Bali // Virgin Beach

last year we traveled to Bali for 10 days during our Chinese New Year break. most people picture a vacation in Bali as all white sands and pinterest-perfect tropical paradise. well, we spent more time in the jungle dodging monkeys and exploring temples on our trip, but we still made it to the shore for an afternoon.

[I found these pictures the other day when digging through my drive. seeing as they almost a year old and we are leaving in a week for this New Year's break, I figured it was time to share.]

we were a bit overwhelmed with trying to pick a beach to visit. I mean, Bali is an island and there are beaches in every direction. investigating options on pinterest just seemed like asking to be let down. so we asked the hotel for a recommendation. the driver said he would take us to a place called Virgin Beach.

the name is a bit misleading, as this place is not exactly untouched. the shore was lined with "beach clubs" where you could lounge on chairs with the expectation that you order some food and drink. but the water was blue and the sun was bright, and the massive partying crowds of Kuta we had hoped to avoid were nowhere in sight.

Virgin Beach was a bit out of the way for us from Ubud. it was a long drive and the car almost got stuck on the narrow track that winds through the jungle down to the shore. but relaxing in the sun for an afternoon was the perfect way to end our vacation in Bali. [um, and now I'm totally ready to go back to the beach.]

and now I'd like to take you to a climate the exact opposite of Bali... to introduce this month's featured sponsor and expat in Iceland: Kaelene from Unlocking Kiki. I'm always fascinated with stories from places I haven't been able to explore, and seeing bits of her life in Iceland [which sometimes looks like the moon, and only gets 4 hours of sunlight in winter] certainly keeps me entertained. read about some of her travels below, then head over to her blog for the full story!

Hey there! I am Kaelene, Kiki to my friends, and the voice behind Unlocking Kiki. I am 25 year old from Oregon and am now living the expat life in Reykjavík, Iceland. Unlocking Kiki is where I talk about transitioning to life as an expat, my attempts at fitting into the Icelandic society, and any random thoughts I may have on my mind that day.

Iceland, totally random right?? Well you know its the usual story, girl goes to Australia, girl meets boy in Australia, boy happens to be Icelandic, girl looks on map to figure out where in the hell Iceland is, fast forward three years girl officially moves to Iceland to be with boy. And that sums up how I ended up in Iceland and my love story all in one run-on sentence!

two favorite posts:  Icelandic Blooper Reel:  Let's face it, life is full of embarrassing moments, and life in a foreign language, while it is jammed packed of embarrassing moments, at least for me! Every time I read my post Icelandic Blooper Reel post it cracks me up and reminds me of all the awkward situations I have been in as well as how far I have came in my language skills.

The Trip That Changed My Life:  This post is one of my favorites about my first international trip and how it changed everything for me. I still find it amazing how one decision can affect your entire life!

travel plans for 2015:  This year we are heading to Amsterdam for Easter and back to Oregon for the summer. I am hoping to add a trip to some German Christmas markets this year as well! Lots of road trips around Iceland are definitely on the agenda. There is so much to see in this small beautiful country I call home and I am looking forward to exploring it all!

a favorite travel moment from 2014: This past summer I spent two amazing weeks in Croatia, a country that completely surprised me in the best way possible. Our trip was filled with beautiful beaches and charming towns but a real highlight was when we stumbled upon a local wine festival in Korcula. All the wineries of the island had gathered to celebrate the end of harvest. There was live music, locals dancing and laughing, and enough wine to get the whole island tipsy. Getting to experience a celebration with the locals was a wonderful experience and I will never forget it. Or the wine, the Croatian wine is delicious!

where would you dream trip take you? My dream trip would take me all over the world and never end! I just need to find a way to make traveling full time my job, that is the dream.

read more from Kaelene on her blog: Unlocking Kiki

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Bali // Taman Ayun Royal Temple

Taman Ayun Royal Temple was the first temple we visited in Bali on our day of touring the island. this was one of our "surprise" stops on our tour. we knew nothing about it before we arrived, and it was not a place we had requested to visit. but it certainly wasn't a terrible place to spend an hour in the morning sun...

the entire compound is surrounded by a moat. inside that are gardens, with the main area of the temple guarded by a wall and another moat. on the grounds there are several smaller buildings and shrines, and one tower that is open to the public [of course we had to climb it!]

atop the tower we found large wooden bells, a bit of shade, and a view of the main temple area. the wooden bells look like solid logs, but are actually hollow [though not open on the bottom like a metal bell.]

like most other temples in Bali, tourists are not allowed to enter. but you can still get a great view of the grass-roofed pagodas and intricate stone carvings from outside the wall.

Taman Ayun isn't on a lake [or in the sea] but it is part of a series of temples dedicated to the water systems of the island and keeping the evil spirits away from Bali. it may not be as famous, but all the blue sky and orange stone [and low crowds] made it one of my favorite sights.

linking up with Bonnie, Tina, and Melanie for Travel Tuesday.

Ubud // Taco Casa

I'm having one of those days. where being an expat is hard and I'm missing the convenience and familiar things of America. [side note: I'm sitting in Starbucks wearing probably the most "American" outfit I could have: cutoff jean shorts with TOMs and a baseball tee.] lately I've really been missing food. and by food I mean easy gluten-free things like Buddy's pizza and New Planet pale ale and grocery stores like Wegman's and Whole Foods that believe in labeling allergens [in English.] traveling and living abroad with food allergies... sucks. living in Asia with a shellfish allergy and gluten sensitivity is really difficult. especially when I can't read or speak the language. I am so ready to head back to the states for summer and eat all of the things.

part of our summer will include traveling to California and Texas, during which I plan to eat my weight in Mexican food. I can't eat flour tortillas but corn tortillas in the form of nachos, enchiladas, and tacos? yeah, I'm all over that. [if you live near/have traveled to San Diego or Austin, please send me your taco recommendations!]

and I suppose my taco craving is why today I want to share with you the amazing Mexican place in Ubud where we ate literally every single day when we were in Bali: Taco Casa.

when I say we ate there every day, I am not exaggerating. we ate ten meals at Taco Casa during our stay in Ubud, and considering we had to hike through the monkey forest to get there, I think that's pretty impressive.

and when you have to hike past those terrifying monkeys? well, darn it, you deserve some margaritas!

in Taiwan, there are a few "Mexican" places that try but fall pretty short. if we want to eat Mexican we cook it at home [thanks to Costco carrying tortilla chips] but it's not really authentic. in Bali they have the climate to grow all the right spices and peppers, and they use them. not to mention, somehow they have cojita cheese.

their menu includes all the standards: taco, nachos, enchiladas, quesadillas, fajitas, and an incredible 8-layer burrito. the staff is friendly and the kitchen runs like a well-oiled machine. everything is made fresh and from scratch: tortillas, beans, hot sauce. have you ever had enchilada sauce from scratch? you want to, trust me.

and if you're not into margaritas I will drink yours for you you can order one of their amazing juices [this one was ginger + carrot + beet] or a ginger lemon soda, or a mint + lime + ginger ice crush. tequila optional.

and if you needed another reason to go? yeah, this sign.

now if you'll excuse me, I'll be spending my afternoon daydreaming about tacos. [and seriously, send me your taco recommendations.]

bali // temple on the lake

when we rolled into Pura Ulun Danu Bratan [less formally known as "the temple on the lake"] we were greeted with a Pinterest-perfect misty view. this temple complex sits on the shores of, and partially on, a lake surrounded by mountains in the heart of Bali. the grounds include lush gardens and a variety of structures + statues draped in colorful fabrics. unlike our visit to Tanah Lot later that day, this place really delivered.

this temple is one of the holiest sites on the island. fresh water for irrigation is crucial to the lives of the people who work in the island's rice paddies, and this lake is the main water source for much of central Bali. a major portion of the temple was closed for worship while we were there, but there was still plenty to see.

one of the sights was, of course, yours truly. this kid and his classmates were the first of many to ask to take my picture that day. but given our gorgeous surroundings I couldn't really be upset over it. [besides, I took his picture too.]

the sun came out as we strolled around the lakeshore, and if we didn't have plans to visit other places I think we would have been content to wander the gardens and sit down for a picnic. even though there were a decent amount of tourists, this temple turned out to be one of our favorites on the island.

the cup of coffee that fueled the writing of this blog post was sponsored by Judith. she drinks her coffee black with a chocolate chip cookie dipped in it, and blogs about travel + appreciating life's small pleasures over at A Frontier Life.

linking up with Bonnie, Tina, and Melanie for Travel Tuesday.