Bali - Seminyak & Canggu

Hello everyone,

I am writing to you after a few quieter days and today I will tell you more about the 'classic' party districts of Seminyak and Canggu in the southwest of the island of Bali. Now that you know my travel style a little better, you may be wondering: 'Britta in the party district with lots of people and loud music?' It sounds like fake news at first. Well, it kind of is and kind of isn't.

After gathering my things in Amed and treating myself to a second breakfast in the cool café across the street because the hostel breakfast wasn't very satisfying, I wasted some time and then got on the booked bus to Kuta. I had actually ordered breakfast without bacon, but I didn't want it to end up in the trash for no reason.

The bus was a mini-bus, which are often seen here on the island. The air conditioning was only moderately successful, as the older couple in the front believed that an open window would provide better cooling. The journey itself took about 4 hours and at some point the bus stopped and the bus driver told the passengers that those who wanted to go to Uluwatu or Seminyak could get off here, as Grab/GoJek would be cheaper from here. Two other travelers wanted to go to Uluwatu and got off at the busy road - with some mistrust, but still. So I dared and got off as well. But when the driver told me that I had to go to the other side of the road to go in the right direction, I started to regret the decision a bit.

So there were 3 women with 2 backpacks each standing on a busy street with phones in hand, trying to find a suitable vehicle. But since we all felt quite uncomfortable, we ventured along the previous exit from the road and (we couldn't believe it ourselves) suddenly found ourselves in the middle of a luxury shopping center, which was only 30 meters away from the main road. From there, I took a Grab to my accommodation, which is located exactly between Seminyak and Canggu. I specifically chose it that way so that I wouldn't have to endure a party crowd for 24 hours. In addition, there is a nice pool area and I felt like lounging a bit.

That's what I did for 1.5 days, before heading to the next temple and taking a walk to watch the sunset.

I started walking at one temple and came out at another temple. The whole walk took about 1.5 hours and was a really great experience. On one hand, because the views and the different beaches were really nice, and on the other hand, because I may have slipped and fallen on the slippery, still wet stones, causing my feet to slip out from under me. But fortunately, nothing happened except for a few bruises and clothes that smelled fishy from the seawater. And since I only encountered (if at all) local fishermen on the way, no one saw this mishap.

Unfortunately, when I arrived at the temple, it wasn't as quiet anymore, as this temple is one of the favorite temples for tourists. But fortunately, tourists are always only the others! ;) But thanks to my walk, I even managed to avoid the entrance fee and could observe the people in addition to the temple.

After the temple, I had something really delicious to eat and then it was off to bed and shower, as I could smell myself when I sat in the restaurant.

The next day, I had something similar planned and got immersed in the stories of my books. After I had brought Lea her earplugs from Amed, we met up in the evening for the sunset and had dinner together.

A beautiful sunset and overall a nice evening. Also, it was quite quiet because the locals were all preparing for the upcoming holiday and had set up all sorts of offerings and special decorations in the streets.

As you can see, I successfully hid from the partygoers and still managed to discover the quieter spots and religious sites in this area. When I rode my scooter through the main streets of these two areas, I also realized for myself that it was the absolutely right decision and that I can't enjoy this kind of tourism nor do I really like it. Live and let live seems to be the motto here!

In my next post, I'll briefly tell you about my great surfing experience with Wayan, and then almost 4 weeks in Bali will be over. Time is flying and I have to say that I'm incredibly excited for New Zealand and my own car, and also for milder temperatures!

Feel sweaty hugs and squeezes!

Yours, Britta