canadiangirl – Jess Casey

Monkey Forest – Ubud

Posted on September 19, 2016September 13, 2016 by JessCasey in Blog, Rants & Raves

It would be an absolute travesty to travel to Bali and not visit the Monkey Forest and Temple in Ubud. It is everything you expect and more… This beautiful temple in the forest is on a river and there are monkeys everywhere you look. Bananas are available for purchase throughout the temple to feed the monkeys, but beware, they may seem cute, however, they can be quite vicious. Make sure to hang on to your cameras, phones and definitely do not wear your sunglasses on your head, as they will be quickly snatched. Overall, the monkeys are playful and friendly, though I did witness several people get bitten – though no blood was shed.

xxx

Mount Batur

Posted on September 17, 2016September 13, 2016 by JessCasey in Blog, Rants & Raves

One of my favourite things I have done throughout my time in Bali thus far has been the sunrise hike of Mount Batur. Mount Batur is a volcano located close to Ubud that most recently erupted in 2000. We were late arriving at the base to begin our trek, so a leisurely 2.5-3 hour hike to watch the sunrise turned into a race up a steep 5, 600+ feet to make it in time. This is a must see for anyone traveling to Bali, it is undeniably worth the myriad of emotions you will feel throughout the journey. To make your hike go as smoothly as possible, here are my suggestions:

Bring a warm sweater as it is quite cold for the first third of the way up as generally people start their climb around 3:30am
Bring a large water bottle as well as food for when you reach the summit, I personally needed a snack around 5:30am – though there will be both food and beverage for sale by locals who do the hike every morning
Wear comfortable athletic shoes with good grip – bear in mind that a large portion of your hike will be through lava stone
Make sure you’re camera battery is fully charged and has plenty of memory – the view is exquisite
If you have the option of hiking to the 3rd peak after sunrise, it is definitely worth the extra trek
Bring sunglasses for the walk back down and be sure to have plenty of water left – once the sun rises the heat becomes pretty intense

Here are some photos from my hike:

xxx

Crate Cafe – Canggu

Posted on September 15, 2016September 13, 2016 by JessCasey in Blog, Food Fare

I am absolutely obsessed with this Canggu gem. As a celiac, I am constantly trying to find great gluten free options with substance and this place hits the nail right on the head. Not only is their coffee fantastic, their acai bowl HipStar – I have to order mine without strawberries due to an unfortunate allergy- has been my obsession since I first laid eyes on it. Steve’s go to is Why So Cereal a frozen banana based smoothie bowl with granola, and when I’m in the mood for something different, the Green Brekkie is the perfect combination of bitter sauteed greens, quinoa and flawlessly poached eggs.

Click here to find it in google maps!

xxx

Tanah Lot

Posted on September 13, 2016September 13, 2016 by JessCasey in Blog, Rants & Raves

The first time I visited Bali, prior to moving here in June, I was traveling with a group of friends I had made while living in Sydney. This week, I will be highlighting some of my favorite sites that we visited throughout our trip. Tanah Lot is a small rock formation just barely off the main island of Bali where a pilgrimage temple was built during the 16th century, which was restored in the 1980’s. It is one of the most photographed and well known tourist destinations and for good reason.

Here are some photos taken during our look around: