SVong-Along

TLDR: I'd recommend Gili Islands if you like to scuba/want to learn how to dive, have extra days visiting Bali, want to drink/party with Aussies, and/or want pictures sitting in a swing near the ocean. Not having a care in the world - except getting a pic for the gram. Half a day away from Bali, are a few tiny islands known as the Gili Islands. I first heard about them from a random girl on a train in Peru, who told me that was her favorite part of Bali. Janet and I had booked two nights on Gili Trawangan, and found a driver/boat service there after we were in Bali. We left our hotel in Ubud at 6 AM, got to the port around 8 AM, and our ferry left around 9 AM. A little over 2 hours later, we got to Gili Trawangan, the largest of the three islands. One of the first signs was this- and it represents the plethora of beer/bar options on Gili T. Right after getting on the port we walked .4 miles along the main street- noticing all the bars, places to learn how to...

It's been almost 2 months since Bali, but I still miss the beach and being on vacay mode.   The trip could be categorized as eat, pray/play, love: eat is obviously eating, pray is praying at all the religious sites, play is for fun experiences, and love since I went for my friend Joey's wedding . Here are some highlights of things to eat and the sight-seeing in Bali: Eat:  Mangosteens by the beach - the Mangosteens were actually from Singapore tho   Nasi and mi goreng - fried rice and fried noodle Luwak Coffee: Babi guling special- roast pork with rice Satay: Dinner at Sangsaka with Blair: Pray: Stunning view at Uluwatu Temple Tirtha Empul - Holy Water Ritual Ulun Danu Batur: Play: Tegenungan waterfall: Tegallalang rice terrace swing: Infinity pool at Puri Sebali in Ubud: Strolling along Seminyak beach on the last day:

Magical, beautiful, and better than "Eat Pray Love" the movie! My friend Joey, who I've known since 2010, invited me out to Bali for her and her husband Sonny's wedding. Despite barely planning the trip, my coworker Janet and I made it out to Indonesia. The wedding ceremony took place near Uluwatu- on the westside of Bali, with clear blue pools over looking the horizon. Their was a nice zen-like walkway, leading up to a stunning glass building with an amazing view of the ocean. The ceremony was full of fresh and fragrant Balinese flowers,there were Indonesian staff serenading love songs (in English), and I even saw monkeys playing on the tree outside. After the ceremony itself, the photographers arranged for separate groups i.e. bride's family, groom's family, coworkers, friends from United States, etc. to take pictures with the bride and groom. We then took a bus to the reception venue, and it was cocktail hour/wine time. After grabbin...