Bali Paradise Island: My Dream Vacation

I first became aware of Bali, Indonesia after watching Eat, Pray, Love. In the movie, Julia Roberts plays a middle-aged woman desperate to find herself in life. After divorcing her husband, she decides to travel the world in order to regain the balance she had lost so long ago. While in Bali, she meets a medicine man who helps foster her growth into the person she had set out to become. After seeing what Bali offers in the movie, I knew immediately this was one place I wanted to visit before I died.

Eat, Pray, Love trailer

During the movie it became clear to me how magical a place Bali really was. I fell in love with the atmosphere Bali offered; it was peaceful, serene, and provided something for all tourists. As a tourist, I like to partake in the typical "college student" activities (partying and shopping), but I feel as I have matured as a tourist I desire more out of a vacation. To be truly satisfied any vacation I take must also teach me something new about a different culture and its history, hence why Bali was my instant choice when planning my dream vacation. Bali isn't just about the long stretches of beach and night clubs, it also gives you something unique. Those who have visited Bali before describe it as a perfect vacation destination with everything anyone could ever desire.

A dream vacation to me means being able to go anywhere in the world you want, at any time period, for any amount of time, and with an unlimited budget. That means no time constraints and no worrying about cost efficacy! As a student who lives at home, school, my traditional family, and the Leisure Paradox have always limited me from taking a vacation somewhere exotic. Unfortunately, being an Allocentric Tourist (as classified by Plog), I crave adventure and new experiences in an unknown land. But in my culture young girls are not usually permitted to travel to a new country on their own, even to pursue an education or career. In addition, being born and raised in Canada has always drawn me to warmer climates. Bali offers the perfect combination between hot and cold at a pleasant temperature of 20-33 degrees Celsius year-round. I love sun and palm trees! My dream vacation would be a two week adventure through Bali, expanding my spiritual boundaries through yoga and meditation, enjoying the cuisine, and immersing myself in the truly fascinating Balinese culture as a non-institutionalized explorer tourist. There are many ratings and suggestions online about where to go in Bali and what to do, but the selection of which activities I will partake in and which sites I will see will solely depend on what I have been drawn to during my research. As we know, every trip is unique!

I would book my flight during the month of May, so as to avoid monsoon season and the busy tourist seasons as well. Lucky for me, my summer vacation begins at the end of April and flight tickets during May are very affordable. I would leave on May 14th, and return on the 28th--just enough time to enjoy Bali!

Flight estimate for my Dream Vacation

While there, I will soak in some sun at the beach and take advantage of Bali's relaxing atmosphere--that is the whole point of vacation, right? I'll make sure to lay on the white sand beaches and look out into the blue-green Balinese waters.

Blue-green waters of Bali

However, what interests me most about Bali is its deeply spiritual way of life. Balinese culture is manifested in their spiritual and religious practices, and Hindu Balinese temples can be found throughout the Island. Sitting for morning prayer and meditating within the temples can provide an enlightening and almost ethereal experience. It would be absolutely fascinating to partake in these activities, led, of course, by a real-life guru--a spiritual teacher.

Of course, as a tourist you can't go to Bali and spend all your time on the beach or in the temple. Bali also offers a wide range of historical and cultural activities for tourists, and I'll make sure to take advantage of as many as I can during my two week trip!

The Schedule:

Day 1 Fly out to Bali from Toronto International Airport
Day 2 Arrive in South Bali at Ngurah Rai International Airport around 5pm, travel to Kuta by taxi and check-in to White Rose Bali Hotel and Villa - a 4 star hotel located only 10 minutes from Ngurah Rai International Airport and 5 minutes from Kuta Beach
Day 3 Spend the day relaxing on Kuta's white sand beach, and travel to Tanah Lot to see the sunet. At night go dancing at Fuel - an award winning two-storey club and restaurant.
Day 4 Travel to Bukit Peninsula, also in South Bali, to visit the Uluwatu cliff-top temple. Spend 2 hours in meditation before getting into a taxi and travelling to the Villa Blink in Seminyak, Central Bali. Villa Blink is a private villa that includes 2 bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, a kitchen, dining room, garden and private pool. Spend the rest of the day at the beach, and at night catch a Barong lion dance performance in Ubud, Central Bali.
Day 5 Go on a Bali Bike-Baik Tour in Ubud: breakfast is served overlooking Mount Basur's active volcano before biking through Ubud to experience first hand the true Bali lifestyle and witness the real every day life of rice and vegetable farmers, craftsmen, and coffee plantation workers. Then we travel to a village temple to learn about Bali spiritual beliefs and practices. An eight-course traditional Balinese lunch is served at a Balinese family home, where we can learn how Balinese locals live their lives day to day. This bike tour will allow me to finally reach the Authentic Cultural Heritage level of Cultural Penetration. Biking along the way is a great way to witness the natural landscape of lush forests, mountains, and beaches that Bali has to offer. A more detailed outline of the tour can be found here.
Day 6 Partake in a one day private Sivananada Yoga Retreat at the villa: learn breathing techniques, how to deal with emotional blocks, the 12 main Asanas (postures) of yoga, and experience higher states of consciousness and awareness. A one day yoga retreat will allow me to reach the Self-Actualization level in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.
Day 7 Spend this day immersing myself in Balinese art and history - visit Museum Puri Lukisan (one of Bali's oldest fine arts museums), the Goa Gajah (elephant cave), and the temple complex of Tirta Empul, where you can take part in Melukat (bathing in the central hot springs). Eat Babi Guling for dinner (one of Bali's most celebrated main course dishes) at Ibu Oka. Watch the sunset at Lake Bratan, home to the most photographed temple on the island, Pura Ulun Danu Bratan.
Day 8 Take a taxi to Amed in Northwest Bali and check into Anda Amed Resort. Spend the rest of the day relaxing on the beach and take time to slow down during this vacation!
Day 9 Swim with the dolphins and take surfing lessons today! In the evening fall asleep to a view of the sunset from my bedroom in the resort.
Day 10 Travel to the Puri Ganesha villa in West Bali, a 5 star villa situated on the west coast of Bali. The long 3 hour drive is actually delightful, as it is filled with scenic views of volcanic lakes, mountains, and forests. Upon arrival eat lunch at the hotel, as it is known world wide as having some of the best cuisine in Bali. After lunch travel to the nearby marine park for some snorkelling on the west coast; here there are bright coral reefs and tons of exotic aquatic species to see. Head back to the hotel for dinner and after dinner indulge in a Bali Ayurvedic massage at the hotel.
Day 11 Wake up to a breakfast of delicious fruit salad made with papaya and pineapples. After breakfast go trekking through the hills and forests of West Bali National Park and get to see towering waterfalls and, hopefully, spot a Bali Starling!
Day 12 travel back to Kuta, South Bali and spend my last day in Bali shopping and buying souvenirs, and laying on the beach one last time! At night go out with a bang by going to M BAR GO nightclub for some late night dancing before checking into the Kuga Lagoon Resort and Pool Villa for my last night in Bali.
Day 13 Travel to Ngurah Rai International Airport. Leave Bali via return flight through Hong Kong
Day 14 Arrive back in Toronto and tell all my friends about the adventures I had in Bali!