How to be an Indo Trailblazer - the 4 best things I did in Bali

Bali is perhaps one of the most tranquil, peaceful and stunningly beautiful places I have ever visited. But make no mistake: without some local savviness you’re likely to end up in a tourist shitstorm wondering why the hell you chose to suffer 17 hours crammed into an Air Asia economy seat, only to wander around Kuta getting molested by Bluebird taxi drivers. Just kidding. That only happens at the airport.

Not the worst thing you can wake up to, is it?

Jokes aside - this summer I decided to relocate and remote work from Canggu for a month and I thought I would share with you all some of the best things I did. Bali is by far my favourite Indo get-away and while many traveler seem to follow the typical Lonely Planet route, the real gems of this island are hidden in secluded streets and camouflaged jungles. Perhaps that is how - despite all the mass tourism - Bali is able to preserve some of its magic. Ok - here’s some stuff you shouldn’t miss:

Rent the place of your dreams
Bali is where you get to rent villas dirt cheap and you find them literally everywhere. Wanna live like a king? Bali is the place. I stayed in villas so gorgeous it feels downright wrong settling the bill. You find the best deals on Airbnb (where you also have the option of negotiating) but be sure to use filters. Airbnb is flooded with villas, and you risk missing out on good ones if you only filter on price. You can also use more traditional sites like booking.com or hotels.com but instead of finishing the booking, use them to scout for good deals. Once you’ve found a nice place, google the hotel and ask for the same price. Usually they give it to you. Also, should anything happen during the stay, they’re 90% more likely to give good service since you came to them directly.

One of the places we stayed. Gorgeous villas. Gorgeous villlas, everywhere!!

Explore using a scooter
Bali is rich in both culture, nature, landscapes, and beaches - and it’s all within a relative short driving distance. However, you can forget about renting a car. Bali is extremely crowded and the roads are not very organised. Instead, find a local dealer and rent a scooter. The further away you are from crowded streets, the cheaper and better are the options. Make sure to get a helmet too and don’t get cocky (that is, if you want to live). With a scooter you can really explore the island - start in the south east in Uluwatu, and make your way up the coastline through Bingin, Balangan, Padang Padang, Jimbaran (gently skipping over Kuta) and ending up in Seminyak. If you’re feeling adventurous, continue up that same coastline. Not only will you pass through amazing rice fields, you’ll get to check out local hipster scenes like Cangguu.

There's nothing like a helmet to make you look like a five-year-old on a trainer.

Connect with the expats
One of the cool things about Bali is the fact that it attracts so many expats and I was fascinated to discover how many people were remote working like me. The best experience I had with this was during Startup Weekend Bali where I actually was invited to do a keynote speech. We all met up at Dojo Bali (by far one of Bali’s most vibrant co-working places) and the place was filled to the rim with all kinds of different professionals. All looking to connect, learn, share and discover. Be sure to check out the local cowering space such as coworkinglegian.com, dojobali.com or www.hubud.org

The vibe @ Dojo Bali - the local waterhole for talent, entrepreneurs, digital hipsters and creatives. I love it!

Coco Saxo
Ok, so this one is somewhat special but I just had to put this in here. If you are in the Cangguu area go find a restaurant called JI Restaurant Bale Sutra. Go inside, head to the second floor lookout and order a Coco Saxo. For the next 5 minutes you will leave this galaxy and enter a world full of flavours and delight. I promise you, it’ll be worth it. Your welcome.

Ok - I have like a million things more to share on Bali but I think I’ll save that for later -