Bali - The Land of a Thousand Temples is a wonderful tropical travel destination with something for every kind of traveller. Given how much there is to see and do here, the task of drawing out an itinerary for the first-time traveller can be quite daunting and overwhelming. How much time you have is really the first pointer to start planning your Bali holiday. We gave ourselves 10 days and split it between Ubud - the traditional hub, Penida - the Exotic Beach Island and Seminyak - the hip and happening hot spot !
Day 01 at Ubud
An almost missed connecting flight through Kualalumpur, brought us to Denpasar after a 10-hour travel from Bengaluru (India). The Visa on Arrival was a quick and simple process. Keep your vaccination certificates and return tickets handy, but we weren’t asked for anything at all. The visa fee is to be paid before the immigration counter. Fee is USD 33pp , payable in cash (USD or IDR) or card. Card payments attract a fee of 3%.
We got a taste of Bali traffic on our way to the AirBnb we stayed in at Ubud. A 90-minute-long drive with a quick lunch stop at a charming Balinese restaurant, brought us to our villa. We booked a private taxi in advance for IDR 400,000 (about USD 17) for this arrival transfer.
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| Lunch at a Balinese Restaurant |
DAY 02 at Ubud
Thankfully our bags arrived early in the morning, so we set out around 9 am after a simple breakfast of eggless banana pancakes, fresh fruits and kombucha. We visited the Goa Gaja - the Elephant Cave which houses a temple of Lord Shiva. A sarong must be worn while entering the temple complex. You don’t need to buy one, as the entrance ticket (IDR 50,000 pp) includes rental of a sarong. Our next stop was the Tegenungan Waterfall (entrance IDR 12000 pp) - a magnificent picture spot. It takes a walk down about 75-80 steep steps, but well worth the hike. We were driven next to the Bali Swings. Go here only if you’re willing to shell out a million plus bucks ! We took the bait and went in and came out 3 hours later, exhausted from the long queues at each swing. It’s more about Instagram pictures than the swings really! It was cute though to see new brides on their honeymoon dress up in the colourful rented gowns and waltz around from one swing to another! At IDR 400,000 pp this one’s a ‘can skip’ for me. A short 10-minute drive away was the Tegelang Rice Terraces (entrance IDR 10000 pp). Again, a bit of hiking here up and down the terraces, but great views of endless carpets of green! We spent about 45 minutes here walking through the fields, before we hit our last stop for the day Pura Tirta Empul. The entrance fee of IDR 60000 pp includes rental of the dry sarong, to enter the complex and the wet sarong (optional ) if you want to take a holy dip in the Tirta. Our tour driver suggested we do this ritual for cleansing of the mind, body and soul. The change facility was not great but served the purpose. We quickly changed into the wet sarong and got into the pond where you move in a line taking a holy shower under around 9-10 Tirtas. Feeling refreshed mind, body, and soul, we headed to a Traditional Coffee Plantation for a tasting of the famous Balinese Luwak Coffee. Later, we drove back to Ubud city for dinner at ‘Clear Cafe’ .
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| At Goa-Gajah |
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| Bali Swings |
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| At Tegenungan Waterfalls |
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| At the Rice Terrace |
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| Pura Tirta Empul |
This day, we packed ourselves a light breakfast of sandwiches and bananas and set out around 7:30 am towards North Bali. We had initially considered staying here for a couple of days, but later figured it’s not usually the first timer’s choice, given the driving distances to the popular sightseeing places. So, a day trip up north it was! A 90-minute drive brought us to the beautiful and serene Pura Ulun Danu Beratan Temple. It’s a beautiful temple dedicated to Goddess Danu on the Lake Beratan. We were lucky to experience a local celebration at the temple. The locals dressed in their colourful traditional costumes, the music, the display of offerings all set amidst the calm and quiet backdrop of the lake, was indeed an uplifting experience. (Entry fee IDR 75000 pp). Our next halt was a picture stop at the Handara Gate. A mere photo stop here costs IDR 40000 pp !! Not worth it in retrospect. I mistook this place to be the Gates of Heaven, which is in East Bali at the Lempuyang Temple. The next stop (10 kms from Handara Gate) was one of the highlights of our Bali Trip – The Banyumala Twin Waterfalls, rated as one of the best waterfalls in Bali. Entry to the falls is IDR 40,000 pp. One must trek about 1.5kms through a well laid path, but with steep ascents and descents, to reach the intersection where the route splits for the 2 falls. We chose to go to the bigger better one on the right! There’s a modest change facility here. The trek down was well worth it when we got into the cool and pristine water. The place was almost like our private haven for the two hours we spent there. You can’t really swim too much as the bed is rocky and the depth is about 4 ft only, but it’s fun to wade around and walk right into the falls !! It was exhausting indeed to trek back to our car uphill, but we left with a smile on our faces and a spring in our steps. After lunch, we stopped by at the Sangeh Monkey Forest (Entry Fee IDR 30,000pp), for some pictures with the friendly, yet naughty monkeys. Could have skipped this as there was nothing uncommon here for the average Indian! Later in the evening, we saw the Ubud Palace and Saraswati Temple (free entry) – both quick picture stops, nothing more. We walked around Ubud Market, shopped a bit, had an early dinner at Milk and Madu and headed back as we had a very early start next morning.
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| Banyamula Twin Waterfalls |
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| Handara Gate |
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| Pura Ulun Danu Beratan |
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| At the Monkey Forest |
Day 04 Ubud
We set out at 2:30 am this morning for our Sunrise Trek to Mount Batur –
in the Kintamani District of Bali. We reached the trekking base at about 3:45
am. There was a flurry of activity even at that hour, as hundreds of enthusiasts
were gearing up for the trek. We set out
on this 4 km trek, nervous yet excited. The first quarter was amidst fields of
onions and quick and easy to cover. The next km or so was a up a very steep
tarred road. Within minutes we found ourselves panting and pausing to catch our
breath. It wasn’t helping either, that bikers kept tempting us with offers for
a one way drop all the way up (well nearly !) for 350,000 pp. Resilience took over temptation and we
trudged along! The endless line of torch lights seemingly just ahead of us told
us that we were half-way up. It did not tell us however, that the hike had just
about begun !! Whoever recommended this as a beginner’s trek is definitely
‘Super Man’ !! The next 2 kms was a steep climb up a rough and rocky path, with
loose stones, slippery black sand, and dangerous curves. The guides here are
very helpful and encouraging though. They generally kept the spirits up and lent
a hand all through. Finally, at about 5:50 am we reached the Level 2 viewing
point, just in time to witness a spectacular sunrise! It was a clear, chilly
morning and the endless views of the valley ahead, the Lake Batur, and the
Golden Sun making its grand appearance was a surreal experience indeed. A refreshing breakfast of either sandwiches,
boiled eggs or banana pancakes is mostly included in the package. Hot drinks
are available for sale at IDR 30,000 each.
After a carb refuel, we began the descent at around 7 30 am, dreading
the climb down those deathly rolling stones. Thankfully, our guide chose to
take us down the longer but easier biker’s route. No stones here but beware of
the steep slopes and slippery sand. Cars can come up halfway, so we were
relieved to see our tour driver waiting to pick us up at this point.
We paid IDR 600,000 for the transport to Batur and IDR 400,000 pp for the trek itself including entry fee, packed vegetarian breakfast and guide charges. There are far better deals for this trek from as much as IDR 375,000 pp including pick up and drop from your place of stay. Wish we had shopped around a bit more for this.
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| The Campughan Ridge Walk |
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| With our guide atop Mt.Batur |
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| Sunrise at Mt.Batur |
Our initial plan was to go to a Hot Spring enroute after the trek. But
when we stopped by, we realised it was sort of a water park as well. The entry
was a whopping 300,000 IDR pp. Exhausted and in no mood for a water park, we
aborted the plan and decided to head back to Ubud. After a fabulous Mexican brunch at Cilantro
Restaurant, we headed back to our villa. The last 3 days had been very hectic,
and action packed. This afternoon was really our first chance to unwind and
enjoy the villa itself. An afternoon nap, followed by a swim in the villa’s
private infinity pool, with a kombucha on the side was the perfect way to do
it. By now, we had ticked all our ‘to do
at Ubud’ boxes, save the Campughan Ridge Sunset Walk. It’s a 2 km one way walk
along the ridge, with an endless view of the rice fields. We would have perhaps
enjoyed it more on a less tiring day. It was a bit humid and cloudy as well, so
no sunset view either. We had originally planned to do this walk on arrival on
Day 01. Had the flight landed on time, without all the delayed baggage drama,
this walk would have been the perfect kick off to our tour! After a lot of walking all day, a massage was
just the thing we needed. A relaxing Balinese massage at a home run parlour was
the perfect end to this long day.
Day 05 – Transfer to Nusa Penida
After a sumptuous breakfast of custom-made Nasi Goreng (Vegetarian Fried Rice), we drove out of Ubud at about 9am, to catch our speed boat to Nusa Penida from Sanur. It took us about an hour and IDR 300,000 to reach the port at Sanur. We had pre booked a two-way ticket on the Ray Fish Speed Boat at IDR 500,000 pp. (a one-way ticket costs IDR 300,000, so it’s cheaper to book an open return ticket). A 45-minute cruise took us to Penida Island. Thanks to some research and informative blogs, we expected that we may have to get into the water, while disembarking at Penida, so we avoided shoes. After paying the island entry fee of IDR 25000 pp, we took a taxi at IDR 200,000 to our lodging in East Penida. Malibu Huts was a small and modest place we chose on MakeMyTrip for its unbeatable location at a very reasonable price point of INR 3500 per room per night with breakfast. Although the rooms were too small for comfort, the place was neat, and the location was spot on! We opted out of doing any sightseeing that day and decided to relax on our hammocks on the porch, overlooking the sea. Later in the afternoon, we walked across to a rocky beach about 200 metres away. There are two Warungs (Cafes) right next to Malibu Huts and both catered to our vegetarian requirements. Ogix Warung is the better looking of the two, but Beach Corner Warung has more vegetarian options and easier on the pocket. Both have amazing views.
Day 06 – Nusa Penida
We set out around 08:30 am after a delicious breakfast of fluffy eggless
banana pancakes, toast, and coffee, to
explore the island. Most tourists opt to
do a day trip to Penida or Lembongan – the twin Nusas (Islands), from mainland
Bali. But, if one has more time on hand like we did, it’s a great option to
spend a night or two here. Our first
halt at East Penida was the twin beaches of Atuh and Diamond. (Entry Fee for
Diamond Beach IDR 25000 pp). The parking
spot is high up on a cliff. One can either take in the gorgeous views of the
beaches below from the cliff top and get some amazing pictures or dare to go
down to the beach itself. Since, our day had just begun, without much thought
we decided to go down to Diamond Beach.
After about 100 steep steps down, of which a few were extremely narrow
and treacherous, we reached a point which seemed so near, yet so far from the
beach. No steps from here, only rocks and a rope to hold on to! The crystal
blue waters were screaming out to us, so after much deliberation which was
mostly about how to go back, we took the plunge! Boy was it worth it ! We literally rollicked in the sea, without a
care !! The currents did threaten to drag us in a few times, but nothing that
our soaring spirits could not handle. As Murphy’s Law would have it, we had
left our sunscreen lotion in ‘the other bag’ in the car ! With a fine layer of suntan bordering on sun
burn, we climbed back up. Surprisingly though, barring the first rope climb,
the rest of the ascent was doable. We
were quite happy to settle for a cliff top view and picture of Atuh beach after
all that exercise. We figured later that Atuh is the easier of the two to approach,
but no regrets there. It was time and money well spent ! One can visit a few other places here like
the Goa Giri Putri temple, Tele Tubbies Hill etc. but we decided to head West
from here.
Broken Beach 
Kelingking Beach 
Atuh Beach 
Diamond Beach
The drive across the island to the west took us almost two hours, with a
stop enroute for lunch. We went to four scenic points here – Kelingking Beach,
Broken Beach. Angel’s Billabong and Crystal beach.
The first three are amazing cliff top viewpoints, each unique and picturesque. I now see, why these spots make it most to Instagram ! Our last stop for the day was at Crystal Beach, the only one really with road level access. It was a bit cloudy by then, with a few drizzles, so most tourists had left, and we had the beach almost to ourselves. The tide here seemed calmer than at Diamond Beach. A long day of beach hopping left us exhausted but happily so. We had dinner at the Beach Corner Warung and retired for the day. Car Hire for the entire day cost us IDR 800,000.
Day 07 : Penida – Seminyak
We were initially contemplating to go back down to the alluring Atuh
Beach this morning, but decided against, as we had another day of water to look
forward to at Nusa Dua. We slept in late, enjoyed breakfast on the deck, a
siesta later the hammock and checked out around noon to take our boat back to
the mainland. Transfer to the port cost us IDR 200,000. We had a car waiting
for us at Sanur, to drive us to the famous Tanah Lot temple, and then later in
the evening to our AirBnb in Seminyak. The taxi cost us IDR 500,000 for the
day.
At Tanah Lot Temple
Dedicated to Lord Baruna – the sea God, Tanah Lot is one of the seven sea
temples on the Balinese coast. (Entry fee IDR 60,000 pp). The temple sits on a
large offshore rock and is accessible only during low tide. We reached the
temple around 4pm and made it across and back just in time, before the sea took
over. The sanctum of the temple is off bounds for tourists, so there’s no need
to wear the sarong.
The Tanah Lot complex is a great place to shop for souvenirs, clothes, bags,
and artefacts. Tanah Lot is northwest of Denpasar and a bit off the route.
While it’s indeed a spectacular place, one needs to spare half a day to go
here. Be sure, to check low tide timings. See the temple first, do a bit of
shopping, catch an amazing sunset from one of the open-air cafes uphill and
head out. The down pour became quite
heavy on our drive back to Seminyak. Traffic was heavy and we moved at snail’s
pace. We stopped for an Indian Dinner at Queen’s Tandoor, to satiate the taste
buds that were craving some Indian spice!!
Day 08 : Seminyak
We woke up to a dull, cloudy morning. It had rained all night and didn’t look like it would clear up. A couple of calls to water sports companies at Nusa Dua, confirmed that most rides were likely to operate, if rain was light. After some deliberation, we decided to take a chance and set out around 11am to the Bintang Beach Club at Benoa. The place was abuzz despite the constant drizzle. We checked in with a representative who offered us a deal for 1.5 million IDR (USD 100) pp for three sports – Parasailing, Fly Fish and Donut Boat/Jet Ski. The rate was an absolute rip off !! Thanks to all the research we had done, we shared the far cheaper deals available with the representative. After some negotiation he dropped the rate to IDR 450,000 (i,e USD 30) pp !!!! There were other places nearby which had packages from IDR 300,000. But this place was well managed, insurance was covered, the lockers, change rooms, showers were clean. So, we didn’t haggle anymore and sealed the deal. After a brief downpour for about 15 minutes, the weather suddenly cleared up, so we set out to parasail first.
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| Fly Fish |
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| Parasailing |
The more expensive of the three rides we chose, this one was not as exciting as our earlier parasailing experiences in Thailand. It was a calming 5 minutes nevertheless !! The flyfish and donut rides were far more exciting and fun. We cleaned up and left from Nusa Dua around 2:30 pm to go to our last sightseeing spot for the trip, the famous Uluwatu Temple. It was a rather long drive, given the wet weather. We reached the temple complex around 5pm, after a quick stop for take way lunch at a French Bakery.
While visiting most temples in Bali, the experience is somewhat similar
for the average tourist, since the sanctums are off limits. But it’s the unique
ambience around each temple, which makes the difference. The Uluwatu Temple,
another sea temple is situated on a cliff, with the majestic Indian Ocean as
the backdrop. It takes about an hour to
go around the complex and take in the gorgeous views from different vantage
points. Beware of a notorious band of monkeys here. They are after any loose
articles on you – bags, caps, goggles, phones, water bottles etc. So, hold on
to your stuff tight and don’t attract any attention or look the monkeys in the
eye.
The temple complex also houses a magnificent amphitheatre overlooking the sea. The venue becomes the stage for the traditional Kecak dance at 6pm every evening – wind, rain, or storm! That evening saw all three elements at play hand in hand with the artists. What we witnessed was a unique ensemble of about 70 musicians and a dozen dancers. The a cappella choir almost breathlessly supported the dancers through their depiction of select scenes from the epic Ramayana. The colourful costumes, the bold make up, the mesmerizing sounds of the chants by the choir all set against the backdrop of the sea roaring on this stormy evening, was indeed a dramatic experience. The theatre itself appeared like the rainbow – with all the spectators in their colourful raincoats braving the weather.
Kecak Dance at the Uluwatu Temple
A magnificent sunset at the end, would have been the befitting finale to this drama, but that was not meant to be – at least not this time !
This whole Uluwatu experience cost us IDR 200,000 pp (Entry 50,000 + Kecak Dance 150,000). After a fabulous dinner at a Mexican Restaurant downtown, we hit the bed with the sounds of the Kecak still drumming in our ears.
Day 09 : Seminyak
We woke up to another wet morning today. Just the excuse we needed to
laze around till late in our huts. We finally managed to drag ourselves out
around 1pm for some lunch, shopping, and another relaxing Balinese Massage (IDR
100,000 pp). The day ended after another Indian Dinner at Gateway of India
Restaurant.
Day 10 : Seminyak
As luck would have it, the sun came out nice and bright this morning.
Bags packed; we still had a few hours before departure. So, we walked around
Seminyak beach (only 3 minutes away from our huts), indulged in one last round
of shopping and enjoyed brunch at a Greek Restaurant – Santorini.
We took a local Gojek Taxi for IDR 215,000 back to the airport for our flight back to India.
Important Points :
- Spend more time
around Ubud if you’re interests lie around culture. Seminyak is more modern,
busy and about bars and cafes.
- Bali is not yet very digital friendly, and most places still prefer cash
- Vegetarian food options are plenty. Indian food is expensive since spices are imported.
- Budget about USD 20 per person per meal.
- Budget at least USD 100 per person for entrance fees. Big Tickets are the Bali Swings, Mt.Batur, Water Sports and the Kecak Dance.
- Bargain hard for taxis, water sports, massages, and shopping. It helps to do some research and go with a base price point.
- If you have fewer days at hand, skip the Mt.Batur hike, opt for a day trip to Penida, do Tanah Lot or Uluwatu – you’d have saved 3 days
- Don’t put your sunscreen in the ‘other bag’. Always keep it handy, along with a cap/hat and a raincoat/umbrella.
|
Places |
Rate
per person in IDR |
|
Goa Gajah |
50,000 |
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Tegenungan Waterfall |
30,000 |
|
Bali Swings |
400,000 |
|
Rice Terrace |
10,000 |
|
Pura Tirta Empul |
60,000 |
|
Pura Ulun Danu Beratan |
75,000 |
|
Handara Gate |
30,000 |
|
Banyumala Falls |
30,000 |
|
Monkey Forest |
30,000 |
|
Mt.Batur excluding travel |
400,000 |
|
Penida Entry |
25,000 |
|
Diamond Beach |
25,000 |
|
Tanah Lot |
60,000 |
|
Water Sports |
450,000 |
|
Uluwatu with Kecak dance |
200,000 |
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