Thursday, October 20, 2022
Bali
After waiting a year and a half to take this trip due to Covid, I finally got to experience the southern hemisphere. Bali is truly a very beautiful and tropical island that I highly recommend visiting. I used EF once again to travel to Indonesia and we had a group of 23 people and two amazing tour guides, Sumantra and Agung. This was a 12 day trip in total, including travel time. We stayed in three different cities in Bali; Seminyak, Ubud and Nusa Dua. I don't actually have a favorite city this time, normally I always do but my least favorite was the third place just because there was less to do. In Seminyak, we saw a few temples that were gorgeous and experienced Bali nightlife. We also did some shopping and learned how to barter in local currency. The group also took a day trip to another Island, one that is very popular on social media. It had some of the most gorgeous views and some that I recognized. We got to swim at one of the beaches we visited called Crystal Bay. This was a highlight for me. In Ubud, we saw more temples, got to take a local cooking class and plant our own rice and making a Bali offering. We also visited the infamous Monkey Forest, took a yoga class and got to experience a spa like no other. Our group also did the famous Bali swing and ziplined at the most photographed place in Bali; the Rice Terraces. In our final city, Nusa Dua; our hotel sat right on the beach so the views from the rooftop pool were stunning. We had more free time in this city but there was less to do. We mostly enjoyed the hotel, got another massage and enjoyed some water sports. We also visited one more temple and this one sat on a cliff overlooking the Indian Ocean and we got to watch a traditional Bali dance called Kecak. Overall, this trip was one of the best trips I've ever taken. I do sadly have to admit I was a little disappointed in some of the beaches, Florida's gulf coast is still nicer in my opinion. When the trip was over, I was ready to leave Bali but wasn't ready to come all the way back to the states. I was so close to so many other awesome destinations but I'll go back! Here are the photos I took and some I had to just fight through the rain as we visited Bali at the start of rainy season. Enjoy!
My next trip will be to Thailand with EF again at the end of January.
Thursday, July 21, 2022
Birthday Trip to Spain
Another successful birthday trip and a great way to celebrate year 31! I fell in love with Spain just as everyone said I would. My friend Grace, who joined me on my birthday trip last year, came on this trip as well. We visited Madrid, Barcelona and Seville. Madrid was my favorite hands down and I honestly could see myself living there one day. The food in Spain was incredible especially since I have to keep such a strict diet here at home in The States. The first meal I had was pizza. I have missed pizza so much. We also tried paella but honestly I didn't love it. But the markets in Spain are on a whole other level. The food is so fresh and so many options. Our hostel in Barcelona was right next to a massive open market. I want to move to Spain for the food alone.
In Madrid, we saw Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol, San Miguel Market, Park Del Retiro and the infamous Prado Museum. Which I was very hungover for since we stayed out until 5am that night before enjoying Madrid's nightlife. We want to buy the Airbnb we stayed in. Perfect studio in such a great location. There was so much we didn't get to see but saw enough to just love it.
We took the bullet train over to Barcelona where we stayed at a hostel in the Gothic Quarter. Great location and could walk to so many things. We walked to the beach although it was further than we thought. Barcelona is known for having topless beaches so we participated. It felt so freeing not wearing a top and honestly it didn't even feel weird. I have to admit I wasn't impressed with the beach though, the water is cold and rough and you sink trying to get in and out. The water also is very murky and the sand is coarse and uncomfortable to lay on. The beaches in Florida are honestly much better. We also experienced the club scene in Barcelona and the beach bars were cool but the club that was five levels and all different genres inside a huge warehouse now thats worth a stop. We couldn't have gone to Barcelona without seeing Park Guell and the very famous La Sagrada Familia. That church is insane and photos don't do it justice. Overall we liked Barcelona but very touristy and Madrid had a much better vibe.
Then we flew to Seville, the home of Flaminco dancing and where every street is photo worthy. Our Airbnb was amazing here, we loved the open floor plan loft. We saw a Flaminco show and had endless Tapas at a local restaurant. We also visited the Alcazar and saw a cathedral. Had the best pasta and wine. But the best part of Seville, aside from the picturesque streets and food, was the Setas de Seville aka The Mushroom. It's a giant wooden structure made up of all different lights. Walking under it is cool but going up to the top and watching the sunset was truly the best way to end our trip. Highly recommend if you're in the area.
This was the longest trip I've ever taken at 11 days. And we planned it all ourselves which actually is a lot of work but I'm proud of us. We're already talking about ideas for next year's birthday trip. London, Scotland, Italy, South Korea and South Africa are all top picks. My next international trip is to Bali in October!
Here are my photos from Spain...
Madrid:
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