you can pick out influences from cultures spanning hemispheres and millennia. Ubud is the cultural capital where aside from seemingly endless art galleries and cafés you can get your iphone stolen in the Monkey Forrest which everyone needs to walk through. The Swasti Eco Cottages (www.baliswasti.com) are probably one of the greenest, healthiest, and most peaceful places you can stay in on all of Bali. With the food coming from their own organic garden this is a place for zen, detox, and relaxation. The Swasti Eco Cottages also almost unbelievably use NO single use plastic. Their campaign for reducing waste and creating a sustainable tourism industry is an example the rest of the world should follow.
Seminyak will have a little more glitz, glam, shopping, and nightlife than some of the other towns. Kuta, which is a great place to go to learn how to surf, is also more so known for being overcrowded and covered with trash- most people I met insist you continue to drive right passed but there’s no harm in a morning on the waves and a lunch before your next destination. Sunset dinners in Jimbaran might be some of my favorite in all of Bali and stands selling roasted sweet corn with peanut sauce are the perfect appetizer to your meal. A short drive south will take you to my favorite beach, a tiny cove called Padang Padang. Families, couples, surfers, and swimmers all converge on this little beach to share their love for the ocean. Just a little farther south is the Uluwatu cliffside temple. A great place to stretch your legs and photograph impressive waves crashing along the shore- keep an eye out for monkeys though!
Road trips really are the way to go. If you're not comfortable renting or drivng, hiring a private taxi for an entire day on the road might run you 30USD and you even get the driver's favorite suggestions for sigts to see and places to eat.
58 - SEVENSEAS