Where To Stay & What To Do In Northern Bali
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Bali offers some of the most breathtaking natural beauty we’ve ever seen. We just returned from there and our heads are still spinning from all the stunning sights. Read on for highlights of the Northern Bali region. (We’re going to have to break this trip up into multiple posts because there is just that much goodness. Plus we packed in so much traveling ALL over the country!) You’ll want to bookmark this site and hit all these spots in order to not miss a thing
WHERE TO STAY:
Amongst the rolling hills, lush countryside, and plantations you’ll find lots of options but we loved Munduk Moding Plantation. And not to tout how right we were but it was voted best Eco-Luxury resort in Indonesia in 2016 by the World Luxury Hotels Association! And that incredible pool was voted one of the best 10 Infinity pools in the world in 2014. Can you see why?
I wanted to take a million photos here hoping to capture and steal some of that beauty as my take-home souvenir. The sunsets and sunrises are remarkable being that you are so high up in the clouds. You won’t even believe your eyes as you look out into the mountains and walk the edge of this pool. You’ll feel a million miles away from home here and so close to heaven. It is truly awe-inspiring and meditative.
What a treat it was to live (albeit briefly) amidst the Balinese jungle and on a coffee plantation in the clouds. It was SUCH a special hideaway. It had that exotic appeal with their traditional architecture along with luxurious touches like flower buds scattered through our high-end suite.
And I was happy to find that the resort offered so many family-friendly activities (like kite making and flying, Balinese dance and costume making, bamboo weaving, towel artistry etc.) Plus in the evening, there are children’s TV shows and movies followed by a fire pit and marshmallow roasting. Who knows, you might even get some quiet time to yourself with all these activities to keep the kids occupied!
The food on-site was a yummy mix of local favorites mixed in with more familiar options which pleased the whole family.
And the complimentary tours around the grounds allowed guests to bird watch, stroll through the coffee plantation and gardens and learn all about the making of coffee. I can’t go a day without coffee so I was fascinated!
It was so fun! There was also a highly rated spa on the resort’s premises but we were too busy exploring the area to have time to sit around getting massaged haha!
WHAT TO DO/SEE AROUND MUNDKUK:
We couldn’t resist hiking through a natural waterfall (there are several in the area). If you do this, we recommend hiring a local guide (they can be found at the entrance of the waterfalls) for super cheap. Trust me, you’ll have more fun if you can let someone else do the navigating. Note stairs are sometimes steep and slippery when wet. I would not recommend this for kids 5 and under since the trek is at least 20 minutes each way unless your child really likes the stairmaster.
Some criticized online that the displays were dated. But I kind of enjoyed the old-world charm of seeing classic characters line the paths and feeling like I was going back in time to a magical and charming Christmas world. It helped that we went in November when the Christmas crowds had not yet come out in full force of course.
About a 2.5 hour drive from downtown, Manhattan, this destination was totally worth it! But know before you go.
KNOW
