Living the island life, we talk to Rosie from the Bali Bible

If you havn't already heard of it, The Bali Bible is the 'go-to' guide or visual fish-bait when one is planning or dreaming of their next trip to the island of Bali. Keeping up with all things new, hip & happening on the island, you one stop guide 'The Bali Bible' has you covered. Recently we had a chance to catch up with Rosie Pattinson, a writer from the online blog/social media account. Go and grab a cup of tea and warm up with this island-inspiring interview.

LLR: A long time follower of the Bali Bible, it looks like to me, you just gallivant around the island of Bali staying at fancy resorts & eating at delicious restarurants! Talk us through how you got into writing for The Bali Bible…

Rosie: I had just gotten out of my first job in Bali and it was awful. I was desperate and emailed pretty much everyone I could think of that might hire ‘bule’ (westerners). The Bali Bible got back to me with a position as an Account Manager, the blogging and writing came after and is definitely the most fun part of the job.

LLR: What has been the biggest ‘OMG’ moment of your job so far?

Rosie: A few weeks ago I got invited to stay at a super exclusive resort in Ubud called Permata Ayung, so exclusive the driveway isn’t even marked. It’s the kind of place that Celebrities, Sheiks and Royals stay in Bali. We were waited on day and night, the Moët was flowing the whole weekend and we had at least 5 courses each night. And the whole resort is more beautiful than you can imagine. Here in Bali you rub shoulders with the most amazing out of the box people, and sometimes high profile people. I’ve had so many amazing opportunities that I wouldn’t have had back in Australia.

LLR: Are there any challenges to living in Bali?

Rosie: Hells yes! There are small struggles every day with cultural and language differences but there are some days that stand out more than the rest. A bad day in Bali is a REALLY bad day. Generally you’re driving around trying to get shit done, your phone dies/is broken (because no one in Bali can afford a brand new iPhone 6), you get lost in a really ‘local’ area and someone cancels a meeting when you're half way there. You might even have a Haviana blow out too (yup, sometimes I wear Havianas to meetings). It’s stinking hot and your bike/car breaks down. And then you have to negotiate your way out of that with limited skills in the local lingo and without being ripped off. You finally get home and the power is out and you can’t charge your phone which is the most devastating part after a day sans phone. I think Bali throws those days at you as a way of asking you if you’ve really got the balls to live here. I’ve had to toughen up a lot. There’s no safety nets here and you don’t have all the friends and family like at home to catch you.

LLR: Where is your favourite ‘escape’ spot when you switch off from work?

Rosie: I like to take my little Bali Street Dog, Lucky down to my local beach and go for a run or grab a Bintang (cos it's all about balance). I love watching the dogs letting loose and going absolutely nuts on the beach. They look like they are at Disney land for dogs. Back in Australia the dogs are so restricted and have to be on the lead pretty much everywhere. I also love keeping it low key at beach bars etc. with friends as I’m often in town mingling at ‘the spot’ with the ‘whose who’.

LLR: What are your top 3 recommendations for cheap eats on the island?

KZU on Sunset Road and Drupadi in Seminyak does a modern Nasi Campur which is a smorgasbord of dishes. You point over the counter at what you want. They have some Japanese and European influenced dishes. A big plateful is usually around 60K ($6AUD). Shady Shackin Canggu has the most amazing menu of vegetarian and vegan food, for a juice and salad it’s not much for than 100K ($10AUD). I also love Nalu Bowls, the prettiest and tastiest smoothie bowls for around 65K ($6.50AUD). It’s my ice-cream substitute.

LLR: Last but not least…(And we know this might be hard to pick!) What is your favourite beach on the island of Bali & what makes it so special?

Rosie: I’ve travelled to a few islands surrounding Bali but the beaches of the Bukit peninsula have my heart. They might not be as untouched as some but they really are the most beautiful. Bingin beach is definitely the most special to me because it’s where I’m planning my wedding and where the proposal went down. There’s also something about sitting at a warung at Uluwatu at sunset, watching surfers surf one of the most famous waves in the world.

Thanks for chatting Rosie! x

PS. Want more? Check out Rosie's recent post on 'A night with the Rich & Famous' hereor head over here and and find out our Best eats on the island of Bali!