Hello hello!
This post was originally titled 48 hours in Bali – the perfect weekend / relaxing getaway.
Which is funny (and very ironic), because my trip turned out to be neither perfect nor relaxing. In fact, it was probably one of the most stressful situations I’ve had, and definitely high up there on the “shittiest thing that ever happened to praisella” list.
What happened, you ask? Grab your popcorn and get ready for a story time.
It was Easter weekend, we had a long 4-day weekend and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to go on a quick getaway to relax and re-center myself before work starts to get busy again. I booked my flight to Bali and I was ready to take in on all the wonders Bali has to offer.
Except that didn’t happen.
The first morning, we went to get brunch at one of my favorite places ever (Crate, ily) and went to the salon to get my hair done. All fun stuff, all happy. Two hours later, we decided to head back to the villa to rest up before heading back out to our night plans.
And that’s when things got interesting.
The moment we got back to the villa, we realized someone had broken into our place and robbed lots of our stuff. They took my entire backpack that includes my lovely lovely laptop, passport, a lot more things that I’m trying not to remember. Fun. I shouted oh my god about 20 times, but really, I had no time to panic as I was supposed to fly back two days later. So the first day turned into a how-to-fix-this-mess kinda day, and the police station was our next stop.
The next few days were a blur – between frantically trying to get back home and doing things to feel better. Thanks to articles like this and lots of googling, I managed to get an emergency passport and got back home within the week. GOD BLESS.
As an effort to look at the bright side and all that, I thought I should still talk about the good things that I got to experience in Bali. Because honestly, there are worse places to be stuck in and I’m grateful I got everything sorted fairly quickly.
So here are some things I recommend checking out if you’re coming to town soon!
Crate Cafe
Oh crate, I love you.
This is what brunches dream are made of. This place is Australian owned and you can definitely see the influence on all the dishes. I mean look at them. Just look at how pretty they are. Not to worry though, everything is very very affordable, which honestly makes me question how they make profit out of this.
I am not complaining because I seriously would go every single day if I could. My favorite thing to order is the Calritto and replace the bacon with mushroom. I know, I know, that sounds super weird to do but believe me, Crate’s mushroom is THE BEST mushroom in the entire world (or more like my life), people say it tastes like crack (I wouldn’t know) but it makes the burrito so much better.
The Calritto goes really well with their Chia Pudding as a sweet and savory combo. The chia pudding here comes with a smoothie on top and it is so delicious and refreshing. My go-to is the one called Hot Ass (I know lmao) which is the one with dragon fruit smoothie.
But seriously, you can’t go wrong with anything at Crate so do check out their other stuff too! I swear you’ll love it.
La Baracca
If you are in the mood for a romantic date, or really just want to stuff yourself with carbs, La Baracca is where it’s at. Great ambiance for dinner, this place is pretty darn authentic, even the Italians vouch for it.
Don’t miss out on their meatballs pizza, it’s heavenly. The portion is pretty big, perfect for sharing. We also had a seafood pizza which was also good but I was really too focused on the meatballs to care. If you’re feeling fancy, they also serve some drinks that can go well with your pizza, we got a Aperol Spritz and it was great.
Be warned that this place gets pretty busy so best to call them ahead of time to book your table!
OMNIA Dayclub
Did you even go to Bali if you didn’t go to a beach club?
Omnia is by far the prettiest one I’ve been to in Bali, and it’s definitely worth checking out while you’re in town. Just look at this beautiful infinity pool, this place is the definition of insta worthy.
During the day, the vibe is more chill and calm, but as the night comes, it definitely gets pretty hyped. Make sure to bring change of clothes, empty your schedule, and just spend your entire day here as its located pretty far off from the city area (took us a solid 2+ hours from Canggu!). It’s well worth the trip though!
GO-MASSAGE
Okay, if you are going to learn anything from this post, this should be it. Go Massage is part of Go Life app and it is a life saver. It’s essentially a massage service on demand, where you can easily order one on the app, and someone will come to you for a massage. The price is so reasonable, cheaper than some if not most spa, and you can enjoy without having to leave the comfort of your bed. So really, what else can you ask for? Do know the interface is currently only available in Bahasa but I’m sure you can find someone to help you out with ordering.
The same app also also offer Go Glam, a salon service that I also use quite frequently when I’m back in Indonesia. Indo (and Bali) is truly a heaven for convenient services.
At last, some honorable mentions:
- La Favela: Fav club in Bali! Huge place with lots of different rooms and music, always a fun time.
- Seafood in Jimbaran: If you’re looking for a beachside dinner, head to Jimbaran for fresh grilled seafood with a lovely view.
- Nutella @ Roti Canai: Random I know, but so delicious I had to mention it here.
- Funky Pancakes: Good breakfast option, although falls on the pricier side.
- Moana: Hong Kong poke game is so weak, so I was pleasantly surprised to find a good one here. Get the brown sauce with your tuna, and you’ll be all set.
In conclusion, carry your passport with you at all time, and enjoy Bali!
In the meantime, lemme get over this trauma real quick and I’ll be back soon 😉
