Words by Hakea Founder, Casey Eastwell
26 Feb 2024
I recently spent ten laid-back days on a trip with friends in Bali, soaking up its restorative yet fun and chaotic atmosphere, whilst enjoying surfing loggable waves sans wetsuit. But, whether you’re there to surf or not, our 2024 guide to Bali features our favourite cafes, spas, stays and bars to keep you occupied.
Adjusting to island time on Nusa Lembongan
Kicking off the vacation on island time, we made a beeline for Sanur, hopping on the fast ferry over to Nusa Lembongan. Think fewer crowds, less traffic and long stretches of inviting white sand. We stayed at Lembongan Cliff Villas, which placed us conveniently near Coconuts Beach. Most days started with an early wake up, walk down to the beach to hire a longboard and paddle straight out to ‘Playgrounds’ — a fun and easy longboard wave. Our accommodation was a stone's throw from restaurants, and a breezy scooter ride across the famous yellow bridge to Ceningan Point for some jaw-dropping sunsets.
Three nights of fun in Canggu
Inserting Canggu right in the middle of the trip is highly encouraged. Canggu is crazy busy, but staying on the fringe in Pererenan or Berawa (unless you’re crashing at The Slow) means you can enjoy the food and spa scene without as much of the chaos. This time we stayed at Casa Soleil on Padang Linjong near Echo Beach, which was the perfect location. Although next time we visit, we’re eager to try out the newly opened Further Hotel in Pererenan serving up coffee from Melbourne’s St Ali and the soon-to-open Sojourn Spaces.
While we have an exhaustive list of options saved on our Google Maps which you can download here and save on your phone, some of our food highlights include our old faithful Shady Shack, Bokashi for a Japanese-inspired brunch, the atmospheric Shelter for dinner, Maize for margaritas and mexican, Ulekan for modern Indonesian and an absolute favourite not to miss: Bar Vera.
Old Mans, albeit crowded, is still a blast for longboarding. After a morning of surfing there, I recommend pampering yourself with a massage at the nearby Spring Spa, a sauna at Sundaymood, or a manicure at Maria Curau. If you’re feeling thirsty, you can’t miss a sunset with a bintang or a cocktail at The Lawn, or a bean bag on the beach at Times Warung. I recently discovered Daisy’s, a cute little bar with local natural wines. For a nightcap, you must head to Bar Souvenir.
Unwinding in Uluwatu
A couple of nights in Canggu is all you need before heading down to the slower paced, dreamier coastlines along Uluwatu. Many of my favourite spots in Canggu have opened up in Uluwatu too, so you can get the same fix of fancy food, but with a slightly more laid-back atmosphere.
If the stars align, I highly recommend a stay at Uluwatu Surf Villas, or just dine by the pool and catch a sunset at Mana. If stairs don't scare you off, the Impossible Beach House is a stunning Balinese-inspired stay. It’s built right into the cliff between Bingin and Uluwatu. From here, you can paddle out straight to Impossibles or try mini Padang for some more log-friendly waves.
For a full list of restaurants, spas, bars, download our Bali 2024 Google Maps list here.
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