
Hey There!
Sometimes your well-planned family travel takes a turn and you have to pivot. For us it was during Thanksgiving break. What was supposed to be a family trip to Costa Rica quickly turned into something else entirely.
We had it all planned out… I had used Alaska Air miles to book 5 flights to Liberia Airport, we had 8 days reserved with points at The Andaz Papagayo, and we were ready for some lazy days around the pool in the middle of the rainforest. Then… mother nature took over.
The day we were set to leave, a hurricane flooded the runways and they canceled our flights. We tried to save the trip, but it was peak travel season for Costa Rica and the hotel couldn’t accommodate us for any other dates that worked. So we canceled the trip.
SUCH A BUMMER. Luckily the disappointment only lasted about 2 hours.
I jumped on the computer and started to research my options and how much it would cost (in miles and points) to get to some interesting destination with our family.
Within 6 hours I had re-booked all 5 of us on a bucket-list family trip to Bali, Indonesia in FIRST CLASS for less than $200! We left 4 days later and had a truly amazing experience.
I have NEVER booked such a last minute trip before so this pivot was surprising for a lot of reasons. It took all of us a few days to get used to the idea, but once we got on the plane, the excitement kicked in.
We let the littles sit in their own row in front of us and they had FAR TOO MUCH FUN not having their parents right beside them. (Who knew the need for independence would start so early?!)
Here are my kids – living their best life on an airplane.


Before we dive into the specifics of the trip… let me break down how I booked it.
Flights:
Los Angeles – Melbourne – Denpasar
- I booked 5 one-way flights on United Airlines from Los Angeles to Bali using a combination of United Miles I earned from this card, and Chase Points we had from these cards.
- We spent 400,000 miles + $130 (Taxes and fees were only $22.50 but I insured it for an extra $100). The last-minute cash price for these flights was over $20,000 PER TICKET!

Denpasar – Melbourne – Los Angeles
For our return flights I used Amex Points from this card to purchase 5 economy one-way flights on Qantas through Flying Blue.
- We spent 234,000 miles + $145.71 to book 4 one-way economy tickets.
- Kevin covered my mom’s one-way flight home with his miles separately. Our Grand Total was 117,000 points + $181.51 for 5 tickets.
(Note: This is a pretty awful redemption rate, but the cash rates for this flight were $3,400/ticket!!!)
No thank you.

Accommodation:
Seminyak:
The first hotel we visited was stunning! We stayed at Alila Seminyak for 29,000 points/night for a deluxe suite.



This hotel was a DREAM. It’s on the beach and quiet… they’ve got a family pool, an adults-only pool, a kids club and a fabulous restaurant on site. Also, the staff left 2 gorgeous batik stuffed bunnies on the beds for my kids! I HIGHLY recommend this hotel!!



Ubud:
Next, we stayed at Alila Ubud. This place was like stepping into the pages of a luxury magazine. With a jungle canopy all around, it’s incredibly peaceful and serene.



The food was delicious, there’s a lovely spa, monkeys that come to visit and fun activities to participate in… think yoga by the pool and outdoor movie nights (see below).

Unfortunately, Kevin and I got the Norovirus while we were staying here. The staff was incredibly sweet and helpful in getting us well. If you HAVE to get sick… it’s not an awful place to recover.
Favorite Activities:
Pura Ulun Danu Beratan (Lake Temple)



All I can say is WOW. This temple is absolutely GORGEOUS. We went early and spent about 3 hours exploring it. There’s a playground for the kids, koi feeding, bunny petting, and plenty of absolutely beautiful places to sit and take it all in.





Didn’t escape the meltdowns though. =)

Jatiluwih Rice Terrace



Jatiluwih rice terrace is one of the largest rice terraces in Bali. Because it’s in the highland region, there aren’t as many tourists.
We lucked out and barely saw anyone there. With some extra attention from our guide, I learned a bit about rice.
Fun Fact:
When rice is young (our guide called it baby rice) it’s gotta stay in water all the time.
Wet rice terraces = baby rice. Dry terraces = rice that’s almost ready to harvest.
Tirta Empul Temple



This Temple was at the TOP of the list of things I wanted to see and the stomach bug made me miss it.
SUCH A DISAPPOINTMENT.
Kevin and my mom had a wonderful time though. The kids apparently had a LOT of meltdowns, though you’d never know it from these photos.



Bali Zoo
Going to the zoo in Bali wasn’t on my radar. It’s just not what I think about when I think of Bali.
But getting sick meant re-arranging the itinerary so it was off to the zoo!
Honestly, this was one of my favorite experiences on this trip. I think it’s because I got to FEED AN ELEPHANT and PET SOME DEER!
The kids were too scared to feed the elephant with me, so I got double the time with her. Made my day.


What we THOUGHT was going to be a relaxing week in Costa Rica turned into an amazing bucket-list trip to Bali, Indonesia instead.
There was laughter, a few tears, way too much vomit and so many amazing memories shared.
This trip would have never happened without the use of points and miles. I absolutely adore that I can show my kids (and my mom) the world, simply by opening the right credit cards and being strategic about how I earn and spend those rewards.



Want to learn how you can do it too? Check out Travel Points Academy and start earning your way towards your next nearly free luxury vacation!
If I can do it, so can you.
