If you’re craving a tropical break where the surf and sunset cocktails rule supreme, the Holiday Inn Resort Bali Canggu delivers the ultimate island escape. Especially if you’re from Perth, where the three-hour flight time will have a mojito in your hand in no time. Located steps from Batu Bolong Beach, this vibrant resort blends laid-back coastal living with contemporary comfort, perfect for a weekend getaway or a longer tropical recharge if you can wing it.

Best location for a weekend getaway in Bali: Canggu

Set in the heart of Canggu, the resort is perfectly placed for beach clubs, surfing, boutiques and cute cafes designed for living out digital nomad dreams. Everything is within walking distance of the Holiday Inn Resort Bali Canggu, which is a big plus if you’re only in Bali for a short stay.

Batu Bolong Beach is a stroll away, beckoning sunrise walks and sunset sessions. It doesn’t get much more idyllic than cocktails from the resort’s rooftop bar as the sun slips into the ocean, but if you’re looking for more action, The Lawn Canguu and Old Men’s also offer epic views and lively evenings.

For a weekend getaway in Canggu, the convenience is everything and being so close to the best of Canggu means you will spend less time in Bali’s notorious traffic.

Fun vibes and chic design

The fresh design at the Holiday Inn Resort Bali Canggu feels playful and unmistakably tropical. Natural wood accents, colourful details, and contemporary furnishings give the resort a youthful energy while remaining polished.

Modern design elements pop against traditional Balinese aesthetics and the resort is designed by Bangkok-based Nava Studios in partnership with Placebo, a boutique design studio hailing from Jakarta. Contemporary amenities include a fitness centre, kids’ club and all-day dining.

The rooftop infinity pool is a standout feature – a social hub to gather around for sunset drinks or a dip at anytime of the day or night for showstopping sunsets

Why Canggu is perfect for a weekend getaway

Canggu can get busy, but there’s a good reason why it’s so popular for surfing, yoga, cafés, bar hopping and beachside cocktails. It’s not as hectic as Seminyak, and the laid-back beach vibe offers a creative and bohemian culture that attracts digital nomads and surfers in equal measure.

This compact enclave is easy to explore for a weekend but also lively enough to keep things interesting. For travellers short on time, that balance makes all the difference.

Funky rooms and suites

The resort’s 144 rooms, one-bedroom suites and special kids suites (ideal for families and friends) at the Holiday Inn Resort Bali Canggu are bright, modern and thoughtfully designed. Plush bedding, high-speed wi-fi, smart TVs, air-conditioning and private balconies elevate the experience, especially if you’ve scored a room with an ocean view.

I particularly like the coastal décor and the sliding walls in the bathroom, which you can close for privacy or open to maximise natural light and views.

Dining at the Holiday Inn Resort Bali Canggu

Unpretentious dining is what Canggu is all about at Roomah Restaurant, ranging from generous breakfast spreads to casual poolside snacks and cocktails at the Rooftop Pool Bar. The menu boasts a mix of Indonesian and Western dishes with an emphasis on fresh ingredients and healthy options.

Of course, you’re surrounded by endless smoothie bowls and satays galore just steps away for a change of scenery.

Travel tips for a Bali weekend getaway

• Arrive as early as possible on Friday to maximise your weekend and fly out as late as possible on Sunday night, or Monday if you’re lucky enough to have a long weekend.
• Make sure you have your eVisa organised in advance.
• Consider only packing hand luggage to make getting out of the airport quicker. Bali’s tropical weather means you’ll only need light clothing, and your bikini, of course.
• Book an airport transfer to avoid long taxi queues.
• If you’re a confident driver (where ‘confident’ is the operative word), rent a scooter or rely on Grab to get around to those places you can’t reach on foot.
• Make reservations for your activities, restaurants and beach clubs in advance.
• Don’t ever leave home without travel insurance, and be sure to check the conditions, especially if you plan on renting a scooter.

The dry season between May and September offers milder weather, and Bali’s year-round tropical weather is part of the charm.

La Brisa Sunday Market

Things to do in Canggu

Less is more when you’re short on time in balmy Bali, and Canggu has plenty to offer such as:

• Several markets, especially on weekends such as La Brisa Sunday Market (Sundays only), Old Man’s Market (last Saturday of every month) and Bali Niki Natural Art Market (daily).
• Surfing lessons at Batu Bolong Beach
• Go café and bar hopping, popping in wherever takes your fancy. I personally love Yuki for modern Japanese, Black Sand Brewery and Roomah Restaurant in your hotel.
• Enjoy the sunset on a beanbag at Batu Bolong Beach, Berawa Beach and Echo Beach
• Settle into a beach club for the day, as there are so many to choose from, including FINNS Beach Club, the boho-chic La Brisa and The Lawn, and you must experience at least one sunset at the Rooftop Pool Bar.
• Have you even been to Bali if you haven’t indulged in at least one massage or taken a yoga class?

The Holiday Inn Resort Canggu Bali is part of IHG Hotels and Resorts, which means you can earn points with their One Rewards loyalty program, and be rewarded at their 19 leading hotel brands. Check the website for year-round special offers and bookings.

I have been lucky enough to have been a guest at the Holiday Inn Resort Canggu Bali and I look forward to hopefully having the opportunity to return in the future.

If you’re lucky enough to have more time on your hands, combine your Canggu stay with a Romantic Bali Getaway: The Laguna, Nusa Dua or further afield with these Unique Places to Stay in Ubud or to The Wild West, Balinese Style in West Bali. 

The post A weekend getaway in Bali: Holiday Inn Resort Bali Canggu appeared first on Fluffy Towel Travel.

Eat and Lay

Fivelements Wellness Retreat (www.fivelements.org) draws upon the gentle Balinese culture and the five elements of water, earth, air, ether, and fire.

Fivelements’ living raw vegan menu in Ubud, Bali

Offering a raw living vegan menu to boost immunity and aid digestion, the key is to avoid food taken from animals which means no meat, fish or animal products including eggs or honey. Pulses, soya products, seaweed, wild rice, quinoa, wholegrain rice and millet are all allowed as well as all the fruit and vegetables you can handle in varying textures to achieve different tastes. In fact, the sweet banana crepes wrapped around avocado, mango cream topped with a fresh fruit compote and chocolate cream still causes salivation. With the combination of herbs and spices any dish can be flavoursome.

The spa menu is equally appetising with intoxicating chocolate body scrubs and alternative healing methods like tantra yoga for personalised energy. The sacred arts programs include a combination of Eastern philosophy blended with a Western lifestyle. Included are prayers with a Hindu priest, meditation, yoga, the martial art of Aikido, somatic therapy, Vinyasa flow (breath-synchronised movement) and expressive arts.

Fivelements spa treatment in Ubud, Bali

Set on the banks of the babbling Ayung River on the outskirts of Ubud, every structure in the resort is crafted from bamboo. and the treatments, meals and sweet dreams are serenaded by the river rapids.

Every structure is made from bamboo at Fivelements in Ubud, Bali

Bend and Lay

Nestled into the hillside and offering flourishing views every which way, ONEWorld Retreats (www.oneworldretreats.com) have paused their unique experiences in Ubud, Bali at the boutique hotel Kumara Sakti.  Once they welcome back their guests, there’s no questioning the level of inspiration generated at the retreats that may include yoga, Pilates, meditation, healing, spirituality and cultural experiences for all ages and levels of expertise. There’s no shortage of patience especially with yoga guru Wayan whose chanting at the end of sessions is designed to give goose bumps despite the humidity.

Finding your OM in Ubud, Bali

The day spa is renowned for an Ayurvedic Chakra Dhara Massage and is so relaxing that the concept of floating out of the window and into the lush forest isn’t out of the question.

The menu is healthy and tasty and the rooms are stylishly yet minimally appointed so as to not clutter the mind or the body. Other activities include rice paddy walks with a local, which offer an insight into the lives of those integral to the rice industry.  There are other excursions further afield like temple, village, volcano and market visits. Whatever you do, don’t forget your notebook and camera to capture all those flowing ideas and dreams.   www.oneworldretreats.com

A path to enlightenment in Ubud, Bali

Bend just a bit more

Spa, yoga and organic mecca Taksu Spa & Restaurant (www.taksuspa.com) is located in the heart of Ubud, Bali and is designed for those dedicated to treating their bodies like a temple. With a variety of yoga and movement art styles available like Balinese, Vinyasa, Patanjali, laughter and meditation forms, yoga sessions are designed to challenge. The inexperienced needn’t worry as there are smaller or private classes for the not-so bendy. Taksu means ‘spirit’ in Balinese and one element of harmonising the body is with a rejuvenating spa experience.

Careful not to step on these beautiful offerings to the Gods in Ubud, Bali

With a mix of Western and Eastern philosophies the treatments are varied and include traditional Balinese and Hawaiian holistic Lomi Lomi massages, as well as alternative remedies like Ozone Therapy which sends ozone through the ear canal or armpit with a specially modified stethoscope to boost your immune system.

The menu is organic and includes raw living food selections which when eaten in their natural form retain the vital life force nutrients like vitamins, minerals, amino acids and oxygen while providing the maximum amount of energy with minimal bodily effort. Even with the incentive of allowing more room for downward facing dog, the menu also includes seafood, chicken and many local favourites like satay and noodles as well as cooked options.

Sprawled throughout a jungle setting in Ubud, Taksu includes a series of pavilions and seating set unobtrusively into the landscape where you can quite easily escape to fantasize and write in between meals and treatments. That is unless you’ve brought your girlfriends along for a Taksu signature Sparty.

Write

How inspiring is this spot by the Ayung River in ubud, Bali

If there was ever a location to get creative, then the verdant terrain of Ubud is THE place and October 2021 celebrates the 18^th season of the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival (www.ubudwritersfestival.com), with strict Covid-19 protocols in place. 2021’s theme is Self-Reflection welcomes many inspiring Indonesian and international writers, readers and artists to dazzle with their insightful minds, poignant stories, song writing and creativity. The program is yet to be finalised but there will workshops, talks and book launches interspersed with magical events, languid meals, music, dance and of course, Ubud’s stunning panorama.

Who knows, you might become so inspired by this calibre of talent that you pen your own bestseller.

Naughty corners:

The naughty ribs at Naughty Nuris, Ubud, Bali

Your mind and body have been taken care of, but sometimes the soul longs to be naughty. Street-side Naughty Nuri’s (www.naughtynurisbali.com) certainly falls into the devilish category with its wicked martinis and BBQ ribs defiantly wafting over Ubud’s vegan community. If you’re really into pork then you can eat every part of it at any three of Ibu Oka Babi Gulung’s rustic restaurants; just ask any taxi driver and they’ll know where to go.  If upmarket indulgence is more your thing, then the Bridges (www.bridgesbali.com) spoils with delicacies like waygu beef, foie gras, imported cheeses and wine from the first custom built wine-room in Ubud.

The lush rice paddies in Ubud, Bali

Fancy exploring more of Bali? Then check out The Wild West, Balinese Style in West Bali.

The post Ubud, Bali: Eat, Lay, Bend and Write appeared first on Fluffy Towel Travel.

Lombok at sunset

With a staggering coastline and spectacular vistas galore and with the nearby Gili Islands Lombok is the ultimate tropical playground.

A lean man in speedos staggers towards me, heaving. Sweat clings to his olive skin as he puffs, “Whatever you do…don’t go to the second waterfall…it’s not worth it…it’s dangerous…I almost didn’t make it.” The man is accompanied by a dwarf, presumably his tour guide who rolls his eyes and marches ahead leaving the shattered man to his misery.

Sendang Gila Waterfall

Although we had done our research, I was getting the impression that perhaps the trail to the waterfalls wasn’t as easy as all those travel vloggers had made out. Only recently we had watched one family of YouTubers strap babies onto their chests and casually saunter down. We had been warned to not use the guides at the entrance who claim you’ll get lost in the jungle, even though there’s just one path, albeit a steep one.

I didn’t count how many steps down to the first waterfall, Sendang Gila Waterfall, all I kept thinking was it had better be worth the climb back up in 90% humidity. As you descend, Tiu Kelep Waterfall is to the right and according the man we met earlier, only for the intrepid.

Turns out, it was worth it. The power of the gushing water seemed to possess some kind of healing quality – all those positive ions swirling around against the lush backdrop almost turned the wanna-be Instagram models (who were determined to photobomb every photo) and an opportunistic monkey into oblivion. Well almost, until one curvy lass wearing a flesh-coloured dress appeared to be naked in the background. It wouldn’t have been the first time we’d been exposed to public nudity on this trip as one woman stripped down to nothing at an icon sunset spot on Gili Air. Why worry about 80% of the conservative population being Muslim?

Did I mention its hot? So hot I’m renaming Lombok and the outlying Gili Islands to Bikram Islands. About halfway back up from the waterfall I spy something out the corner of my eye, and suddenly hear a shriek very close to my ear. I turn around to see a monkey perched on the handrail baring his teeth at me. I suddenly find the energy to up the pace – at least until the next steep staircase, where I move aside to let the dwarf come back down with another unassuming victim.

Chandi Boutique Hotel Lombok

Emerging out onto the road at the top we retreat to Rinjani Lodge, named after Rinjani Volcano, which dominates Lombok’s landscape resembling a scene out of Jurassic Park, minus the dinosaurs. Nearby Komodo Island is where you’ll find these. Here we bump into the man in the speedos again except now he’s more respectably dressed and has almost recovered from his ordeal at the waterfalls – well almost.

The lunch and views were spectacular and span over rice paddies all the way to the coast. We head to even more spectacular views of paddies of rice, chilli, carrots, cabbage, onions and gardens from Sembalun Village, about 30 minutes away.

The chequered pastures of Sembalun Village

I can’t recommend this enough, and not just because its cooler, although very welcome. Sembalun lies at the base of Rinjani Volcano and is known for its fertile soil and agriculture. The breathtaking chequered views are easily reached by a small trek up a hill (honestly it really is small) and there is a small fee for which you get a guide, who in our case was accompanied by a chatty and pregnant cat. Be vigilant though, as there are two paths and the first one to right leading up the Instagram-able star platform, which was broken, was overrun by aggressive monkeys jumping along the path and mountainside – word must have got out among the monkey community that a vulnerable and sweaty white woman was in the vicinity.

The village is traditional and very welcoming. There are ways to participate in planting and harvesting and although I didn’t have the opportunity to explore, perhaps the tourist board or your hotel can point you in the right direction.

Pikey Coffee

The region borders Mt Rinjani National Park and offers organic farm stays and tours, including strawberry and coffee plantations, and this is something I’d love to do on my next trip to Lombok.

But for now, we stop off for coffee at Pikey Coffee Plantation before passing through villages and coastal bays twinkling in turquoise for the three-hour journey back to the Chandi Hotel in Sengiggi. I loved this boutique hotel for its low-key luxe vibe, spacious villas and cool sea breezes dancing through the palm trees.

Lombok isn’t as well known as its Bali neighbour and there are still many signs of devastation from the August 2018 earthquake, and no doubt now from the pandemic. Over 500 lives were lost during the earthquake, thousands injured and complete villages flattened leaving over 20,000 people homeless and displaced. They’re still recovering and rebuilding their lives and I’ll never forget the image of an elderly lady huddled over her market stall in front of a pile of rubble that was once her home.

Or of the waitress who had lost her entire village in the earthquake. It took months for the electricity and water to be reconnected and even now many are still living in temporary and unsafe and unsanitary shelters.

The turquoise waters of Mawun Beach

Then there were the little girls at Mawun Beach near Kuta (nothing like the overdeveloped Kuta on Bali) who hassled us to buy bracelets – I relented and before I knew it was surrounded by girls arguing over who should have the sale. I had already promised one girl who had impressed me with her personable sales technique but I ended up buying something from all of them, no doubt at an inflated price. It’s hard to haggle when a few dollars can make such a difference.

Although Bali’s Mt Agung hovers nearby, the two islands are very different. Lombok’s untamed mountains appear to roll into the pristine sea only briefly pausing for powder white or volcanic black sand. The culture is conservative and being predominantly Muslim there’s very little evidence of the excesses that tourism has brought to Bali. Beautiful beaches, jaw-dropping scenery, treks, water sports, fantastic food, stunning sunset and relaxing are the main attractions on Lombok – it’s the epitome of slow travel.

On our way to Gili Air

There are direct four-hour flights from Perth to Lombok with Air Asia and you can also take a ferry from Bali. My trip was self-funded and I stayed at the Chandi Boutique Hotel Lombok and Sunrise Gili Air Resort, Beachclub and Bar – this tiny island is carless and utterly charming. I highly recommend both hotels and to hire your own driver on Lombok from Grab (but check the driver’s reviews before committing) and create your own tour and unforgettable experience.

Swinging at sunset on Gili Air

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