Travel Guide: Where to Eat, Sleep & Shop in Bali, Indonesia

Today we’ve got our girl Madison of Minimal Major sharing all of her must-see spots in Bali, Indonesia. She just returned from the dreamiest vacation to this gorgeous island, and we’re so excited to have her blogging about her favorite places to stay, eat, shop and explore!

Hi everyone, Madison here! I’m to excited to be hanging with my favorite LaurenConrad.com girls to talk all things Bali. I’m just getting back from spending a few weeks there and let me tell you… The jetlag is real, but the trip is so worth it.

Being from Hawaii, I’m a bit spoiled when it comes to traveling to tropical places: the water is rarely as blue, the beaches rarely as broad (like I said, totally spoiled!). But Bali was unlike anywhere I had ever been. It was magic. Surrounded by lush jungles, stumbling upon secret waterfalls and abandoned tree houses, swinging from the tops of palm trees… this little island in Indonesia will make you feel some type of way.

From Ubud’s never-ending greenery, to Canggu’s charming shops, to Seminyak’s next level smoothie bowls, here is the list of all of my musts when traveling to Bali.

The Como Shambhala in Ubud

WHERE TO STAY:

• If the plan is to hang in an infinity pool (or 12!) while you’re there, you’ll love The Ayana Resort in Jimbaran. Although it’s a resort, it somehow has a vibe of a boutique hotel and doesn’t feel as ‘touristy’ as a few of the other hotels in the area.
• Nestled right in the jungle of Ubud, The Padma makes for an incredible experience. With yoga classes throughout the day and bike rides around the jungle, you’ll feel right at home (from thousands of miles away!).
• This next one costs a pretty penny, so we just stayed for one night to see what it was all about, but The Como Shambhala in Ubud was absolute magic. Right on the Ayung River and in the middle of a secluded jungle, walking around the property very literally took my breath away. Not to sound totally dramatic, but I felt like a changed woman after going!
  
  

Sisterfield’s in Seminyak

Coco & Poke in Uluwatu

 WHERE TO EAT:

• Café Organic will have you craving smoothie bowls for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They’re a work of fruity art and totally delicious! There are locations in both Seminyak and Canggu but the Canggu location is so dreamy you’ll never want to leave.
• Coco & Poke in Uluwatu serves up the best poke bowls on the island. And again, almost too beautiful to eat…almost!
• Sisterfield’s in Seminyak for the best avocado toast and tacos around. I know I know, who goes to Bali to eat avocado toast and tacos? Well, now I do because they were that good.
• The Shady Shack in Canggu is just that—the cutest little shack, located right on a rice paddy, where all the ‘digital nomads’ hang post-yoga sesh.
  
  

The Bali Swing in Ubud

WHAT TO DO:

• The Bali Swing. It’s the best view of Ubud. There are also swings in other parts of the country, including some amazing ones off of the coast of Gili Trawangan.
• Tegalalang Rice Terraces. Bring the bug spray and get lost all day!
  
  

Canggu

• Canggu. Coined the ‘Tulum’ of Bali – a little off the beaten path but wildly adorable. A mix of cute shops, rice paddies and beach life. This was definitely my favorite town on the island.
  
  

Uluwatu Temple views

• Uluwatu Temple. Views on views but beware of wild monkeys! Yes, those are our sunglasses they’re eating. And yes, they did rip them off our faces.
  
  

Monkeys at the Uluwatu Temple

Bali Boat Shed in Seminyak

WHERE TO SHOP:

• Kim Soo. This boutique + cafe is part Bali, kinda Greecian and totally chic. Grab a smoothie, dip your toes in the pool and get lost in the Balinese treasures.
• Bali Boat Shed. Just a few doors down from Kim Soo, this colorful little gem of a shop is filled with goodies to bring back to all your gals back home.
• Ubud Market. Get yourself a round rattan bag for half the price of the Etsy lookalikes. Shout out to my LC.com girls who gave me this tip! It’s the ‘it’ bag of summer and one of those timeless pieces you’ll wear forever.
  
  

The nice thing about Bali (aside from everything listed above), is that you can pack light and just bring the vacay essentials. Here are some of my Bali picks:

And that’s that… Everything you need to live your best life in Bali!

Feel free to check out even more photos on my page @MiniMalmajor and comment below if you’ve been / want to go / already booked your ticket since reading this. Would love to hear from you!

And thanks for having me, LaurenConrad.com babes!

xx Madison
@minimalmajor

Photos: Minimal Major