Over the past decade, Bali has come up to be one of the most visited tropical paradises. And with the easy and affordable accessibility it has become the go-to international destination for tourists worldwide, especially India.
It does not matter if you are a solo traveller, a honeymoon couple, a group of friends, a family or an adventure seeker, Bali has a lot to offer to everyone! Also, owing to the varied budgets that Bali has to offer, it has become a common tropical vacation destination for all age groups.
BEST TIME TO VISIT
Bali is great year-round. July and August being the driest months, Bali sees huge crowds even during its wet season. While July and August are considered as peak season, December to February is considered as Bali’s Honeymoon season. So, if you are someone like us who dislike the rains, July and August would be the best time to visit for sunny days. And if you enjoy the rains as much, you can book your vacation anytime across the year.
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND
Until a few years back, visa for Bali was free. However, that is no longer the case. Bali has Visa on Arrival. And for USD35, you can avail a visa for 28 days, which is extendable for another month.
Bali has a lot of options for stays for various budgets. So, before you plan your trip, it is important to keep in mind the overall kind of vacation experience you are seeking. For example, we went for a mix of active and luxury.
English is very commonly spoken in all of Bali as the island majorly thrives on tourism, so that would not be a concern.
While Bali is safe overall, there have been incidences of phone or chain snatchings on the rise in the recent times. Like while we were in Bali, we witnessed a chain snatching in Kuta and one of our friend’s phones was snatched while she was using navigation on the back of the scooty. So better to take necessary precautions, like you would in any other country as well.
DAY 1
The Denpasar International Airport is where almost all flights land in Bali. We landed in Denpasar at about 5pm after having a brief layover in Vietnam. By the time we came out of the airport, it was already dark. We had made the booking for our car rental from home and the car was ready at the parking lot. After a thorough check, we picked our 4-wheeler & left for our first destination, Jimbaran. You will take about 30minutes to reach depending on traffic.
You can also get your dollars exchanged at an authorised currency changer on the way. You can also purchase a local sim from the many shops that you will come across on the way. You can check out details here. Avoid getting your currency exchanged or getting the sim card at the airport, as you will find better rates outside.
We checked into our beautiful Private Pool Villa at night and decided to call it a day!
DAY 2
Starting early is going to be the key to this entire trip. That way you avoid getting drained by the scorching sun and also end up finishing the day’s plan by the time it gets dark outside. You can start your day by driving to Balangan Beach which is about 20mins by car. It is a pretty beach with lesser crowds compared the beaches in Kuta. Next on would be Seminyak, which is about an hour away. Checking out the local street market there would be a great idea as you can find some great stuff to wear through your trip at very reasonable rates. We found some good flowy dresses, handbags and beach wear. The quality might not be all that great, but it’s good for the trip!
You can visit the Beach walk center. It is basically an open-air shopping mall with renowned brands. But the main attraction here is the fact that it is right along the ocean, and the open space is designed amazingly well, so definitely worth a visit!
Next you can head to Tanah Lot, which is about 70mins from Beach walk Bali for an amazing sunset. Entry inside the temple is usually closed and the temple can be accessed during low tide only. A quick stroll to the temple should be good. Then you can head to numerous shacks on the cliff on the opposite side and get a fantastic gallery view of the sun going down and the sky turning shades of orange and red! It was definitely one of our best sunsets on the trip.
Another amazing way to experience the beautiful sunset would have been to go back to Jimbaran and visit the Rock Bar. It is an amazing bar right on the cliff. It may be super crowded, but the vibe would be your main reason to go there!
When you are in Kuta, the day would not end at sunset. Kuta boasts of a crazy nightlife. With so many clubs, pubs and bars to choose from, we visited the Legion Day & Night club, and it was a different vibe altogether. The entry was free and no cover charges for some specific tables.
DAY 3
An early wakeup call and you pack your bags for the next destination, that is Kintamani. Not a famous stop on most of the itineraries, it is definitely worth a visit if you wish to take the path seldom taken. Before you drive to Kintamani, a quick halt at the Ulluwatu temple is a must. The blue waters hitting on the cliff is where you will be left awestruck. Many people suggest to visit this temple at sunset to witness the traditional Kecak Dance (ticket – Rs 2000/person). However, since we had only one sunset in Jimbaran, we had to choose. Also, we had heard from a lot of people that it is overhyped, and so decided to skip it. While at Ulluwatu, make sure to take care of your belongings as they often get stollen by the notorious monkeys there. We were warned at the entrance and were asked to take their guide service to avoid such occurrences, but we decided to proceed without it. Aishani ended up having a monkey jump on her head and steal her sunglasses. A local lady jumped in from somewhere and lured the monkey with food and got back her glasses. She then asked for money in return. That’s when we realised that it may have been a planned thing. Because the monkeys were only harassing people who had not taken the paid guide service!
You can then drive to Kintamani, which is 2.5 hours away. On the way, you can halt at the Mt. Batur view point. It was our first time witnessing an active volcano and it felt overwhelming to see the whole area burnt into black ash. If you do manage to be there before 4pm, you can visit the Kintamani boat center and enjoy a boat ride in the Batur Lake.
An important point to note here- Unlike other destinations, Kintamani becomes extremely chilly by evening. So, make sure to get indoors before it gets dark. We spent the evening at a beautiful glamping site right opposite Mt. Batur and it was a wonderful evening!
We checked into our stay on the slopes of Mt. Batur and it was one of a kind.
DAY 4
Next morning, you will be waking up before the sun for your Volcano Jeep Adventure. At 5 am, you start your day with a 4-wheel drive Jeep that takes you right in the middle of the burnt lands you saw the previous day and then to the top of Mt. Batur. You can witness steam spew out and non-vegetarians can enjoy an omelette made in the steam. This Safari would cost you about Rs. 3500/person and can be booked online on different websites. Its slightly high priced, but is definitely worth it.
Once back to base, freshen up and leave for your next destination- Amed. Again, not on most of the tourist circuits, this was our favourite location. It is usually visited by diving enthusiasts and we are so happy to have added it to our itinerary. We got our Open water certification done here. This course required us to take 5 dives across 2 days.
However, you can directly visit Lahangan sweet. Now this is a spot that has recently become popular in Bali because of Instagram. So, while it is a wonderful view point for the mighty Mt. Agung, you will be given barely 5 minutes to only take photos, before the next person in line starts creeping into your frame. So, like us, you can instead find the shade of a tree and sit under it in peace, looking at the beautiful scene, while others run around for pics!
One important thing to note here is that you will have to park your car at the base, and the only way to go up is by scooty that they rent out for Rs.400 per person and Rs.600 for two. If you don’t know how to ride, there is a scooty taxi service at Rs 800/person.
Next you visit the Lempuyang temple. Incase you wish to get the famous temple gate photo, it’s better to visit the next morning to avoid the 2 hours que. Though the temple ticket includes the ticket for the pic, we personally did not wait in line and only visited the temple for its rich heritage and not the gram. Right outside the temple, is a little café. If you happen to eat there, get to take pretty pictures on the roof, for free!!
Reach Amed for a beautiful sunset at white sand beaches! The vibe of Amed, with those unbelievable blue waters and pretty cafes along the road is what had our hearts!
We were staying at this amazing property facing the ocean!
DAY 5
Tulamben, near Amed is where we did our Diving certification. If not certification, you can start your day with a Discovery Scuba Dive. Some of the world-famous dive sites like the Liberty Ship Wreck is what gets some of the most experienced divers to this tropical paradise.
If Scuba diving is not your thing, you can experience Snorkeling. You may end up seeing some amazing marine life without having to even tread in the depths of the ocean!
You can visit the Jemeluk viewpoint for sunset or enjoy the sun going down with a sundowner at the many cafes nearby.
While vegetarian food may be a problem here, it is not completely unavailable. You can check out the various vegetarian options here.
DAY 6
The trip this far would have been a hectic one. We usually try to balance out all our trips, with some days packed with activities, and some days just to chill. So, the next destination is the latter kind. You can start the day with visiting Tirtha Gangga, which is a former royal palace in eastern Bali and is around 40mins away. It usually gets very crowded by noon, so morning is a good time to reach. We also bought some fish food from the shop near the parking. The main attraction here is the crazy number of Koi fish in their ponds. Over years, it has emerged as a popular tourist destination and everyone visits to get pretty pictures with the fish for the gram.
Rest of the day can be spent on this beautiful property we booked in Candidasa and enjoying a relaxing Balinese massage!
DAY 7
You will have to start the day early to be able to drive from Candidasa to Sanur to be able to catch the ferry to Nusa Penida. We booked the 8am tickets online a day in advance. Make sure to book with bigger Fast boat companies, to make sure that they handle the luggage for you. A lot of smaller companies offer cheaper rates, but that would mean handling your own luggage in knee deep water. It takes abou 45mins to reach Nusa Penida, and then a 15min cab ride to our hotel. We asked the hotel to send a cab as we did not want to take the risk of spot booking. The cab to the hotel costed about RRs.700, which was on the higher side. But cabs in Penida are that expensive.
Once on the island, you will have to rent a scooty or travel by cab, as self-driven cars are not available on the island. We checked into our hotel and rented a scooty at the reception at about Rs 350/day + fuel.
Some of the roads on the island are pretty rugged, so if you are not confident about riding a scooty, go for a cab. Reach Diamond Beach before the sun is right overhead, because, here is where you will experience the harsh sun of the Island. Once you reach the parking of Diamond beach, it is a steep climb down for about 20-25mins to reach the beach. We decided to enjoy the views from the top and didn’t go down as that would drain us off the energy required for the remaining day.
Right beside the Diamond Beach is the Atuh beach, which we skipped as it felt very touristy and Goa like. We then drove to Thousand Island view point, Rooma Pohon tree house and Coco cliff, all of which were close to one another. To our surprise, there was a separate fee to click photos here (thanks to Instagram) and it was about Rs 800/person. Like us, if you don’t find that worth, you can just skip climbing down and then up again, and instead just sit at an open café on top, and enjoy the views from above while sipping coconut water!
On the way back, we took the longer route along the cost and it was definitely worth the visit. Driving along the coast, while the sun set, was the highlight of the day.
DAY 8
Start really early if you do not want crazy crowds today. The Kelingking Beach or the T-Rex beach is what you see on postcards. Reaching there by 7-8am is your best bet to avoid people! Its about 500m from the parking and then, about 30mins minimum to climb down. The innumerable shades of blue will take your breath away. We were also lucky to spot a Manta swimming close to the beach! We would recommend to wear fuller clothes if you want to avoid getting tanned, because the sun here is so harsh, that no amount of sunscreen will help!
Angel’s Billabong is 30 mins away from here. If you happen to go at low tide, you can swim in the turquoise natural pool. And if, like us, you visit during high tide, you can enjoy the beautiful show that the mighty ocean will put up! Do not try to swim, if the tides are high as it is extremely dangerous and people have lost lives.
The Broken bridge is a beautiful naturally formed archway over a little cove that leads to the ocean. Unfortunately, there is no way you can go down, but watching the azure waters flood in the cove is a spectacular marvel!
You can spend the afternoon and evening lazing around at the Crystal Bay. Or you can go for a diving adventure. During season, you may get to see Mantas, not only in Scuba, but also in Snorkelling.
DAY 9
Make sure to book your boat back to Bali at least a day in advance. We booked the 8am boat to reach Bali at the earliest, as the next destination on the list was Ubud. On reach Sanur, we picked up our rental car and headed off to Ubud. The Bali swing photos have been all over the internet. And there are so many locations offering different swings and pricing. We accidentally found one such place called Swing Heaven and found it very reasonable compared to others. It is totally off the route, but we found it worth a visit. The prices vary depending on the season and crowd. And you can also rent the flowy dress you see in the pics at the location itself.
Next, you can head to the famous Monkey Temple. It is huge and you will get to see so many monkeys in their natural element. You can also click selfies with the monkey by purchasing an additional ticket for Rs 250.
Right outside the Monkey Forest, is an entire street packed with small shops and boutiques. Most of the roadside shops have the same collection, but you can definitely get some good gifts to take back home.
Make sure to book dinner places in advance as they get full. We checked into our beautiful Jungle resort and called it a day!
DAY 10
We did not want to run around, so we decided to take it slow and enjoy our pretty property. You can visit the famous Kanto Lampo waterfall instead. You can then head to Omma Day club, which is right adjacent to the Tegenugan waterfall. Entry to Omma is free and you can access the infinity pool overlooking the waterfall as well. They also have a number of sunbed and table options at cover charge basis. We absolutely loved the vibe of Omma and did not want to leave!
Next you can visit Cretya Day Club. We did not want the rice field tour, so at the entrance we let them know that we wanted to only visit the day club. Unlike Omma, you will have to purchase food or drinks to access the pool here or pay an upfront cover charge for a sunbed or Gabanna. It is an amazing day club overlooking the lush rice terraces, though a little more crowded as compared to Omma.
Adjacent to Cretya is the famous Tegalang Rice terrace. We reached there around closing time, so there was no one, not even security to get a ticket. However, in July, the rice had already been harvested and it did not look very lush, so we decided to skip it.
Take a stroll along the shopping street right outside and you may find some beautiful coverups, bags or charms!
DAY 11-12
You can wake up at leisure, as the last two days of this balanced itinerary are going to be about chilling and soaking in the Bali feels. It will take you an hour to reach Nusa Dua, which is your final location on this trip. It is predominantly luxury hotels, beaches, and a small shopping center. So we booked a luxury hotel for each night and just relived the amazing trip that it was!
Bali Collection, The Bay Bali and Pantai Geger Beach are a few things you can cover if you don’t want to be a potato in the Hotel!
DAY 13
Wake up as per your flight timing, and drive to Denpasar airport, which is about 15-20mins far. You can drop off the car either at the airport or at the location mentioned by the rental service and catch your flight back home!
Bali, will never be about just these 13 days as it has so much more to offer. So, a Good-bye is just not required!
WHAT TO PACK
While packing for any tropical island, we follow the ‘Less is more’ ideology. And almost everything is easily available in Bali, so do not over pack. Carry breezy clothes, swim wear and sun protection and you should be good. Also, Bali fashion is a thing, and since everything is cheap to buy, you would definitely want to wear all your new buys on your trip!
Some packing essentials would be:
Sunscreen
Hats/Caps
Umbrella
Mosquito repellent
Some chit bits for vegetarians as that may be tough to find.
Sports shoes (unlike other beach destinations, Bali has a lot of trekking and hiking sites.
Re-fillable water bottles
Bags to carry wet clothes around
THINGS TO SHOP
Bali has shopping options for all budgets. Be it street shopping in Kuta or Ubud or the numerous cute little boutiques that you will come across, you will definitely need more luggage space on your way back than which you had!
Bali is a tropical island that has so much to offer and there is no way you can cover it all. So, don’t let it be a ‘Goodbye’. Let it be a ‘See you soon!’
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