It’s always sad to sad good bye to Bali but before we did, one of the things I really wanted to do was a cooking class. Not just to learn the food (although that was part of it), but because it always feels like such a great way to actually experience a place, not just pass through it.

So we booked ourselves into a cooking school in Kuta… and honestly, I wasn’t quite prepared for what we were walking into.

First up, aprons on. Always a good sign.

The setting was relaxed and a bit chaotic in that charming Bali way, but the real standout was the chef. He was next level. Highly animated, high energy, and absolutely living for the moment. This wasn’t a quiet, serious cooking class. This was part cooking lesson, part performance.

There was a lot of laughing. A lot.

He had us completely engaged from the start, talking, joking, demonstrating, and somehow keeping everyone on track at the same time. It felt less like “instruction” and more like being swept up in the whole experience.

And then… the chicken.

Or more specifically… Matthew and the chicken.

Out of everyone in the group, Matthew was the one chosen. I’m not entirely sure whether to say he was lucky or unlucky, but there he was, front and centre, gloves on, being guided step-by-step through preparing a whole chicken.

The rest of us? Equal parts fascinated, slightly horrified, and very happy it wasn’t us.

It was one of those moments where you’re thinking, “This is definitely not something we’d be doing at home”… while also not being able to look away.

To his credit, Matthew handled it like a champ. Meanwhile, we provided moral support… from a safe distance.

What I loved most was how hands-on it all was. No standing back and watching. You’re in it. Mixing, prepping, questioning your life choices briefly… and then just going with it.

There was also something really fun about doing it with a group. That shared “are we doing this right?” energy, a few sideways glances, and plenty of laughs along the way.

And then, of course, we got to eat it.

Which is always the best part.

Sitting down afterwards, eating food we’d actually had a hand in making, made it all feel even more satisfying. And honestly, it was so good. Fresh, full of flavour, and probably helped by the fact we’d earned it.

The perfect way to end the perfect honeymoon. When are we booking to come back?