Bear and I’s summer of 2019 kicked off with the trip of a lifetime! We spent most of it in Bali and a couple of days towards the end in Singapore en route back to Los Angeles. Hands down, Bear is the absolute best travel buddy! He’s so sweet, open, loving, and interested in everything. Really, his outlook is pure heart, all wonder, and confidence – no fear! We both felt so grateful for each other and felt inspired to tell each other multiple times every day! Being in Bali with Bear is an experience I will always cherish. It’s a place full of warmth, joy, and ease. It really is magical. I hope if it speaks to you you can make it there at some point! We ate so much great food, I knew I had to fill you guys in asap! We also befriended so many awesome people. The new friendships made the trip extra special!
Our adventure began with me speaking at Open Circles in Canggu. I spoke to a group of passionate individuals about all things kind – from my book The Kind Diet to vitamin company mykind Organics. Bear sat in the front row during my talk (by choice) and smiled at me the whole time. He was so independent and patient. It was so special to see him be his full self and befriend adults! Aside from various interesting talks, there were several fun activities happening during the Open Circles weekend! Bear and I participated in some yoga and meditation sessions and made new friends! The hotel we stayed at, Como Hotels, had a scrumptious breakfast. We met great people at Open Circles! Steve and Amelia lived on the road via motorcycle for a year and ended up staying with us for a few nights. We had fun times scootering around! Outside of the retreat, Bear and I went on walks to explore Canggu. We befriended cows hanging out in fields… Sadly they will be killed, but we seized the moment to give them snuggles, kisses, bananas, and coconut water. All Bear’s doing 🙂 <3
Canggu eateries we dug!
Cafe Vida – Tofu scramble is delicious! Great vibe here.
Peloton Supershop – Good healthy bowls!
Shady Shack– Very nice!
Kynd Community– Good bowls and ice cream.
Two Trees– Yum vegan omelet and very good mushroom toast! I also was a fan of the coconut yogurt.
Nalu Bowls– Nice.
From Canggu, we made our way to Ubud. Ubud was blissful – a mix of incredible food, relaxation, and fun nature adventures. One of our favorite days here included walking campuhan ridge, having treats at Revive (more below!), and visiting the market. At the market, I got a few tank tops for Bear, two little statues, and a soap dispenser I have been seeking for so long! Who knew I had to go to Bali to find it?? I also found this wonderful eco fabric store called Threads of Life. I got some awesome items there! They’re doing such great stuff!
Some other activities we loved in Ubud were walking behind the rice fields, white water rafting, visiting secret waterfalls, riding on scooters, and the spas! I highly recommend Sedona Spa and Cantika Zest!
We stayed at Michael Franti’s hotel Soulshine. It is a beautiful oasis with a lovely vibe. We felt so at home here! Plus, the breakfast is also sooo stellar.
Here is the low down on what food spots we loved in Ubud:
Bamboo Indah – We went here for dinner, it’s a delicious and insane destination place, you have to go there. When you get there you go down to a river. You need to go there for dinner and enjoy the sunset. Wow… Tempeh here is mmm!
Seeds of Life – I loved the lasagna but want to try everything. Very yum!
Revive – Our favored breakfast cafe. The coffee and vibe is perfection. As you probably know, I’m not a caffeine girl. I succumbed to trying their coffee when the owner Oliver was disappointed when I turned down his coffee. He said he made the greatest coffee ever, so I had to try it. I gave in, and it really was sooooo yum! Fresh coconut milk, a fresh little almond milk made in house, naturally unsweetened since it’s so fresh there’s no need for added sugars (seriously!) + espresso from Bali. Yikes, that cappuccino was darn delicious. Wow, caffeine is such a powerful drug! Their coffee was nuts, but I also had an insane peanut butter cake here (also a very powerful drug ha). Oliver became a great friend! We met up with him in Uluwatu.
Sayuri – The gravlox is a must-try!! It’s made with vegan cream cheese and dehydrated papaya (as the lox). The lasagna and ocean bowl were also hits. I wish I ate more here!
Zest Cafe – Everything is vegan and gluten-free here! The pizza was good.
Bella Pizza – My favorite pizza in Bali was at this place! The buffalo cauliflower and jackfruit pizza were so yum.
Sayan House – Must go here for cocktails at sunset. The views!!
The Yoga Barn – This place was fun to check out. They have macrobiotic food that sounded good (didn’t get to try it) but we had their super fresh fruit popsicles. With no added sugar, just fruit like mango blended with coconut. Super amazing texture – maybe it was dried coconut? They have ecstatic dance sessions here too! Bear danced his pants off!
Como Shambala – Sushi here was excellent! It’s a wellness retreat hotel but they have a restaurant. It’s really pretty but a bit of a journey just to go for sushi rolls 🙂
Alchemy – Wow! The peanut butter cup and chocolate mousse were darn good.
I didn’t make it to these places but want to try next time!
Sage Cafe
Five Elements – raw vegan fine dining (also a spa!)
Puspa’s Warung
Bridges
Room 4 Dessert
Tukies
Kokolato
Some adventures we didn’t have time to do but will do on our next visit include bike riding, sunrise hike up Mount Batur, exploring more rice fields, and going to Pyramid of Chi for some sound healing.
After Ubud, we went to Uluwatu! Nature wise – we really loved Belonga beach. It’s pure magic. Another beach we loved led us down these stairs and past a bunch of monkeys in caves! When you get to the bottom there are tidepools. We met up with our new friend from Ubud and pranced around gorgeous tide pools during sunset. There’s an abundance of beauty in Bali, we continued to explore nonstop!
The food in Uluwatu did not disappoint… Here were some spots we loved!
Drifter – They have a nice breakfast! I tried the vegan benedict and burrito.
Kore Culture Lab – Amazing! They need these all over Bali. They have the freshest delicious salads, kimchi, and toasts. This place was definitely a favorite from the trip. Thanks, Matt (owner) for your passion for health and sustainability!
The Loft – This place has the yummiest nachos!
Mana Uluwatu – Tried the breakfast burrito and yum mango bowl. I also indulged in the burger, corn, and tasty jackfruit tacos.
Suarga Padang Padang is a cool-looking eco-hotel that looks amazing but we didn’t get to go!
After a joyful time in Bali, we departed for Singapore. Our time in Singapore was very brief! I had another speaking engagement, I spoke at 1880 about sustainability, climate change, and health. I met so many smart, sophisticated, interesting people. There are so many people doing great things there! It was also really cool and inspiring to see that families stay together for a lifetime there and take care of each other through the generations. My pal Daniel Lin lives with 16 family members in his house! At one point there were four generations in the house, and it’s the norm! Amazing.
Food-wise we ate at:
Living Cafe Asia – The pomegranate bowl is delicious and healing.
The Whole Earth – The sweet and sour delight is so tasty!
Original Sin – Find fun food here! I had the O.S. Burger, a yum beyond burger with truffle fries!
Big thank you to everyone to everyone who gave input and recommendations for this adventure – you kind lifers, social media friends, Open Circles, etc. From start to finish this was an exceptional trip. I really loved every moment of Bear and I’s time together!
I want to hear from you! Have you been to Bali? Any other places I need to note for the future? What special moments with your little one(s) last summer?
