud
Do you have anything you’d like to know about the hotel, its food, surroundings etc?
Comment below, I’ll be happy to answer!
Happy wandering!
Great post! I had the same feeling when going to Dubrovnik: so hyped, so beautiful, but from a subjective point of view way too expensive and crowded, and the weather did not help us either. We liked it, but we were expecting to be blown by it. And I also make lists upon lists. For our trip to Puglia in june I have made a big wish list, and even made a blog post about it, and then just realized that our friends that travel with us have different desires so the list changed a lot and still changing and will surely change when we’ll be there:)
I try not to do lists anymore, and Bali was kind of the exception because we only had 4-5 days.
Planning is good, because you can filter and narrow down to the things you want to see/do..
But then I think it’s even more important to then step back, and make sure you’re not just checking boxes..
Ignoring my list, I couldn’t be happier 😀 (plus, that means I get an extra reason to go back there! ahem.. shhh… )