Where to go in Bali if you’re hoping to tap into your inner wellspring of inspiration + imagination.
Unlocking the magic of imagination and allowing your creativity to play is one of the most enchanting feelings, yet can sometimes feel like an elusive feat. While there’s no magic elixir for creativity, and everyone has a unique recipe for conjuring that inner muse, there are certain destinations with that special juju, which serves as a catalyst for the outpouring of your most wild and wonderful ideas.
Bali is one such place; with its sacred structures, balmy waters and otherworldly vistas it’s near impossible to explore this majestic land without inspiration striking. While the totality of Bali is a creativity-conjurer, there are five super-potent locations, sure to have you saying endless ah-has.
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Tenganan
To witness the beauty that can be birthed from an idea, travel to the small village of Tenganan in southeast Bali. The locals here are pros at double ikat weaving, which is a process that ends in the creation of one of Bali’s most extraordinary textiles.
If you tread softly and respectfully through the village, you just might luck out and have a local adopt you for the day, taking you on an unofficial tour that may even include a peek into the workspace of an expert weaver. After you soak in the innovation of the village, find a private space to journal, sketch or commune with your creative medium of choice.
Ubud
The tapestry of lush jungle in Ubud, known by many as the “spiritual center of Bali,” creates a cozy haven where you’ll feel safe to explore new ideas without the pressure of immediately putting them into action. This is a place of creative marination.
To begin the marinating, allow this green cocoon to be your sanctuary of mental excavation – a place where you feel safe to dig into the recesses of your mind, weed out the junk that needs to go, discover your latent brilliance and encourage it to come up and breathe. Villa Pererepan is a prime spot for this process.
Gianyar
Watching the graceful, thoughtful and primal manner of animals can shake up your perceptions, and offer inspiration for how to settle into a more simple style of living – a style that creates more space for creativity.
Immerse yourself in a society of animals by staying at the Mara River Safari Lodge where you can float in a pool while observing the interactions of zebras, feed an elephant from your balcony, or lay in bed gazing at a family of rhinos enjoying their breakfast.
Seminyak
While calling on the goodies of your creativity is spiritually arousing, it can also be draining. So much so that you may need a dip in luxury – or maybe just a bean bag chair – to recharge.
Seminyak offers many luxury hotels and spas that will pamper you for a reasonable fee. If you’d like your pampering delivered via sea, sand and sky, plop into one of the many colorful bean bag chairs at La Plancha, a beach bar and restaurant offering Spanish food, quality cocktails and sunsets pulled from the heavens.
Canggu
When your ideas, ingenuity, confidence and other yummy elements of yourself are ready to play with others, travel to Canggu, as this hipster oasis offers the chance to connect with other Creatives.
It’s not uncommon to witness folks who seem equally Zen and amped weaving ideas together while noshing on something organic on the beach, discovering how to collaborate on a project while injecting caffeine into their minds at Hungry Bird, and taking a break from all that thinking to have a dance party at Old Man’s. You can be one of those people. We have a friend who landed a major book deal through someone she struck up a conversation with at a yoga class in Canggu.
If your creative urges are now filling you with wanderlust, invest in your whole-being wellbeing by saying yes to an adventure in one of Bali’s wellsprings of inspiration.