I'm sure if you have Instagram you have seen lots of photos of Bali. These pics always cover the must see places and natural beauty of the island. But when it comes to where to stay, you might feel like you're a bit in the dark. I know that's how we felt when we decided to make the trip to Bali.

However, with our extensive experience with travelling and booking places to stay, I must say we discovered quite a gem on the inland of Bali, in the town of Jimbaran. Our goal was to find a clean comfortable hotel that wasn't over our budget but what we found was so much more at Alindra Villa.

At first glance we were in awe! It felt like we were dropped right down in the middle of the rainforest with traditional Balinese kampungs scattered about amidst the singing birds of Indonesia.  Not to mention the most inviting pools that we've ever seen! 

We were welcomed by some of the most friendly people I believe on planet Earth and then led to our "hotel room" which was not a room but rather a house! Other than a fully functioning kitchen we were provided with a full-sized living room and bath, a balcony and outside dining area on the bottom floor. On the top floor, there were 2 bedrooms and another full size bath, PLUS a balcony that wrapped around half of the house!

Besides the incredible pool, scattered around the premises were gazebos with beds, lounge chairs, Jacuzzis and a full service spa where we did indeed spend one of our days enjoying one of the best full body massages we have ever experienced.

The restaurant offered specific meals for each day, none of which were vegan. But that was not a problem! Once we explained our way of eating, the staff was more than accommodating and happily prepared dishes especially for us. The hospitality of the Indonesians is exceptional. They aim to please and always serve with a smile.

The Alindra Villa does offer different variations of suites and villas based on your desires. It ranges from smaller romantic suites with a private pool right next to your back door, to full size apartment style villas with a kitchen, private pool and private garden for more of a at-home experience.

We loved our accommodations despite it being located within the city. There are additional exclusive areas arranged along the beaches such as in Nusa Dua, but the price tag is much higher. Taking a taxi or a private car hire doesn't cost much in Bali. I highly recommend using Blue Bird Taxi, they are safe, reliable and honest. In Bali, felt as if we had the best of both worlds. We had a great relaxing time at our quiet villa and when we wanted to sight-see or needed a little more action, we hired a driver.  

Other places we were:
-Nusa Dua Beach
-Nikki Beach
-Melia Hotel
-Jimbaran Bay
-Kota Beach
-Rice Terrance Ubud
-Tegenungan Waterfall
​-Royal Palace Ubud
-Batubalan Village
​
How we booked:
Hotels.com -Alindra Villa

According to many and positively Instagram, Bali, Indonesia is one of the most beautiful and desired destinations on Earth. And I must agree! Bali is wonderful, tropical, colorful and yes, beautiful! Those photos on Instagram was enough to pique our curiosity. And since we frequent Malaysia to visit David's family we decided it was a must to check it out!

The sunsets are to die for! Because Bali and Indonesia is so close to the equator the humidity is very high. It is so intense that it creates huge storm clouds and you will often get sudden but somewhat short burst of very heavy rain. But this also makes for an amazing sky. As the sun begins to set the rays in a multitude of colors beam through these massive marshmallow-like clouds forming unique displays of candy colors that you can only see in this part of the world.

Bali is known as "The Land of a Thousand Temples" and "The Land of the Gods" and as you step out of the airport this goes without saying. As you walk out and through the lush garden, you immediately take notice of the giant statues of various Hindu gods that are worshiped by the majority of the population. A whopping 83% of Bali's population is Hindu! This gives reason to why most of the houses also have temples attached to them. It's estimated that there are over 500,000 Hindu temples in Bali. It's said that there's more temples than houses!

There are so many things to do and see in Bali. Bali is steep in culture and tradition and is quite vivid. It's not uncommon to see Balinese dancers or musicians performing as you walk through the city. Or you can buy tickets to a traditional Balinese dance at Batubalan Village. But be forewarned, these dances involve spiritual trances and possession (unbeknownst to us when we attended our first and only performance).

Although we loved seeing Bali and all of it's culture, our favorite moments are those spent playing on the beach, drawing in the sand and just being together. We also love to interact with the locals. Bali is also known as "The Land of a Million Smiles". And no matter where you are in Bali, you will find many smiling faces.

And then there was the hotel. We chose to stay inside the city because the prices are lower. But along with that, the hotel was incredible and the service out of this world! 

Keep on the look out for our next blog, featuring the hotel we stayed at. 

Where we were:
-Nusa Dua Beach
-Nikki Beach
-Melia Hotel
-Jimbaran Bay
-Kota Beach
-Rice Terrance Ubud
-Tegenungan Waterfall
​-Royal Palace Ubud
-Batubalan Village

Where we stayed:
-Alindra Villa