I booked a dreamy 2-week vacation in Bali. I was so disappointed that I ditched my original itinerary after just 3 days.

• I celebrated my birthday in Bali, booking a two-week trip to turn my Instagram dreams into reality.
• Many places I visited felt crowded and disappointed me, so I decided to scrap my entire itinerary.
• On day three, I headed to quieter parts of Bali and it was beautiful and peaceful.

For my 25th birthday, I booked a two-week trip to Bali with my partner.

I'd been dreaming about visiting Bali since I saw the many photos of its beautiful blue waters and white-sand beaches on Instagram.

However, when I stepped out of Denpasar International Airport, my Instagram-fluffed expectations crashed with reality. Crowds, traffic, and chaos overwhelmed me.

As our trip continued, I started to question my itinerary. Within a few days, I realized the trip I'd planned wasn't going to give me the best Bali has to offer.

Unfortunately, my original itinerary was limited by what I'd seen on social media

My itinerary included visits to some of Bali's most Instagram-famous spots: Ubud's lush rice terraces, the iconic Tanah Lot Temple, and the Gate of Heaven.

From what I saw online, these places seemed to promise serenity, beauty, and the postcard-worthy memories I wanted. However, reality didn't quite live up to my vision, which was very limited to what I could find on social media.

On our first full day, the traffic into Ubud was so bad it took us hours to get anywhere.

Once we arrived at the swings and rice terraces, we felt exhausted trying to enjoy the scenery among the many crowds. The landscapes were impressive, but the narrow paths crowded with tourists and selfie sticks made the peaceful vibe I'd imagined disappear.

The next day, we visited Tanah Lot. We struggled to focus on the temple or the ocean as large groups of people seemed to crowd into every spot around it.

I knew Bali was a popular tourist spot, but I still felt frustrated that the reality wasn't matching my vision of such a bucket-list trip.

My tipping point came when we visited the famous Gate of Heaven

My disappointment became hard to ignore, especially when we visited the Gate of Heaven — photos I'd seen of it online really drew me to Bali in the first place.

The magical pictures seemed to show the sky reflected onto the ground, creating what really looked like an entryway to a heavenly place.

I knew I had to visit it and take a photo there to commemorate my 25th birthday.

Unfortunately, once we got there, I learned the photos were just illusions. The great sky reflection was created by photographers on-site, who used mirrors under their cameras to create the effect for an extra fee.

I was disappointed to learn the truth and decided the photo wasn't worth taking after all.

I saved the trip by scrapping my original plans, instead exploring other parts of Bali and Indonesia

My trip to Bali had become less about enjoying the island's natural beauty and more about navigating a maze of tourist traps.

I realized maybe I was chasing a staged photoshoot, not a real adventure. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was on someone else's vacation, one planned for social media.

By the third day, I was so disappointed that my partner and I decided to ditch our original itinerary entirely. Instead, we spent the rest of the trip enjoying the quieter side of Bali and other parts of Indonesia — and it was the best choice we could have made.

We left the hustle of the cities and stayed about an hour south of Ubud in Nusa Dua, where we enjoyed local cuisine and explored the nearby beach at our own pace.

To celebrate my birthday, we went on a day trip to the Gili Islands, accessible by ferry from Bali.

The Gili Islands felt like a far cry from the crowded spots we went to during our first few days in Bali — and we didn't have to fight through crowds. Instead, we found the pure tranquility and natural beauty we'd been searching for in all the wrong spots.

In my decade of traveling the world, I rarely ever choose a destination because of what I see on social media. Now, I know better than to plan a trip based on Instagram photos and highlight reels.

Fortunately, by letting go of my original plans, I was able to have the beautiful experience I'd hoped to have in Bali all along.