Bonkers for Bali!!

Benoa, Bali, Indonesia

Wow, what a great place to visit!!

Before arrival into Bali, we had decided to book a private tour with putu-bali.com and our lovely tour guide was called Putu Gede and rather than just visiting one sight in Bali like all the other guests aboard Legend of the Seas, we were able to see so much more of the island.

Legend of the Seas

I have to be honest, embarkation and disembarkation were a bit of a nightmare due to Benoa being a tender port so I would be prepared for the wait and make sure you are ready to disembark for the time it docks otherwise you will lose time in port. However, even though this was a little bit frustrating due to it being really hot too and you can be waiting outside (for embarkation) the island certainly makes up for it. Below I have written about the amazing day I had in Bali and we definitely fit a lot into our day.

Our first stop was the Elephant Sanctuary which is Bali’s only dedicated elephant rescue reserve, the reserve has been open since 1997 and it is home to 31 sumatran elephants. I had always wanted to ride on an elephant and it was a great experience. First, we had a ride around the reserve on the elephants back and then whilst she (our elephant was a girl) walked through the water back to the beginning of the walk. We then got to feed fruit and vegetables to the elephant and our hand got covered in their saliva. But surprisingly we didn’t mind because the experience was so surreal. The staff then gave a flower reef to the elephant and then the elephant put it around our necks for the photo, which I have included below.

Elephant Sanctuary in Bali

Feeding the Elephant!!

Next, we were taken to the Monkey Forest in Ubud, it is located in the village of Padangtegal. Inside the forest,  you are able to see around 700 monkeys as well as 186 species of trees and the forest is across 12.5 hectares. Once you are in the forest you can buy bananas to feed the monkeys, but beware, the monkeys will climb all over you. This is fun though, they sit on your shoulder and eat the banana, which you can see in the photo below.  The forest is absolutely beautiful, as well seeing all of the monkeys, there are waterfalls and beautiful trees throughout and there are also religious buildings and a burial ground; what a lovely places to be laid to rest. Whilst in the forest we saw monkeys of different ages and the babies were adorable and you saw the mothers protecting their young and carrying them around.

Ubud Monkey Forrest, Bali

Emily & I at the Dragon Bridge in the Monkey Forest.

Our next stop was a workshop, we were able to see lots of wooden memorabilia being made. There were lots of items that represented Bali and the detailing was incredible. The merchandise was very reasonably priced but you just need to make sure you have room in your suitcase. This would be a great place to buy souvenirs for your friends and family.

Merchandise in the workshop.

For our final stop, our tour guide took us to this local Balinese Restaurant off the beaten track, the food was delicious and it was in such a lovely location and we got a feel for the real Bali rather than just the tourist attractions. Although, I don’t know the name of this restaurant I would definitely recommend eating in a local restaurant rather than in a packed tourist restaurant in the middle of town.

My Friend Emily & I at the Balinese Restaurant

My food at the Balinese Restaurant.

So to sum up my day in Bali; it was amazing!! I would definitely recommend anyone to book a cruise that incorporates Bali or to have a Cruise that offers a stay in Bali. You won’t be disappointed.

So….fancy visiting Bali on your next Cruise? Why don’t you check out our Tailor Made Packages in Asia here!!