Dear Diary #1: Bali Cafes, Must-do's, Uluwatu Temple and more!
Awarta Nusa Dua
Today marks week TWO of living in Bali! Wow it even seems crazy to type... If you would have told me a year ago that this is where I would be today, I definitely wouldn't have believed you. I feel like I am living in a dream and I am definitely not ready to wake up!
Upon arriving in Bali, we had such a nice greeting from a mutual friend named Brian. We were picked up from the airport and taken to Awarta-- a beautiful 5 star resort in Nusa Dua! It was an incredible introduction to Bali and the warmest welcome we could have possibly imagined, but we were pretty spoiled right away and then had to settle back down to reality after our lovely 5-night stay. ((See more about our stay at Awarta on League Travels! I cannot more highly recommend this place!!))
Mornings at Awarta were spent ordering whatever we wanted off of the breakfast menu ((because breakfast is included with every night's stay...hello!)) and if you know Zach and I at all, you know how happy this made us. We are completely obsessed with breakfast!! We shot most mornings and then spent the afternoons working or trying to sort out our new life... aka trying to find a home after our stay there, getting Indonesian phone numbers, and trying to sort out our visa situation, etc. In the evenings we would try and do some exploring! One night we randomly ran into this amazing fiesta called 'The Colors of Nusa Dua'-- it was so cool! There were tons of food tents from local vendors and live performances happening on stage. We loved it! Another night we went to the Uluwatu Temple for sunset and to watch Kecak, a traditional Balinese fire dance. Each and every day had it's own unique challenges as we were adjusting to a new time zone, a new lifestyle, a new way of transportation ((aka motorbikes-- rain or shine!)), and just a new LIFE in general... but we have been loving every minute of it!!
It was finally time to head to our next home: a 7-night Airbnb stay in Canggu! We were sad to leave Nusa Dua, but super excited to start living in Canggu. It was the area of Bali that we had been researching for months after thinking that it would be the perfect place to start our new life in Bali. From our first few moments in Canggu, it honestly felt like home. We keep saying that it feels like a tropical Williamsburg, haha! It feels young + trendy with tons of cute cafes and boutiques on every corner, but still developing and grungy too. It's the perfect mix of relaxing beach vibes, with just enough stuff happening to keep us entertained. We were living off of Batu Balong-- which is one of the main streets in Canggu. We call this the 'Bedford Avenue' of Canggu. :) ((If you have no clue what I am referring to, Bedford is the street we lived off of in Brooklyn and is a super popular street for restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques, etc. It is now even a tourist attraction in NYC!))
Since arriving in Canggu, we have basically been eating our way around the area, quite literally! We haven't really had access to a fully functioning kitchen so we've basically had to eat out for every meal. However, I am totally not complaining because it's been such a cool way to get to know the area and feel like locals... plus the food isn’t so bad either. ;) We will be posting about our favorite cafes and restaurants soon on League Travels, so make sure to stay tuned! But I will go ahead and tell you my obsession, if you haven't already caught on from Instagram: SMOOTHIE BOWLS. Omg seriously, I cannot stop eating them and they are all SO beautiful and colorful!! Also, who knew the color of dragon fruit was even a natural color?! It is so vivid! I am obsessed!! Ha!
Our 7-night stay came and went, and now we found a new home for 1 full month! We may even end up extending it, depending on how we like it. So far we have been here for 3 nights and it's been great! It is still in Canggu, but a little further out in an area called Pererenan. ((Side note: hearing an Indonesian say this the correct way might be the most fun ever. Every 'r' is rolled beautifully and it sounds so cool! I completely butcher it every time... lol but at least I try.)) It is actually a brand new house and we are the first tenants to stay here! There are 3 bedrooms so each room will be rented out to people. We have the master and it is pretty incredible. Not to mention, it is a small fraction of what we paid in NYC and has a massive bathtub, gorgeous swimming pool, balcony views overlooking rice fields, and about a 5 minute scooter ride to the beach. I am still having a hard time believing that this is real life because it is just so different than what we are used to! We have many lizard friends, are embracing humidity like never before, and I may or may not put mascara on for a fancy night out. It's a whole new world... haha!
This life of chasing sunsets, temple hunting, surfing, and healthy eating is pretty incredible, and I am not taking it for granted! So many people have told us time and time again that we are "so lucky." Don't get me wrong, we definitely do feel so incredibly grateful for our life and what we are doing, but to get to where we are at has not been an easy road. We've had to sacrifice a lot and have put a lot of trust and faith into each and every step. Every day we have to remind ourselves that we really feel like God has paved the way for us to be here. We miss our family and friends a lot, but we are excited for this new adventure! Our new friends at Hillsong Bali have really made us feel so welcomed, and attending church here really helps to make us feel at home. I can't wait to keep you guys posted with our journey as it unfolds and I will be using these 'Dear Diary' posts to keep you in the loop wherever we go!
Thanks so much for reading!! I know this is longer than my usual posts, but I hope you enjoyed it!
As always, if you have any questions or comments, make sure to let me know below!! Until next time!
Xo- Tara
PS- Shop exact + similar looks below! :)
