My 30th Birthday |‘Saminyak’ We Go

By the time I’ve written and published this, I’m 6 months well into my 30’s. This baby of a blog has been neglected thanks to the monster we call Instagram; call child services because I’m trying to keep up with content creation, personal projects, client work and life offline. And I don’t get how most Instagram celebs and creatives alike do it all- perhaps I need an intern(s)? I feel guilty for not being as productive as everyone else.

Anyway I couldn’t think of a better way to bid my 20’s adieu than to invite my friends and family and treat them to a mini vacay to one of my favourite travel destinations: Bali. It’s one of those spots that has something for everyone and is relatively affordable if you want to relax. So with invites sent (check it out in my Goodie Bag flatlay below), it was #Saminyakwego!

I’m a sucker for birthday cakes that look slightly childish. This ombre drip cake was a custom order made by Pearl Cakes Bali and decorated with a toy dinosaur I sprayed gold to reflect how I feel about turning three decades old.

Normally I stay at hotels when in Bali but because I had 14 guests, I opted to find a villa in the Seminyak area. Many of you were asking about the featured villa in my Instagram images- I stumbled upon this Bauhaus-inspired space on AirBnb while looking for a place that could fit 14 people and wasn’t kitsch in decor. Called the Dharma Gumi, it’s centrally located to many of the popular boutique and brunch spots. For those who don’t want to venture outside the four glass walls, the infinity pool in the backyard is perfect for swimming and lounging in. Plus it comes with private staff and a butler who helped me distribute goody bags, inflate floaties, book in-house masseuse and serve complimentary breakfast in the morning. Check it out on Airbnb here.

Just as a token of thanks for those who came, I partnered with Canaan Bali– a boutique based in Katamama (part of the trendy beach club Potato Head) to create gift bags that promoted local Indonesian craft. The bag itself is knitted from Javanese cotton that guests could use to carry small items while out exploring the neighbourhood. Inside the pouch was a Canaan Room Spray, Tie Dye Charm Bracelet by Jewel Rocks and a beautiful handmade leather fan by Pu Bu Me Su.

1. The Slow: located in Canggu near Echo Beach, The Slow is one of the trendiest hotels to open in Bali. We had my birthday lunch there and the light was amazing and food was incredible. Next time will definitely have to stay overnight there!
2. Balangan Beach: this was on my bucket list for this trip. A short 45 minute drive south, you can take amazing bird’s eye images of the sprawling beach below without the need of a drone.
3. Ubud Art Market: the basket bags were all over Instagram this past summer. We took a day trip to bargain and pick up these bags at the market before getting a late lunch at Folk Ubud.
4. The Colony Hotel Seminyak: tucked next to the popular boutique/brunch spot, Kim Soo, this hotel’s colonial facade with white pillars, flanked with banana leaves and courtyard pool makes for a very photogenic backdrop for vacation photos. It’s also conveniently located near The Legian and therefore, the beach.

What other recommendations/tips do you have in Bali? Would love to know for a future trip (perhaps in 2018?)!