My Bali Experience
I’m just back from a very blissful month in Bali. It was a spur of the moment decision to go but it seemed from the moment I booked my flights, leaving on 22/2/22 (!) it all fell into place. I was staying with my brother Jamie White in Canggu and went up to Ubud twice for retreats and workshops also. The month flew by in a whirlwind of delicious vegan food, workshops and experiences. I’ve saved it all on a highlight on my instagram also if you want more details.
Things I Loved
I took part in a profoundly thought provoking 2 day workshop at the The Yoga Barn by Rick Smith. The course was on ‘Authentic Relating’ where we learnt skills for deescalating conflict but also just about the use of words for a deeper connection, understanding and empathy in relationships with friends and family.
Something rather clever that I’d never noticed before is that the word ‘Listen’ is an anagram of the word ‘Silent’. How appropriate.
The Yoga Barn offers an incredible variety of retreats, workshops, classes, detoxes and even teacher trainings. If you are interested in wellness I definitely recommend taking a look at their website.
The accommodation was simply stunning and so peaceful and there was also a gorgeous raw vegan cafe just a short walk away called Sayuri.
On the way to The Yoga Barn I came across this man carving these beautiful pieces. It was so wonderful to watch him work, he was incredibly talented. I love supporting local people’s work when I’m away somewhere, especially when you can see exactly who the money is going to. I bought this adorable heart that I just love.
I treated myself to some spa time including a facial at Muka.
Muka’s concept is to only use organic, locally grown and edible ingredients from artisan farmers to create their products. As they call it ‘Skinfood’, and your skin can really tell the difference.
Also a gorgeous clean (no polish) manicure in Spring Spa in Canggu. My nails felt so healthy after this.
As a juice fanatic I was delighted to find Green juices everywhere, and in recyclable bottles too. This place gave you money back for returning the bottles after use. It’s inspiring to see businesses taking that extra responsibility, more places should bring it in.
Something else that was absolutely everywhere… cute dogs!
Spending time with my brother Jamie White was so wonderful. I think if you have family you are close to in other parts of the world it’s so special and important to spend time in each other's worlds.
Jamie and I are similar, both from a loving family and received a fantastic education but chose slightly alternative paths career wise. Currently Jamie is living a dream life coaching clients virtually from around the world showing them how to transform their business with a speciality in practitioners in the wellness field. He was such a huge support to me when the pandemic hit, encouraging and helping me set up my cooking classes online which enabled me to keep doing what I loved despite all the uncertainty happening in the world.
He has also hosted club events for thousands as a student promoter as well as large scale wellness events in Dublin alongside owning and selling digital media platforms over the past 15 years so he really knows his stuff and I’m so very proud of him.
I wanted to share his story a little here too incase anybody is looking for guidance to take what you do to another level.
His is site is JamieWhite.com if you want to learn more.
Accommodation
I couldn’t have imagined anywhere better to spend my short post travel quarantine than here at Six Senses Uluwatu. I cannot recommend it more highly for such stunning views, tranquil settings and delicious food.
When I explored the resort gardens I was delighted to see they had 2 goats and grow so many of their own vegetables too!
Bali is typically very casual and also pretty hot and humid most days. I bought these Zzzana Bamboo PJs with me and they were lovely and cool. My advice would be pack lightly as I bought more fancy dresses and shoes and didn’t wear them at all.
Hotel Tjampuhan in Ubud was pure jungle vibes and had one of the most amazing spa settings I’ve ever seen..! I also especially loved the cat key!
Vegan Food Heaven
~ Cafes & Restaurants ~
The Shady Shack - I LOVED it here..! The food is delicious and it’s so so comfy.
Smoothie bowls at Matcha cafe were another definite favourite.
This spot is I am Vegan Babe. I have to say that I was very impressed, everywhere I went had great wifi also so it was perfect to set up and work away for a few hours.
There really were endless incredible places to find amazing vegan food and Zest Cafe in Ubud was another one. I really loved their vibe - peace, kindness and a love of food!
”In a world of divide we unite (not fight), except perhaps over the last bite.”
Lastly I want to mention Alchemy, a raw vegan and 100% gluten free restaurant. Their food creations were artworks and so delicious.
Unforgettable Experiences
Now here’s something I never pictured myself doing! I was a little anxious when I first got my scooter and it took me a few days to settle into and become more comfortable. Have you ever used one anywhere? The locals are experts, just amazing on them flying around but I kept it pretty slow and steady and actually began really enjoying the freedom of it. It definitely amplifies the island life vibes.
One of the first experiences I had of Bali’s magic was this beautiful water cleansing ceremony at Pura Mengening Temple. These springs pictured have existed since the 11th century.
Our guide Wyan took us through the ritual which involved being fully immersed under the water while she said blessings and asked for negative energy to be removed. It was really moving.
Afterwards she put rice on our throat chakra and forehead to nourish communication and intuition moving forwards. What a wonderful way to start my adventure here.
Have you ever tried surfing? I was so excited to give it a go but I quite quickly realised it’s not nearly as easy as the pros make it look. I totally loved it though and was so grateful to my wonderful instructor LaLu who guided and cheered me the whole way as I did my best to stand up!
Of course I had to have a foodie experience too and this morning spent learning about Balinese cooking was incredible. Healthy, colourful and so many beautiful flavours. This took place at Casa Luna in Ubud, they have accommodation, a spa, a restaurant and a cooking school with a wide variety of class options including a dedicated vegan one. It really was a highlight for me.
Monkey Forest Ubud - what a magical place! I loved my visit here so much, so special to share space with these amazing monkeys. This forest is both the sanctuary and natural habitat of the Balinese long-tailed macaque. It is located at Padangtegal Ubud, Bali and bout 1049 monkeys live here.
You can watch some videos of my trip there in my Instagram post about it >here<.
Bali sunsets have got to be undeniably some of the best out there.
I came to Bali on a spur of the moment trip both to enjoy it but also to focus on a few key areas of my life that were causing a lot of pain.
This is a prayer I’ve used for years by Catherine Ponder - that I love. It felt so in tune with my time here and a perfect note for me to leave on.
