Ultimate Bali Guide – Bali Travel Itinerary for 3 Weeks

wouldntyourathertravel.com/ultimate-bali-guide-travel-itinerary-for-3-weeks/

February 22,
2019

Bali is probably the most known island in all of Indonesia and there are plenty of reasons
why people often describe it as paradise. From amazing beaches to lush tropical
rainforests, amazing party nights and breathtaking hiking trails along mountains or
volcanos – it seems like Bali has it all.

Although possible destinations in Bali seem endless, I tried putting together a short
overview of places that you definitely should not miss if you find yourself in this corner of
the world.

Canggu (1-2 days)

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Go to Echo Beach and enjoy a smoothie bowl by the ocean

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Canggu is known for its cafes and bars. Head to Alternative Beach for this view

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 Canggu has some amazing sunsets

Although it seems busy, you’ll still find these views in Canggu

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 Enjoy amazing sunsets ub Canggu

This is La Brisa, a super nice beach bar in Canggu

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 One of my favorite things about Canggu and Bali: the amount of incredibly cute and
friendly puppies everywhere

After landing in Denpasar, PLEASE (and I cannot stress this enough) DON’T go and stay in
Kuta (unless you’re into crazy mass tourism, expensive prices and reeeally drunk people
:D). Instead, head to Canggu which is just a bit further northwest. Canggu offers a very
different atmosphere where locals and tourists still appreciate each other and everyone
is super friendly. There are plenty of bars and restaurants as well as shops, so there’s no
need for you to worry about missing out on anything. Trust me when I say that this will
be the perfect start to your Bali adventure.

The three main areas of Canggu are called Batu Bolong, Echo Beach and Berewa and all
three of them offer anything you could ever ask for. All three of them are filled with
amazing cafes, restaurants and coworking places but the vibes are different in every
single one of them. Batu Bolong is pretty much the “main street” while Echo beach offers
some freaking amazing restaurants with seafood so good that you will most likely never
forget in your life. To get to Berewa, you have to cut through the very famous Canggu
shortcut (it’s an adventure that you will absolutely love just be prepared for a lot of
traffic and potentially getting stuck for a couple of minutes :D)

If you want to find out more about the best places to check out in Canggu, click here.

Ubud (at least 2 days, preferably 4)

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I have been to the Tegallalang rice terraces so often…

but it just doesn’t get old.

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 Tipp: Walk to the very, very back on the main road and you’ll have the fields almost to
yourself

Another favorite: The monkey forest in Ubud

Ubud is located just one hour away from Canggu or Kuta and is the cultural center of
Bali. You’ll be surrounded by lush vegetation, amazing rice fields, awesome Yoga studios,
restaurants, and countless waterfalls and temples in the middle of jungle areas that will
easily remind you Avatar. Ubud offers a very different atmosphere than Canggu and
there is always a constant debate about which place is better. I honestly love places the
same and if it’s not important to you to party and be close to the beach, Ubud can be the
perfect paradise for you.
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If you’re traveling solo, I can highly recommend the Puri Garden Hostel, because it is
easily one of the nicest hostels you’ll ever stay in and has a fantastic atmosphere and
great location. If you’re traveling with a partner or friends, you guys should definitely look
for a villa in Ubud on Airbnb. There are so many places that are super affordable and
absolutely mind-blowingly gorgeous and it would be a shame for you not to make use of
that while in Ubud.

Do yourself a favor and stay in Ubud for at least 2 nights. Trust me when I say that even
this will feel like you barely have enough time to see the really nice parts and be able to
soak up the energy around here (which is why you should stay for 3, preferably 4 nights
:D)

For the ultimate guide on things to do in Ubud and which temples and waterfalls to
check out, click here.

Hike Mount Batur

From Ubud, you can go on a sunrise trip to climb Mount Batur and enjoy some seriously
amazing views of the sunrise and a different side of the island. Tours usually leave early
in the mornings around 3 am and take you to the bottom of the volcano where you will
start hiking for roughly an hour. Depending on how lucky you are weather-wise, you will
be rewarded with an amazing sunrise that will leave you speechless. Be prepared
though, there will be monkeys waiting for you at the top and although they do look super
cute, there is a high chance that they will try to steal your food.

Gili Islands (3 days)

Renting a Kayak on Gili is cheap and the perfect way to escape the tourist crowds while still
exploring gorgeous waters

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Although the Gili Islands are right next to Lombok, they’re an absolute must during every
Bali trip. Most ferries to the Gilis leave from Padang Bai and take about 1,5 hours by boat
to reach. Make sure to haggle with the tour operators and never pay more than 400k for
a roundtrip. Once you reach these amazing islands (there are three islands: Gili Meno,
Gili Air, and Gili Trawangan) or ‘heaven’ as I like to call them, you’ll be thanking yourself
for making it all the way here. Gili T is usually the island that most backpackers stay on
and accommodations range from simple dorms to nice little private huts with a pool. The
island itself offers super nice beaches and an amazing ocean in which you will most likely
see sea turtles and a ridiculous amount of fishis while you’re snorkeling 10m away from
the shore. You’ll also find a wide range of beach bars to chill in or dance the night away.
Taking day trips to the other islands where you’ll find fewer people and even nicer
beaches is no problem at all and won’t cost you much at all. If you feel a bit adventurous,
look into renting a kayak or standup paddleboard to cross over the other islands. This
will take about 30 minutes but you will get amazing views of the island and the
surrounding turquoise waters.

Gili T is also the place where you will find the underwater statues that are all over
Instagram. You can take a day boat that takes you out to them or you just go by kayak or
stand up paddleboard (they’re located right in front of Gili Meno).

Uluwatu area/beaches(3 days)

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 A viewpoint at Balangan beach

When you get to Pandawa, go all the way to the left to find this stretch of paradise

Pandawa beach will honestly blow your mind

The peninsula south of the airport has some of the best beaches you will find in Bali.
Although some are very popular among surfers, there are plenty of others that are
absolutely perfect for swimming, sunbathing or just hanging out as well. Padang Padang,
Dreamland Beach or Pandawan Beach are a definite must while you’re in Bali. By the
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way, the easiest way to get around in this area is by scooter. Traffic, however, can be
pretty busy, so if you don’t feel comfortable enough, just grab a taxi or driver for the
whole day. They’re usually not too expensive (about 500k/35€) and will wait at every
destination until you’re done.

For the ultimate guide to my Top 5 beaches here in Bali, click here.

Temples (plan another 2-3 days to get to some of these and properly
enjoy them)

I prefer Tanah Lot for sunset. Come here and enjoy the view at one of the many little bars

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Temples belong to Bali as the sun belongs in the sky. While you’ll see countless little
temples throughout anywhere you go on the island, there are some major ones that you
definitely shouldn’t miss because they might actually blow your mind.

Depending on what kind of vibe you like, you can be either based in Canggu or Ubud and
take day trips to many of these temples (the drive from Ubud is often shorter though).

Uluwatu (the temple, not the beach) in the southern part of Bali, is one of the most
amazing spots on the island. Not only is this one of the nicest places to watch the sunset
from, but it’s also an absolute must-see temple-wise. There are a bunch of wild monkeys
here, so make sure you take good care of your sunglasses or other loose belongings of
yours. At Uluwatu, there is also a local sunset ceremony called the Kecak Fire Dance
which is taking place every night at 5 pm.

Other temples that you just cannot miss during your stay in Bali, are Tanah Lot (which is
only a short 25-minute ride from Canggu and perfect to visit during sunset), Besakih
Temple (often called the „mother temple”) or Ulun Danu Beratan Temple. In Ubud alone,
you will find 4 big temple complexes that definitely have to be on your list (they’re also all
mentioned in this article).

Please keep in mind to either wear long pants (this goes for men and women) or buy a
so-called “Sarong” when you get to Bali. They sell them everywhere and if you’re good at
haggling, one will only cost you between 30-60k. (I do however like to pay around 100k if
I can see that the quality is really good because that feels fair to me).

Nusa Penida (2 days)

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The hike down is crazy step and exhausting

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Kelingking Beach has some of the most breath taking views in all of Bali

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 Coming down here is absolutely worth it though

Nusa Penida is an island off the south-east coast of Bali and offers a very different
atmosphere than Bali. To get here, get a ride to the harbor in Sanur and take one of the
fast boats that leave a couple of times a day. You will find an abundance of ticket selling
offices but they usually all overcharge and ask for 300k one-way. Try to find a white
corner office close to the water because this is the official ticket selling booth and a
roundtrip to Nusa Penida or Nusa Lembongan will cost you 300k. The island itself is
super quiet and will spoil you with amazing beaches, palm trees, and anything you need
to relax. Rent a scooter and make sure to check out Atuh Beach, Kelingking Beach, and
Crystal Bay.

Nusa Lembongan/Nusa Cheningan (2 days)

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 The view of Nusa Ceningan from Nusa Lembongan

Sunsets by the beach bars in Nusa Ceningan are freaking ridiculous

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Another viewpoint on the way to the Blue Lagoon

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 The Blue Lagoon: This view is one of the best out here

You can easily reach these two islands after a 20-minute boat ride from Nusa Penida (or
you go there directly from Sanur). They offer a very different vibe than Nusa Penida. The
islands themselves are connected by a bridge and are a lot more “developed” than Nusa
Penida. On Nusa Cheningan, make sure to check out the Blue Lagoon (it’s so blue that it’s
actually ridiculous) and all the beach bars along the north coast of the island. The bars
are all really small but offer an amazing and very chill vibe with views of the water that
will make you feel like you’re in the Maledives.
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Nusa Lembongan is the bigger island of the two (although it’s still relatively small). Make
sure to check out Mushroom Bay, Tamarind Beach and Dream Beach.

This is only a very short overview of things to do in Bali and I did take travel time into
consideration. There will be A LOT more info coming soon for you guys to make sure that
you won’t be missing out on anything important. Stay tuned

Best time to visit Bali

For me, there’s really no bad time to visit Bali. The rainy season lasts from November to
April and I have to admit that I prefer Bali during this time. Many places are still busy but
not as overrun as they sometimes are during the high season from April to September
and prices everywhere are generally lower.

The rain rarely messes up your plans in Bali anyways because it usually only lasts for 2 or
3 hours and the rest of the day is usually absolutely gorgeous. On top of that, I would
even argue that the sunsets during rainy season can be even more impressive because
of the clouds.

Transportation in Bali
It’s super easy to get around in Bali. Once you land at the airport, there will be hundreds
of Taxi drivers waiting to give you a ride. BE CAREFUL: While I understand that they’re just
trying to make a living, I don’t like getting into one of these because they ALWAYS
overcharge tourists. A ride from the Aiport to either Kuta/Canggu or Ubud should NEVER
cost more than 200k (which is about 15USD). An even better alternative is to download
the App GoJek or Grab (which is the Indonesian version of Uber) and get a ride through
them.

Once you have left the airport, I can highly recommend renting a scooter to be able to
explore Bali and all its amazing secret streets properly. Scooters usually cost around 50k
per day and they get a lot cheaper the longer you rent them for (I usually pay 550k
(about 35€) for the entire month). If you’re not too confident with your driving skills,
please let someone else drive or take a driving lesson and ALWAYS wear your helmet.
Taking a GoJek scooter ride is also a good and cheap alternative if you’re too scared to
drive yourself in Bali.

Cost of food in Bali

The cost of food in Bali can vary greatly. If you’re deciding on getting something from a
local restaurant (also called Warung), you can easily get a gigantic plate of super
delicious food for 1-2€. There are of course countless other restaurants but as long as
they’re not super fancy, you can expect to pay anything from 3-8€ for a proper meal.
Fresh coconuts usually cost between 1-2€, coffee is about 2-3€ (and is definitely pretty
pricey for Indonesian standard).

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And these are the most important points about coming to Bali. If you have any other
questions, feel free to drop a comment below or send me a message through Instagram.

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