many of the insta-worthy shots that you see all over your instagram feed take a few hours to get to, and many have long lines of people waiting who also want that perfect shot.
try to plan out your must-sees prior to arriving. map it out so you can coordinate with a driver/transportation to save time. while in bali, start your days early! this will cut down on time waiting in lines and chances are you will be able to see more in your day. not to mention, you may be lucky and have some of the gorgeous places all to yourself.
you also want to make sure you are dressed accordingly as many temples have strict rules and dress codes.
there are many different areas within bali as well; seminyak, ubud, canguu, etc. research each one and stay near the area that best suits you!
as you all know, i recently participated in the Frost Bank, Opt for Optimism Challenge. so for 30 days, my inbox delivered a sweet little e-mail with a simple optimistic task. on one day i was asked to write a letter to someone i cared about, another i was asked to tidy up a small space. each day was different, and each day was a beautiful reminder that life can be as good as you make it and well, you can make it pretty good.
i’ve always considered myself an optimist, a glass half full kind of girl. however, after participating in this 30 day challenge, i’ve realized there is always room for improvement. especially as we get older, and our lives get more complicated. starting each day with a random act of optimism changed my perspective for the day. no matter what was on the agenda, the stresses and pressures seemed to magically ease. it was an incredible discovery.
some of my favorite travel moments happen when i decide to just pull over on the side of the road and explore. i felt so lucky to catch the sunset in the gorgeous palm tree field (which i am pretty sure was surrounded by a local lombark, indonesia farm). watching the sun set fire to the sky through the majestic palm branches was so incredible.
i frolicked and twirled, attempted to befriend the cows (it was major fail) and watched the sun go down in awe. shortly after the sun began to set, i realized i was twirling in little plants filled with needle-like spikes that my dress so kindly was collecting to remember the special moment. i now have ankles filled with scratches as a tiny keep-sake as well. alas, even my battle wounds couldn’t ruin such a beautiful moment.
bonus points if you take a cooking class. not only will you get to try the delicious traditional balinese foods, but you will learn how to create them in your own kitchen! be sure to try sate and nasi campur!
packing for any tropical destination is rather simple. stick to two rules and you will be good to go.
1. pack something breathable
and
2. pack something comfortable
it’s truly as simple as that. you want to pack anything that allows for air flow, because when i say it gets hot in bali, i mean it gets hot and humid the moment you think about stepping foot outdoors. and well, nobody travels to bali with plans stay inside all day, so the heat and humidity is unavoidable. therefore, breathable and comfortable material it is.
i opted to pack flow-y dresses [they’re great for taking pictures in], skirts [casual skirts], shorts, tanks and of course, beach wear. depending on what areas and sites you will be visiting, you do want to stay reasonably humble in attire. most areas in bali are relaxed and laid back on this, but if you are visiting a temple or holy place most will require shoulders and knees covered. [you can purchase or rent articles of clothing at most sites to cover required body areas].
below are my favorite picks to bring along to bali or any tropical destination you may find yourself visiting soon. you can click on any image to shop directly.
maxi dresses
bali is an adult playground with a photo-op at every corner. flow-y dresses will make any photo you take look instagram ready without even trying. however, they are not practical for every adventure you may embark upon while exploring. i wore a dress when i could and braved wearing one to the tegalang rice fields, all for the photo. it ended up pouring on us and walking around in a maxi dress was the last thing i wanted to do. but hey, girls gotta do what a girls gotta do.
click on any image to shop
skirts
packing a loose fit skirt is a great option to pair with a one piece bathing suit if you plan on seeking out a hidden waterfall or posting up by the beach somewhere. most are breathable and can also be paired with a tank that you can later re-wear with shorts. a great packing tip is to always pack pieces that you can wear in multiple ways. it saves luggage space which we all know is prime real estate!
click on any image to shop
shorts
this is just a given. my favorite kind of shorts are ones that have a loose fit [you’ll thank me after being outside for 30 minutes or more] or ones that are made out of softer and more breathable material because well, they end up feeling like pajama shorts and who can complain about that!
click on any image to shop
tanks and tops
this is another given. i would go for tank tops and t-shirts that are breathable and versatile. like i mentioned before, if you pack a top that could go with both a pair of shorts and a skirt, then that saves you luggage space which leaves you room to do a little bali souvenir shopping. 😉
click on any image to shop
cover ups and bathing suits
find your favorite bathing suit and pack it! if you plan on doing a little sun bathing and lounging around, you can pack whatever suit you feel is best. if you plan on jumping into waterfalls and hiking around, i would opt for a suit with support and lots of comfort. i personally, pick a suit by how it ties. i am rather picky about bathingsuits that have a tie behind the neck. if i tie them too tight, i get a neck sore and if i tie them too loose, well.. the girls end up giving everyone a show. so, unless the suit provides extreme comfort, i typically lean towards suits with straps.
one-piece bathing suits are a great option to bring because they can double up as a top worn with jeans and/or your skirt. aka, more luggage space, aka more bali shopping!
cover ups can also double up as a dress/day outfit. i highly recommend packing a cover up that you would feel comfortable sitting in a casual lunch spot in. that way you can make the most out of your beach day.
click on any image to shop
wishing you the best time on your next tropical vacation!
xoxo | jasmine
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some of my favorite travel moments happen when i decide to just pull over on the side of the road and explore. i felt so lucky to catch the sunset in the gorgeous palm tree field (which i am pretty sure was surrounded by a local lombark, indonesia farm). watching the sun set fire to the sky through the majestic palm branches was so incredible.
