Let's Go East (and Back): The Weekender: Bali + Ubud

Howdy ya'll.

This past weekend we had the pleasure of spending 2.5 days in Bali with our NYC friends Joanna + Paul. J and I worked closely together for 3 years when Michael and I were back in NY. It was an action-packed, fun-filled weekend to say the least. Recap below -

Beaches and rice fields - that's what Bali does! As you may recall, Michael and I visited Bali back in May when the Duvall's were out in Asia. This time around we spent our time in two totally different areas of the island (Bali is pretty big): Seminyak + Ubud. The former being the beach, the latter the rice fields.

P is a constant traveler + A-list Starwood member, so we ended up staying in this unreal MTV Real World-esque suite at the W. Three cheers for the W Retreat + Spa in Seminyak. So very LUXE.

After a wonderful dinner on the beach on Friday evening, we were up early for our big adventure to Ubud, which is near the center of the island. The traffic was pretty bad (about a 2hr journey by car), but certainly worth it. Monkeys, temples and rice paddies, oh my!

Ubud monkey forest - much more of a high stress environment than I envisioned. The monkeys are cute but super mean and ornery. Lots of cute new babies though!

Next up was a very sweaty hike through the rice fields to our lunch spot - Sari Organik. Great fresh food and a picturesque view.

After lunch our guide took us to another amazing look out point. Ubud is unreal natural beauty - photos don't even do it justice. Our guide for the day, Wayan, was honestly one of the nicest humans I have ever met - if you ever travel to the area and are looking for a local Ubud guide, let me know. The Balinese people are so incredibly kind.

Our second to last stop was at the Temple of Holy Water. Our guide was very excited to show us the place. He often goes there with his wife and children.

(Our guide noted it was more than okay to take photos - and I was stealth). Here people are participating in a cleansing ritual and offering. The sounds, sites and smells were like nothing I have ever seen. The Hindu religion is very open and welcoming - our guide noted foreigners are welcome to take part in the ritual as well. (Wayan is down there in the bottom right corner!)