Bali is an incredible destination; the combination of unique history and culture, gorgeous landmarks, and relaxing modern settings have resulted in Bali being the ultimate destination. Because of the uniqueness of each of the different regions on the island, I quickly started planning in order to ensure that I experienced everything on my Bali bucket list! This trip included visiting five different areas of Bali: Seminyak, Canggu, Ubud, Northern Bali Region, and Nusa Penida.
Keep reading to learn more about what my favorite excursions were and how to explore the entire Island of Bali in just one week!
I. Seminyak
Seminyak is the lively, bustling beach town of Bali. The area consists of streets of boutiques, exclusive hotels, and glamorous pool clubs. Picture Miami but in Bali. Seminyak is located in the southern region of the Island and is where we stayed in our Air B ‘n B for the entirety of our trip due to its nearness and accessibility to eateries, juice bars, shops, and the beach. We then ventured from here for our day trips to the other areas of Bali.
Things to Do:
· Shopping: My favorite shopping strip in Bali was on Jalan Kayu Aya. This street and surrounding area was lined with unique boutiques and lots of street vendors that sell traditional Balinese items. I am still obsessing over the beaded bracelets, woven rattan bag, sandals, and macramé wall hanging that Britt and I snagged from the local vendors! Pro tip: Make sure you bargain with all of the street merchants before committing to a purchase. They will go down in price!
· Pool Clubs: Seminyak is also known for their high-end pool clubs that line the beaches. These clubs are typically filled with unique restaurants, multiple pools, and a variety of lounging areas. In Seminyak, we visited one of the most famous pool clubs – Potato Head Beach Club. This trendy, upscale pool club was unique due to the infinity pool that spanned the entire front of the club and overlooked the ocean. Seriously, so gorgeous! However, if you are looking for a more laid back beach club vibe, rather than an upscale party scene, I would suggest going to the clubs located in Canggu.
· Restaurants: The area has a chic restaurant and bar scene as well. Two of our favorite spots included La Favela and Motel Mexicola. La Favela is a Spanish restaurant that’s known for its unique outdoor seating and tapas. Motel Mexicola was another trip fave! It is known for trendy, unique Mexican dishes, and it had the best quesadilla I have ever eaten to-date.
Tips
Overall, Seminyak is a lively area to visit if you enjoy high-end shopping, upscale beach clubs, and trendy restaurants. We never spent a full day in Seminyak, rather made evening trips here for shopping and late-night dinners after our other excursions! If you plan on incorporating Seminyak into your Bali trip, I would suggest either staying here and making a few evening visits, or spending just one full day in this area.
II. Ubud
Ubud is the cultural, historic center of the Island where you will find unique art, temples, and iconic sites. Although the area is bustling, a peace and spirituality surrounds this region. I almost found my zen here, almost.
Because there are so many sites to see in the area, I would suggest hiring a day driver to stay with you for the entirety of the day to help you navigate from location to location. While in Ubud, we immersed ourselves in the traditional Balinese culture and partook in Balinese dance, walked through a variety of temples and palaces, and visited many iconic Bali sites.
Things to Do:
· Sites
1. Tegallalang Rice Terrace: This is one of the most iconic areas in Bali to view the native rice paddies. It is incredibly beautiful to walk through when the sun is rising early in the morning. This is also a better time to go in order to avoid the crowds of tourists!
2. Tirta Empul Water Temple: If you chose to only go to one temple while in Bali, choose this gorgeous temple that features bodies of Holy Water. This destination was extremely impactful as many of the local people surrounded the area and were immersing themselves in the Holy Waters. Our driver led us in a sacrifice, and we sprinkled ourselves with the waters.
3. Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary: Zoo meets rainforest. The sanctuary is a tropical array filled with monkeys scurrying anywhere and everywhere. I seriously felt like I invaded their home, but it was so incredible to watch them interact with each other. We somehow spent hours here following them around and trying not to get our sunglasses stolen by them! (Cost: 20,000 IDR, $14)
4. Gianyar Waterfalls: Although there are MANY waterfalls to choose from in Bali, this location was unique because of the multiple falls and the surrounding cliff areas. The top of the cliffs overlooked the falls and had a variety of relaxing, outdoor lunch spots. It was so refreshing to enjoy the view while sipping on a fresh coconut water! We also ventured down to the multiple falls and dipped into a fresh water spring. Make sure to pack a bathing suit, water shoes, and a towel! Experiencing the waterfalls and immersing myself under the water was one of my favorite experiences on the trip.
5. Kopi Luwak Coffee Plantation: Visit one of the coffee plantations in Bali that is known for their Kopi Luwak coffee. This Bali native coffee is incredibly unique as the coffee beans are digested by a creature called the civet. Once the bean is pooped out and partially digested, they use this bean for the coffee. Seriously, TRY IT!
6. Kemenuh Bali Butterfly Park: This was an incredible addition to our trip, as we walked through the sanctuary and were completely surrounded by butterflies. (Cost: 20,000 IDR, $14)
7. Mason Elephant Lodge: One of my lifelong bucket list items was completed while in Bali! This elephant sanctuary allows you to bathe, ride, and swim with elephants that have been rescued and cared for by the facility. We started off the excursion washing one of the beautiful giants and then entered the biggest “bath” I have EVER seen. Staying on top of a giant elephant while they are splashing around in water was such a wild experience. Interacting with these loving babes was worth every penny. (Cost 1.1 Million IDR, $75)
· Pool Clubs and Restaurants
1. Jungle Fish: This pool club is a must-visit when in Ubud. This resort placed in the middle of the jungle allows you to find your inner Zen while floating in an infinity pool or enjoying a drink swing-side. Spend an afternoon relaxing here and enjoying a meal as you overlook the rain forest. So relaxing.
Tips
Ubud’s peacefulness and cultural importance makes the region an extremely iconic area of Bali. There are so many unique areas to visit in Ubud, and we spent the majority of our time on this trip exploring this city. I would suggest spending at least two or three days in Ubud in order to fully experience the heart of Bali. We managed to do everything in two days, but it was the most intense, action-packed two days. I truly wish we would have had more time here to enjoy the cultural sites and explore the downtown.
You will also want to hire a day driver that can take you from site to site. We asked our Air B ‘n’ B owner for a driver suggestion, and she gave us contact information for her most trusted chauffeur! Wayan, our driver, was incredibly knowledgeable and took us to different local spots that we had not planned for. We liked and trusted him so much that we ended up hiring him nearly every day of the trip, and towards the end he became the best third wheel on our excursions. Hiring a driver allows you to have a local’s opinion, ensures that you always have a ride from location to location, and it also ends up being a lot cheaper to hire a driver rather than paying to get to individual locations. We only paid 500,000 IDR for the day, which is about $35 USD!
III. Canggu
Canggu is the ultimate trendy, hang-ten beach town. Have your driver drop you off, grab a fresh squeezed juice, and get lost exploring this area.
Things to Do:
· Spa: The laid back vibe of Canggu made for a perfect few days of relaxing after we had just intensely explored Ubud for multiple days. The jet-lag was also creeping in at this point, and I was SO tired. Book yourself the full spa treatment at Spring Spa Canggu. We spent the entire morning at this luxurious spa, and I treated myself to a full body scrub, facial, traditional Balinese massage, hair mask, and blowout. I left feeling like a QUEEN. Because of how inexpensive everything is in Bali, the entire morning of treatment cost around $100 USD. I finally found my zen on this trip, for real.
· Shopping and Restaurants: Canggu’s streets are lined with outdoor cafes, juice bars, and trendy boutiques. After our spa treatment, we spent the rest of the morning wandering Pantai Batu Bolong and the surrounding area! The Loft was a great breakfast cafe where I enjoyed the best waffle topped with fresh fruit and yogurt.
· Pool Clubs: The trendy, yet relaxed vibe of the pool clubs in Canggu were by far my favorite. We visited both La Brisa and The Lawn during our time at Canggu. La Brisa was unique due to the beach beanbag seating that they had along the ocean front, as well as multiple seating areas around the pools. We enjoyed staying here through the evening, sipping a drink, and watching the sunset. The Lawn provided much more of a sophisticated vibe and is known for their infinity pool that spans the length of the entire club and overlooks the ocean.
Tips:
Many of the popular pool clubs get incredibly busy in the afternoon, so come earlier in the morning to ensure that you can find a spot! Most of the clubs we visited had free seating, as well as daybeds available to rent. The Lawn waived the daybed fee if your party spends $1 million IDR on food and drinks ($70). This is a great option if you plan on staying there for a lengthy period of time. We spent well over this minimum simply by eating and drinking at the club, and we then received 5 star treatment all day because of being seated in the day bed section!
IV. Northern Bali
The Northern Bali region possesses many of the area’s most beautiful waterfalls, as well as a few must see attractions. Although it was a bit of a trip, we ventured there with our favorite driver and managed to see the area in one day!
To Do:
· Attractions:
1. The Ulun Danu Beratan Temple: This unique temple was well worth the drive to Northern Bali. It sits along the western side of the Beratan Lake, creating the most gorgeous backdrop that makes it appear as if a portion of the temple is floating on water.
2. The Handara Gate: The gate provides the most elaborate entrance to a local golf resort. Although I am no golfer, this iconic site is a must-see while in Bali and provided the most amazing background for a photo!
· Waterfalls: The Gitgit Waterfall and the hike through the forest leading to the bottom of the falls was absolutely gorgeous! It was such an incredible feeling getting into the pool and feeling the falls splash down on us! The not so wonderful feeling…hiking back up the stairs to leave the falls. No amount of stairmastering at the gym could have EVER prepared me for that!
V. Nusa Penida
Nusa Penida is an island off of Bali that is known for its beautiful waters and the manta rays that roam these waters. We took a day excursion from the main island of Bali and took a boat for the day to Nusa Penida.
To Do:
· Snorkeling: Nusa Penida is known for their snorkeling due to the area’s gorgeous reefs, as well as being one of few places that is home to manta rays. Swimming with these giant rays is the biggest draw to snorkeling, and we were lucky enough to spot the manta rays and float amongst them! Definitely book your snorkeling excursion before arriving to the island. Our Air B ‘n B owner provided us with the name of a small company that she is familiar with, which was incredibly helpful. Being on a small tour allowed us to easily stop at many different reefs and provided us with a better chance of seeing manta ray activity due to our boat leaving less of a wake.
· Kelingking Beach: This iconic beach is a must-see when visiting Nusa Penida. The cliffs span the crystal blue waters and form into what people believe to look like a dinosaur head. Seriously, go see the view!
Tips:
The trip to Nusa Penida was extremely exhausting, especially since we did the entire excursion in one day. Driving to the dock and taking the boat to the island was definitely not glamorous, and that is putting it lightly. We did the entire excursion in one day, but I would suggest spending one evening in Nusa Penida. Also, if you are prone to motion sickness, make sure to bring Dramamine! The boat ride to the island, as well as the boat ride throughout our snorkeling excursion, went through some extremely rocky waters.
Bali is an incredible destination! There are so many iconic sites to experience, areas to explore, and foods to try. Creating a detailed plan prior to visiting the Island took away so much of the stress that International travel can present, as well as ensured that we got to experience everything on our Bali Bucket List! Check out my other Bali travel posts to learn tips and tools before heading to the Island, as well as my packing list!
XOXO
Abbey Rose
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