Bali – the island of the gods. Not only did we fall in love with Bali because of its daily presence of old Balinese traditions but also because of its thousand colorful temples, the beaches ideal for surfing and relaxing, the incredible cliff drops, stunning volcanic landscapes, green rice terraces, tropical flowers and lively coral reefs.
The following 3 week route might not give you the most perfect travel itinerary, but it worked out just fine for us and gave us the feeling of experiencing as much of Bali’s beauty as possible without rushing too much.
BEST TIME TO VISIT BALI
In general, Bali is a fantastic place to visit all year round. From April to October the weather is driest with lots of sunny days and low humidity. During the month of July and August it gets the busiest due to summer vacation. Wet season is from October to April with occasional rain showers but it can still be a fine time to visit Bali. Best surfing season on Bali’s west coast is supposed to be from March to November.
HOW TO GET AROUND IN BALI
Traffic might seem crazy sometimes but we prefer to rent scooters to explore the island. We just love the breeze while driving, going with the flow and being able to stop where ever the view is nice. You can get a scooter including helmets for approximately 60.000 IDR a day. In Ubud we rented 2 scooters for 10 days to drive from Ubud to Sidemen, Amed, Munduk and back to Ubud again. However, in case you don’t feel comfortable driving a scooter you can get a driver on almost every corner. You can either rent them for a single ride but also for a whole day (10 h usually). UBER and GRAB are usually not welcomed by locals.
BALI 3 WEEK TRAVEL ROUTE
This is our travel route. The prices for the accommodations are categorized as shown here:
€ – less than 40 € per night
€€ – 40 – 100 € per night
€€€ – more than 100 € per night
We got you a 15 € discount at Booking.com if you book via this link 😉
DAY 1-4 ULUWATU (3 NIGHTS)
We flew into Denpasar Airport and as there is not much to see in Denpasar we took a taxi to our hotel in Uluwatu immediately. As taxi drivers try to make good money at the airport it might be smart to google the estimated price to which ever place you’re planning on going first so you have a slight idea and you’re not completely lost with the new currency. ATMs are available inside the airport. Uluwatu is a laid-back, surf-vibe town with steep cliffs.
What we did:
we spent the first couple of days hanging out at Bingin Beach, surfing and enjoying our beautiful accommodation
Other things to do:
visit one of Bali’s most famous temples, Pura Luhur Uluwatu
see the Kecak Dance at Pura Luhur Uluwatu during sunset
visit other beaches on the Bukit peninsula, e.g. Padang Padang Beach, Thomas Beach, Karma Beach, etc.
watch the sunset at the beach
Where we stayed:
Sal Secret Spot Beach Villa – €€: The most heavenly hideaway with a great pool, young coconuts and outdoor bathrooms. They have two locations, the main location with the pool and the beach house with an open living room towards the ocean which is around 10 minutes walking distance from the main locations. This is where we stayed. Both places get to use the main pool.
Where we ate:
The Cashew Tree – Organic and local products creatively combined and served in a relaxed garden atmosphere.
DAY 4-9 UBUD (5 NIGHTS)
We took a taxi from Uluwatu to Ubud. As there are so many things to do in Ubud time flies and we decided to stay for 5 nights. Ubud is all about rice terraces, yoga, good food, chilled vibes, waterfalls, shopping and massages.
What we did:
Kanto Lampo Waterfall
Tibumana Waterfall
Tegenungan Waterfall (if you want to skip a waterfall, this could be it, because it is the most touristy)
Air Terjun Kuning Waterfall
go to the famous Tegalalang rice terraces for sunrise
visit Goa Gajah temple
get a massage
go shopping at Ubud Art market (bags, jewelry, art, souvenirs)
watch the sunset in the rice fields
Other things to do:
Monkey forest
Gunung Kawi temple
Pura Tirta Empul temple
climb up Mount Batur for sunrise
walk the Campuhan Ridge walk
Tukad Unda Dam artificial waterfall
Nungnung Waterfall
Where we stayed:
The White House (Jalan Hanoman No. 49) – €: Located in the center of Ubud but quiet. Cheap, nice pool, small but clean room.
Alam Dania Cottage – €€: Located north of Ubud in a small village surrounded by rice fields. Very spacious and clean rooms, outdoor bathroom, super friendly staff, nice pool.
Where we ate:
Melting Wok Warung (might get busy – make a reservation)
Fuzzy Bird Bali
Laba Laba Warung
Ithaka Warung
Warung Biah Biah
Watercress Café Ubud
Shopping:
Ubud Art Market (you can bargain here)
all along Ubud’s main streets
DAY 9-12 SIDEMEN (3 NIGHTS)
We drove our scooters from Ubud to Sidemen. Sidemen is located in the eastern part of Bali, surrounded by rice terraces, close to Mount Agung, Bali’s biggest volcano and not as busy as Ubud.
What we did:
Tukad Cepung Waterfall
Pura Besakih; Bali’s biggest temple built on the slopes of Mount Agung
as Tiffany used to teach at a high school close to Sidemen we went to visit her former colleagues and spent a day with them
other things to do:
Pura Lempuyang Luhur temple, where the famous picture with Mount Agung is taken (however, this became a very touristic place, you have to stand in line to get the picture and you can’t enter the actual temple)
make your own jewelry at Agung Silver
visit Pelangi tradition weaving where traditional fabrics are being produced
Where we stayed:
Abian Ayu Villa – €€: nice and simple place with great Mount Agung view.
Where we ate:
Rad-Ha Warung
Sawah Indah Villa
Klungkung night market (best place to get traditional local food)
DAY 12-15 AMED (3 NIGHTS)
We drove our scooters to Amed and stopped at a Mount Agung view point on the way (type in ‘Bukit Cinta’ at Google maps and it will take you there). Amed is a fishing village located on Bali’s east coast and it’s all about diving. If you want to get your divers license or just want to take a ‘Discover Scuba Diving’ Course, this would be a great place. There are some spectacular rice terrace views on the way to Amed.
What we did:
wreck diving at Liberty Ship Wreck Tulamben
watch the sunset at Sunset Point Amed
Where we stayed:
Jukung Dive Resort – €: clean rooms, two pools with ocean view, short walk to the black beach.
Where we ate:
Warung Osin – great food, but bring some time 😉
DAY 15-18 MUNDUK (3 NIGHTS)
We drove our scooters from Amed to Munduk. Munduk is located in the mountains and therefore it can get pretty cold at night. The mountain areas are often to be explored but staying there is what most people would probably skip as day trips from the more touristic places are possible, too.
What we did:
Sekumpul Waterfall (our absolute favorite)
Pura Ulun Danu Bratan temple for sunrise
take pictures at famous Handara Golf Course Gate
Other things to do:
Banyumala Twin Waterfall
Munduk Waterfall
Git Git Waterfall
Aling Aling Waterfall
visit the view points at Twin Lake
taste the Munduk coffee
Munduk trekking
Where we stayed:
Bali Rahayu Homestay – €: simple but clean.
Munduk Moding Plantation – €€€: great hotel with great views and super service on a coffee plantation.
Where we ate:
Warung Classic
Warung Heaven
Don Biyu
Munduk Moding Plantations
DAY 18-21 CANGUU (3 NIGHTS)
From Munduk we drove back to Ubud to return our scooters and took a taxi to Canggu. Canggu is located on Bali’s west coast and is great for surfing, good food and enjoying the last days before heading to the airport.
What we did:
relax, eat, eat, eat, shop, party
sunset at Pig Stone Beach
visit Tanah Lot temple for sunrise
Bali butterfly park
Where we stayed:
LILA Boutik Residence – €€: Beautiful villa with private rooms or rooms with shared bathroom and pool.
Where we ate:
Breakfast:
Crate Cafe
Sea Circus
Coffee Cartel Seminyak
Nalu Bowls
Lunch & Dinner:
The Shady Shack
Peloton Supershop
Pizza Fabbrica
Lacalaca Cantina Mexicana
Moana Fish Eatery
Maitai Bali
Shopping:
interior: Canggu & Co – Tropical Living (Jalan Raya Pantai Berawa, www.cangguuco.com)
interior: Bungalow Living (Jalan Raya Pantai Berawa No. 35, www.bungalowlivingbali.com)
dishes: Art on the table (Jalan Raya Petitenget No. 1, www.artonthetable.com)