Bali: Kuta + Uluwatu
This is a continuation travel recap of my trip to Bali and Singapore in April 2023.
Kuta and Uluwatu were our last stops in Bali. For Kuta, we were mostly there for half a day and a night so I am going to combine it into this post, but we stayed in Uluwatu for 2 nights. Because of our flights, we actually flew to Singapore after 1 night in Kuta and then returned for 2 nights in Uluwatu after 1 week in Singapore. But for simplicity purposes, I am going to finish my recap for Bali first before I write about Singapore.
Transportation to Kuta
Previously in Ubud, we met a Gojek driver who we eventually hired to be our private driver for the day. He recommended one of his friends to drive us from Ubud to Kuta as his friend has a more spacious and comfortable car so it can fit our luggages. Our ride from Ubud to Kuta was around 1 hour with traffic and costed us around $20-30.
Accommodations in Kuta
We stayed in an Airbnb in Kuta and actually by now, we realize there are certain things you should look for when booking airbnbs in Bali:
- Don’t choose one with too much indoor/outdoor living spaces. This means open spaces with no walls, windows, doors, etc. It was pretty hot in Bali when we went in April and even at night it was still hot. There is no AC in indoor/outdoor spaces.
- Bugs. Bugs at night ๐จ
So unfortunately, our Airbnb in Kuta was probably the worst Airbnb we stayed at during our trip. Granted, we chose one that was on the cheaper side since we were only staying for 1 night. This airbnb costed a total of $162, split between 4 people is around $40 per person per night.
I think the main reason it was the worst was because it just felt dirty. We arrived early in the morning and actually saw the previous group check out because we arrived before the check-in time. But we wanted to leave our luggage there so we went inside anyways. We found poop in the washroom ๐ฉ. Anyways, when we returned after check-in time, the place was clean but I suppose the memory was still in our minds.
Also, I hated that both bathrooms were outdoors. This meant when we used the toilet or took a shower/bath at night, we see all the bugs because they are drawn to the lights. Also the bath tub and showers both clogged up, so that’s kinda gross.
Things to do in Kuta
Again, we were only here for maybe half a day so we didn’t do much in Kuta except for some shopping.
Mali Bali Galeria
We did some shopping at Mal Bali Galeria, as we saw it was a big mall. The only store I really shopped at was Uniqlo and H&M though, as everything else they had wasn’t that cheap.
There is also a luxury section, which was really hard to find and when we got there, it was basically empty. They only had beauty products for most brands, and some accessories and purses for lower brands.
Where to eat in Kuta
Marugame udon
OMG I was so excited to see Marugame Udon inside the Mali Bali Galeria mall. We first tried Marugame Udon in Honolulu and it was so delicious we went twice during our stay in Hawaii.
However, the Marugame Udon in Kuta was much lower quality and didn’t hit the spot at all. Noodles were clumped together and the broth was a little fishy. Overall, I wouldn’t recommend.
Loewe’s rating: โญ๏ธ
Recommended: Read my review of Marugame Udon in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Bali Sentosa Seafood
Bali Sentosa Seafood was where we had our last meal in in Bali. Itโs kind of like a Chinese-style restaurant where they have large tanks of live seafood and an extensive menu where you can cook the seafood in different ways and styles. It was honestly one of the only restaurants we visited where we felt like locals might also come to eat (i.e. we didnโt see a lot of foreigners here).
Loewe’s rating: โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
Recommended: Read my full review of our seafood feast from Bali Sentosa Seafood in Kuta.
Transportation to Uluwatu
We arrived back in Bali after a week in Singapore. Similar to what we did when we first landed in Bali, we paid for a private airport transfer on Klook for around $10-12. I actually made a mistake and put in the wrong arrival time, so our driver already waited 2 hours for us but we hadn’t even left Singapore yet. They arranged for a different driver to pick us up and they waited for almost 2 hours as well because our flight had a delay.
Because of all this mix-up, I highly recommend booking your private airport transfer on Klook because we still got to our accommodations fine after all the confusion. The drivers themselves actually contacted me via Whatsapp and were very responsive to arrange another driver to meet me. Klook’s customer service/live chat was not as helpful and they are much slower to respond because they are essentially just a middleman for you and your driver. Anyways, we were not charged any fee for the mistake on our end and did not have to pay for a second driver so we tipped generously.
Accommodations in Uluwatu
I booked a very private Airbnb for our last 2 nights in Bali. It is part of a private villa, but it is a 1 bedroom with beach access to Padang Padang Beach. There are a lot of stairs to our Airbnb, but it is really worth it because you get this amazing view of the ocean and an infinity style pool right on the edge of the cliff!
The interior was spacious with a king size bed and a sofa area. There is also a TV so you can watch movies and everything was pretty clean. Again, the view is just amazing and you can hear the waves crashing. You can also see surfers in the morning and sometimes monkeys. Everything was super relaxing and romantic!
The total cost for 2 nights was $783.
Things to do in Uluwatu
Spa day at Fresh Spa
Since this was our last full day in Bali, we had quite a bit of cash to blow so we decided to spend the hottest time of the day (1-3pm) at a spa and do some self-care before we have to go on a 20 hour flight home to Vancouver. We ended up going to Fresh Spa, which is really close to our Airbnb.
From their list of services, my fiancรฉ and I both got a massage, body scrub and facial. For massages, I selected the 90 minute Nomadic Dreams tension release massage, which is more focused on elbow work and lomi lomi strokes to correct poor posture. Kelvin chose a 90 minute classic Balinese massage. Both massages were only $30 for 90 minutes ๐ณ! The coconut body scrub takes 30 minutes and is an additional $17 per person. And for the facial, I chose the 90 minute Supernova facial, which includes a 5-step cleansing process, peel, and a nourishing mask. Kelvin’s facial was the Revamp facial for 75 minutes, focusing on acne prone skin with a bacteria zapping LED light. Both facials were $39. So in total, we spent $172 for 2 people and actually we got a 10% discount because we got so many services ๐ so it was even lower than that before tip. Impossible in Vancouver.
The spa was actually quite funny because we ended up staying there for almost 4 hours ๐. They gave us this paper underwear to change into, and Kelvin tried to get out of it but the Mausseuse was like “no you have to wear it because you will get wet later!” To which he looked at me like why are we getting wet later ๐จ?
We were basically naked, lying on this massage bed. When they were massaging our butts, they even tuck in the cloth and kind of pull down our paper underwear, to which Kelvin whispered to me in Chinese “my whole bum is out…”. I almost died laughing ๐๐๐.
The coconut scrub was actually a little painful, I am used to more gentle scrubs. And then they literally use a hose and basin to wash our bodies like we are two raw chickens getting prepped for supper. Kelvin was very confused because he has never gotten a scrub before and wasn’t sure if he wanted to be so smooth but it was too late.
Kelvin did thoroughly enjoy the facial though since it was his first time getting a facial as well. He describes it to be something along the lines of “they put stuff on your face, and then wipe it off, and put something else on again” ๐.
Anyways, we had a good time. We even had some snacks and tea in between and watched some monkeys from the window. They also have a shower room and makeup room where you can fix yourself before you go back out.
Chill at Padang Padang Beach
Because our Airbnb has beach access to Padang Padang Beach, we spent the rest of our afternoon just hanging out at that beach. There are a lot of stores where you can rent surfing equipment but I’m not much of a surfer so we just swam and enjoyed the water.
The water felt and looked pretty clean and it wasn’t cold at all. Sand was also really soft!
Pool sunset at our Airbnb
Our Airbnb had such an awesome pool and view that all we did was go back up some stairs to our Airbnb and watch the sunset from our pool. We had purchased a few drinks and snacks from a convenience store on our way back from the spa so we just spent some time together looking at the amazing view and having fun taking photos and talking about the end of our trip.
Where to eat in Uluwatu
Ours
We had a nice western brunch at a restaurant called Ours. Very boho-inspired IG interior and their menu offers a wide selection of brunch dishes like skillets, eggs, and pastas.
Loewe’s rating: โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
Recommended: Read my full review of our brunch at Ours in Uluwatu, Bali.
Gooseberry Restaurant
We spent a hefty $300 at dinner on Gooseberry for our final night in Bali. We indulged in some wagyu tomahawk, foie gras, burrata and more! Gooseberry boasts their reputation for dry-aged meats.
Loewe’s rating: โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
Recommended: Read my full review of our fancy French dinner at Gooseberry Restaurant in Uluwatu, Bali.
Final thoughts on Kuta and Uluwatu
Kuta
So for Kuta I don’t really think I can have much of an opinion because we really didn’t stay that long and we were only there for basically a chill night before heading to the airport. I found Kuta to be dirtier in general (more garbage in the streets) and as lively as Seminyak.
Uluwatu
Uluwatu was probably our favourite part of Bali because it embodied everything we think of when we think of Bali. There’s the beach, good food for cheap prices, spas, monkeys, etc. Granted, we did spend a lot of money in our last day in Uluwatu and it was a very relaxing stay because we were not go-go-go to touristy spots. We didn’t even go see the famous temple or anything in Uluwatu – we just chilled at the beach, went to the spa, and swam in the pool at our Airbnb but it was so fun.
My next travel recaps will be on Singapore and then I will do a final recap of my 2 weeks in Indonesia with my usual travel video montage! Thanks for reading.
Sincerely, Loewe
Bali + Singapore trip 2023 recap
Seminyak | Ubud | Kuta + Uluwatu | Singapore part 1 | Singapore part 2
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