DAY 3: UBUD to KUTA
My day didn’t start out okay:( I woke up at 4am cause I planned to leave at 5am for Tegallalang Rice Terraces and I meant to bike going there. However, I was woken up by the sound of the rain. So I accepted my fate and just stayed in my room until sunrise. Good thing the homestay was quite prompt with breakfast and I had mine at exactly 7am. Seriously love the breakfast at this homestay.
The rain still didn’t let up after 8am so I just decided to go out even if it was still raining, to return the bike. I also borrowed an umbrella from the homestay staff. It’s too bad I wasn’t able to utilize it a lot.
After returning the bike, I dropped by Seniman Coffee Studio, which is on the same street as my homestay. I cannot leave Ubus without going here! I tried cold brew karana cascara or coffee cherry tea. Then I ordered an apple pie to go with it. I basically had second breakfast. Hahaha. Seniman Coffee Studio is one of the best coffee shops in Ubud. I sat outside and I totally enjoyed the rocking chair. I also bought soaps from the studio. I took home coffee soap, orange and cinnamon. So far I have only used the coffee soap. 🙂
After breakfast, I walked around Ubud again, this time exploring the streets I haven’t been to. There are really a lot of cute cafes and restaurants in Ubud! I wish I could go to them all! It was also a bit cold cause it just rained so it was the best time to explore Ubud. I went to visit Kou Bali Soap as well to buy some soaps for souvenir. They smell really good. I think these are the best things to buy in Bali – soaps, or any beauty products cause they’re not expensive. I dropped by Ubud Market for a bit but since I’m good with souvenirs, I didn’t really explore much into the alleys.
I went back to the homestay and just waited for the van that will take me to Kuta. When I was planning my trip, I initially wanted to take Kura-Kura Bus but it turns I didn’t have to. There are a lot of travel agencies offering rides to different parts of Bali. There was one right next to my homestay so I booked there. The fare is pretty much the same as what you will pay with Kura Kura Bus, the advantage is you won’t need to wait at a bus stop, they will pick you up from your accommodation. I believe my pickup was at 12:30pm.
It takes about an hour and a half from Ubud to Kuta and I had a pretty good nap in the van. The lady sat beside me didn’t. I felt bad for her cause she wasn’t comfortable. Anyway, it was a smooth ride. The dropoff is at Jalan Legian. My hostel is actually just in Tuban so it was before the dropoff. However, since I’m not very familiar with the area yet, I decided to just get off on that street and take a taxi to my hostel. I think I can walk but it was around 2pm – it was super hot and I had my backpack with me so that would be tedious. I flagged a Blue Bird taxi and asked the driver to use the meter. It’s disgusting that it’s not automatic. Taxi drivers are pretty much the same everywhere. Also, make sure to give the exact fare. I think from the dropoff to my hostel is just Rp20,000 which is like $2. It was my only experience with taxis in Bali.
It was almost 3pm when I checked in at Lokal Bali Hostel. I love this hostel. It’s super cute and new, I wish I stayed longer! My bed had a curtain so there was privacy, and even if I was on the top bunk, it wasn’t so much of a bother to the one on the bottom bunk cause it’s not really 1 double deck bed. I really prefer capsule beds cause there’s more privacy and you don’t have to be careful of your every move. Although of course, you need to be wary of the noise you make cause other people might already be sleeping in their bunks. I stayed in a 4-bed female dorm and there were 2 bathroom and toilets inside the room, which is awesome!
Since I haven’t had lunch, the hostel has a menu for those who don’t want to go out. Naturally, I was sleepy after lunch so I had a nap. Hahaha. Also, I woke up really early that morning. I slept the whole afternoon and only came out to have dinner in the evening. LOL.
I decided to go to Lippo Mall, which is only a 10-minute walk from my hostel. I had dinner at Cosmic Diner. Ok, this was super cute! I wish I had the chance to roam around the restaurant and take photos but I was a little bit embarrassed. Also, I was really hungry. I had truffle mac and cheese and Mary Poppins milk shake. Plus, they have complimentary popcorn and Berry Bliss shot while waiting for your order. Kudos to the staff for being fast and friendly, too.
Lippo Mall is quite a happening place, too. There’s a band playing in front of the mall and there are tables and chairs where you can hang out and eat dinner or have beer.
It was already 10pm by the time I finished so there was nowhere else to go. I walked back to the hostel and went back to bed. Took photos of my beautiful hostel, too. ^^
DAY 4: KUTA
I woke up early cause I know it’s going to be a beach day! Maan and Eden were coming from Ubud later in the afternoon so I was going to meet them after lunch. I started my day with a morning walk by the beach. I started from Herman Beach (which is the one closest to my hostel) and ended up at Kuta Beach. There’s a lot to see here. There are a lot of hotels, restaurants, and temples by the beach. Also, there’s a part where the sand ends and there’s a boardwalk where you can walk. Some even jog and bike. It was perfect. I had bread with me (which I bought all the way from Ubud before I left) so I ate it while walking. I definitely took a lot of photos and videos during that entire walk.
I passed by Kuta Art Market while exiting from Kuta Beach but didn’t really buy anything. I’m good on the souvenir front. Haha. I went to find Bemo Corner Coffee Shop which is actually really close to where I was dropped off. I totally got lost looking for it until I asked someone who pointed me to the place. I was already super close when I asked, I literally just need to cross the street. I’m happy that it wasn’t crowded and I was able to get a table outside. I had avocado coffee and I super loved it! I think I stayed an hour at the coffee shop cause I definitely needed some rest after that walk.
I then started my Kuta tour. This tour includes Bom Memorial Bali and Hard Rock Cafe. I went through another gate going into Kuta Beach and took some photos. I didn’t really stay long since I will be going to another beach in the afternoon with Maan and Eden. I definitely enjoyed the small alleys leading up to Kuta Beach though. I saw a lot of interesting stuff. LOL. Then I walked back from Kuta to my hostel in Tuban using Jalan Kartika – saw lots of things again. By the time I got back to my hostel, my feet were already super tired. I rested for a bit while waiting for Maan and Eden cause they were already on the way to Kuta.
Maan and Eden picked me up from the hostel before proceeding to their homestay. We proceeded to Jimbaran where we had lunch first, before going to Pandawa Beach.
Ok, Pandawa Beach is not the cleanest, and I think parang mga Batangas-level lang sya sa Pinas but we had fun at this beach. Eden and I did swim for a while then spent the whole afternoon taking photos. There are showers at the beach and there are toilets that you can use, for a minimal fee. What we did was, we befriended some elders who owned a store near the beach. Maan bought some drinks from the store and stayed there so we left our things with her. You can rent some tables and chairs for a fee as well. You can stay for free if you buy something from the store. Ok, this is going to be photo heavy because we absolutely had a blast taking photos here!
Proof of attendance! 
We initially planned to watch the sunset at Jimbaran Bay, which is located on the other end but we totally lost track of time and the sun was already setting while still on the way. It was still quite okay though cause we totally loved the colors of the sunset from there.
I’m so happy we got to drop by the plane that’s randomly parked along Jalan By Pass Ngurah Rai. This is the highlight of my day!
Our last stop for the day is to buy pasalubongs! I didn’t really plan on buying anything but ohmigoodness, Krishna in Tuban is a pasalubong haven! Everything is super cheap and I wish I had more rupiahs with me! I wanted to buy some beauty products but I didn’t have enough money. I was able to buy some keychains and they were a steal! Seriously, this is the best place to buy souvenirs so make sure to have this as your last stop on your Bali trip.
After doing some shopping, we went back to our accommodation to freshen up a bit. I was actually wet from the beach cause I forgot to pack some extra clothes. We met up after some time to have dinner. I walked to their homestay so we can eat somewhere nearby. Okay, for some reason, I really felt comfortable walking in Bali even at 11pm. There was just one time that I felt quite scared but this was due to a creepy foreign guy – not one of the locals. I walked a lot in Bali, too and only used taxis and charters very minimally.
After dinner, we separated and took our much-needed rest since we had an early flight the next day. We had the same flight going back to Manila. Maan and Eden booked an airport shuttle through their homestay and they picked me up on the way since I’m closer to the airport.
