This blog post shares our 4 weeks travel route in Bali and our highlights on the island. Bali has been our dream destination for a long time, and we had the best time traveling around this paradise. We must admit we can understand why so many people love this island. Bali has so much variety to offer. With this post, we want to show you what not to miss when visiting Bali and how to see most of the island during your trip.
Best time to visit Bali
Bali has a tropical monsoon climate, which means the temperatures are pleasant all year round. There are two seasons: the dry season from May to September and the rainy season from October to April. We visited Bali in September, and we can highly recommend you visit just before or after the high season. So the best months to visit Bali would be May and September, in our opinion. Because during that time the weather was perfect and there weren’t too many tourists. But Bali can be visited all year round because every season has advantages.
How to get there
Book your flight to the Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar, Bali. We recommend using either Skyscanner or Kayak to book your flight and get the best price. Once you get there, you can take an airport taxi to get to the place where you are staying. They are mostly more expensive than Grab. But Grab taxis can not enter the airport area. So if you want to save some money, you can leave the airport and order a Grab taxi outside of the airport (for example, at one of the airport hotels close by, like the Harris Hotel Tuban).
Visa to enter Indonesia
To visit Java or other places in Indonesia you can easily get a 30 days single entry at the airport without a visa when you arrive in the country. If you want to extend your stay up to 60 days you have to get a Visa On Arrival (VOA) at the airport which is as well valid for a 30 days stay, but can be extended and costs you 37$.
You have to go to the immigration office to extend your visa, which is a bit time consuming and costs you another 35$. If you come to Indonesia from home and know already that you want to stay in the country for 60 days you can get your 60-day visa back home at the Indonesian Embassy in your country and don’t have to go through the extension process.
4 weeks best of Bali Itinerary
This is the route that we made and that we can recommend you to do. But of course, you can only do parts of this route or change the duration of the places, depending on the length of your trip and what you want to see.
Day 1-4 in Uluwatu – best beaches in Bali
From the airport, we headed south first and stayed in Uluwatu. We loved this area because of the magical sunsets, the surfing vibes, and the best beaches in Bali with white sand and turquoise water.
Things to do in Uluwatu
- Relax and swim on the most beautiful beaches in Bali in Uluwatu.
- Enjoy the view at Balangan Beach
- Visit Uluwatu Temple for Sunset
- Go surfing – Uluwatu has the ultimate surfing vibes
- Enjoy the most beautiful sunsets
Where to eat in Uluwatu
- Drifter Cafe was our favorite lunch spot (also a very cool shop)
- Bukit Cafe (very delicious, great vegan options)
- The Loft Uluwatu (cool dinner spot)
- Suka Espresso (very delicious buddha-bowls)
- The Place with No Name (cool dinner location)
- Land’s End Cafe (amazing smoothie bowls)
Where to stay in Uluwatu
- Le Cliff Bali (best view in Uluwatu)
- Dreamsea Uluwatu (right next to each other)
Day 4-8 in Canggu – best food and vibes in Bali
Canggu is the place to be in Bali, and we really loved our days there. It is the area with the most amazing cafes and boutiques. A lot of expats live in this area; it’s very easy to get around by scooter here. In Canggu, you will find endless amazing food to try, especially lots of vegan options. Also, it’s one of the best places to enjoy sunsets at the beach because a lot happens at sunset.
Things to do in Canggu
- Enjoy some time at the beach, especially at sunset; there is such a vibe at the beaches in Canggu at this time which you don’t want to miss
- Take a surfing or yoga class
- Go shopping at Love Anchor Sunday market or the amazing boutiques
- Drink the best Almond milk Cappuccino at BGS
- Join a Beach clean-up (visit the Trash Hero website for further details)
Where to eat in Canggu
Canggu is the absolute foodie heaven, especially for vegans. We can not name all the amazing cafes here, but we list our highlights:
- Give Cafe (our favorite place to eat, Indonesian food, all vegan and amazing concept)
- Silkroad Whole Foods (the ultimate boho vibes, very delicious food, and great vegan options)
- Cinta Cafe (Great Lunch spot, and also great to work at, beautiful view of rice-fields)
- Amami (the best vegan Italian food we ever had)
- The Shady Shack (garden café with delicious bowls and salads)
- Crate Cafe (very good prices for delicious smoothie bowls and smoothies)
- Peloton Supershop (very cool dinner spot)
Where to stay in Canggu
- Dreamsea Canggu (perfectly located, boho vibes, very amazing smoothie bowls included)
Day 8-14 explore the Nusa Islands
The Nusa Islands are part of Bali, and they are a must-do. You can drive from Canggu directly to the harbor of Sanur and take the fast boat to get to the islands. Check out our detailed blog posts about these islands.
Things to do on Nusa Ceningan & Lembongan
4 Best things to do on Nusa Penida Island
Day 14-19 in Ubud – Best jungle vibes in Bali
Ubud should not be missed when visiting Bali because it’s a place with beautiful rice terraces and beautiful waterfalls to chase, and it has some very relaxing vibes, which makes it the best place for some yoga and some me-time. Also, you can find a lot of fantastic food in this area.
9 Best things to do in Ubud – The Ultimate Travel Guide
Day 19-21 in Munduk – best waterfalls in Bali
Munduk is located in north Bali, and we highly recommend visiting this area. There are fewer tourists, and it’s a very beautiful area of Bali. We saw some of the most beautiful waterfalls up there, which we had totally to ourselves in the middle of the afternoon.
We drove up to Munduk from Ubud by scooter, which took us about 2.5 hours. We stopped at two Waterfalls on our way to get there, which was perfect to take a break from driving. The waterfalls are called Leke Leke and Nung Nung waterfalls.
Things to do in Munduk
- Take pictures at the Handara Gate (come here before 8am to avoid the crowds and make your photos more magical with the morning mist)
- Visit the Pura Ulun Danu Bratan watertemple
- Enjoy the view at Wanagiri hill
- Explore the most beautiful and infamous waterfalls of Bali
Where to stay in Munduk
- Munduk Mooding Plantation (dreamiest place to stay with the most amazing infinity pool overlooking Munduk)
Day 21-24 in East Bali – best off-the-beaten-path location
If you look for more quiet areas that are not very touristy, you should not miss east Bali. This is the perfect place to stay at a beautiful bamboo house and relax for a few days. Enjoy the less crowded rice fields and enjoy the best view of the volcano.
Things to do in East Bali
- Visit the Viewpoint Bukit Cinta to have the best view of Mount Agung
- Visit the beautiful Ujung Water Palace
- Stay at a unique Bamboo Villa
Where to stay in East Bali
We stayed at the exceptional Camaya Bali (make sure to book your stay at a bamboo villa as soon as possible, as they are usually fully booked early). We know these villas are a bit more pricey, but it’s such an amazing experience that we can say it’s worth the money. We dreamed about staying at this house for a long time and are super happy that we made it.
Other amazing bamboo houses to stay at in this region are Hideout Bali and Bird Hills Bamboo House.
Day 24-28 on the Gili Island – the ultimate barefoot island escape
The Gili Islands are part of Lombok, but they are easy to access from Bali, and they are the perfect tropical Island getaway to enjoy beach days and snorkeling. Gili means “small Island” in the local language, Sasak, and there are many Gili islands around Lombok. But the three most famous Islands are Gili Trawangan (the busiest Island, good for young people and parties), Gili Meno (the smallest and most quiet Island, great snorkeling and honeymoon Island), and Gili Air (great vibes, lots of cute cafes, perfect for couples).
What we love most about these islands is that there is no traffic at all. The only way to get around is by walking or by bike. Because of that, the islands are much more relaxing.
Gili Air is our favorite of these three Gili Islands because it is the perfect mix of relaxing and still a lot to do.
7 Best things to do in Gili Air – The Ultimate Guide
Day 28-30 in Seminyak
Spend your last days in the area of Seminyak before you head back to the Airport of Denpasar, which is close to here. Spend these days enjoying the foodie heaven of Bali again and do some souvenir shopping if you like.
Don’t miss the best vegan Restaurant Kynd Community for amazing smoothie bowls, vegan Pizzas, cakes, and more.
Travel tips
Budget
Traveling in Indonesia is quite affordable. We have listed here an average budget for Bali. Of course, this can vary a lot with the choice of accommodation and transportation.
- Costs for food per meal: 5$ for two people at a local place (Warung) / 15$ for two people at western restaurants
- Costs for accommodation: 30$ per night for a hotel room / 15$ for a room at a guesthouse
- Costs for scooter rental: 4$ per day
Internet access in Indonesia
Internet access in places like Bali is almost everywhere available and usually fast. As most of the cafes are offering free high-speed WiFi, we typically use this kind of internet connection in the first place.
If you’re traveling around or working online we recommend getting a local SIM card. Getting a SIM card in Indonesia is simple. You can either buy one at the airport or a cellphone shop on the streets. Just watch out for stores that sell cell phones, and there you’ll find SIM cards from all major companies.
Indonesia has many telecom providers, but Telkomsel is the biggest and most reliable. A little bit more expensive than the others, but from our experience, it’s worth spending the extra money. The initial cost is around 9 $, including the SIM card and 9 gigabytes of data. Additional data packages can be purchased online when required. Prices range from 1.50 $ for one gigabyte to 3 $ for fifteen gigabytes.
The most convenient option for travelers is the eSim Card (digital SIM card) from Airalo. You can download and install a digital data pack and get connected anywhere in the world as soon as you land, so there is no need to waste time looking for a local plastic SIM card.
People & Culture
The Balinese people are very friendly and welcoming as well as great hosts. Bali is extremely rich in culture. The Balinese people are mainly Hindu and celebrate their religion in many different ways. Their temples are like a community or like one big family. They regularly have ceremonies within their temple community, and that for they are beautifully dressed, bring some offerings, and make music and parades on the street.
If you see little baskets made from leaves with flowers and other things inside on the street, these are Balinese offerings. Balinese people make these offerings for gratefulness and to wish for peace. Please show respect and don’t step on them even if they are everywhere on the street.
If you get the chance to see a Balinese dance somewhere in Bali, this will be a fantastic experience. Their dance is a religious and artistic expression and is very interesting.
I love your post. I am interested n spending a month in Bali. Thank you for blogging about your travels.
Hi Kirstin. Not sure if you already did your trip to Bali. If so, we hope you had a great time. Thank you very much for your lovely words and support. Best wishes, Lea & Stefan
Hi Kirstin,
We are glad this was useful in planning your Bali trip. We wish you happy travels!