these are the 3 newest hotspots in Bali

We are back from being away and we will happily come every month with fun tropical travel tips for you. If it's not from Bali, then from another lovely warm, sun-drenched destination (because that's where we prefer to be, of course).

Last year was all about a lot of fantastic trips in which Hawaii and Tahiti was definitely one of our travel bucket list highlights. Nothing beats the Pacific islands for us, full of swaying palm trees, amazing surf spots, whale and manta ray spotting, ukulele guitar music, eating ahi poke and acai bowls by the roadside, and putting a flower crown on your head for every occasion. Dream destinations for every island girl, right?

But the work trips we made to places like Los Angeles, Ibiza, Mallorca, Lisbon, and the islands near Stockholm (really a recommendation for your next summer getaway) were also definitely trips that inspired us a lot. Wow, there is so much beauty to discover in Europe as well. And for the rest of the year, we were of course found on our beloved home island Bali, and at home with family in the Netherlands and with the boyfriend in Biarritz. Yep, we are accumulating quite a few Air Miles, it's time for an upgrade, haha.

In the meantime, it is scorching hot in Bali (pre-rainy season) and we are sweating through the day full of appointments for our webshop and are busy creating new content for our Bali Guides and Instagram page. After the earthquakes last summer and again this week, we hope nature will stay calm on the island for a while.

And, just in between, a major life update, Eve is seven months pregnant with her first island baby (better known to friends and family as ‘little ball’). After another lovely time in Bali with a good supply of vitamin sea for the growing baby bump, a fantastic Aloha baby shower with all the Bali girlfriends and especially a lot of work ahead for the coming months with aunt Pris, Eve and Stephen left for Amsterdam last week to create a cozy home there, to get married (the ‘real’ wedding with baby is planned for next summer) and to prepare for the birth (because yes, for those kinds of things you want to go back to the Netherlands where everything is so well organized).

And where Eve is heading towards the cold winter months in the Netherlands, many are escaping the cold winter months by going to Bali (do you already have plans or are you already looking at flight tickets? Sorry, haha). Therefore, in our new column for you, here are a few of our best tips for an ultimate Bali winter escape, to recharge for the new (cold, brrr) year!

3x the ultimate Bali winter escape

1. Go happy & healthy in Canggu

Where in the Netherlands during the cold winter months you prefer to curl up on the couch under the blankets with a bowl of ginger nuts (OMG, please give us the truffle ginger nuts from Van Delft!), in Bali you can recharge completely for the new year. There are a number of really nice new health food cafes, vegan spots, and gyms opened in Canggu, allowing you to go happy & healthy into the new year.

What you can't miss:

• GIVE Café: This is a new vegan warung by the owners of vegan café KYND in Seminyak, Lauren and Corynne. Here you eat the tastiest nasi campur completely plant-based with flavors as you know them from the original warung, from saté ayam to rendang. We are definitely here a few times a week! By the way, KYND is now also open for dinner, a real recommendation.
• Plant Cartel: Here they have vegan junk food, you know it from Amsterdam. Now also in Canggu with of course an Instagrammable interior, but especially a lot of delicious plant-based food.
• Coffee & Coconuts: Huh? Isn't that in Amsterdam? Yep! But this weekend they are also opening their location in Canggu. Wonderful to drink your coconuts all day, do work sessions (assuming you make it a work/vacation this winter) or simply enjoy delicious food and chill.
• La Brisa: Start your day sporty with a surf session and then enjoy your post-surf breakfast at this hotspot with a view of the waves of Echo Beach. You probably already knew this, but soon they will expand with a whole new section and a new pool. We have already taken a look and it is going to be really beautiful.
• Mason: Okay, maybe not super healthy or vegan, but definitely one of our new favorite restaurants in Canggu. You find a bit of the LA vibes here, but a bit more tropical. They have delicious sharing dishes and you really can't skip the desserts, they will make you very happy.
• Peloton: A ‘classic’ but just dressed up in a new outfit. The interior of this plant-based hotspot has had a beautiful makeover and the vegan menu is still worth waking up for at night.
• Jet Black Ginger: You don't just become happy and healthy from good food, but also from a lovely pampering treatment. Our favorite salon Jet Black Ginger is our go-to spot for hair and mani-pedis. They have just expanded the salon, so definitely go here for your lovely chill time.
• F45: You might know it from Amsterdam (this originally comes from Australia), but we are addicted to this high-intensity workout in Bali. If you want to come back super fit to your cold frog country, come train with us.

2. Sunkissed on your private island 
A new resort from Le Pirate has opened in Flores, on a private island. You might already know them from the tropical white-green bungalows on Gili Trawangan and Nusa Ceningan (both recommended for a stay). We were lucky enough to be the first to sleep here last July. From Bali, it is an hour's flight to La Buan Bajo and then another hour by boat. For us, it went a bit differently due to a sudden storm (not very nice with a baby belly between the high waves, but well, that's nature), which forced us to move to another island for the first night (where coincidentally the resort The Seraya was located, so we definitely didn't hit it wrong).

Once arrived at Le Pirate Island, we can only say: paradise found! If you want to experience your own blue lagoon adventure this winter (okay, with a tropical cocktail bar and your own private chefs) and be low on wi-fi, definitely stay here for two or three nights and make extra trips to Pink Beach, Kanawa, go snorkeling with manta rays and baby sharks or spot dolphins from Le Pirate Explorer.

3. Dream a little dream
There are a few amazing island stays that have been added to the island that you want to add to your travel itinerary if you are going to spend the winter in Bali.

• Camaya in Karangasem: an incredibly magical bamboo house in the middle of the jungle in Bali. Wake up with a sunrise over Mount Agung, the sound of nothing but birds and crickets, and a breathtaking view of the valley.
• Mahi Mahi Villa: on weekends in Bali we like to escape the hustle and bustle of Seminyak and Canggu by going to the south of Bali. Mahi Mahi Villa is within walking distance of our favorite beach Bingin Beach, close to the cutest cafes (don't miss The Loft, Drifter, Bukit Cafe, and Cashew Tree).
• Dreamsea Surf Camp: also in the south of Bali near Uluwatu is our new favorite island stay Dream Sea Surf, a small surf lodge with an idyllic piece of beach and a view over Bali's best surf spots. The rooms are stylishly and exotically decorated and it's especially fun if you want surf lessons and enjoy connecting with other travelers.

Will you let us know where you are going this winter? Or are you staying cozy at home during these cozy winter months? Follow us on Instagram (Pris has a few beautiful tropical trips planned again and Eve is settling in with the baby bump in the Amsterdam life).

XO
Pris & Eve