Ubud, Bali

Hey!  Hope you all had a great weekend!  I thought it was about time I tell you some more about my trip and I thought I would start off by telling you about my time in Bali, so here goes!

After only one day in Singapore we headed back to the airport and hopped on a 2 hour flight to paradise.  A couple weekends before I took off, we spent an afternoon and evening looking for places to stay in Bali over skype. Everything we looked at looked gorgeous and it was hard to decide what was the best choice browsing from site to site.  We knew we didn't want to go to the super touristy, beachy area of Kuta and decided to opt for Ubud, which was quoted as being "The cultural centre of Bali, famous for it's arts and crafts hub".  Kevin can be credited with stumbling upon the site for the Purist Villas and his instincts were spot on when he decided it was the place for us. Everything we had looked at looked nicer than anywhere I'd ever stayed before so I was happy to agree!

We arrived in Bali in the early afternoon to a hot but less humid climate than Singapore (we later learned it was the warmest time of year).  After making our way through customs and security we were on our way (with much cooler looking stamped and stickered passports no less!) as a driver from the villas greeted us with water and cold towels. After about an hour drive through the narrow streets that were buzzing with scooters and lined with stone carvings, we arrived in Ubud.

Alright enough talking, on to some photos!  I wish I had more to share with you, (I felt like I took soooo many!) but looking back through them now, there aren't that many that are blog worthy : / .  It's hard to take photos on vacation when you are just trying to take it all in and enjoy...

The Purist Villas

The River Villa - that little hut nestled in the trees was perfect for breakfast and reading.  And that stone wall on the right?  It's wrapped around an outdoor shower, heaven!

We definitely spent some time here!  See that building in the background?  The taller one? We did yoga up there looking out into the jungle! 

I have to admit, we ended up spending all most of our time at the Purist, nestled in our villa or laying by the pool. There really wasn't a reason to leave.  Yoga on site, infinity pool, room service made fresh when ordered (I cannot recommend this place enough).  We were lucky to be able to stay in 3 of 9 different villas which made every night feel like a new adventure (that along with earthquake/tsunami scare in not so far away Banda Aceh!) and experience.  At the end of the trip we decided that the Timor Villa was our favorite (which we initially thought was too big for just the two of us).  But! That being said, I would not turn down another chance to stay at the River or Jungle Villa either!

On our 3rd day we ventured out the Ubud Market.  The market is 3 floors of everything from food to jewelry to your typical tourist "I <3 Bali" tee.  We were advised to haggle as vendors often charge tourists up to 5 times more!  I left most of the bargaining up to my man, as my negotiating skills are not the strongest (give me a sweet smile and I'm done).

Fresh spices at the Ubud Market

Bracelet heaven, I wanted them all!

Straw totes at the Ubud Market

These were entirely beaded and so gorgeous!  I don't know why I didn't buy one...

I'm sure I've forgotten to mention a million different things but to sum it up, Bali is truly a beautiful place.  It has a feeling of peace and calm (when you aren't dodging scooters ;) and the people are so warm and friendly, always greeting you with a smile.  If you get the chance to go, I wouldn't turn it down.  I'm definitely a lucky girl to have been :)

<3