Gear Up for some Groovy Bali Adventures Baby!
While you're here, explore the island's stunning beaches, visit iconic temples, and immerse yourself in its rich history and vibrant culture. Bali is a magical place with a lot of spiritual vibes and holy spots to explore. From the peaceful rice terraces of Ubud to the hip markets and swinging dining scene in Seminyak, there's something for everyone. Dive into crystal-clear waters, catch a cool traditional dance performance, and groove on the island's artistic heritage. We hope you have a blast and enjoy everything Bali has to offer!!
Alright! So here are some of our favourite places to go in Bali (some of them are still in our bucket list tho)
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However, these lists also came from a lot of local friends' recommendations so buckle up and get ready to experience a lot of new things!
BEACH
I know some of you would chase that beautiful sunset while in Bali. The best place to catch the perfect sunset would be around on the West coast , which for us is Tabanan, Canggu, Seminyak, Legian and Kuta. The beaches in this area are a black sand beach but the sunset here is soooooo beautiful! You’ll be witnessing when the sun goes down the horizon with a perfectly round pink reddish colour. This is something that you don’t wanna miss!
WEST COACH BALI
Seseh Beach
Pererenan Beach
Echo
Beach
Mejan Stone
Beach
Canggu
Beach
Batu Bolong Beach
Nelayan
Beach
Berawa
Beach
Batu Belig
Beach
Kayu Aya
Beach
Seminyak
Beach
Double Six
Beach
Padma
Beach
Kuta
Beach
Petitenget
Beach
Karma Kandara Beach
Private
ULUWATU
If you’re looking for a white sand beach with crystal clear water, Uluwatu is the only answer. They also have a lot of nice beach bars with bean bag and umbrella provided by them. You just need to rent or sometimes having a minimum spend to enjoy the complimentary towel, bean bag and umbrella. The only cons about Uluwatu is you won’t be able to see the full sunset, where you can see the sun disappear across the horizon :( . It’s ok though as at least you get the most beautiful white sand beaches. And the water is reallyyyyy warmmm!
Nunggalan & Nyang-Nyang
please be aware that there is no appropriate infrastructure built on this area yet. If you decide to go, please be ready to hike. It’s more for intermediate to advanced level.
Sundays
Beach Club
Private
Suluban Beach
great for intermediate/advanced surfers but please ensure you check the tides if you are planning to go all the way down
Padang Padang Beach
Great for beginner surfers
Kubu
Beach
Balangan Beach
Dreamland Beach
Bingin Beach
Melasti Beach
Uluwatu Beach
SANUR
This is our friend’s (Upong) favourite beach area and a quieter part of the island - if you’re staying around here you can check out the following.
Sagara Ayu Beach
Sanur Beach
MOUNTAIN
Well, this is not really a mountain. It’s more like something that has something to do with nature that does not have beach vibes. Most of these places would be located in Ubud which we think is such a beautiful place with a lot of greenery and cooler weather.
Batur Kintamani Highland
Tibumana Waterfall
Campuhan Ridge Walk
Goa Gajah
White Water Rafting
Ceking Rice Terrace
Sangeh Monkey Forest
CULTURAL
ACTIVITIES
Ooooo don’t get us started on this.
The list of the cultural activities would be endless.
But at least, you need to try one of these lists.
Green School Bali
Bali Museum
Tirta Empul Ceremony
if you want to experience the purification ritual
Ulun Danu Beratan Temple
Desa Wisata Panglipuran
Museum Puri Lukisan
The Blanco Renaissance Museum
Ubud Palace
Pura Lempuyang Luhur
Besakih Great Temple
Tanah Lot
Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park
Uluwatu Temple
DIVING
SURFING
MASSAGE
Bodyworks Bali (Seminyak)
Aisis Spa
(Nusa Dua and Sanur
We personally always go to Aisis Spa just because we love that deep and hard pressure when it comes to a massages. But if you just want to have a nice experience with good service and good facility, Bodyworks is the only answer. You need to book ahead though at it is very popular!
PARTY
Our only advice, especially for Aussies coming to Bali for the first time, is
I know you guys been waiting for this specific list you debaucherous party animals! Don’t worry we love party and we’re also wild so maybe that’s why we’re meant to each other HAHAHAHAHA. Alright, Bali is pretty diverse in terms of party places. We would say that one of the coolest places to party right now would be in Canggu/upper Seminyak :( i know i know :( it’s pretty far from the venue, but you know what, you can just travel and get that grab/gojek/car to get you there.
Do not show up at 6pm.
You don’t wanna make that mistake. Nothing really gets started before 11pm, and things only really get swinging after midnight. So make sure you have a proper dinner, hang around somewhere first, drink that fancy wines from that fancy lounge and get yourself ready to boogie later.
Oh! There are some places that starts early tho, most of the beach bar in Uluwatu would always start early. So if you’re a high functioning corporate alcoholic and love your day drinking, it would be perfect to do this on the beach and enjoy that nice red sunset sky.
For any of the places listed below we would advise you to check their instagram for events/shows/details as the majority of places will post the most up to date information on instagram (moreso than in AU) . While the big parties are on/close to the weekend, just because it’s a Monday/Tuesday doesn’t mean there is nothing going on - please be sure to double check!
NIGHT LIFE IN CANGGU
Finns Beach Club
Miss Fish
Mexicola Canggu
Pretty Poison
Desa
Kitsune
Atlas Super Club
NIGHT LIFE IN SEMINYAK
Da Maria
This is the most favourite place we have! The vibe, the people, the music, everything is amazing! It really reminds you of an eastern suburbs bar but with less smug crowds.
Da Maria
Mrs Sippy
Pool Party
Potato Head
Beach Club
Cafe del Mar
Shishi
La Favela
Bali Joe
Gay Club
(no relation...)
Single Fin
NIGHT LIFE IN ULUWATU
SAVAYA
this is a must to do list when you’re in uluwatu! One of our favourite place to dance and the place is so beautiful!
El Kabrons
Hatch
BEACH CLUB
Karma Kandara
Sundays Beach Club
Single Fin
Alila Seminyak Beach Club
La Briza
Finns Beach Club
Savaya
Cafe
Revolver
Cafe
Suka Espresso Uluwatu
Cafe
Da Maria
Resto
Jimbaran Fish Market
Resto
Indigo Berawa
Japanese
Resto
The Rize
Resto
Ulekan Canggu
Best sunset and
grilled fish in Indonesian style
Go check their instagram if you want to see the Balinese Dance Performance, they usually have it every Monday
YOGA
The Practice
The Yoga Barn
The Istana
SALON
& SPA
SHOPPING
CENTRE
The Hair Bali
Rob Peetom
Spring Spa
Canggu & Uluwatu
La Joya Senses Spa
Beach Walk
Seminyak Village
Batu Bulan Jewellery in Jalan Batu Bulan
Pasar Seni Ubud
OUR STORY
![v805-kul-17 [Converted]-01.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bf8ad5_567e1879b3434e9e983582864bb00899~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_772,h_1158,al_c,q_90,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/v805-kul-17%20%5BConverted%5D-01.png)
Well, this is gonna be a long long story to tell. Maybe we can start from where they both came from.
While some of you may have heard this story before, we'll take it from the beginning just in case you haven’t.
Okaayy, so the bride here, Noya - this is a nickname back from when she was still a kid and she couldn’t pronounce the ‘R’ in her name - she’s actually a girl from a very small village in Lampung, on the Southern tip of Sumatra, Indonesia. When she was in university, she got into a heated argument with her Mum (sorry Mum), and decided to leave home to Jogja to continue her studies there. Yes this sounds very dramatic but if she had never made that decision back in the day then you wouldn’t be here today reading this boring essay.
Now, we’re talking about the groom. Jonathan or Joe for short. For those of you wondering why his nickname is Joe and not Jonathan - it’s because his Dad really liked the song “Hey Joe,” a song by Jimi Hendrix (Hey Joe… where you going with that gun in your hand…). Joe was born in Jakarta but grew up in Sydney, Australia having moved over around 1998. For PoCs you could call Joe a banana - yellow on the outside but white on the inside (perhaps even a coconut during the summer). What this means is that he is effectively immune to racism as he can play both sides, and is allowed to laugh freely to racial humour. So in 2017, he decided to do an exchange program in Jogja because he wanted to understand more about his background, including his culture and identity. And just like the Aussies who come to Ubud, Bali he did ‘find himself’... and also Noya.
Uuughhh, not sure if I should say this, but I guess this is ok. I mean we did not live through the cinderella era anymore, like who tf gonna pick up a random shoe and try to find the owner? We live in a modern world with a smartphone one click away and a dating app one swipe away.. WHOOOPS!! Yeah, this is not a fairy tale, they actually reconnected with each other because of Tinder! Yeah, the bride just thought if she can’t get Joe’s number then maybe she should look for him on Tinder nyahahahhahahaha DREAM COMES TRUE!!!! Joe was on Tinder! Her assumption of everyone being on Tinder those days was right! And she’s still always right, even until today. (The old 2017 tinder is long gone now, kids don’t try this in 2024).
The story started when Joe decided, in his first week in Jogja in 2017 to join a trivia night organised by Project Child Indonesia (an NGO that provides an alternative education for kids living on the Code and Kricak River Side) and coincidentally, the bride was the one who was in charge for the event. But the thing is, they didn’t actually have any proper interaction at this event. They did meet but the only words that he said was just ‘hallo, aku duduk dimana ya’ (hi, where can I sit) in Indonesian with a thick Australian accent. So, the bride did notice him but could not pay much attention since the trivia night was just another work event for her and she needed to stay professional (well no, she actually could not, as she actually asked one of the volunteers to get his number for her, but too late, he left before the mission was even accomplished).
BUT THEN HOW DID THEY MEET?!!!!!
'First Date'
he thought it was a date but it’s actually just another work event for her
So they finally talked and met and Noya invited him to come to the Valentine’s party. She said that “this is a very important party, Joe and all the tickets from the night will go to Project Child to help the kids living in Code and Kricak riverside so they can get a better education.” Well, she just knows how to beat that sweet spot on Joe’s heart. And of course, Joe with his belief in service would agree and even invited more friends - yaaay Noya won again - and as expected Joe would bring more friends nyahahahhahaaha. As soon as Joe arrived, Noya was actually ignoring him because hwatttt???? Because she was working lolololol. Joe thought it was a date but it’s actually just another work event for Noya and Joe was simply another outbound customer (Tinder was Noya’s CRM back then, not Salesforce). We’re very sorry for you Joe.
When was their
first date, then???
Well, the Valentine’s party wasn’t exactly on the 14th of February. So Joe wasn’t giving up,
he asked Noya to come for dinner with him in Nanamia Pizzeria on Valentine's day.
She said yes even though she did hesitate. She actually forgot about the dinner and almost bailed last minute until Joe texted her “hey i’m here already”. So she got her ass off and put on a basic t-shirt and long pants. When she arrived, she almost bailed again because Joe dressed up pretty well and she.. She just looks like a hobos with messy hair and a plain t-shirt. Ooo not a good start! She did not even remember that it's Valentine's day, when you’re single and you’re seeing no one, trust me it’s pretty easy to forget this type of stuff.
Dinner started, the conversation was flowing and Joe mentioned that “today is a Valentine’s day” followed by a shocking disappointment coming from Noya’s response on “oh i forgot, i’m not a big fan of Valentine’s day - and i don’t understand why they always buy flowers ? why not buy something more useful like idk, perfume? Or something that you can use throughout the years?’ hmmm she was actually just being salty on couples who celebrate Valentine’s day , because you know, she was single at that time. As for Joe? He was SHOOOOKKKK!!!
After an awkward pause, he sheepishly took out the red roses that he hid in his bag and with a sad voice he said ‘I actually bought you flowers. I didn’t know that you actually didn’t like them. I actually just got an idea from your friend and she suggested that I buy you flowers’ but yeah, finally, that Valentine’s night was actually their first date and so many things happened including Joe’s flowers that were almost forgotten and left behind on the taxi home. I feel bad for those flowers :( sorry again Joe 🙁
Falling in love???
Well, they don’t really know when they started falling in love. But Joe already said he did very soon after the first date HAHAHAHAA and then he made an excuse to move in with Noya after one month dating. He said he wanted to save more money and the rent can be cheaper if it’s split between two and for some reason Noya believed him. Cheaper?????? The rent in Jogja seriously costs nothing for Australians. One pair of Nudie Jeans can basically can cover a month's worth of rent and Joe’s reason to move in was to save money???? In hindsight it did not make sense. But Noya did not know. So she just said ok and let’s live together!
Noya moved to
Sydney
Sadly, the time of student life had to come to an end and Joe needed to face the reality that he had to go back to Sydney and finish his degree and get a job. At the same time, Noya was also finishing her thesis and would graduate soon. During this time she’s also moved to Bali for work. Joe and Noya tried long distance relationship for a few months, with Joe taking multiple trips to Bali, but like most long distance relationships, a decision had to be made on whether they had a plan to reunite to continue their relationship or whether the end was finally coming. One of them needed to make a sacrifice and take leap of faith and they decided that Noya would move to Sydney.
After settling down in Sydney, with so many ups and downs between, they had their first child, Ray. Ray, named after Ray Charles, is a Bengal cat who is the cleanest yet chonkiest one in the family. Not long after, they got an anxious and yappy dog named Boney, after Boney M. She’s the cutest and biggest drama queen in the family. She’s also smaller compared to Ray - what a strange pair!
Boney
Ray
The Proposal
So the thing is, Joe never actually got down on his knees and said the words “Will you marry me?” Big no but maybe this is why we thought it was actually funny. He was too nervous to say it. Instead, he just gave Noya the box wrapped with paper and said ‘nih!’ (it means ‘here you go’ in Bahasa Indonesia) and Noya pretending not to understand what actually happened responding in ‘huh? What’s this? A present?’ even the chef and the waitress at Gaku Robata did not even realise Joe was proposing. Oooo Jooooeee, you’re such a funny guy! Good job tho! Because our bride here never likes the attention and never wants to be the centre of attention. So, good job!
The Intimate Wedding
Joe and Noya are married already. Their intimate wedding was 24th of February 2024 with only immediate family in attendance. But ayo! The party needs to happen! It will be celebrated in Uluwatu, Bali on 25th of October 2024.
The Future
Their journey is still very long and I'm actually excited to see what the future holds! But please do not ask them where the baby is?? Is the baby coming? Because they already have two and it’s Boney and Ray!
The love for the bushland, the forest and the wildlife
For some of you who know them personally, their love towards nature and wildlife is unlimited. So, for this wedding celebration if some of you may want to contribute a little bit to their wedding journey; instead of giving them a wedding gift or money, they would like you to donate to the orangutan foundation
Every part of their life has always involved a love of wildlife and natural conservation. The forest is where they breathe, and wildlife is the protector they respect. Now that they’re celebrating their love in Indonesia, they want to share the joy with the orangutans in Kalimantan. Their habitat is almost gone due to land clearing, and they hope your small contribution can help the foundation restore their natural habitat.
Message Board
The Wedding of Noya & Joe
The Wedding of Noya & Joe