Bali Getaway Recommendations
Bali is pretty special to me, and it’s because of the memories. It was there that I was proposed to, I went there for my hens with a bunch of my bestest friends, and I have just returned from what people call a ‘baby moon’! It’s somewhere we can go for a quick, affordable, luxurious getaway and not have to save up for a whole year for it. I feel free there, really free. I love the smells of incense, the smiles, the chance to completely relax and be present. And a lot of us do the same thing there; we get massages, eat lots, do (or try) yoga and just constantly immerse ourselves in any salt water we can find.
The good and bad thing about Bali, though, is that it is getting VERY busy and with this is more and more restaurants and shops popping up all over the place. The fact that there are more restaurants is fabulous, because a lot of restaurant owners are health conscious. Thank you to my beautiful friend Abbey for so many of these recommendations, too!
I enter an 80/20 balance when I am eating out and/or travelling. I love to experience the food in different cultures, as it is inspiring, fun and oh so relaxing to have someone prepare something insanely delicious for you! I continue with my ‘non-negotiables’ of gluten and dairy free due to my personal intolerances, though I will eat more rice than usual, not knowing if it is definitely organic or not, I will eat a meal that may have been cooked in vegetable oils (a huge bonus if they cook in coconut oil or olive oil!), I will eat normal potato if it’s on offer and I will treat myself to a real food treat made from natural sweeteners like dates or honey. If you aren’t following a strict regime at the time (such as gut healing, you have an autoimmune disease or heavily react to certain foods), and you are only on a quick little get away, don’t be too hard on yourself and enjoy the new experience!
I am going to keep this short and sweet, otherwise I will go on forever!
Before we get started on my recommendations, there are a few things I like to take with me and there is a more detailed list you can find HERE for travelling in general;
Activated coconut charcoal – in case you are suspicious of exposure to something that you may usually react to or you have accidentally swallowed some of their tap water.
Ghee and MCT/Brain Octane oil – This is a personal want, as I feel much better when I add it to my morning coffee. You can read more about this HERE.
Probiotics in the form that suits you – I take with me coconut water kefir, as there are fresh coconuts that you can continue brewing with. Most accommodation has fridges to store it in.
Chlorella – For a general nutrient top up and detox support!
An antimicrobial agent in case of any infection – It was easy for me to take oil of oregano and liquid iodine, so I took both! Though just consider something in case you require this any injuries or if you come down with a tummy bug. You do not want to take potent iodine internally, however it is great for keeping your levels up and for any external infections of any kind.
Salt! You see, I love my pink Himalayan salt. It tastes beautiful and is insanely mineral rich. Most of these cafes have a beautiful salt available, though I take it with me anyway!
Health food store:
Bali Buddha // These are located all throughout Bali and are fantastic if you need on the go snacks like nuts, seeds or bliss balls. If you have a kitchen, you can stock up on some staples like coconut oil, ghee, all types of alternative flours, berries, apple cider vinegar and more.
Uluwatu cafes:
Yoga Searcher // We LOVED the breakfast here. Everything is beautifully done and real food. They will cater to your needs very carefully, and they made me the celery, cucumber, ginger, parsley and lemon juice. YUM!
Drifter Surf Café // They do pure, homemade coconut milk from fresh coconuts, so I would get my coffee on this in the morning as I simply needed to embrace it, and then I would add my ghee and MCT/Brain Octane oil to it.
Canggu:
Café Vida // We ate here every day (literally). We would have a big breakfast and a Bulletproof coffee where I would take my own ghee and ask them swap their butter for my ghee – easy peasy. They have beautiful green banana flour bread, organic chicken broth soup, organic eggs, organic bacon, and you can create your own meal of whatever you feel like!
Barbacoa // Whilst it wouldn’t be classified as a ‘health food restaurant’, they are very careful with catering for gluten free and everything they create is full of so much flavour and done PERFECTLY. It was seriously amazing. You can easily cater to your own needs here. It is a little more expensive then any other restaurant, but it is finer dining and a beautiful experience, so treat yourself!
Ji Restaurant // A Japanese restaurant, similar vibe to Barbacoa though slightly more relaxed, that will take eating gluten free seriously. They have gluten free soy sauce, a gluten free menu and serve real, beautiful food. It is great for a sunset dinner as the view is beautiful of the ocean.
Nusa Lembongan:
I suggest taking some food to Lembongan if you can, as you are quite limited here! There are certainly no health food stores, so take what you can like nuts, seeds, berries and any other healthy packaged snacks.
Ginger and Jamu – They serve homemade fresh coconut milk, which once again I loved in my coffee. You are open to being picky with what you can order and the food is REAL and delicious.
Sandy Bay Beach Club – You can order basic meat and vegetable meals here, though once again I wouldn’t consider it a ‘health food’ restaurant. However, it is very careful with gluten free as it states all over the menu, is seriously delicious and it has THE best view! You are guaranteed great service here, and you won’t get contaminated with any Bali belly bugs!
Yoga:
Uluwatu - Mu Bali // Just wow. The yoga was incredible, the view was insane. I felt completely revived after the class, and being pregnant, the instructor was extra loving and careful with the positions I would be in. They had a resident Labrador there that joined our yoga class, and we fell in love with him!
Canggu – The Practise // I didn’t get a chance to go here, though I was recommended it numerous times and it has amazing reviews so I would hate for you to miss out!
Massage:
Canggu - Spring Spa Canggu // THE best massage we received in Bali. They begin it with some aromatherapy oils that you deeply inhale, and then begin the deep tissue beautiful massage.
Uluwatu - Yoga Searcher // A stunning organic spa where they use beautiful essential oils and had an incredible massage.
Of course, there are SO many other incredible places in Bali to discover, though here are more top favourites that we discovered. I hope this gets you started!
Sheridan Austin
Nutritionist and GAPS Practitioner