Stay: 18 nights.
With: 6 people
To: Canggu, Nusa Islands, Ubud, Gili Trawangan, Uluwatu, Seminyak
Airport: Ngurah Rai International Airport
Top 3 places from my trip:
1. Nusa Lembongan island: Stunning beaches and exploring on scooters. It is worth the short ferry ride.
2. Gili Trawangan island: Snorkeling with turtles, beautiful, flat and calm beaches, plus great night life. This is a lot longer ferry ride but is so worth it.
3. Uluwatu: Mainland Bali with amazing beaches, surf and vibey cafés.
CANGGU
Stay: 2 nights
Great for shopping, really trendy coffee shops, vegan restaurants and smoothie bowls.
Canggu beach was a very average beach compared to the rest of Bali.
Try to find accommodation near the centre of Canggu where the markets and restaurants are.
Restaurants:
- Shopping, markets and restaurants on one popular road: Jalan Pantai Batu Bolong
- We searched to find ‘Bali Bowls’ restaurant for breakfast and it was a very cute local spot.
Parties:
- We didn’t go out in the evenings due to jet lag but there are a few really cool looking spots - Some are a bit pricey but look like lots of fun. Here are a few:
Old Mans
- Right on the beach
- Vibey with sundowner specials
- Really cool party apparently in the evenings/early morning
The Lawn
- Great for a relaxing and luxurious day at the pool
- Hosts big parties
Finns Beach Club
- OTT
- Massive parties
- Pretty expensive
Deus Ex Machina
- Really popular bar and party
NUSA LEMBONGAN
Stay: 3 nights
We caught a ferry from Sanur – it wasn’t long.
This place is STUNNING!
We used scooters to travel around the whole island and took them around Nusa Ceningan for a day trip of exploring. I’d recommend just driving around Nusa Ceningan and finding cool spots on a map.
Accommodation:
Seaweed Guesthouse
- Was a great spot right by the bridge to Nusa Ceningan (neighbouring island)
- Had a pool and beautiful, clean rooms
- In front of the guesthouse was a flat beach area where we could swim.
- Little markets and restaurants on the same road
Activities:
Mushroom Bay
- A bay consisting of a serene beach with restaurants above it looking down onto a beautiful ocean view.
- It is the perfect spot to relax on the beach all day, watch the sunset and have some drinks near a pool, and then find another restaurant for dinner.
Snorkeling
- We went snorkelling to see the Manta Rays but didn’t see them.
- It is a really fun thing to do and isn’t expensive if you go with a local guide. Our guide didn’t speak good English though which was a little difficult.
Dream Beach
- Great beach to tan and chill.
- It can be busy but it is really beautiful.
Devil’s Tears
- Cool site on Lembongan where you watch waves crash into a rock cave and spray water into the air.
- Check the tides for this, think it’s best at high tide.
Jungut Batu Beach
- We found a beautiful flat beach with crystal clear water
- We walked along the beach and beach road to explore
- There were many local spots where you can grab a snack along the way
- There was a cool beach club (Mahagiri Resort) where you pay a minimum for food and drinks and get access to the club's pool. We decided to find something more lowkey.
- We found a spot (Pemedal Beach Resort) with a pool right near the sea to eat, swim and relax on beanbags on the beach. The food and atmosphere was great.
Two things that I was told about but didn’t have time to do were SUPping in the mangrove forest and snorkelling to temple ruins to see the statues on the ocean’s floor.
Ceningan day trip:
Twilight Ceningan View Point
- Accommodation with a bar and pool
- We walked in to check it out and there was a little swing with a flat ocean view.
Mahana Point
- Big surf break - lots of surfers
- There is a jumping block which you can jump off into the waves
- So invigorating
- Have to pay to jump but it was worth it
Blue Lagoon
- An amazing site to see the changing water colours of the ocean in the bay.
- From a milky light blue to a deep blue.
- I've seen pics of people swimming here and jumping off the far left point into the deep water but I was told that it wasn't allowed so unfortunately didn't do it.
Ceningan Cliffs
- Little bar with a stunning view over the ocean to Nusa Penida island.
- Little view point and a swing with a friendly owner.
- You can buy a coconut juice (actual coconut served in the shell)
Secret Beach
- We drove our scooters down to Secret Beach but didn't have much time to explore.
- There is a pool looking right onto the beach which looked very nice but the beach was nothing out of the ordinary for a beach in Bali. It looked quite rocky.
- It is also not really a secret beach as it's become pretty popular but it's worth checking it out. It was empty when we arrived.
NUSA PENIDA
Stay: 2 nights
Very Rustic!
Long stretches of beach.
We didn’t see tourists for miles near accommodation BUT..
WARNING! There are LOTS of tourists at each sight.
Accommodation:
- Penida is a very rustic island with few accommodation options
Deva Devi Beach Inn
- Clean and simple
- Breakfast was doable but wasn't the most important factor for us
- Right on a beautiful empty beach
Restaurants
- There was a VERY limited selection of restaurants near where we stayed.
- Cheap
MaeMae Beach Bar
- We found a rustic but vibey reggae bar for dinner and drinks and ended up becoming big friends with the owner, getting ourselves cheap alcohol.
Travel:
- We caught a ferry from Nusa Lembongan and did a few snorkelling stops on the way.
- The island has so many beautiful sights to see, however they are quite far apart…
- We booked a day trip for the one full day that we had on the island and told the driver where we wanted to go. He spoke very little English so we just hoped that he understood.
- If you are rushed for time, then I would recommend doing a day trip to the island from Nusa Lembongan. We came across a lot of tours visiting from surrounding areas for the day.
Sightings:
Kelingking Beach
- Also known as the 'Dinosaur Head'
- By far the best sight
- If you have time to hike down to Kelingking beach I would HIGHLY recommend it!
- It is incredibly tiring if you’re not fit and the heights are pretty scary BUT once you’re at the bottom, WOW it is beautiful and you deserve a fresh swim on the stunning beach.
- A plus is that if you do the hike down, you escape the tourists as most stay at the top and many others change their mind while halfway down.
- Take walking shoes. I walked barefoot (better than my slip slops) and in a dress and it was not fun. The floor is rocky and hot and there was a sneaky breeze interfering with my dress.
- Make sure before-hand that you will get enough time at Kelingking Beach to hike down to the beach and back up. Although just taking a pic from the top of Kelingking is good enough for many tourists, if you are going to do a day trip purely to see Kelingking then I would definitely suggest the hike to make it worth it.
Angel’s Billabong
- Pretty little tidal pool which I was hoping I could swim in but it was full of tourists taking turns for photos and the tide was quite high.
- It looked like an amazing place for a swim.
- From the tidal pool you can walk along a seaside path to find Broken Beach.
Broken Beach
- Created by a big arch in an ocean cliff.
- This arch can be walked over and creates a hole where water can flow through, creating an isolated little beach.
- You can view the beach from above the arch.
UBUD
Stay: 3 nights
Bali’s cultural hub with temples, rice paddies, waterfalls, volcanoes, yoga etc.
You can find a driver to take you on a day tour around Ubud seeing the main attractions. Try to plan this with your hotel as they should know a local or two who can provide the service. We paid R120 each for 6 of us in a car.
Our day trip consisted of going to see waterfalls, a coffee tasting, a view of the volcano/valley with some lunch, a temple and rice paddies. It was a great way to see Ubud in a day.
Accommodation:
- Many cheap options
Gatra Ubud Inn
- Stunning rooms and property
- Cute breakfast spot
- Great location for buzz and shopping.
Activities:
Shopping
- Explored the streets in Ubud and found cool boutique shops with beautiful summer clothes.
- Jalan Raya Street is where you can find the buzz and great street life. The Ubud Traditional Market is also on this road. Most people at this market sell the exact same items of clothing and try to bargain with each person walking past for a cheaper price.
Temples
- Great cultural experience
- Temple we went to: Goa Gajah temple has a cave called Elephant Cave Temple which was built to have meditation and prayer inside.
- Dress appropriately, not too much skin showing. You get given a sarong to cover your legs when you arrive.
Rice paddies
- Really beautiful, green and fresh air
- Was raining when we got there
- A lot of souvenir shops but I wouldn’t buy here as everything is marked up a lot
Waterfalls
- Would recommend if you have lots of time
- The waterfalls are beautiful but are no different to waterfalls in any other part of the world.
- Can get cool pictures but there are ideal photo spots where they then charge you to take your picture...
Coffee tasting
- Watch and take part in the coffee bean roasting process
- See a Civet which eats coffee cherries, poops it out and it is then dried and roasted into the world's most expensive coffee bean known as Kopi Luwak
- Sit down in a beautiful area with a view and taste a few different types of coffee
Massages
- We had our massages in town but apparently you can get them in the forest.
- I’m not one for massages so I don’t have a raving review but the others loved it
- I would advise against it if you’re claustrophobic or sunburnt. OUCH!
Additional things that we wanted to do:
- Ubud Palace
- Yoga
- Ayung white water rafting
- Mt. Batar sunrise hike (or watch at sunset)
GILI TRAWANGAN
Stay: 5 nights
We LOVED this place.
We ended up spending an extra night because we didn’t want to leave.
Keeping this spot for towards the end was a great idea. This island is super cool for chilling, swimming and jolling after a holiday of exploring.
We planned a trip from Ubud to Padangbai where we got on a ferry
WARNING: Don’t book Gili Trawangan as the very last stop (leave a 2/3 days between your flight) because they do often stop ferry trips if the sea is rough and then you can’t leave - Don’t want to miss a flight.
Accommodation:
- I couldn't find a large variety of options for this island.
- Try to stay as close to the ferry stop as possible as it can be tricky trying to find your way to your accommodation by foot after a party. Ours was a little bit too far.
Gili Ilalang Village
- Could have been closer I think! Not too sure how many closer options there were.
- Not the greatest breakfasts
- Great pool. Very nice after the beach to cool off in the evenings before dinner
Bars & Restaurants:
- Seafood is good on the island
Sunset beach
- For a sunset and drinks! The drinks are more expensive but it’s a beautiful spot with beanbags on the beach.
- Shroom shakes are offered on their menu (very interesting) but we didn't experiment so I can’t say whether they’re good or not. We were so tired from travelling and the sun that the waiters kept asking how we were doing, thinking we were high, with little smirks on their faces.
- There is a cool ocean hammock at sunset beach.
Ocean2
- Restaurant on the beach right where the ferry arrives.
- It has R30/R40 pizzas and pasta. The food was so cheap and so good so we ate there whenever we wanted to save money and were eating too much.
Activities:
Walk & Explore
- Apparently, it takes around 30-40 minutes to walk around the entire island.
- There are lots of restaurants and shops around the island.
Turtle cove
- Can see baby turtles in glass tanks on the beach where they breed them and then release them when they're ready
- Tan and snorkel with TURTLES.
- This was one of the coolest experiences I have ever had. The water was serene, clear and I swam for hours
- You can hire goggles, a snorkel and fins on the beach for a very good price
- Dive into the ocean and swim around searching for big beautiful turtles. I saw three while swimming for hours but I was constantly swimming with atleast one.
- I met a few people from all over while out snorkeling on my own
Surfing
- Surfing was lots of fun and it's easy to learn here
- Boards can be rented on the beach
- I am not a surfer but I hired a board and tried it out. I got dumped a couple of times but it was very amusing.
Night Life
- Lots of party spots along the beach
- Jiggy Bar is lots of fun for drinks and music.
- We got drinks from a bottle store and took cups to the beach before going out.
- After restaurants close their beach tables and chairs often stay out on the beach so we found a spot and had our own fun.
RELAX!!!!
- There are lots of jolling spots here so just tanning and swimming all day is the best
Something we didn’t do was get a private boat for the day from the harbour. Apparently they take tourists on tours around Gili Air and Gili Meno (the two neighbouring islands) and you can snorkel and explore or you can go on a party boat for a day. This sounded like lots of fun but we ended up just doing our own thing everyday.
ULUWATU
Stay: 2 nights
We only had 2 nights here after extending Gili Trawangan so we didn’t get to do everything we wanted to. Next time I would come back here for longer. Seems like there is a lot to explore. We only had 1 full day.
I loved Uluwatu and 100% recommend going here.
Accommodation:
Naturela
- This was a nice spot
- The rooms were good and had a great pool.
- It had its own little restaurant with good food
- Could have found accommodation a little bit closer to the beach
Bars and Restaurant:
Cliff Bars
- Walk to the cliff bar area and find a spot for dinner anywhere
- Restaurants and bars all the way down the cliff to the. bottom
- Very vibey spots
- Great views
Jimbaran Beach
- Dinner on Jimbaran Beach looks like a MUST but we didn't have time.
Single Fin
- Great for sundowner drinks
- Party in the evening with a lot of different dance floors and bar areas to chill and party.
- Great music
- We got drinks at a little bar next door because they were SO expensive at Single Fin
Activities:
One Eighty
- A beautiful spot for a morning and lunch by the pool
- Pay a 'minimum spend' for the day and then you can order to that value in food and drinks.
- Great food and get served at loungers.
- Very relaxing until kids arrive
- We booked ahead of time and you get emailed times and a dress code etc.
Padang Padang Beach
- Surfing here is amaaaazing. Definitely hire boards and try it out.
- Get there early- its a popular beach and is so much more beautiful before the squads roll in
- We walked down to Padang beach and then walked around the rocks through water to Padang Padang Beach
A few things that I really wanted to do but didn't have time:
Balangan Beach
‘Impossibles’ close-out
Uluwatu overlook: point and reef
Cave under uluwatu beach
SEMINYAK
Stay: 1 night
Good shopping and night life. This place is near Canggu but very up-market so was quite cool to explore for a night on our way out.
Accommodation:
- Up-market and can find cheap but really nice accommodation.
Hotel Daun
- Beautiful pool
- Fancy hotel rooms
- Jacuzzi and bar on rooftop
Restaurants:
- Up-market and more expensive but very good.
I would recommend going for smaller vibier spots than the fancy places with no culture but maybe the up-market spots are your cup of tea.
Sister fields
- Cute little cafe for breakfast
Nostamo Greek Grill:
- Greek local spot for dinner
- Amazing food and such a cute restaurant!!
- Had to wait for a bit to get a spot
Parties:
- We went to a very relaxed spot after dinner for some karaoke and then went back to our hotel to pack up so we didn’t get to party.
I was recommended a few spots on the way which are apparently amazing places to party:
- Legian street
- La plancha beach bar (not sure how close it is, I was told about it)
- Sky garden club (in Kuta)
- Potato Head Beach Club (Day at the pool)
GENERAL TIPS
I used a Standard Bank Shyft card to draw money while over there. I can’t remember what it cost to draw money each time but there is a set cost every time you draw money (think it was about R50) and so you should draw max amt. of money each time you can.
Ask taxi to take you to a local spot for a SIM card. They aren’t expensive and its useful to have 2 phones with data in case your group wants to split up to do different things and meet up again.
Always used bluebird for taxi services. Taxis have meters to measure how much you should pay so don’t just take any price.
Take bags that are easy to carry around. There are taxis everywhere so they can be transported but, when taking a ferry, it's very difficult with rolling suitcases on the beach.
Clothes are so cheap at markets so leave space to buy clothes.
We hired scooters for transport within an area for getting around. They are cheap but I’d recommend practicing driving a scooter before- hand if you don’t have experience. We didn’t need international drivers or scooters licence but could be useful in case something happens to you or the scooter.
Trip advisor is good for activity deals but for better deals, speak to the staff who work where you stay as they will know local deals and can set you up with fun and cheap activities.
There are lots of markets around selling similar stuff so don’t buy the first thing you see when you arrive. The bargains you’ll get are crazy. I got offered R80 for a bandeau top and then R90 for 2. Because so many of them are selling the same stuff, they all bargain. If you genuinely aren’t sure about something and walk away they often just drop their price to get you to buy it. With this being said, everything is cheap and most locals need the money and so it is also nice the bless them rather than take advantage.