Bali: a boho dream destination for nature lovers and explorers
Bali has always been one of my favorite travel destinations ever. The island is just insanely beautiful and offers plenty of variety. And of course we love the fact that you can find the most gorgeaus boho-style accommodation, cafés and restaurants on every corner. We take you on our 2-week long journey through Bali and show you our favorite places and awesome activities.
After returning to Bali from the neighboring island of Nusa Lembongan, where we spent a week’s dream vacation right at the beginning of our trip, we hopped straight on a cab to Ubud.
Our little boho paradise in the hills of Ubud
Unsere erste Unterkunft auf Bali war gleich voll auf die Zwölf! Ein absoluter Boho-Traum. Die kleine Villa in den Hügeln, in der Nähe des Yellow Flower Cafés, hat uns sofort bezaubert. Die großzügige, offene Wohnküche direkt vor unserem privatem Pool, mit Blick auf das satte Grün der Bäume und Palmen, war schlichtweg atemberaubend. Das perfekte kleine Boho-Paradies, um die nächsten beiden Tage dort zu verbringen und die Umgebung zu erkunden. Verpflegung bekommt man, wenn man so möchte, aus dem Yellow Flower Café direkt in die Villa geliefert. Wir haben es jedoch vorgezogen, unser Frühstück, sowie ein paar weitere Mahlzeiten, im Café selber einzunehmen, weil es auch dort so wunderschön war. Frische, gesunde Gerichte in einem tollen Boho-Ambiente mit Blick ins grüne Tal, was will man mehr?!
Unfortunately, it rained almost continuously during our stay in Ubud, so our explorations were ultimately limited. Along the main street, we discovered the beautiful Lazy Cats Café, strolled through a few stores and caught a glimpse of the temple. But then the next downpour came along and we fled back to our cozy accommodation. We treated ourselves to a massage in the villa which was organised by our lovely host. The two days in Ubug flew by and should we ever return to the area, we would definitely want to book this neautiful little airbnb again.
Lovina in the north of Bali
Our next destination was a 2.5 hour cab ride from Udud, for which we paid IDR 600,000 (equivalent to around 35 Euros) the small coastal town of Lovina on the north coast of Bali. We didn’t like Lovina as much as other places in Bali. However, the reason for our trip there was not the place itself, but Lovina’s main attraction – the dolphins.
Zuerst einmal haben wir in unserer Unterkunft, der Villa Teman*, eingecheckt. Fußläufig zum Strand und zur Hauptstraße mit Shops und Restaurants, liegt das gemütliche Ferienhäuschen. Auch hier hatten wir unseren eigenen Pool, 2 Schlafzimmer und eine große, offene Wohnküche. Nach der Erkundung des Ortes, eines leckeren Abendessens im Restaurant Warung Apple und einer ausgiebigen Poolsession, war der Tag auch schon vorbei. Wir sind früh ins Bett gegangen, da der Wecker am nächsten Tag schon sehr früh klingeln sollte.
Vor Sonnenaufgang wurden wir am nächsten Morgen von Komang an unserer Unterkunft abgeholt. Komang ist der Kapitän des Bootes, welches wir für unseren Delfinausflug gebucht hatten. Er ist ein wirklich netter und lustiger Kerl, der uns zu einem Restaurant gefahren hat, wo es noch ein Käffchen gab und man vor der Bootstour nochmal Pipi machen konnte. Dann ging es ab ins kleine Boot und pünktlich zum Sonnenaufgang waren wir unterwegs zu den Delfinspots.
The dolphin tour at sunrise
I didn’t expect us to be the only boat out there to spot the dolphins. However, the number of boats that were soon to be found off Lovina’s coast was just off the charts. When the first dolphins were finally spotted, it almost felt like a dolphin hunt- all the boats started racing towards the animals. When the dolphins submerged, the search began again and so the location was constantly changed depending on where the dolphins were visible. I have to admit that I found this spectacle quite daunting at first and was on the verge of abandoning our trip.
A reason to be happy
Fortunately, we had booked a long dolphin tour that was supposed to last 3-4 hours, with a snorkeling experience afterwards. Fortunately, after about 45-60 minutes of a rather unpleasant experience, the situation changed. Many boats set off back towards the coast because the majority of tourists had probably only booked a one-hour long tour. Although we continued to follow the dolphins, the ever decreasing number of boats made this a lot less overwhelming. When we were down to about 8 boats, which were also well spread out and waiting in the water, I finally started to really enjoy the experience.
When I realized that the dolphins really did voluntarily seek out the proximity of the boats and kept appearing near us, I was thrilled. When most of the other boats had gone, we were finally able to jump into the water and watch the dolphins under the surface with diving goggles and snorkels. Admittedly, you have to be a bit lucky, as visibility under water is not very good due to the abundance of plankton. But I was lucky enough to see the dolphins swim right underneath me, only to surface again in front of our boat and jump into the air.
In the end, it was an unforgettable experience and we will remember this unique morning for a long time.
As one night in Lovina was enough for us to see the dolphins, we got back into a cab straight after the tour and set off for our next destination.
Mason Elephant Park and Lodge
Der in der Inselmittte gelegene Elefantenpark lockt täglich viele Besucher an, die diese beeindruckenden Tiere bestaunen wollen. Die Elefanten wurden einst aus einem Regierungs-Camp auf Sumatra gerettet, wo sie wohl gestorben wären, wenn man sie von dort nicht befreit hätte. Mittlerweile hat sich die Herde im Mason Park natürlich vermehrt und ist um 4 kleine Baby-Elefanten gewachsen. Die letzte Erweiterung des Parks, die Elephant-Freeroam-Area, bietet den Elefanten ein weiteres geräumiges Areal, wo sie zusammen Zeit verbringen und baden können.
The extensive elephant park offers a variety of elephant activities for day visitors, but you can also stay overnight in the Lodge. We opted for a night in a room with a park view and were able to watch the animals from our balcony. The room was large and cozy, furnished in the typical Balinese style, and we really enjoyed the setting. We spent the rest of the day exploring the park, hugging elephant trunks and relaxing by the pool. In the evening, we were picked up from our room by the elephant taxi and were dropped off at the Taro Park restaurant after an extensive ride through the jungle tracks. A great experience for young and old.
Bathing with the elephants
After breakfast the following morning, the first of our booked activities finally began: the Jumbo Wash. We were given a hose and a brush and started scrubbing our big grey friend. I think he really enjoyed it! Of course, the good-natured pachyderm was also given plenty of cuddles. After the Jumbo Wash, we went straight on to the Elephant Bath experience. There we climed on an elephant’s back,together with the animal’s keeper, and off we went into the large pond. The animals made their leisurely rounds and regularly dived into the water, therfore we also got our morning bath after all. It was really a lot of fun. The advantage of these activities for overnight guests is that you can get there before the park’s official opening time, when it is still nice and quiet. It was a unique experience for us and we will never forget our visit to Mason Elephant Park & Lodge.
Our next destination for the following two nights was the undisputed highlight of our Bali trip.
Oniria Bali – a dream come true
The bamboo house Oniria in Bali had been on my bucket list for a while and I knew that I definitely wanted to stay there one day. The beautiful house is located in the midst of lush, green nature in the eastern part of Bali, a good hour’s drive from Denpasar. Oniria has a separate reception and kitchen so that you always have a contact person on site, can order drinks and food and get all the support you need. The staff were super friendly and helpful. The check in process was amazing – the property manager and his team welcomed us in such a lovely way thet we felt happy and compfrtable from the moment we arrived.
Finally, the big moment arrived when we were led to the beautiful bamboo house. Wow. Serously, just wow. The house already looks incredibly beautiful in the photos, but it was actually much better in real life. The original architecture of the open plan house with a pool and views of the jungle is unique, spacious, cozy, original, luxurious, inviting and simply out of this world.
On the upper floor there is an open bedroom, a bathroom with shower and an open-air bathtub with a view of the natural surroundings. The living room can be transformed into a movie theater in the evening. Whaaat? The friendly Oniria crew comes in to set up the screen and projector on request. All set for a movie night in the Balinese jungle. You can make yourself comfortable with popcorn and drinks on the cozy sofa area and relax at the end of the day when it gets dark early.
Pure relaxation in nature
We also treated ourselves to a massage at Oniria and enjoyed every minute in this most amazing villa. The food was freshly perpared, delicious, healthy and beautifully presented at all times. After a meal, the hammock was the perfect place to unwind, relax and simply enjoy life. Unfortunately, the time at Oniria went by far too quickly. The peace and quiet in the middle of nature was a much needed break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. We could have stayed there for another few weeks, everything was just perfect. Therefore we can wholeheartedly recommend a stay in this dreamlike oasis of peace to everyone. It’s worth booking early, as this insta-worthy Airbnb is often fully booked months in advance.
Goodbye, Oniria – hopefully we’ll meet again one day!
The remaining time we had left in Bali we chose to spent on the Bukit Peninsula in the south of the island. Here you can find out all about how our journey continued from Oniria and what we experienced in the following week. Stay tuned!
