The Magic of Bali: Seminyak

I’ve never experienced more magic in one place than I did in Bali. From touch down to take off, I literally don’t have a bad thing to say about this place. Not only is it insanely beautiful, but the food is delicious, the culture is interesting and the people are some of the purest souls I’ve ever met. I’ve never been to a place where everyone was so seemingly genuine. This already makes for an unreal experience for anyone that makes their way over.

I decided to split my stay between two different hotels. I had plans to meet a friend in Bali but wanted to head over early to have a bit of time to myself. The first hotel I stayed in was The Pelangi Bali Beach Hotel in Seminyak. This hotel was right on the beach with a beautiful pool and a really great staff. They also had great evening functions like traditional Balinese dancing which told an interesting story of the local culture through art and rhythm. Of course I was first in line when they invited us on stage to learn some traditional dances! Personally I think I crushed it, but i’ll leave those moves to the pros; it was a lot harder than it looked! :)

Just when I thought the trip couldn’t get any better, one of my best friends shows up and we move on to another hotel called The Elysian; a private luxury villa community also in Seminyak. This was a beautiful hotel with a 5 star staff that was on top of ev-er-y-thing! This was exactly the kind of escape we needed for a proper recharge. Another spot I highly recommend for a great relaxing stay.

Accommodations aside, Bali is a beautiful island with so much to do! Sunrise here makes for the most amazing beach walks and sunsets are photo worthy moments to die for. They seem bigger and brighter than any I’ve ever seen; but time it well because once it starts to set it only takes a few minutes before it’s gone, making it that much more special. My favorite sunset experience was grabbing a bean bag chair at La Plancha, where the scene is really chill and colorful. We enjoyed drinks on the beach while the DJ rocked the craziest Afrobeat set! Chill vibez only here. This was my favorite place in Seminyak hands down.

One of the things that stood out the most for me during this trip was the spirit of the people.
One day I spent about six hours just walking around Seminyak. I ate, I drank, I shopped, but most importantly I spoke to every person that I could. I think the jaded New Yorker in me was waiting to discover a bad bone in at least one, but I couldn’t find it. It felt like everyone was just there for fun stories and good intension. I got amazing tales of life and culture from the locals and even more inspiring stories from business owners that came to Bali on vacation like me years ago and decided to stay after only a few days of living it. I thought to myself wow, what a special place this must be to give everyone the same vibe and paradise feel. If you haven’t already, do yourself a favor and get to this magic show! Bali does not disappoint.