White sand beaches, bright green rice paddies, stellar surf, amazing food, and really strong coffee. Sound too good to be true? Well then, you must be in Bali. My husband (ooh, fun to call him that!) and I planned a trip to Bali for our honeymoon. Two weeks touring the island, a few locations on the agenda, and some extra days thrown in to follow the surf. We started our travels at the Ritz-Carlton in Jimbaran. I know, a little splashy, but after a twenty-hour flight, we just wanted to crash into a fluffy white bed. Plus, it was close to Uluwatu, and we were curious to check out the world renowned spot.
After we recuperated from our travel, we hired a driver from the Ritz to take us out for a surf adventure. When we got to the car, our boards were already loaded. Sweet! We headed to Dreamlands, which sounded somewhat manageable according to the books, and was apparently easiest to find with help from a driver. It was a beautiful place: white, white sand and turquoise water. However, that day it was mostly shore break, which always freaks me out. I wasn't ready to break my board, or my neck, on my first day, so mostly I just paddled around.
When we got out, our driver was ready with cool hand towels to wipe ourselves down and then he helped load our boards back in the car (oh, I absolutely love the Ritz). After our surf, we headed out to visit the Uluwatu temple magically perched on a hill, with adorable (and slightly threatening) monkeys all around. We also drove to look at the break at Uluwatu; we knew at that time of year the winds weren't ideal, but it looked amazing, if not totally intimidating.
After a few more blissful days at the Ritz, we boarded a boat to the little island just off of the southeast coast of Bali, called Nusa Lembongan. Now, I am not a huge boat person, so let me set the stage for you. There were probably twenty of us on a too-small fishing boat. Luckily, my husband and I got a real seat, with everyone else seated on plastic lawn chairs in the back.
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Bali
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