BALI, INDONESIA 5 Days
Bali is an Indonesian island known for its forested volcanic mountains, iconic rice paddies, beaches, and coral reefs. In addition, visitors come for scuba diving and to witness a fascinating Hindu culture with colorful ceremonies and magnificent temples.
There is a wide range of hotels, resorts, and spas. Most of Bali is mountainous, the highest point being Mount Agung (Bali Peak), 3,142 meters (10,308 ft). The island is small, half the size of Jamaica.
Bali is the only Hindu-majority province in Indonesia, with 82.5% of the population adhering to Balinese Hinduism. It is also renowned for its highly developed arts, including traditional and modern dance, sculpture, painting, metalworking, and music.
Essential Tips:
Water: Avoid tap water; drink sealed bottled water.
Currency: Indonesian Rupiah (IDR).
Cash is essential for many local stalls and smaller shops.ATMs: Use ATMs at reputable banks to avoid skimming.
Use only authorized money changers and count your cash.
Bali Tourism Board - offers planning info.
Getting around:
Walking is the simplest way to get around villages, beaches, or resorts.
Getting around the island? Hire a Driver.
We do NOT recommend renting a car.Why hire a driver?
If you're NOT used to driving a RIGHT-hand car.
Bali's traffic is both chaotic and dangerous. Road conditions are not always the best.
Avoid public transport due to it always being very crowded.
Beware of animals:
Keep a safe distance from wild or stray animals. They may seem cute, but in Bali, they can carry rabies and other serious diseases.
Beware of the monkeys. They are notorious for their thieving ways.
Top resorts in Bali
Where to stay:
Seminyak is a very upscale and central base. Great beaches, some of the best restaurants in Bali, beautiful sunset beach bars, and a wide range of places to stay, from budget to luxury. It also has a great shopping area with very hip boutiques.
DRIVING TIME:
To Nusa Dua beach: 26 minutes/ 18 km
To the airport: 25 minutes/ 11 km
To Ubud: 1.25 hrs./ 43 km.
Canggu - An emerging area next to Seminyak. Calm compared to nearby Seminyak and Kuta, but still very central. The vibe is bohemian and trendy, with surf beaches, rice fields, and beautiful villas.
DRIVING TIME:
To Nusa Dua beach: 41 minutes/ 28 km
To the airport: 33 minutes/ 20 km
To Ubud: 1.25 hrs./ 43 km.
Nusa Dua - Perfect for a family getaway with many all-inclusive resorts. Quiet, relaxing, and great for snorkeling and parasailing.
DRIVING TIME:
Nusa Dua is just a 20-minute drive from Ngurah Rai International Airport.
To Ubud: 1.5 hrs./ 44 km.
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Bali Discovery Tours (tel. 0361/286283) is one of the island's largest and most established tour operators and offers customized and off-the-shelf tours. These guys really know their stuff and have been doing it for about 20 years. Their website has up-to-date news on what's happening on the island and a comprehensive list of practical tips and advice to make your holiday a success.
Sobek (tel. 0361/287059) is a well established and ethical adventure tour company that arranges and runs white-water rafting, cycling, and trekking all over Bali. Sobek invests heavily in providing the highest safety standards of all companies on the island. All the staff receive on-going safety training and language courses to ensure the highest of standards are met.
ABL Tours and Travel (tel. 0361/731520) is one of the busiest leading tour operators. They can assist with organizing custom-made tours, villa and hotel accommodation, and even weddings.
Bali Adventure Tours (Mason Adventures) (tel. 0361/721480) can arrange fun day and overnight itineraries to volcanoes, the jungle, and rural villages.
Bali Star Island Tour: a one-stop travel agency to Bali.
Bali Tourism Board www.balitourismboard.org: The official tourist board
Things to do in Ubud
Top Highlights:
Explore Ubud- dedicate one full day to visiting Ubud
The spiritual, cultural, and artistic hub of the island. Ubud is the center of both traditional dance and crafts in Bali. The drive to Ubud is an experience. You pass rice fields and pretty foothill ravines. No Bali trip is complete without visiting Ubud.We suggest not to base your accommodation stay in Ubud.
Traffic in Ubud can be very slow for visitors who want to take day trips.Drive time between Ubud and the airport is 1 hour.
Uluwatu - located about a 30-minute drive from Nusa Dua, Uluwatu lies on the southernmost tip of the island.
The serene town is known for some of the prettiest beaches, bluest waters, and most dramatic cliffs. There is also a great mix
of luxury and more affordable accommodations here.Don’t forget to check out the #1 attraction in the area: Uluwatu Temple.
The best time to visit Uluwatu Temple is around sunset, when the daily Kecak Fire Dance is held in the amphitheater, and enjoy the stunning sunset backdrop.
Stroll around the Seminyak Night Market. Starting around 6 p.m., the street food stalls around Seminyak begin selling delicious Balinese treats. Popular choices include fish, grilled prawns, and various satays. Move from stall to stall until you’re full of the best Indonesian food.
Uluwatu and the Seminyak Market can comfortably be visited in a single full day.
Visit The Pura Tanah Lot Sea Temple -the temple sits on a rocky outcrop and is easy to reach — just follow the row of souvenir shops along the road to the entrance.
From Seminyak; it takes half a day—enough to see the sights and relax.
From Nusa Dua; it’s a full day to enjoy the trip and activities.
Relax at Bali’s best beaches. <read more>
Tip: avoid Kuta Beach at night — it’s unsafe. Restaurants there are of poor quality and pricey.
Take a stroll in a local village - experience local mornings: children in uniforms walking to school, mothers carrying market purchases, and people making offerings around the village and temples. It’s a beautiful start to the day and perfect for photos.
Watch a Balinese Dance performance-- [watch video] -- Bali's highly stylized traditional dances have evolved from ancient Hindu rites.
💃 Shows in Seminyak:Made's Warung Seminyak: Iconic hangout. Show: Balinese dance on Saturdays at 7:30 PM. Vibe: Casual and lively; good for families.
Mari Beach Club: a premium beach club mixing luxury and tradition.
Performances: Wed 7:00 PM — Kecak Dance. Thu 6:00 PM — Various traditional dances. Fri 7:00 PM — Barong Dance
Vibe: Sunset oceanfront with top professional dancers.
Journey into North Bali - the northern region is often ignored and widely underrated. This is where the best waterfalls, temples and rice fields can be found.
You can do day trips to North Bali from the south, but if you can, stay overnight in Munduk.
Your hotel or tour operator can arrange any day trip.
DIVERSION: LOMBOK ISLAND
Lombok is an Indonesian island east of Bali. It's known for stunning beaches and surfing spots.
Lombok offers pristine, less crowded beaches, minimal traffic, and raw nature without Bali's overwhelming overtourism.
Bali and Lombok cost about the same for food and lodging, so either is fine if budget is your main concern.
Getting there from Bali:
The fastest way is by flying. Flights are reasonable and depart daily. <recommended>
Crossing by ferry is the cheapest and takes about 4 hours.
By Fast Boat - Blue Water Safari Express is one of the fast boat companies providing service from Bali to Lombok.
There are two (2) departure points from Bali: Serangan (the Benoa Harbour) & Padang Bai Harbor.
The most popular activity is trekking Mount Rinjani. It is the most epic adventure on Lombok.
Other options are to explore incredible scuba diving sites or simply lounge on pristine beaches.
Best Resorts in Lombok: (highly recommended)
Average cost:
(EXCLUDING AIRFARE)
$$$ USD for two (2) people:
Budget: $1,800
Moderate: $2,700
Luxury: $3,700 +
🌤️ Climate Guide:
Best time to Visit Bali:
Bali has warm weather year-round with two (2) main seasons, the dry season (April to September) and the wet season (October to March). During the wet season, it rains almost every day, but usually for a couple of hours, after which everything looks even greener. It does, however, get very hot and humid as well.
Avoid a trip to Bali in December through early March, because it rains heavily virtually every day, and it can ruin some of your outdoor activities.
The high season is July/August, which is the peak of the dry season, but the island gets extremely overcrowded, and hotel prices rise sharply compared to other months.
The best months to visit Bali are May, June, and September, when you can enjoy the beautiful weather without the crowds.
Bali Gallery
🎬 Video
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