Bali: Itinerary
ABOUT
April through October are the best months to visit Bali as it’s the islands dry season with peak dry season from June through August.
I visited Bali in April, 2017 on the tail-end of a work trip to Jakarta (the capital of Indonesia). My co-worker and I only spent 6 days traveling through Bali, but if we had more time on this trip I would add:
Nusa Lembongan: One of 3 Nusa islands off the coast of Bali. Can be reached via fast boat, has incredible beaches and diving.
Gili Trawangan: One of 3 Gili islands off the coast of Bali with incredible snorkeling and more restaurants/accommodation than the Nusa islands, (I’ve always wanted to stay at Hotel Ombak).
DAY 1: Fly In
Fly from Jakarta to Denpasar.
Stay at Alya Resort Hotel for one night.
- We stayed here because it was close to the airport but in general it is NOT recommended to stay in Kuta.
DAY 2: UBUD
Drive to Ubud (we hired a driver for our days in Bali) but you can rent your own car/bike or taxi.
Visit Rice Paddies.
- Tegalalang Rice Paddy probably the most pictured rice paddy in the area.
- Jatiluwih Rice Paddy less touristy, but farther away.
Visit Luwak Coffee Plantation.
- Learn about how locals make coffee from Luwaks can do a coffee/tea tasting and meek some of their pet Luwaks.
Check into Maya Ubud.
- This was an incredibly luxurious hotel, expensive but worth it.
Go into town for dinner.
- See traditional Bali dance performance.
- Saraswati Temple (known as the water palace) has performances at 7:30pm, doors open at 5pm. Seating is first come first served.
DAY 3: UBUD
Sunrise Mt.Batur hike (this was the most beautiful thing we did).
- We departed at 3am, drove an hour to Mt. Batur, then hiked up in the dark to watch the sunrise over Bali. We booked through our hotel but there are MANY tour options.
Visit Ubud monkey temple (the earlier the better as it gets quite crowded).
Cooking class at Maya Ubud.
Relax at the hotel and visit Maya Ubud Spa for Balinese flower baths.
- This was the most gorgeous spa. Even if you don’t stay here would recommend visiting the spa here. The flower baths are surrounded by jungle overlooking a river.
- Other cheaper spa recs for flower baths: Cantika Spa or Karsa Spa.
DAY 4: North + EAst Bali
Check out of Maya Ubud.
Drive north to Nungnung waterfall ~1 hour to see in early morning light.
Drive down the coast to Penataran Lempuyang Temple one of the six sanctuaries of the world (and one of the most photographed temples in Bali).
Drive South all the way back to Seminyak to stay at Anantara Seminyak Bali Resort.
- Stopped at Butterfly Sanctuary and several waterfalls/temples on the way.
Spend the night at Anantara Seminyak.
DAY 5: SeMINYAK
Visit Tanah Lot Temple in the morning before it gets crowded.
- Temple built in the 16th century on the offshore rock overlooking the ocean as a shrine to worship the Balinese sea gods. Can only be accessed during low tide.
Beach Day at the Anantara pool/beachfront.
- We debated taking surf lessons but decided to be lazy and lounge by the pool reading instead.
Potato Head Beach Club for dinner, sunset and dancing.
- Touristy high-end spot, but great for watching the sunset.
DAY 6: SeMINYAK
Hang by Anantara pool/beachfront.
Pasar Candi Kuning: Traditional market with fruit, vegetables and flowers.
Ulun Danu Bratan Temple: Second most important temple complex of Bali, after the mother temple Besakih.
Echo Beach Club for dinner on the beach.
Ku De Ta for post dinner drinks and dancing.
Day 7: Fly Home
Check out of Anantara.
Taxi to Denpasar.
Fly to Jakarta and from Jakarta to San Francisco.
Additional RECS
Ubud
Green Bowl Beach near Uluwatu: Secluded and beautiful.
Sideman: Cruise around the magnificent rural landscape and watch women weaving ikat.
Kintamani: Gorgeous panorama view of Mt. Batur and Lake Batur. If you go down to the lake, you can go out on a boat or have an atmospheric coffee break by the lake (go to the left side).
Jimbaran fish market (get there early in the morning! Choose fresh fish and shellfish right off the boat and bring it to one of the grilling guys in the back (near the beach) for an incredible fresh picnic… followed by a swim at one of the beaches down the street.
Sanur: Swimming and watersports. Go down the little alley on the right of Manik Organik on the main road for a more secluded stretch of sand. Great food market by the water to the left of the harbor.
Pasir Putih: White sand beach, (skip if you are planning on going to the Gili Islands)
Jatiluwih: UNESCO World Heritage site. gorgeous terraced rice paddies as far as the eye can see.
Whitewater rafting: Great river scenery. Also fun to swim in rivers where other people are rafting and greet them as they pass.
Ceking: Dramatic rice terrace views (walk around in them and meet some farmers).
Southeast Bali
Blue lagoon beach: Located at Padang Bai, great area for snorkeling with warm, crystal clear water, and an abundance of marine life and coral.
Tenganan: One of two main isolated villages left in Bali, in which the Bali Aga traditions have been preserved, and inhabitants live today just as their ancestors once did. It's also the only place where the traditional geringsing double ikat style of weaving can still be found. Although highly commercialized, visiting this unique community of 250 people is like taking a step back in history.
Northern Bali
Gitgit Waterfall: Popular waterfall in Bali, the falls are accessible via a short walk through paddy fields and clove plantations.
Sekumpul Waterfall: From the parking lot, you have to walk quite far away, down a dirt road, down the hundreds of stairs, and across the river.