Bali, or else known as the Island of the Gods, will seduce you with its ancient traditions, stunning landscapes, and colorful ceremonies. In general, life in Bali is simple and cheap, everywhere you go. From the biggest city of Denpasar to the small fishing villages of Amed.
Balinese are known for their simplicity and kindness since most of them were raised in small villages. English is spoken in most tourist destinations, however, the locals will surely appreciate it if you make an effort to learn a few words in their language.
On an island as big as Bali, it's highly recommended to hire your own car. The means of transportation are quite limited, while tourist areas like Ubud, Kuta, or Seminyak suffer from daily traffic jams. A great budget-friendly option to roam around the island is through the Perama bus. Other means of transportation include taxi, bemo (shuttle bus), or bicycle.
Bali's peak season is the months of July and August and during major holidays like Easter and Christmas. If you want to avoid large crowds, you can visit from April to June or in September. But enough with the boring technical info! Let’s get your beautiful Balinese journey started!
Ding-Ding Ding, let's Check-In!
Only 15 minutes driving from the famous Uluwatu Temple and 1 hour from the Balinese capital of Denpasar, Radisson Blu Bali Uluwatu will make up a marvelous starting point for your exotic Balinese experience. And, in case you are a surfer, you will further love the hotel's location since it's near some of the most popular surfing sites in the world.
All of the rooms were specially created to host up to three people, so it's an ideal option for solo travelers, couples, or even small families of three. All of the rooms offer standard facilities that will guarantee a comfortable stay, while some of them feature accessibility features for people who need them.
The Deluxe Panoramic View Room is a splendid option if you are searching for a relatively budget-friendly option without having to be stripped of luxurious services and facilities like the panoramic view over the ocean or the garden. For utmost privacy, you can stay at the Ocean View Suite, which feels like a small house! You can check prices at the hotel by clicking here!
1. Try the local cuisine from a street vendor or a local restaurant!
Balinese cuisine is widely popular for its delicious exotic flavors that differ from the cuisine that Western nations are used to. You will soon realize that rice is a very common side dish, as most of the local dishes either contain rice or are made to accompany rice. All dishes make heavy usage of spices, fresh vegetables, meat, and fish.
Fortunately or not, the flavors that you are going to taste in a Balinese restaurant are different than the ones on the night markets and streets. The hotel's main restaurant includes International dishes in case you are not keen on Asian cuisine, as well as some traditional Indonesian cuisine choices if you want to explore the local dining culture.
The Balinese Street Vendors offer a more authentic Balinese eating-out experience, however, you need to be extra cautious before eating street food. Whether it's the first time you visit Bali or not, you should prefer a local food guide tour, which, in addition to being safer, will make your eating exploration much easier. If you still want to explore the local food tradition alone, then visit one of the night markets!
2. Enjoy an exotic cocktail or a refreshing juice made of local tropical fruits!
Whether you are a cocktail fan or not, do not miss to try the fruity local cocktails, made with local fruits and vegetables that cannot be found in Western countries. Even cocktails with passion fruit (a rather popular ingredient in most cocktail bars in the West), will taste much better in Bali. The Lookout Lounge Bar is a great venue to enjoy your cocktail in an intimate environment and it's just by the hotel's lobby.
If you are not a fan of alcohol, then skip the cocktails and try the delicious Balinese tropical juices. Dragon fruit, mangosteen, durian, coconut, jackfruit, rambutan, guava... with so many fruits on the list, you will be really confused on which combination to try first. The Lucid Liquids Health Bar of Radisson Blue Uluwatu Resort is the best option for a juice during the day.
Even fruits like coconut and banana have a much better taste than the ones that you are used to.
3. Do an activity that will pump you up physically and mentally!
Living under the fast and frustrating rhythms of a city puts your mind and body under lots of stress and pressure that you don't even understand. So, there is no better place to devote some time to your personal well-being than in Bali. Staying in a hotel like Radisson Blu Bali Uluwatu offers you plenty of indoor and outdoor activities to do that will definitely boost your mental and body health.
The best way to explore your surroundings while excising is through the #BluRoutes. The #BluRoutes are specially planned routes, ideal for cycling, walking, and running. There are three kinds of routes available:
- The first route is about 3km long, starting from the resort and concluding at the entrance of Padang Pandang Beach.
- The 2nd one is 5km long and it guides you through the beautiful hills and farmland of Padang Padang.
- The 3rd and last tour is 10km long and it takes you through Bingin village, the farmland, the New Kuta Resort, and the area's teak-wood forests.
The best hours to enjoy an outdoor activity is between in the morning (06:30 to 09:00) and in the afternoon (16:30 - 18:00).
Either after or before your exploration, you can try a marvelous spa treatment, at the hotel's wellness center, ESC. The Spa ESC follows the motto "Escape - Reboot - Recover", and it offers an extensive range of wellness and beauty rituals, inspired by various from all over the world. You can enjoy your massage session in one of the hotel's private treatment rooms, or, if you are in a hurry, you can enjoy a quick yet enjoyable massage at the Express Rooms.
4. Discover Bali's Stunning Beaches!
From organized beaches with world-famous beach clubs to secluded coves that you have only seen in the movies, it comes as no surprise why many of the island's visitors prefer to spend their Balinese holidays on a beach reading their favorite book or listening to their favorite music.
The best beaches on the island are located on the southern part of the island, thus staying in Radisson Blu Bali Uluwatu will make your beach exploration as easy as a pie, while the busiest ones can be found on the coast from Kuta to Seminyak. If you are an adventurer, dare to cast aside the map and discover the various secluded stretches of sand that have not been discovered by the broad travel community.
5. Visit Bali's popular sights and natural landmarks!
Bali is like heaven for those who want to explore Indonesian culture. It is the home of ancient Hindu temples, with brilliant centuries-old architecture, natural landscapes that make every adventurer shiver from excitement, and lush rain-forests where you can discover the local fauna and flora.
Tanah Lot Temple is the most iconic temple in Bali, and it's perched on top of a huge rock. It's one of the best spots on the island to admire the sunset. Ubud Monkey Forest has won a reputation of its own the past few years, with thousands of backpackers and voyagers visiting it every year to admire the small and cute monkeys. For breathtaking scenery, visit Ubud's iconic Tegallalang Rice Terraces, where you can stage your Instagram Photo-shooting. Last but not least, you can visit the largest temple in Bali, Besakih Temple, also known as the 'mother temple.
These are the 5 most important activities that you should when you visit Bali for the first time. Of course, there are much more things to do on the island, but, if we wrote all of them, you would end up reading a book. You can start planning your trip to Bali by booking a hotel room here!