Selamat Detang! Missing sandy beaches and tropical vibes? We're struggling with major Bali blues right now too, so we thought we'd bring the Bali experience to you! Here are some fun and creative ways to feel like a Bali babe (or bro) from your own home.

WATCH FILMS SET IN BALI

Bali is known for the iconic Hollywood film Eat, Pray, Love, where Julia Roberts plays a journalist out on a quest of self-discovery. She finds her true love for food in Italy, the power of spirituality in India and true love in Bali, with help from her ‘love guru’ Ketut. If you’re on a mission to find the infamous Ketut in Bali you may struggle because there'll be thousands! Fun fact: Balinese names are part of a system of identification, and they do not use a family name. They are named by their order of birth in the family and the names are the same for males and females.

·      1st born – Wayan, Putu, Gede

·      2nd born – Made, Kadek

·      3rd born – Nyoman, Komang

·      4th born – Ketut

Most Balinese people will have a personal name or nickname so they can differentiate themselves from others with the same name.

For a more informative watch, ‘Bali is My Life’ is a film produced by the people of Bali to show the islands' authentic culture and diverse ecosystems. It’s an insider's guide to Bali’s best bits, from stunning beaches to traditional temple ceremonies. It shows the friendliness of the locals and how they embrace life on the island. Covering social, spiritual, cultural and tourism aspects, this documentary will make you want to pack your bags and leave for Bali. We just need a pandemic to get under control first!

Get a taste of Bali from your own kitchen

Put down the sourdough bread and try some traditional Balinese food. It's pretty easy to make, and yes, we're counting smoothie bowls as a traditional breakfast.

Nasi Goreng – the literal translation of Nasi Goreng is ‘fried rice’. Rice is a staple food across Asia, so it isn’t surprising that Nasi Goreng is on the menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Rice, rice, baby!  This dish is rice fried with meat and vegetables and usually topped with a fried egg. Check out our Facebook page here for the recipe.

Mie Goreng – sound familiar? Just swap out the rice for noodles and you have a whole new dish. Easy and versatile, we like it!

Smoothie bowls – keeping things healthy and delicious, these colourful bowls are made by combining frozen fruits, yoghurts and ice and then topping them with fresh fruits and granola. The toppings are vital for a picture perfect smoothie bowl, as long as it looks good who cares what it tastes like! Still, it'll taste great. Smoothie bowls are a popular choice for breakfast, especially after morning yoga.

Close your eyes, breath in... and picture yourself on a beach!

Bali has become well known to be an incredible location for all things health and wellness. There are a retreats all over the islands, along with fitness and yoga classes you can pop in to. Have your own retreat from home with the activities below.

Yoga – When it comes to yoga Bali truly is like nowhere else. Ubud and Canggu are known to fill every Yogi’s needs, but it’s super easy to get your juices flowing at home. Find a video on YouTube and you’re good to go. You don’t even need the matching gym gear, do it in your pyjamas if you like! Namaste .

Cycling – Okay, so technically not Bali, but Gili Trawangan is another little island in Indonesia with no cars or mopeds - only horse, carriage and push bikes! A popular activity on Gili T is to hire a bike and cycle around the whole island, stopping for a well deserved Bintang along the way. If you are keen for your daily exercise to be a bike ride don’t forget to stop off at your local park for a quick snap on the swing. You haven’t been to Bali if you didn’t get a picture on a ocean swing, so a park swing will have to make do. Do it for the 'gram!

Learn how to say 'Hallo' for when you do get there!

With all this spare time why not learn a few phrases of a new language, so when you get to Bali you’ll have the basics down? Bahasa Indonesia is used across the whole of Indonesia, below are a few phrases to get you started:

· Hello – Hallo

· How are you? – Apa Kabar?

· I’m good – Saya Baik

· Please – Tolong

· Thank you – Terima Kasih

· You’re welcome – Sama sama

· Cheers – Bersulang

· Yes – Iya

· No – Tidak

·      Good morning – Selamat Pagi

·      Good afternoon – Selamat Siang

· Good night – Selamat Malam

· Goodbye – Sampai Jumpa

· See you soon – Sampai Jumpa Lagi

· Can I have the bill? – Bisa Minta Bonnya

Unwind with a Bali Based Book

You may not be on a beach with a book and a cocktail in hand, but you can have a book and a cocktail in hand anyway and read about Bali!

Balilicious by Becky Wicks – she sets out to Bali to find her inner peace and harmony, as promised in Eat, Pray, Love. However, in the months spent on the island she's met with the unexpected horrors of teenage boys attempting headstands and colonic irrigation rather than enlightenment. Along the way she realises that to ‘find herself’ she has to go a little wild. Check it out here!

A House in Bali by Colin Mcphee - this book captures McPhee’s journey to Bali during the pre-WWII era. It tells of the life he decided to build on the island, mainly through his understanding of Balinese music culture and all its complexities. McPhee was one of many artists that flocked to Bali for inspiration in the 1930s and settled in Ubud when it was just a small village! Check it out here!

Snowing in Bali by Kathryn Bonella – An interesting read about the underworld of drug trafficking that was once prominent in Bali. She explores the working of the men behind the drug empires, highlighting their highs and lows from million dollar deals and extravagant lifestyles to being in prison in Indonesia. Bonella has also written two related books, Hotel Kerobokan, which details life in Bali’s most notorious prison and My Story, the autobiography of Schapelle Corby, an Australian women convicted of smuggling drugs to Bali. Check it out here!

There you have a little taste of Bali from the comfort of your couch, minus the sunshine. If you're ready to surf Canggu's gnarly waves, spot dolphins, relax on white sand, trek a volcano and party the night away, check out our Bali tours here ! We can't wait to travel with you again when it's safe to do so. Sampai Jumpa Lagi!