This place is the perfect spot for a special dinner. The Asian fusion cuisine here is absolutely divine and will surely surprise you. Ideally you would come here with a large group of people and share as many different plates as possible. We had the duck bao dumplings as a starter and then a Malaysian curry and a pork belly dish. Every single dish was so so good and so different than "usual" Asian food. Make sure to book ahead as tables here fill up quickly!
This is one of the coolest restaurant I have ever been in! A huge open bar, mosaics, glass tiles and so much colour everywhere. This is perfect for a girl´s night out or a pre going out dinner. The vibe here is so fun and it is so worth it to go for the interior design alone. And on top of that the food is to die for. Great tacos, divine quesadillas and really, really great guac. Also make sure you try their creamed corn, which may sound weird at first, but is just really, really good.

Mainly famous for (duh) their Espresso and brunch, this restaurant is also great for dinner. It has great, great comfort food such as Chicken Wings, Waffle and Polenta Fries and awesome burgers. Definitely get the Mother Clucker, it is one of the best chicken burgers I have ever tried. You can also come here for really creative drinks, especially since the interior is beyond cool with the whole restaurant slightly hidden after massive wood doors and an awesome graffiti wall, as well as lots and lots of chandeliers, candles and neon signs.

Some other tips for food I got, but did not manage to visit:

La Favela for dinner
Shelter for breakfast (supposedly and absolutely beautiful but slightly hidden café)
The Bistrot
Watercress (I went here in Ubud and really liked it)
Corner House

It seems both ages ago and like yesterday, that I said goodbye to my family, friends and boyfriend and got on an overnight bus to Amsterdam. It has actually been just over five months since then and it seems so surreal, that I will be home in only a couple of hours.

I would always recommend to get a spa treatment in Ubud. There are so many amazing spas here and they have really, really great deals. I would just recommend walking around town and checking the offers. Usually you get a massage, a scrub and a flower bath, which just feels great especially the day after a massive hike. Also get a Yoga class in! Many have recommended the Yoga barn, but it is apparently a very large studio, whereas the Yoga house just opposite of my hostel had lovely teachers and very small group classes. If you feel like a pool day Folk Ubud has a lovely pool for very reasonable prices (50 000 IDR or 4 Euros if you lie on the lawn).

I also really liked the Saraswati Temple, which is surrounded by beautiful Lotus flowers and the Ubud market. Obviously you will have to negotiate prices, I recommend you start at least at half of the offered price, but they have absolutely everything from bags, sarongs to key chains and decorations so a browse here is always fun. If you want to get active the Ridge walk is really lovely and a great place to feel a little Zen.

Canggu seems to be the new hotspot in Bali. Contrary to Seminyak and Kuta Canggu has not been completely taken over by tourists, while offering great surf beaches, amazing cafés and restaurants and a vibrant nightlife. I did really enjoy Canggu (even without surfing) and think it would be perfect for a relaxed two week vacation or a girl´s trip. Some of Bali´s hottest new beach clubs and cafés are opening here, but you may still be lucky enough to discover some hidden treasures of your own.

Ubud

To get to Ubud we once again used a Bluebird taxi. Something I really had to get used to in Asia is the huge amounts of bargaining you have to do everywhere, be it taxis, food, accomadation or when you buy souvenirs. All prices are usually set a little higher for tourist and if you do not want to have the constant feeling of being ripped off, you have to make a little effort and bargain. For our drive to Ubud we ended up paying 150 000 rupies (12 Euros).
Ubud is Bali´s cultural centre with an abundance of temples, the famous rice fields, countless spas and great restaurants. 
Usually you stay in little Losmen, which are rooms in the houses of balinese families. The are amazing hosts and the rooms are beautiful. For around 100 000 rupies a night you usually also get a homemade breakfast and balinese tea or coffee during the day. 

Sightseeing

Most people rent little scooters to get around on Bali, but to be honest after seeing a canadian´s broken knee and the chaos on the streets I decided not to. In Ubud we used a private driver and as decadent as it sounds for a day tour to the most important sights we only payed 23 Euros. There are also touristic bus tours, but since I was not interested in every single temple, renting a private driver was actually better for me. We decided to stop at the volcano, the Pura Besakih and the Elephant cave temple. On our tour we also stopped at the rice fields at sunrise and at a traditional coffee plantation and tasted all kinds of coffee.

Pura Besakih

There are over a thousand temples on Bali and I only managed to visit two, but at least one of them was the biggest one. The Pura Besakih is made up of 23 small little temples spread over a mountain close to Ubud. The huge temple complex and especially the huge entrance gate are extremely impressive.
You should be a little careful when you talk to the very nice people, who work for the temple. They will very convincingly tell you that you can only enter the temple when you are going in with them (against a little fee of course). While the fee really is not high, the story is not true and you can enter by yourself anytime. Just kindly thank them and proceed up the stairs.


Elephant Cave 

This little temple is only a short 30 minute drive away from Ubud. The crafted entrance to the cave and the park around it are both just gorgeous. The temple is nestled into the jungle, beautiful tropical flowers and small wells.
The cave is famous for the great visions the monks had inside and after only two minutes breathing in the thick air in the three square feet room I can believe that without a doubt.

Nature´s finest and other sights

On our tour we also drove up the huge volcano close to Ubud. Sadly it was a very cloudy day so the view was not to great, but I already loved the drive up and the different impressions we got of Bali´s forest on the way there.
The rice fields around Ubud are just gorgeous and I recommend you to not only stop during your sightseeing tour, but to also take an afternoon for a relaxed walk around them, when you are back in Ubud. It only takes about two minutes from the centre of the town to reach the beautiful fields. You can also rent a bike for this.
In Ubud you should also visit the Sacred Monkey Forest, a park with a huge variety of trees and plants and as the name tells you loads of monkey. Hold on tightly to all your belongings and do not take any fruits, these monkeys aren´t the least afraid of people.
Another magical experience in Ubud is to see a traditional dance in one of the temples. We watched a fire dance and I loved absolutely everything about it, from the gorgeous costumes to the impressive chants of the 60 dancers. The big dance groups play balinese myths and the whole performance is simply enchanting. This is a little pricier than most attractions in Bali, but definetely worth it.
Ubud also has some of the best spas and restaurants in Bali, so you really should enjoy a massage and some of the delicious Saté Ayam with peanutbutter sauce or Nasi Goreng. I also loved the breakfast with loads of fruits and fresh juices.