Quick Guide to Travel in Bali, Indonesia

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Introduction

There are over 17,500 islands in Indonesia. Among them, Bali is a small island that has earned its reputation as a tropical paradise thanks to its many beaches, waterfalls, temples and jungles. There are two volcanoes on the island, great scuba diving, delicious eats, and more luxury villas than you could ever want. The island’s population of 4.2 million is predominantly Hindu, which means that you can find the iconic meru towers (pagoda-like shrines) at beautifully built temples all over the island. If you are planning to travel in Bali, then I’m sure you are now trying to figure out how to best use your time. Below you will find suggestions for what to do, what to skip, and some tidbits to make your travel run smoothly.

Good to know

Language: Balinese, Indonesian, English

Currency: Indonesian Rupiah (IDR)

Transportation:
scooter rental, taxi, hired driver

Best time to visit: Apr – Sep

Budget: you can eat, sleep and travel comfortably for $50 per person per day

Airport: Denpasar International Airport (DPS)

Electrical outlets: two-pin round plug (C/F); voltage is 230V

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. That means I make a very small amount from bookings through those links. If you want to know more, you can visit the link at the very bottom of this post.

7-Day Itinerary

Day 1: Be Active

• Sunrise hike up Mt. Batur volcano, peek into the steaming volcano, eat breakfast, and then stop at a local coffee & tea plantation on the way back to the villa. We did this with Get Your Guide and loved it!
• Visit the Sacred Monkey Forest in Ubud.

Day 2: Waterfalls & Photo Ops near Ubud

• Swim / take photos at Tegenungan Waterfall
• Swim / take photos at Tibumana Waterfall
• Tirta Empul Temple – participate in religious washing, in which each of a series of showers serves a different function.
• Wander through Tegallalang Rice Terrace

Day 3: Scuba Dive

• Try scuba diving with Bali Diving. This is another activity we did through Get Your Guide after scouring for the best deals and ratings for diving experiences – they were fantastic. Imagine doing your first dive ever in/around a shipwreck!

Day 4: Go North

• Visit the Temple on the Lake, Ulun Danu Bratan
• Cool off at Gitgit Waterfall / Aling-Aling Waterfall
• Wander through Jatiluwih Rice Terraces

Day 5: Go West

• Spend the day relaxing on Seminyak Beach
• Visit Tanah Lot at sunset – there are restaurants up on the cliff overlooking the temple that have stunning sunset views.

Day 6: Cross the Ocean

• Take a boat to Nusa Penida. Book a full-day private tour of this island for about $100. Locals advised this is one of the best places for diving / snorkeling – also, you can see sunfish here! Alternatively, taking the ferry or taking fast boat on your own is much more affordable.

Day 7: Go South

• Spend the day chilling on Jimbaran Beach
• Visit Uluwatu Temple – experience the Kecak dance, a religious dance that takes place at sunset.

Got additional time? There are stunning beaches all over the island, an unknown number of waterfalls, and plenty of cultural, outdoors and food-related adventures to be had! You can check some of those out here.

Other activities to try out

1. Visit the Besakih Temple
2. Take a photo at the Gates of Heaven at Lempuyang Temple (though lines can be a couple of hours long!)
3. Air Panas Banjar Hot Springs
4. Visit Celuk, a town that specializes in gold and silver jewelry-making. Make sure you haggle!
5. Visit Bali Mas wood carving in Ubud. It is lovely to see and support the craftsmanship, but if you want to buy something, bring your grown-up pants and get ready to negotiate – they quote very, very high prices.
6. Banyumala Twin Waterfalls
7. Sekumpul Waterfall
8. Nungnung Waterfall
9. Campuhan Ridge Walk in Ubud
10. Book a massage

Eats

A few good restaurants

• Pandé Egi near Ubud (try the babi guling special)
• Babek Bengil Dirty Duck Diner in Ubud (try the crispy or grilled duck)
• Pondok Tempo Doeloe in Denpasar near the airport (try the fish)

10 local foods to try in Bali

• Babi guling, suckling pig, is a staple and the flavors are great. Just make sure (as with all local foods) you are discerning about where you buy this so that you avoid the upset stomach that can come along with street food.
• Crispy duck is good, but it’s really crunchy so I slightly preferred the grilled duck.
• Saté is a meat kebab that can be a variety of things – most commonly, we came across chicken and a pork mince.
• Nasi goreng (Fried rice) can be found everywhere and is typically a reliably good option.
• Mie goreng (Fried noodles) was my go to. It tastes like a good ramen noodle and sometimes you can really tell the noodles are homemade.
• Dodol is a black rice pudding that comes cylindrically wrapped in clear plastic – like a giant off-brand Tootsie Roll.
• Fruit juice here is delicious and is usually more like a smoothie.
• Durian: only for the brave – most people either love or hate this polarizing fruit because of its very intense stench.
• Bintang is the most common local beer, it’s an Indonesian Pilsner.
• Bali coffee is just finely ground coffee mixed with hot water. It’s worth trying because the flavors are usually good, but they don’t filter the coffee – so give the grounds a minute to settle to the bottom of your mug.

In addition to these local recommendations, there are endless amounts of delicious international food options – so I’m not even going to get into them. I’d suggest a quick Google search for highly rated places with lots of good reviews. 🙂

Lodging

On a budget (under $20 per night)

• Leket House in Ubud
• Teba Jati Guest House in Ubud
• Hotel ShareSpaceBali in Seminyak

Mid-range (up to $100 per night)

• Uma Capung Mas Cottage in Ubud
• Villa Sarisha in Ubud
• Villa Ozra in Seminyak

Higher end (over $100 per night)

• Lebah Villas in Ubud
• Resort Tejaprana Bisma in Ubud
• Hotel Indigo Bali in Seminyak Beach

Travel tips

Rent a scooter

Unless you will be with a guide/driver everyday, having a scooter can be a great way to navigate whatever town you stay in. Scooters typically cost up to $5, though sometimes they are free with whatever lodging you book. We rented a scooter to make a couple grocery store runs and get in and out of downtown Ubud. I don’t recommend taking a scooter on hours-long excursions primarily because they aren’t always the most comfortable or reliable.

Hire a guide or driver for the day

We found that having a guide take us through the temples was worthwhile. He was able to explain the architecture’s significance, and the nuance of the various Hindu ceremonies. Having that extra religious and cultural education was valuable and we learned a lot from him. Note that guides will typically be more expensive than drivers because they bring along trained expertise. I’d recommend just hiring a driver if you plan to do more photography-related activities or if you’re planning a beach day. You can hire a driver for just under $50 for the day – I ended up paying a bit more for a driver because I waited until I got to Bali to find someone.

Choose lodging near the attractions you want to visit

Traffic in Bali can be very bad at times so you’ll maximize your hours of enjoyment (aka, not in traffic) if you stay near the things you hope to do/see. We chose Ubud, because it’s a lively town that is situated near waterfalls, the Sacred Monkey Forest, Mt. Batur and beautiful diving sites on the east side of the island. At the same time, it’s also not too far from Tanah Lot and the nice beaches of Seminyak and Jimbaran.

Don’t bother with Bali Handara Gate

Ok, this is just my opinion, but I’ll explain myself. There are two massively touristy gates in Bali – one might be worth your time, the other is probably not.

The one worth your time is called the Gates of Heaven at Lempuyang Temple – these are the photos you see with Mount Agung in the background. You also often see photos that make it look like there is a lake or pool in front of the gate – there is not. The water effect is created with a piece of glass held up just under the camera. We didn’t make it there because it was a bit far, but I have heard it is a beautiful temple with impressive view of Bali from 1,175 meters.

The other gate is called Bali Handara Gate and, get ready… it is just the entrance to a golf course that is designed to rake in tourist dollars.

Download the Grab and/or GoJek apps

These are transport and food delivery apps that are common in Bali. They are great for times when you just don’t want to walk anymore, can’t seem to find a taxi, or are exhausted at the end of the day and want someone to bring dinner to you. I also generally use these kinds of apps to figure out about how much I should pay a taxi so I don’t get completely ripped off when I’m traveling (in cases where the taxi isn’t metered). Be aware that in certain areas (e.g. downtown Ubud) the local taxi drivers have banned online taxis – so you may get harassed if you try to get picked up within sight of a taxi stand.

Want to know more?

I managed to visit five waterfalls while traveling in Bali – I documented that adventure in more detail here and even made a list of the ones that I wish we’d been able to make it to.

Have you been to Bali? What were your favorite things to do? What area did you stay in?