Your best guide to travel around Bali, Indonesia n1

📍First stop: Uluwatu/Bukit Peninsula, and exactly in Padang Padang.

✨VIBE: 100% surfing but also chill and fancy. So basically, good for both solo travelers and couples.

🏨Where to stay in Uluwatu, Bali

The area of Padang Padang Beach and Bingin Beach has the largest concentration of hotels in Uluwatu.

From budget homestays to mid-range hotels and luxury resorts, there is a lot on offer.

Along with numerous hip vegan bars, cool cafes, lounges, bars, restaurants, basically the entire laid back surfy vibes beach package is going on around this cool neighborhood.

🏡Padang Padang Sari Homestay

📍200 metres far from Padang Padang beach , couldn’t dream for a better location with a small budget!
🏄‍♀️You can easily go to many spots in Uluwatu like the Uluwatu Temple, Uluwatu beach …
🏖️ You get to the beach in only two minutes and you have everything nearby, including shops, ATM 🏧 machines, other restaurants, etc.
👩‍🔧The staff are locals and were extremely kind, we felt very welcomed and comfortable.
🛏️ Luxurious room: clean, spacious and comfortable
🍛The homestay also has a restaurant, which offered really really good food. We ate there almost every day and it was always delicious.
💰 Restaurant : You get very much for little money.
📣Even if you don’t stay here, I recommend eating in their restaurant!
💰Accommodation: Great value for money. We booked in Booking App
⚠️Ps: avoid the rooms near the road. They’re not as fancy at all as the rooms on the garden and can be noisy.

🏡Dreamsea Surf Camp Uluwatu Bali

🏨As already mentioned, the area of Padang Padang Beach and Bingin Beach in Bali has a lot to offer from budget homestays to mid-range hotels and luxury resorts.

And DREAMSEA is the dreamiest beachfront accommodation of Uluwuatu Bali!

💃In addition to its amazing rooms and great surfing, Dreamsea Uluwatu has a a lot to offer, a fancy resort, a surf camp, a private beach, yoga lessons and a good bar restaurant!

🏄‍♀️Nestled on the cliffs facing out to the famous surf breaks of Impossible and Padang Padang, in the middle of Bali’s most famous breaks.

🏝️You’ll really feel as if you’ve entered an elegant lost paradise on some deserted tropical island.

🛏️Each room is themed with a boho chic décor, creating a laid back but luxury feel.
Choices between single, double and dorm rooms mean this kind of luxury can be enjoyed by all!

🌅Sunrises and sunsets are both mesmerizing.
The rooms create a laid back but luxury feel.

🏄‍♀️Surf packages are for all skill levels.

🧘‍♀️Dreamsea Uluwatu has 2 yoga lessons a day, one at 7am and one at noon. They take place on an amazing little terrace overlooking the beach

🚫Be aware that you will have to climb steep steps to reach the camp

🍖If you can plan your stay in advance, try to stay there on a Friday when they have the best beach bbq.

📣If you are not staying in the hotel, you can still enjoy delightful the restaurant terrace overlooking the sea.

☀️Perhaps the biggest highlight of Dreamsea Uluwatu was its absolutely amazing terrace along the length of the hotel.
It has really reasonable prices, considering everything that you get.

💰The prices vary depending on the packages you buy. You can check their website here.

🏖️Closest beach is Padang padang beach :
A famous small sandy bay in South Bali that once got popular because of its feature in the movie ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ but also because it’s a good surfing spot!

🐒It is an easy walk down where you will meet a lot of monkeys.

💰It’s weird but it’s not a free beach but it’s not expensive neither. The entrance is 10.000 IDR (0,56 euro).

🛕The Uluwatu temple

🛕 One of Bali’s seven sea temples: The Uluwatu temple or Pura Luhur Uluwatu.

🖌️“Ulu” means top, “watu” means rock in Balinese and pura luhur means high temples.

📍No doubt, what makes Uluwatu Temple spectacular is its high setting on top of a 70 metre high cliff, overlooking the waves of the Indian Ocean.

📜It is one of the oldest temples in Bali, built on the 11th century on the advice of Empu Kuturan.

🌅 This is a popular place to enjoy a magical sunset backdrop.

⏰Temple opening hours — 08.00 AM to 07.00 PM

🕵️A guide is not necessary but can be helpful.

💰 Only cash
Entrance price 50,000 IDR for adults(2.82euro) and 20,000 IDR (1.12euro) for children.

👘As a visitor, you must wear a sarong and a sash, which can be hired at the temple entrance.

💃 The Uluwatu Temple is also known for its open stage not far from the temples area where a traditional dance Kecak and Fire dance are performed.

⏰Time of the show of Kecak dance: 6pm.

💰The price for the Kecak Dance 150,000 IDR(8.48euro) per person.

🌳 A small forest surrounds the temple where hundreds of macaques monkeys reside. They are believed to be the loyal guardians the temple.

🐵 Be careful, the monkeys can be thieves. They’re known for grabbing sunglasses, hats, cameras…

🕰️It usually takes about an hour to get from one end to another (including pauses).

Tanah Lot Temple

Halfway between Uluwatu and Ubud, there is one of the most spectacular seven sea temples of the island dedicated to the Sea Gods (as for Uluwatu temple): Tanah Lot Temple.

🛕Bali is the only Indonesian island where Hinduism is practiced among 6,000 inhabited ones.

And visiting temples in Bali has a unique symbolic that connects you with the island soul and gives you a unique travel experience.

🔎Tanah Lot Temple is built in the 16th century.

🌊 It is meant to pay respect to the guardian spirits of the sea.

📍Tanah Lot temple sits on a rock formation, makes it a powerful symbol of the spiritual and natural worlds’ interplay.

📜Tanah Lot is named after its location, it means « Land in the Sea » in Balinese.

🏝️It’s better to visit during high tide, to see the temple floating on the ocean, encircled by water.
In low tide, you can approach the temple more closely.
Sunsets are breathtaking there.

🐍 They say that this temple is guarded by sea snakes. They are meant to keep away those with evil in their hearts.

🏊 It’s forbidden to swim at Tanah Lot, powerful waves crash against the rocks.

💰Entrance fee is 75,000 IDR per person
The Kecak Dance Show at Tanah Lot is available every day starting at 18:00 and is priced at 100,000 IDR.

🛕 A short walk from Tanah Lot Temple, there’s another sea temple – the Batu Bolong Temple.
If you’ve paid the entrance fee at Tanah Lot, you won’t need to pay to get into Batu Bolong Temple as it’s included in the price. Just show your ticket to get in.

UBUD

What to do in Ubud?

City activities:

This is my personal review of my own experience in Ubud. I’m sure there are a bunch of other things to do:

🧘‍♀️Yoga: I had this great experience at Ubud Yoga House at 7am Yoga session. Great view, incredible teacher.

🐵 Ubud Monkey Forest, a nature reserve and Hindu temple complex in Ubud.

🌴Campuhan Ridge Walk, a nice walk to escape Ubud traffic.

🌾A hidden rice fiels in town : Suvak Juwuk Manis

💆‍♀️Balinese massages: there a bunch of massages everywhere in ubud, I tried Lilly Spa and Tamarind Spa and in the hotel.

🧺Shopping everywhere in Ubud not only in Ubud art market but even in small stores everywhere in the city.

🏫Visit the Ubud Palace

📣Hotels, waterfalls, temples and other rice fields are gonna be shared below.

🍽️Restaurants:

-Lemongrass Bisma Warung, my favorite! Cheap, tasty, great view and 100% local.
-Dapur Raja, if you wanna try pure Balinese food.
-Tini Kitchen Coconut Juice Bar, far from Ubud but it was near our hotel. Very nice view and food.
-Clear Café Ubud, for more western food.

🥂 Bar:
Why not, great vibe

Temples

📍The Saraswati Temple, Ubud

The Saraswati Temple in Ubud is a Hindu temple located in the central part of the town of Ubud near the main market right in front the Jalan Kajeng side street, just off the main Jalan Raya Ubud road.

🚶 You can easily include it as a brief stopover while walking through the centre of Ubud town.

🛕 The temple is dedicated to the Hindu goddess Saraswati, who is the goddess of knowledge, wisdom, and the arts.

🕰️
Hours: 7 AM – 5 PM
Entrance Fee: Free

📜Saraswati Temple was built in the 1950s.It was originally the residential palace of the Sukawati royal family.

📐The temple boasts classical Balinese architecture and is surrounded by blooming lotuses.

💃 The traditional Balinese dance performance is held at 7:30 PM every night, which costs 80k Rupiah (~$5 USD). 💰

🍽️ Alternatively, you can book a table for an evening at Café Lotus to enjoy the best views facing the temple’s open stage. But the prices are a bit on the high side for Bali.

🛕 The Tirta Empul Temple

📍The Tirta Empul Temple is located near the village of Tampaksiring which is outside of Ubud Town Center in the Gianyar Regency.

💧 This temple is home to a holy mountain spring that feeds the Pakerisan river, which is deemed holy water (or armitha) by Balinese Hindus.

🧘‍♂️ The devotees go there for a ritual purification called Melukat at the bathing pools.

🏊 The temple is divided into three sections: Jaba Pura (front yard), Jaba Tengah (central yard) and Jeroan (inner yard). Jaba Tengah contains 2 pools with 30 showers.

🚿 Each water spout out of the 13 holds different significance. The last 2 water spouts are reserved for bathing the dead for funeral rituals. So, don’t bathe under them.

📸Witnessing people step into the waters, saying their prayers, and immersing themselves under the spouts is a sight to behold.

💡Tirta Empul means Holy Spring in Balinese.

📜Tirta Empul Temple was built 962 AD during the reign of Warmadewa dynasty (10th-14th centuries).

📨The temple is dedicated to Vishnu, another Hindu god name for the supreme consciousness Narayana.

⛰️ On a hill overlooking the temple, a modern villa was built for President Sukarno’s visit in 1954. The villa is currently a rest house for important guests.

🕰️Timings: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM

💰 The entrance fee is, of course, subject to change at any time but the current fee as we go to press is 50,000 IDR for an adult.

🛕 Tirta Empul balinese architecture symbolizes the relationship between the human world, the spirit world and the natural environment.

🥋The dress code at Pura Tirta Empul Temple is the same as at all temples in Bali. The rental of a sarong is included in the ticket price for Pura Tirta Empul Temple and you can pick it up on the way into the temple.

🚨PS: This sarong is not for bathing in the purification pools and you will need to rent an additional sarong to enjoy the holy spring water.

💰Please note that if you plan to use the purification, you must rent a bathing sarong (for an additional 10,000 IDR) and if you need a locker, that’s an additional 15,000 IDR.

Where to stay?

The Intan Villa & Suite Ubud

The Intan Villa & Suite Ubud is a high-quality hotel in the middle of paddy fields fully surrounded by nature.

📍Although it is located 6km far from Ubud Palace, the location is perfect if you’re looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of Ubud city centre.

🏨I would like to clarify that I stayed at Intan Villa Moding, although I booked in Intan Villa&Suite. So basically it’s the same hotel but with separate villas across the neighbouring rice field.

🚌The accommodation provides a scheduled free shuttle into the center of Ubud 3 / 4 times a day.

🛵If you miss them, one of the staff always seems ready to whisk you into town on a scooter for a very reasonable price.

🛺Otherwise, short 10-15k to book a Grab scooter so no problem with the transport.

🌳 There are people working on the rice paddy fields, felt amazing to immerse in their local life.

🚗 I loved the fact that cars could not get to the villas. Cars cannot take you the last 500 meters.

👨‍💼The staff help you with your luggage and scoot it up for you. They come each time with motor bikes to the main road to get you. They even offered free rides to and from a couple of the nearby restaurants!

🍴There are 2 very nice restaurants around. Such as Tini Kitchen.

🔉The people and the whole staff made me feel welcomed.

🛌I don’t know about the other rooms but we booked the suite, a big room on the ground floor, directly overlooking the swimming pool and the rice field.

🏊The infinity pool in the middle of rice fields is magical!

🧙 The room was cleaned everyday.

☕️Good breakfast is served daily on your patio. They also had other food available for lunch and dinner if requested.

🚍They offered a lot of different trips and activities which were organised well.

🌑It may get dark at night the road but there’s always somebody to help you’!

🧖‍♀️ There are spa treatments available either in your room or at the side of the pool.

💰 Good value for what I’d paid

🛵You can rent a scooter directly on site for 80000 rp per day.

🧺 There is also a laundry sevice for 15000 rp per kg.

📣Dont forget to enjoy the pleasant walks all around.

Pondok Sebatu Eco Lodge

📍15km further north from Ubud center, Pondok Sebatu Eco Lodge is set in a secluded peaceful location, in the middle of actual paddy fields that are used for rice cultivation.

⛰️ Perfect location when you wanna discover the region of Ubud, yet also close enough to go to Ubud and climb Mount Batur etc.

🌞 Its location close to the mountains makes the weather usually not very hot. It’s perfect when you are tired of the beach and busy life of Seminyak, Canggu…

🐸 Be ready for the symphony of the frogs that croak happily in the evening.

🧙The staff went above and beyond to accommodate us. They have many activities to book. Everyone listens to your needs and wants to make your holiday memorable.

🧖‍♀️They helped organize massage therapists within a short notice at our rooms.

📸The pictures don’t make justice to the beauty of the place.

🚶 Don’t forget to take a walk to discover the surroundings!
You can walk to the local temple and village however you’ll need a car/scooter to visit further places such as Tegelalang Rice Terraces, coffee plantations (a must do for coffee/tea lovers) etc.

🛌 The wooden chalets are gorgeously decorated and with very good value. The room was big and extremely clean. They are cleaned everyday by default

🚿 The bathroom was perfect with a view.

🥘 The breakfast can be requested as a floating breakfast if you have booked a villa with a private pool or in the common pool (with prior notice being provided to the hotel).

🍴The restaurant provides delicious meals, and they deliver them to your room if you want. I recommend eating on the 2nd floor of the restaurant overlooking the rice fields with views of Mt Agung and Mt Batur on clear days.

🏊 The pool and outdoor seating areas are great for relaxing. The pool is well suitable for kids.

🚗 Gojek ride into town cost 150k idr each way in a car, bike is cheaper but as travelling in group, it was same price.

🧺 Laundry service is available.

🚌 They have free shuttle to and from central Ubud (around 35 minutes away from the villa).

💰 Value for money was very satisfying regarding all aspects of the hotel.

The Tegalalang Rice Terrace

📍The Tegalalang Rice Terrace is a series of rice fields planted in terraces on the hillside perched at 600 meters of altitude.

💦Using traditional Balinese irrigation system called “subak”, these rice fields require significantly less water than regular rice fields.

🔎This system is said to have been passed down by a sage named Rsi Markandeya in the 8th century.

🕰️ You will need approximately 30 minutes to 1.5 hours to explore every corner of the paddies.

🍶Don’t forget to bring water, a hat and put on some sunscreen!

🌱 It is best to visit just before the main harvest when the rice fields are at their peak green (between August and September).

📣It’s one of the most famous rice fields in Bali thanks to the beautiful view you get when overlooking the valley with

⏱️Tegalalang Rice Terrace is open everyday from 06:00 am to 7:00 p

💰 The entrance fee is 15,000 RP per person.

🧍 As in the rest of Bali, swings are an integral part of the landscape. You will find several swings in the new Uma Ceking complex as well as bird nests. The activity costs 200,000 IDR($13 USD).

💬Other activities
• Tandem swing $27 USD / IDR 400k
• Sky Bike $30 USD / IDR 450k
• Zipline $23 USD / IDR 350k
• Cash payment is accepted (IDR)

Manuaba waterfalls

🏞️Ubud has a bunch of touristic waterfalls

📣This one was the least crowded one.

🔄The hike is circular and easy

2️⃣It has 2 waterfalls

🥾Bear in mind that there are steps and you also walk in the water so it might be slippery

🦶 I did it barefoot but some people might prefer non-slippery shoes

😎Bonus: at the end of the trail there is a free swing. You tip the guy of course! And the view is stunning.

Lake Danau Batur

Bali is not only famous for beaches and surf, but also for its nature such as mountains, volcanos, and lakes.

🌋One of the lakes is Batur Lake, called Danau Batur in the local language, the biggest lake in Bali Island, formed by an ancient volcanic eruption.

🔎Lake Batur is surrounded by the active Mount Batur volcano.

⛰️Mount Batur is the most active volcano in Bali and its last eruption was recorded in 2000.

📍Lake Batur is located at an altitude of 1,050 meters above sea level located about 30 km northeast of Ubud in Kintamani, Bangli Regency of Bali.

🙏The volcanic lake is considered sacred by the locals.
Lake Batur is the main source of irrigation water for most of Bali.

💧 The deepest point in the lake is around 88 meters.

🧝‍♀️Across the lake, only reachable by boat, lies Trunyan village, where the Bali Aga people live. This place is notorious for its unique burial traditions. Instead of cremating the dead, as Balinese do throughout most of the island, the Trunyan communities leave the bodies to decompose naturally in a special cemetery under the Taru Menyan tree, believed to neutralize the odor of decomposition.

💦The quality of the water is good, and locals drink it.
Accordingly, swimming in the lake is not allowed in every part of the lake.

☀️The best view is at Penelokan village (Kintamani) but basically along the main road all the way to Kintamani you can see the entire Lake of Batur (Danau Batur).

🏊‍♂️There are also several natural hot spring spots related to the volcanic activity of the Mount Batur volcano in the village of Toya Bungkah, Kintamani. The view from the hot spring pool is spectacular and makes it a perfect attraction.

Nusa Penida

Nusa Penida is big wild stunning tropical island in the province of Bali.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have the chance to explore all of it.
Only visited the main beaches on a day trip.

🏝️First beach was: Broken Beach

🏝️ Broken Beach is an incredible little cove on Nusa Penida island, Bali. It’s circular and is known by the archway that has been formed over many years by nature’s forces. It’s a natural bridge allowing the ocean to flow in and out!

🚶 It’s a very easy to access and right next to another famous attraction, Angel’s Billabong. Only 5minutes walk along the coastline.

🔎Broken Beach is known as Pasih Uug in the local language.

📌Broken Beach is on the West Coast of Nusa Penida. The island is quite big, and it can take over an hour to drive from one side to another depending on where your accommodation is located.

🛣️ The roads are improving very quickly throughout Nusa Penida as tourist traffic increases.

🏊 Unfortunately, this is more a photo and chill location, swimming is not permitted. There is a nice local restaurant with great view.

📣You can only swim in low tide in Angel’s Billabong.

🔁 You can trek around Broken Beach; you can walk the entire perimeter of the natural pool and even trek over the arch before completing the 10 minutes loop.

🚤 There are several boat tours that will drive into the cove when the tide is right and the swell is calm.

🏖️Kelingking Beach

🏖️ Kelingking Beach is one of the most famous beaches of Nusa Penida, Bali and in all Indonesia.

🦕 Its unique rock formations resemble the backbone of a dinosaur and is nicknamed T-Rex.
From the top of the cliff, you may even spot Manta rays.

🏖️The popularity of Kelingking Beach has greatly contributed to the tourist growth of Nusa Penida island.

🔍“Kelingking” means pinky finger in Indonesian.

⚠️ Tourists often showcase their creativity to capture unique photographs, but some may take their adventures too far.

🥾I highly recommend to hike down the cliff to the beach.
Wear proper shoes to descend. Flip-flops is a poor choice.

😇Luckily, proper stairs have been installed, making the path much easier to navigate.
After descending, you’ll be greeted by a stunning beach.

🏊 While the allure of swimming may be irresistible, be wary of the powerful waves and currents that can carry you out to sea.

⛔️ Swimming at Kelingking Beach is now forbidden, after a European tourist drawned in violent in February 2023.

📸It’s better to take your pictures before descending the trail, as climbing back up might leave you less photogenic.

⏰It takes between 20 to 40 minutes to get down to Kelingking Beach Nusa Penida.

The ascent back to the starting point may take up to 50 minutes.

Visit before 11am or after 4pm, to avoid the crowd of people having a day trip from other parts of Bali.

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