Breathtaking Bali in Indonesia
A jewel in the Indonesian archipelago!
When my dear Australian friend, Sahra, started dreaming about a fun way to celebrate her 40th birthday, she reached out to my friends and I with whom she served years ago in Cambodia. What an honor!! The conversations started last year already and by spring of this year (2025), we had a date on the calendar to meet in Bali, Indonesia. Indonesia is made up of approximately 17,508 islands and is the world’s largest archipelagic state. Bali is a place I’ve desired to go, but I had it tucked away for some later date! Because it is really a day and a half journey from home(about 24 hours in the air not counting layovers), it made it a bit more complex for me. But I’m so grateful that my solo travels went well, thanks to the Lord and people praying! I must say that I really missed my travel buddy though! a.k.a. my husband…my best friend :)
It began with a short commuter flight from the Lancaster airport to Washington, D.C. I recommend doing this flight with Southern Airways Express if you are flying out of Washington/Dulles, as it saves so much time and stress on the roads around the capital area. The only thing to consider is if you get sick in small planes, you might not want to attempt it. My ride was a 10 seater Cessna plane which was a bit bouncy at times, especially until we reached the correct altitude. Also, the timing needs to work with your other flights. I ended up spending some time in the Washington/Dulles airport waiting, but not too long. Lancaster Airport is so simple and stress-free to fly out of. I noticed that you can also fly Breeze Airways to Orlando, Florida from Lancaster Airport.
Friends, you can call me crazy, but I do really enjoy flying! Even on this extremely long trip, I was mostly relaxed and used the time just to read, journal, rest, watch a couple of movies, talk to people and just soak in being served food and drinks. :) There was one event that caused me to be deeply disturbed on the flight from Malaysia to Bali. The flight attendant came across the loudspeaker announcing that they were now going to spray the cabin with insecticide. What?!!! That is awful! So here they come down the aisle with their spray as I buried my face in my shirt!! This is unusual and I’m still unsure why they did it. Did someone have bugs? :) Ugh!
But I lived to tell about it, lol!
So…after landing in beautiful Bali, I waited at the airport for my sweet friend, Mollie(who was arriving from Cambodia), to get a taxi to our hotel(Frii Bali Echo Beach) in Canggu. If you are in certain Asian countries, GRAB is an inexpensive and reliable form of transportation. If you do not have a plan, most likely you will be ripped off at the airport as local taxi drivers can spot tourists a mile away. All you have to do is download the GRAB app and you can use the airport Wi-Fi to book one. Just a little travel tip…always turn your cellular data off on your phone before leaving your country so you are not charged per day, unless you have a plan that includes out of country data. I realize I am sharing a lot of details, but I am hoping to inspire some of you to get out there and travel!! There are ways to travel economically and I plan to share a blog with more travel tips in the near future.
The first two nights were spent in a small hotel in Canguu, a trendy town that has so many creative boutiques and cafes. My three friends and I spent a lot of time walking the streets, perusing the little markets and shops, as well as, finding fun places to eat. As a surprise treat for her birthday, Sahra took us to an adorable shop where we took a perfume-making class and created our own scent at
Our Projects. So fun!! My favorite restaurant in that area was
Penny Lane, a gorgeous place with international cuisine. Check out the link to see the incredible architecture!
But I will say, the best part of this trip was reconnecting with these dear friends and the many good talks we had! It felt so easy picking up where we had left off, even though it had been 8 years since I saw Bre and Sahra from Australia. Mollie still serves with her family in Cambodia with Iris so I’ve seen her more recently on our trips there. I’m always thankful for time with her! The encouragement, giggles and rest was just what all of our hearts needed! Bre has very young children so she just joined us for the first 3 nights of the trip.
Staying at Villa Ella June was a highlight for sure!! This was our home for the next two nights, still in the Canggu area of Bali. This Moroccan-inspired retreat was a two-bedroom villa that had its own pool in the front and a gorgeous view of rice fields out the back. It was a peaceful area, but we could easily walk to restaurants and shops, although the sidewalks in Canggu are sometimes non-existent or dilapidated. This villa would be a perfect place to stay on an anniversary get-away or honeymoon!! While we were in this area, we took a taxi to the beach hoping to see the sunset. But that night, it was cloudy so we missed it. Very near the beach was a Japanese restaurant where we enjoyed a lovely dinner and celebrated Sahra’s birthday with the staff coming out singing and treating her to a delicious dessert!
The final stop for our last 3 nights was the Akela Villas in Ulawatu, Bali. This beautiful, airy villa was situated in a quiet, rural area so we decided to rent motorbikes to get around easier. Ulawatu is a beach town famous for surfing and had a laid-back feel. The rocky cliffs that are scattered along the shoreline were stunning! And the varied shades of blue water was picturesque! In this town, we enjoyed the shops, pop-up markets, the spa, fun little dining spots and the beach!
On the final day of our time, after saying goodbye to Mollie, who had to head to the airport earlier, Sahra and I checked out of our villa. We did more shopping and then spent the day at a local hotel where we had our nails done, used the pool and just relaxed. We all flew out at separate times so I took a taxi to the airport by myself. Needless to say, traffic was crazy and I felt a bit stressed that I wasn’t going to make it on time for my flight! On top of that, my driver decided to stop in the village at his house to drop something off. I love Asia and the relaxed culture…makes me smile. Thankfully, I made it in time and it all worked out! My heart is full and I’m so grateful I had this opportunity to spend time with friends in Bali! If you decide to visit this lovely place and have questions, feel free to reach out on my contact page.
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