My entire trip to Bali was centred around a very special girls trip to Uluwatu. Just a month before I flew out there, I had a video call with one of my BFF’s, Cait, from Australia, and she asked if I was able to fly to Bali in August to surprise our other BFF, Rach, for her birthday.
I umm’d and ahh’d over it, unsure if I should go, and questioning whether Rach would even like the surprise. I knew she wasn’t the biggest surprise girlie, but she’d had a really tough year and I thought it would be a nice thing to do to help celebrate her (plus I was desperate to see her after not seeing her for two years), so I booked the flight.
Somehow we managed to pull off the surprise, she didn’t suspect a thing, and she turned up to find me laying on her bed haha.
She was super happy and it was such an amazing moment just getting to hug her again!
Originally I wasn’t going to blog the Uluwatu part of my trip, but there were five of us girls on the trip to Uluwatu and we had the best time, so I wanted to tell you my favourite places in Uluwatu for an epic girls trip!!
Sundays Beach Club
One of my favourite places that we went to was Sundays Beach Club at luxury hotel, The Ungasan Clifftop. Rach picked this herself, and it was absolutely incredible! It was so, so dreamy.
We got a VIP Cabana for the day, which was really good value and the majority of the cost was redeemable against food & drink.
The beach itself is pristine golden sand, and the clearest, most beautiful waters.
We had a super relaxing day sipping lychee martinis and frozen margaritas, and eating the most delicious guacamole, tacos, pizzas, and bao buns.
Spring Spa
We went to Spring Spa on our first morning in Uluwatu and it was absolute perfection.
The spa itself is beautiful, clean, and modern. It was really tranquil and relaxing, and the ideal place to relax after a long journey to Bali.
We all went a bit wild and booked about three hours of treatments each. I enjoyed a 60-min body scrub, a 60-min massage, and a 30-min facial.
All of mine were great and I had zero complaints, but the other girls unfortunately had problems with their manicures and pedicures, so I’d avoid those and just go there for massages etc.
Shopping
The shopping in Bali is SO good! I won’t lie, I’m not much of a buyer as I’m trying to cut down on the amount of ‘stuff’ I have in my home and wardrobe, but I love a browse and they have some super cute shops in Uluwatu.
There’s a whole chunk of shops on Jalan Labuansait right around where ‘Ours’ cafe is (a great brunch spot btw!), so head there and have a wander.
Bingin is a shopping area in Uluwatu that Cait really loved – there were some really cute upscale homeware and clothing shops there. What I would say though, is the shopping in Bali wasn’t as cheap as I expected it to be. I feel as though everyone talks about how low the prices are, but they didn’t seem much lower than London tbh.
Food & Drink Spots
Of course, it wouldn’t be a girls trip without copious amounts of incredible food and cocktails!
1. Ours Uluwatu
We loved breakfast at Ours in Uluwatu. It was a very affordable and adorable cafe that did the most amazing pancakes, avocado on toast, and Kate loved her vegan donut!
Their sister restaurant is in Bondi Beach, Australia, so the food is all very Australian & Mediterranean, while the interiors were such a vibe, and the perfect place for a group of girlies snapping away for the ‘gram.
2. Teja
We had dinner at Teja Uluwatu as our ‘fancy’ dinner and all of us loved every single dish, (almost) every cocktail, and the interiors were dreamy AF. The service here was also really, really good.
No notes. It was perfection (just don’t get the pina colada as it’s a smokey one).
3. Ulu Cliffhouse
Now, Ulu Cliffhouse is the party place, so be prepared for a live DJ, dancefloor, and views to die for.
We booked a table online in advance, and arrived to be blown away by the views from the restaurant! The food was okay, but we think two of the girls in our group good food poisoning from the prawns that were served. The rest of us were okay as we didn’t eat the prawns, but the two who ate the prawns had a bit of bali belly the next day.
After dinner we headed to the dancefloor and loved the music and vibe! It was really fun and the people there were pretty chill.
I’d recommend avoiding the food here and just going there to dance and drink!
4. Single Fin Bali
We went to Single Fin for lunch after our spa morning at Spring Spa and loved it’s cliff-top location overlooking the ocean.
The food was great, the vibe was really chilled out, and the cocktails were perfect.
5. Mad Pops Vegan Gelato
In desperate need of a bit of sugar and something cold after shopping, Cait and I popped into Mad Pops for some vegan gelato. I got the banana flavour and it was amaaaazing! Totally perfect. Try and stop-by if you can.
Day trip to Ubud
If you have time, take a day trip to Ubud to visit the Sacred Monkey Forest and famous rice terraces. Or, if you have more time, why not spend a couple of nights there?! I loved my two days in Ubud, where I stayed at the Blue Karma Dijiwa Ubud, and the Arma Museum & Resort.
The Best Place for a Girls Trip!
Uluwatu is a great place for a relaxed girls trip – we managed to tick every box: beach time, cocktails, incredible food, shopping, and spa time. It was such an incredible few days and I’m sooo glad I went and so grateful to the girls for inviting me to join them and help celebrate Rach <3
Catherine Lux is a veteran travel blogger by night and the Head of Content Marketing at Amazon by day. Originally from Surrey, she spent four years living in Australia (2007-2009, and 2016-2018), and now lives in London. An ex-party girl sometimes prone to relapses, she loves nothing more than sharing her fine dining and luxury travel experiences with her loyal readers.
