Happy Tuesday, friends!
We arrived on Nantucket over the weekend and are settling into our summer routine. Spoiler alert: we are already having fun 🙂 .
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Today is another THREE POST TUESDAY! First up, I’m talking all things EASY GIFT DELIVERY plus, I have THIS WEEK’S MEAL PLAN and then today, it’s the THIRD AND FINAL RECAP OF OUR TRIP TO BALI, INDONESIA.
So, settle in, grab an iced coffee and enjoy some pics and details from the remaining few days from our vacation.
Don’t forget, you need to catch PART ONE and PART TWO too!
Okay, here we go…
We woke up super early on this particular morning in beautiful Bali…
…our guide and driver met us at 6:15 in the resort lobby. We were up, we ate (I needed that full stomach!), and off we went for the 45 minute drive to…
…the ferry to Nusa Penida. We wanted to visit this neighboring island because we heard it was beautiful, more quiet and remote, and we thought if we were all the way in Indonesia, it would be fun to experience another one of its islands (there are over 17,000!).
Thankfully, we were able to sit at the top of the boat in the open air instead of down below. I do not know how the people did it below. There were about 100 people in the cabin below us sitting in chairs without any a/c or moving air. There was a moment before the boat embarked where I looked at Andrew and told him I might not be able to do it. Nothing, nothing, NOTHING makes me more motion sick than being hot (shall I point you back to THIS POST and THIS POST…just two examples!). Thankfully, we got to sit up top with air movement and even though it wasn’t my favorite hour long boat ride, it was totally worth it!!
Off we go to check out Nusa Penida! I love MY SHORTS 🙂 .
Our guide brought us over and had transportation lined up for us when we disembarked. They took us to this beautiful cove to spend some time enjoying their beaches on this particular island…
It was so pretty! This was very different from our place in Bali. This beach and cove area felt more like the Italian Riviera to me. It was lush, the sand was black…it was gorgeous. We had coconut water straight from the coconut, enjoyed snacks and getting in the ocean. I also enjoyed…
…this guy 🙂 . Wild dogs are ALL OVER Bali. This guy napped all morning under me, would come out and check things out around me and then nap some more.
After our beach time, we drove to the other side of the island (learning about their culture, trades, education system, housing, etc from our driver and guide as we explored) before landing at the MOST AMAZING RESTAURANT I’VE EVER VISITED…
My pictures will not do it justice, but this place was not only delicious, the views were magnificent!
Our guide had reservations for us right when they opened for lunch, but by the time we left, the place was a buzz. As we were driving here, I just knew we must have taken some shortcut/wrong turn because we were in the middle of nowhere until we were here. It popped out of seemingly nowhere and was the most amazing surprise.
Cheers to gorgeous views and…
…amazing food. This was hands down my favorite meal/moment of the entire trip.
Everything was gorgeous and there were views for dayyyyyys.
This was looking back at the restaurant.
There are only three ferries departing Nusa Penida for our place of disembarkation, so we had to be back to hop on by 1:00. This was truly one of my favorite days ever while traveling. It was just oh so special from beginning to end.
The ferry ride back over was a warmer which made me feel a little more icky, so when we arrived back at the resort, we cleaned up a bit, chilled a little and then it was time…
…to get ready for dinner. MY DRESS comes in many other colors too!
On this particular night, we had reservations at the neighboring resort…
…we had the most amazing time at the Ritz Carlton Bali that we changed our plans for the following night just to return.
The sweetest ending to the sweetest day.
See? Gorgeous! More details below.
Okay, the next day was our last full day in Bali…
…I started my morning with all my favorite things, then we went to the gym and then…
…breakfast. That’s papaya jam on my toast and geez, it was delicious.
On our last full day, we wanted to…
…relax 🙂 . HAT//COVERUP//EARRINGS//WEDGES
Oh Bali, you are beautiful!
My favorite way to spend the day.
Since we changed up our plans, we headed over to the Ritz on this night a little earlier because I wanted to see the sunset there. This property is much larger than the St. Regis…
It’s built up on a hill with gorgeous views…
Cheers!
Our last dinner in Bali did not disappoint.
The following day…
…we didn’t have to check out until 3:00 PM, so we rinsed and repeated a little…
…enjoyed a bit more beach…
…and then showered and got ready for our 6:50 PM flight back home. (My dress is HERE.)
It only took one 10 hour flight followed by a second 16 hour flight to get us back in McKinney, showered and immediately up at the elementary school for…
…the third grade end of year celebration 🙂 .
You guys, that was Bali.
I am so thankful we did this trip to celebrate our 20th anniversary! Andrew and I are trying to check as many bucket list spots as possible, and I will 100% say this was a really big, fat, amazing checkmark. We had the BEST time.
I know I say this all the time, but I’m good at what I do because I truly LOVE to travel! I could talk about trips and traveling all day long. It’s my passion, it’s where I like to put my time and invest my money…it’s valuable to me. If you want to talk about a vacation, please reach out to us! We send clients all over the world every single day, and we would like to send you too. Contacting us just gets the ball rolling. We would love to connect with you and help you make memories like this too. Reach out to our travel agency today HERE!
Don’t forget, it’s a THREE POST TUESDAY! Make sure you also check out my EASY GIFT DELIVERY and THIS WEEK’S MEAL PLAN!
I’m off now to settle into my work day here on Nantucket. I hope you all have a wonderful Tuesday! xx
Elspeth says
What an incredible trip and wonderful memories! It looks stunning!
Thanks for taking us along!
http://www.elspethsdaybyday.com
Sarah Shaneyfelt says
So glad y’all had an amazing time! Bali looks. incredible!
MeetTheShaneyfelts
Sara Kachelmeyer says
Where was the black shift dress from your last photo from? It looks comfy and cute.
Mix and Match Mama says
I just added it to the post! https://shopstyle.it/l/cbRAk
Erika Slaughter says
The island day looks amazing!!
Angela says
We stayed at the Ritz when we were in Bali in January. It was beautiful. We were celebrating our 10yr anniversary!
We did a cruise. Started in Singapore and stayed there for a few days and ended the cruise in Bali and stayed a few nights. Loved the trip. Fell in love with Asia and their culture. Japan is next! Glad you had a wonderful time!
Mix and Match Mama says
That cruise is for sure on my bucket list! My aunt and uncle did one this spring, and it was pretty epic.
Tasha says
Hi Shay!
Thank you for sharing. I was wondering if you could share what the ballpark cost was for a trip like this? It is not something we would be able to do in the near future so not ready to reach out to your agency yet, but would like to know around how much we would need to save up for a trip like this. I know a lot of factors are at play including airfare, excursions, etc, but was just curious about a ballpark number. Thank you!
Mix and Match Mama says
That number varies so greatly that I’m not even going to ballpark it as I wouldn’t want to discourage anyone. It is so rare that we simply cannot make a budget work. The biggest factor is almost always airfare as that does seem to go up and up, but there are even ways around that too. If it’s truly on your. radar, you should connect with us so we can hear your ideal budget and then let you know what we can do to make it happen (depending on the number of nights, the time of year, how many layovers, number of excursions…truly so many variables!).
Debra says
It would be so cool to see a comprehensive (exhaustive?) list of your lifetime travels, especially, with your top ten highlighted. Also, would love to see a list of your bucket list aspirations. Your travel life is an absolute dream and I love each and every glimpse you give us of the world around us. Thank you!
Mix and Match Mama says
That would actually probably be a really good exercise for me (as I’m sure at some point, I will start to forget). I like this idea!
Elizabeth says
You should do the top 5, bottom 5 places you traveled. That would be so fun!
Cris says
Ooooo…another interesting idea for a Top Five/Bottom Five post! Even if you’ve never really disliked a destination, it would be fascinating to hear what’s “less great” and why from both you and Andrew.
Talia says
What a wonderful trip! May I have the details on the black dress (last one pictured), please?
Mix and Match Mama says
Of course! It’s here: https://shopstyle.it/l/cbRAk. I’ll add it to the post as well!
Emma says
What were the foods you had in the picture of your favorite meal? Your whole trip looks amazing!!
Mix and Match Mama says
Chicken satay, fried rice with an egg on top and some delicious garnishes (including a spicy pickle!).
Nicole says
What was the name of the restaurant you went to for lunch on Nusa Penida?
Mix and Match Mama says
I need to reach out and ask my guide because I don’t have it written down anywhere.
Candice says
Hello! That trip looked amazing! Unrelated question, but I thought I remembered you doing a post about your swing set a while back. Or at least mentioning it at some point where you bought it? I couldn’t find the post. Thank you!
Mix and Match Mama says
Oh gosh, that set is 10 years old. I’m sure I’ve mentioned it at some point, but I don’t know when/where. The sad part is, we’re about over that chapter. I’m not sure how much longer we’ll have it.
hayley beck says
Did you ever have to worry about drinking the water (even ice in the water/drinks) while in Bali? Or is that not a concern like it can be in other places?
Mix and Match Mama says
Great question! Everyone was very, very clear with us not to drink the water or even brush our teeth with it. The resort did an amazing job of having water in sealed glass bottles everywhere for us (including next to each bathroom sink for teeth brushing). When we were out, the restaurants and cafes would always tell us if their ice had been filtered and was safe or if we needed to drink from a can/bottle.
Jeanne says
Brooke just helped us book a cruise for us & son/daughter-in-law & 4 grandkids. We are so excited!!
I really appreciate all your content, especially travel, & the details you give.
Mix and Match Mama says
Yay!! Thank YOU for allowing us to be a part of your vacation. We are truly so blessed by it!
Amy Coose says
Can you share what size you got in the board shorts and Amazon dress that you wore to dinner? Would you say both pieces are true to size? The trip looks amazing!
Mix and Match Mama says
The shorts are a small and the dress is an XS. I would say they both run very TTS.
Tish says
Happy Summer, Shay! I love that you guys are back on Nantucket! Curious, what routines/schedules do you set for your time there? You mentioned your weekly breakfast with Smith – which I love! What does a daily work schedule look like for you so that you enjoy time during the day with your family? I am trying to figure out mine with working from home so would love some insight to get started this summer! 🙂 Also, do you workout every morning like at home in McKinney or not as often with being so active outside on the island?
Mix and Match Mama says
Agh, it always takes me a minute to get brain around my “work schedule”. It’s not nearly as structured as it is the other 9 months of the year. I wake up early and work after my quiet time before I work out (because the kids are all sleeping-this is not something I typically do during the school year) and then, Andrew and I try to structure out days the same (schedules calls and such around the same times) so that we can work in the AM and then work again in the PM and have a bit of time mid-day for something fun. We just make it work. I have a blog post about it here: https://mixandmatchmama.com/2022/06/21-keys-for-working-from-home-summer-edition/ . It always always takes me a minute to get into my groove.