Apart from my dad who came to this island on a quick business trip a decade ago, none of us had visited before. (Side note: if you are travelling around Asia, please do something right and fly Air Asia).
Our trip was for barely a handful of days so we chose to stay in the tourist-centric Legian, in a villa booked via AirBnb. While it needed a good repainting and the garden could have done with some tending to, the villa was spacious for our family of four, and serene as it was set a few streets away from the main strip.
 |
| Goa Gajah - The Elephant Cave Temple |
Besides the beach, Bali's main draw cards are the beautiful temples found everywhere on the predominantly Hindu island.
As one can expect, the real Bali is beyond the touristy Kuta/Seminyak/Legian area. So we hired a car with a tour guide/driver to explore the rest of the island.
Our travels coincided with the full moon, a significant day under the Buddhist and Hindu calendar (amongst others). Balinese are very pious - it's hard to miss shrines and altars everywhere you go. On extra auspicious days, the devout take the day off to pray and give offerings at the temple, as well as stay in traditional dress all day. So colourful and festive!
 |
| Pura Tirta Empul - temple with 12 purification fountains |
 |
| Tanah Lot temple - only accessible when the tide is low |
Culture and architecture aside, I was beside myself to be able to swap the cold NYC winter behind for some beach and ocean time.
 |
| Legian beach gate |
 |
| Anthropologie Cuilin Dress, Nine West zebra sandals (sim), Marc by Marc Jacobs Petal to the Metal, Ray Ban Aviators, Club Monaco necklace |
 |
| Anthropologie Stamp Art Dress |
