🎄 Better Late Than Never: Our Chaotic Christmas & NYE in Bali

Featuring bathtubs, Bali belly, tigers, fireworks… and zero dignity

We went to Bali for Christmas.

I fully meant to post daily updates like a responsible blogger.

Instead we got tired, got sick, got distracted, and I forgot everything existed except naps and snacks.

So here it is.

The entire trip.

All the chaos.

Better late than never.

We stayed at Astagina Resort Villa and Spa in Seminyak — lush gardens, gorgeous pools, perfect location… and apparently violent plumbing.

Day 1–2: A Cautionary Tale

Day 1:

Our relaxing holiday started exactly how holidays should:

Bintang Supermarket ✔️

Mani & pedi for me and Gee ✔️

Swimming (aka sitting at the pool bar with drinks) ✔️

Afternoon naps ✔️

Pure relaxation… until I decided to use the bathtub.

Turned the jets on and BOOM 💦 — full-pressure water cannon straight to the back of my head, spraying across the entire bathroom and onto the wall in front of me. I screamed, Gee came running in thinking I’d been attacked.

I explained what happened.

He fiddled with the jets behind my back.

I begged him not to turn them back on.

He turned them back on.

Second spray directly to the back of my head.

Bathroom now flooded twice as bad.

0/10 experience. Do not recommend.

To top it off, Gee’s family arrived at 1:30am and, naturally, could not walk past our door without knocking to say hi… waking us up on their way through. Merry Christmas 😂

Day 2:

Far less violent:

More Bintang Supermarket shopping ✔️

Lunch at Legian Corner ✔️

Massages ✔️

Another “swim” (you know what that means by now 🍹)

Dinner at Pavilion in Legian ✔️

And then more foot massages on the walk home.

So far Bali is relaxing, affordable, delicious… and the bathtubs are aggressive. 🇮🇩✨

Day 3: Wet, wild & wonderfully lazy

Krisna Oleh Oleh - Denpasar, Bali

Bali decided to absolutely hose down, so beach plans were officially cancelled by the weather gods.

After breakfast, we called in reinforcements and hired Wayan Bali Tours (aka Gee’s Bali brother) to rescue us from the rain and take us shopping for the afternoon 🛍️🚗

We hit Mode Fashion Outlet and then Krisna, where we hit the rooftop bar and pool before shopping three levels of Bali snacks, skincare, art, clothing, accessories and souvenirs. But between the biblical rain and traffic that could test the patience of a saint, that was all we managed. Bali traffic really said, “That’s enough productivity for today.”

Dinner was back at Legian Corner again because:

✔️ Great food

✔️ Close to the resort

✔️ We’re creatures of comfort

And to round out the day perfectly… another massage on the walk home. Because at this point, it would be rude not to 💆‍♀️💆‍♂️

Rainy Bali days = shopping, eating, massages, repeat.

Honestly? Bliss. 😌✨

Day 4: Shopping for Me, Resting for Gee

Gee woke up very unwell. Unsure whether to blame the day before’s spicy lunch 🌶️ or the seafood dinner 🦐… but let’s just say nothing was staying in and he spent most of the day horizontal and regretting life choices.

0/10 would not recommend.

While Gee and his stomach worked through their issues, the ladies ventured out around lunchtime. The weather finally eased enough for the girls to stroll up the street and shop at a leisurely pace… although the humidity absolutely destroyed everyone’s hair. There is no fighting Bali air. You simply surrender.

I somehow didn’t buy a thing (who even am I?) but did discover the cutest little shop with gorgeous dresses, matching sets and jumpsuits — Hippie Candra Shop — mentally bookmarked for later because restraint is temporary.

We ducked into Frankie’s Bar & Grill for a cool drink and WOW — their virgin strawberry daiquiris were chef’s kiss. Cold. Refreshing. Life-affirming. Would happily drink one every hour on the hour 🍓🍹

By dinner time, Gee felt well enough to wander down to the resort restaurant, so we used our vouchers for discounted meals and kept things low-key, hanging around the resort and pretending we were very relaxed holiday people.

Slow day. Humid day. Slightly traumatic for one digestive system.

Still Bali. Still winning. 😎

Days 5 & 6: aka the gastrointestinal rollercoaster

Day 5:

Not sure why, but Indonesian food and my stomach are mortal enemies. I’ve been playing it safe with “Western” food all week… but on Day 4, FOMO got the better of me.

Enter: nasi goreng.

Exit: my dignity.

Immediate stomach churning, followed by a full Day 5 itinerary of:

🛏️ Bed

🚽 Toilet

💧 Sipping water like it was a competitive sport

Back to burgers, sandwiches and chips for every meal for me 😔

Everyone else, meanwhile, had a lovely time 🙄

• Noah hit up an indoor playground

• The others went to the beach

• Foot massages + soup dinner at a warung

Thrilled for them. Truly.

Day 6:

I started cautiously with Vegemite on toast (Australia’s strongest medicine).

Gee went for a swim, then we babysat Noah while Ciana and Phil had massages. Noah and I promptly napped the entire time. Self-care, honestly.

Later, we headed to Bali Safari & Marine Park Night Safari, something I’ve wanted to do for YEARS.

We did a walking tour first (porcupines, monkeys, Komodo dragons, an elephant), then dinner, then it was time to climb into the cage and be driven through the exhibits.

IT. WAS. AMAZING.

• Lions up close (absolutely stunning)

• Lionesses who were very much in their “don’t talk to me, it’s hot” era

• A lion came right up to the cage while being fed – his eyes 😍

• White rhino, giraffes, and feeding camels, zebras & elephants

I did briefly reconsider all my life choices when an elephant at the back of the cage (where we were standing, of course) started playing with the latch and trying to open it. Thankfully, we drove off before she succeeded.

And then… THE TIGERS 🐯

My favourite animal in the world. So majestic.

One jumped on top of our cage and plonked itself right above us. Naturally, I was positioned at the butt end 🙄

Ranger casually mentions: “Sometimes they pee into the cage.”

Everyone else scattered like the Red Sea. I stayed. In awe. Staring at a tiger bum.

Afterwards, we picked our photos (and bought three because obviously), skipped the African Fire show because we were DONE, and headed back. Noah was literally nodding off in the cage.

Huge thanks to Wayan Bali Tours for waiting for us the entire time – absolute legend 🙌

Back at the resort, Gee and I squeezed in a massage and then collapsed into bed.

Day 7: New Year’s Eve 🎉

Ciana woke up crook 😩 Doctor Ari to the rescue with IV fluids and vitamins. She perked up, but sounds like a nasty virus is doing the rounds here — half the resort’s had it 🤧

Hit Sanur on a mission… and SUCCESS 🎯 Found the elusive climbing man wall art! I purchased one years ago and wanted to find him a mate but do you think I'd seen one since? Also accidentally bought a beautiful lamp because Bali. Oops.

Lunch at Y-Bar 🍻 (a few drinks may have happened… Bintang, vodka soda, tropical slushie… you get it). Then permanent jewellery because why not ✨

NYE party at the resort 🎆 Free food (perk of staying 10+ days), skipped the drinks package — turns out we did not need it 😬 The baba guling was elite. Band was… enthusiastic 😂 Fire dancers = 🔥🔥🔥

Beach fireworks were absolutely unhinged. Territory Night has NOTHING on Bali NYE. Ended the night watching fireworks from the balcony — sounded like popcorn on steroids.

Happy 2026 🥂😂 xx

Days 8 & 9: Recovery mode & Ubud Magic

Day 8:

Hangover breakfast.

New Year’s Day - Hungover. Paying for it. Zero regrets.

Dragged ourselves out for a top-secret shopping mission 🤫 (had to be done) and refuelled at The Lokal 80361 with burgers because… hangover science 🍔

Then ran around grabbing bits for Day 9 while being personally victimised by climbing men in every second shop. WHY ARE THEY NOW EVERYWHERE?!?! 😩

Back to the motel for horizontal recovery and a quiet Balinese dinner.

Day 9:

Started at Gunung Kawi Sebatu for offerings and water blessings — genuinely beautiful and peaceful. 100% recommend this experience.

Finished at Tepi Sawah Waroeng overlooking the rice paddies… where Phil asked Ciana to marry him!! 💍

Surprise proposal set up by Gee and me — and of course, she said YES 🥹✨

Back to the resort for massages (Bali law), then a sleepover with Noah while the newly-engaged couple celebrated ❤️

Congrats Ciana & Phil — May your life together be long, happy, healthy, wealthy and full of so much love and laughter xxx 💖

Day 10: Porn Cakes & A Theme Park

Brunch Club kicked off strong with porn cakes for breakfast — living our best lives.

Then headed toward Trans Studio… but before even entering the theme park, I achieved a lifelong milestone and won my very first toy from a claw machine 🏆 Clearly a sign it was going to be a big day.

Inside the park was fun and, uh, interesting. Had to walk through a Titanic exhibit just to get in, which felt dramatic for a theme park entry.

First stop: City of the Dead. Waited an hour in a suspiciously short line to shoot zombies with guns that mostly did not shoot. 💀

Next up: Forbidden Temple — slow, relaxed boat ride through the “mountains”. Honestly, a nice change of pace.

Then Roadrage (Mad Max vibes), where half the 3D screens didn’t work, so for some of the ride we sat in our carriage staring into the void.

Blink and it’s 4:30pm, so we called it. Back to the resort, then seafood dinner at Lokal Beach House — amazing. The octopus and salmon were to die for.

Finished with yet another massage (because obviously).

Final thoughts

Was it relaxing?

Debatable.

Did we sleep properly?

Absolutely not.

Did at least one digestive system betray us?

Several.

Would we go back tomorrow?

Immediately.

Because Bali is still:

warm, cheap, delicious, chaotic, funny, and somehow always worth it.

Perfect trips are boring.

These ones make the best stories.

Until our next adventure,

Mindi xx