Twenty-five years later, Oscar-winning actress Regina King recently recalled a profound vacation in Bali that she still considers her best trip to date.
As the closing keynote speaker on July 15 during Travel + Leisure’s 2026 World’s Best Summit, King noted the many reasons why her trip to Bali – which “probably… was in 2002” – is still a standout. Regarding her vacation to the Indonesian island, the Children of Blood and Bone star stated that “There hasn’t been a trip to beat it.”
The several aspects of that time in Bali that King noted included the “distinct smell of going out on the beach” and the locals’ talented creative artistry. She also recalled picking out fresh fish to be prepared for her and her travel party to eat. Additionally, the veteran Hollywood multihyphenate frequently reiterated how her family majorly contributed to making the trip so memorable and special.
“It was the first trip, as a mom, that was a huge trip I planned,” said King, a mother of one whose late son Ian Alexander Jr. passed away in 2022. “I chose where we were going based on what Ian loved. He really loved all things Eastern [culture]. We got a chance to be opened up to a way of thinking.”
“The people in Bali [were] very happy but only worked for what they needed. By the second night, we started praying every morning and started having little rituals based on what we were experiencing there,” she added.
PEOPLE quoted King further discussing Bali’s locals during the summit, noting, “So many people, they were all artists” – and “someone either could sing, dance, draw, make something out of something.”
“I still haven’t had fish that good. And just the experience of choosing the fish… a lot of people probably have had that experience, but we never had it, and we had it together as a family,” King additionally detailed.
How The Bali Trip Sparked A Yearly Family Tradition
In a clip shared on Travel + Leisure‘s social media, the actress further reflected on why her trip to Bali remains in her mind and on her heart. King explained that the family moments created on that trip ultimately inspired a new tradition of annual international travel, each time in a new destination.
Answering a question that directly asked what the best trip was that she’s ever taken, King said, “My trip to Bali. I just feel like it opened all of us up in a way to appreciate the simple things.”
“It was just a family experience that started us to take trips abroad every year to countries we had never been to,” she added.
