The ultimate Bali travel guide : the best tips

Hey, travel family! Today I’m sharing this ultimate Bali travel guide to help you to organize your perfect Bali itinerary! We have been several times to Bali and every time its hard to leave. Everything is amazing there: the kindness of the Balinese people, the landscapes, the culture. It’s a very touristy destination but there are still amazing less known places to visit !

The landscapes in Bali are so unique and diversified: you can find amazing waterfalls in Munduk, visit temples, rice terraces, play with monkeys in their natural habitat in Ubud! But also visit dream beaches in the Gili islands or even see cliffs and insane points of view in Nusa Penida!

In this ultimate Bali travel guide, I wanted to tell you everything all about our long trip and about the places we have visited. Also, I will give you a lot of tips and tricks about how to get around in Bali, what are the best places to visit and the best activities to do. But also, where are the cutest restaurants and what are my favorites hotels there! First of all, we visited the northwest of Bali: Sumberkima, then the south-west: Seminyak, Canggu, then Gili islands, Ubud, Nusa Penida and the north of Bali: Munduk! So let’s start!

The ultimate Bali travel guide

What is the best season to visit Bali?

Bali is close to the equator and has a tropical climate. The best season to visit Bali and most of the Indonesian islands is between June and September. July and August are the high seasons, which means that it will be more touristy. If you can come during May/June or September/October, this is perfect. You should really avoid the period between November and March because it is the wet season.

How to get around in Bali?

It is easy to find a taxi in Bali, there are so many ones in the streets. But the prices are not fixed you can bargain. The official price is approximately 7000 IDR (Indonesian rupiah) per kilometer which is equivalent to 0,50$. There were 150 kilometers to get to Summberkimabut so the price was around 75$. It took around 4 hours to get there because there is a lot of traffic in Bali. Unless you leave very early in the morning, there is always traffic.

If you are staying longer you can rent a car or a scooter but you need to be really careful because the traffic in Bali is crazy.

Bali northwest: Sumberkima hills

To start this Bali travel guide, I will tell you everything about “Sumberkima hills”. Indeed, we decided to start our trip with the Sumberkima hills which is located in the northwest of the island. This place is absolutely incredible. It was not touristy, really calm and peaceful. It is the perfect place to wake up to the jungle, do yoga, and connect with nature.

While going to Sumberkima hills, we came through Munduk and we have seen beautiful points of view on the lakes, many wild monkeys along the way. We stopped by to play with them and give them fruits! Also, we stopped by a Balinese restaurant to eat Migoreng and spring rolls (my faves Balinese specialties!).

Summerkima hills retreat

When we arrived at Sumberkima Hills retreat, we discovered a beautiful village on the heights of Sumberkima, surrounded by mountains. The infinity pools with the view of the mountains were so stunning. It was so peaceful and calm, it’s not so touristy and there were no a lot of people at the hotel. If you are seeking a retreat in nature, to disconnect from daily life and the stress, I think it is the perfect place for you. There is a beautiful spa, we had an amazing traditional Balinese massage and a flower bath in the middle of nature.

Also, there is a huge swing bed with an amazing view. You can do a yoga class or a canoe trip for the sunrise. We have done the canoe trip and it was beautiful. The rooms were so luxury, we had a beautiful 3 bedroom villa with an infinity pool with the view of the mountains and a volcano. By night you can see the sky full of stars! We stayed there for 2 nights and we left this place so relaxed!

Seminyak/ Canggu

After this relaxing stay in the north of Bali, we went to Seminyak (in the south-west)! It took us approximately 4 hours again to get there by a taxi booked for us by the hotel. We arrived at the beautiful Villa Sinta. A 3 bedroom villa with a pool in the heart of Seminyak, really close to Nalu bowls! The staff was so kind! They prepared us an amazing breakfast with fresh fruits and fresh juices. Also, the villa is really pretty and the garden with the pool is amazing! This villa is perfect for staying with friends or family! Seminyak and Canggu are really cool places to hang out, watch the sunset while eating tapas. There are many restaurants, shops, bars and you can also surf there.

Where are the best restaurants and bars?

You can have parties on the beach, or you can go to cute restaurants to eat smoothies bowls and avo toasts! They are many vegan restaurants so it was really cool for us, we could choose anything on the menu haha. My favorites are Kind community, Peloton Supershop, Nalu bowls, sea circus and Cafe organic. You can also eat vegan ice cream at Mad pops! Also, the Potato head club was really cool, we had a party on the beach with tapas and cocktails and we’ve spent a really good night!

Also, we stayed at the beautiful Sahana villa. A 3 bedroom villa with an amazing garden with a pool, an open kitchen and living room. The rooms are absolutely amazing and the staff was also really kind! They prepared a delicious breakfast with fruits, pancakes, and fresh watermelon juice! We stayed for 2 days at each villa. After that, we wake up really early to go to the Gili islands!

Gili Islands

How to get to the Gili islands?

The Gili islands near Bali are belonging to Lombok. There are 3 islands: Gili Trawangan Gili Meno and Gili Air. To reach the Gili islands, we had to go first to Sanur beach (harbor) in Bali est. And then, to take a boat to the Gili islands. From Seminyak in the morning, it was approximately 30 minutes. The price for the boat is 600 000 IDR per person and you should reserve in advance on the internet. It took 4 hours to get to Gili Meno, we came trough Nusa Ceningan, Lombok, Gili Trawangan and then, we arrived in Gili Meno. The last stop is Gili Air.

If you want to know which one to visit, read our post about “which Gili island is the best for you?”

How to get to the hotels on the islands?

When we arrived we discovered a paradisiac beach with turquoise water and mountains. It was absolutely stunning! To reach your hotel, you should not ride on a horse carriage. Because the horses are not well treated, they were so small, thin and looked exhausted. Obviously we decided to walk to the hotel, but it was not long. Most of the hotels are located 15 minutes from the harbor. It was the same thing for Gili Meno and Gili T.

Where to stay in Gili Meno?

We stayed at the beautiful Avia villas. The hotel is located right on the beach. There’s a restaurant on the beach where you can have your breakfast with a view! The pool villa we had was absolutely amazing! It was surrounded by flowers, the bed was so comfy, and there was an outdoor shower. We really loved the island life during these 3 days. I loved Gili Meno so much!

What to do in Gili Meno?

This island is an absolute paradise! You have paradisic beaches made of clear water and white sand, exactly like in the Maldives. You can bike around the island, and stop when you see a spot you like. The beaches are empty in the morning which is amazing. Also, The day after we went diving and we meet many huge turtles and colorful fishes, they were super friendly and came so close to us! During our island tour, we went to a baby turtle sanctuary. It is an amazing initiative that helps turtles to grow until 8 months before being released in the sea.

These 3 days were amazing. If you haven’t been to Gili Meno you should add this place on your list!

Ubud

After these 3 days in Gili Meno, we went back to Ubud, in the middle of the island. This is my favorite place in Bali. And also one of the most authentic and traditional places in Bali. You can visit temples, rice terraces, and meet the monkeys at the sacred monkey’s forest. I have been to Ubud last year and I was really happy to show this place to JE! 

Where to stay in Ubud?

Udaya resort & Spa

We stayed at the wonderful Udaya resort & spa. It is for me one of the most beautiful and traditional hotels in Bali. We had an amazing villa with a private pool. Their villas are so typical with a Balinese decoration.  They are so beautiful. There is also a fabulous main pool with a jacuzzi!

Floating breakfasts and flower baths in Ubud

It is impossible to make a Bali travel guide without talking about floating breakfast and flower baths right? 😉 The day after we had the traditional floating breakfast in the pool it was amazing! If you want also to have one you have to book the day before and you can choose what you want to eat. They have a large choice of fruits, french toasts, etc. It was delicious! After that, we booked a massage and a flower bath. As you can see from the pictures it was so so pretty and it smells amazing! It is one of my favorites memories from this trip. If you come to Ubud you need to have a flower bath and a massage. If you are wondering, yes we tried to not destroyed the flower decoration to take a picture haha.

Nyuh resort & spa

After 2 amazing days at the Udaya, we went to the Nuyh resort & spa for 2 other days! Nyuh means “coconut tree” in the Balinese language. This hotel was beautiful and traditional. The staff was adorable. The pool villa was amazing. This villa is perfect for couples who want to relax! There is a huge room with a beautiful bathroom and an outdoor shower.

The services of the hotel

Nyuh resort is located at 20min driving of the Ubud center. The staff can arrange for a free shuttle to go there. This hotel is composed of several villas with private pools and the main pool. You have also an outdoor lounge where you can have afternoon tea. You can also enjoy a beautiful bath with a view of the pool.

The hotel proposes also some excursions, you can visit Tegalalang rice terraces, Bali swing or waterfalls. Near Nyuh there is Rudana Museum (3,3km) and the famous Tegenungan Waterfall (3,5 km).

If you want to have a massage, Nyuh proposes a large choice of massages (traditional, full-body, back and so on.) and you can have also yoga sessions or Balinese cooking lessons. We couldn’t try the cooking lessons but it sounds good!

What are the best places to visit in Ubud?

In this Bali travel guide, I also wanted to share my favorites places to visit in Ubud. During this stay we spent a full day exploring Ubud, we went to Campuhan ridge walk and the monkey forest. They are really close to each other, only 30 mins walking. Campuhan ridge walk was so beautiful and there was nobody! The hike is really nice. Then, we went to the Monkey forest we had so much fun playing with monkeys. We also went to the famous Tegalalang rice terraces and it was stunning in the morning with the light of the sunrise.

Also, if you are coming to Ubud, you can visit the temples and assist to a ceremony.

Nusa Penida

After these amazing 4 days in Ubud, we went to Nusa Penida for 3 days and it was insane! You can read here our full travel guide about Nusa Penida. After that, we spent our 3 last days in Munduk in the north of Bali, at the wonderful Munduk Moding plantation! I have been dreaming to go there for so long! I had seen this hotel on Instagram and I wanted to go there so badly.

After our trip to Nusa Penida, we first came back to Sanur beach in Bali. It was quite long to get to Munduk from Sanur ( around 4 hours in a taxi) but it worth it! We came through many beautiful places and of course, we stopped by to make memories! We went to the famous entrance of the Handara golf resort & spa. Yes, now you have to pay to take a picture there!

Munduk

We ended this trip to Munduk and it was the best place to relax before leaving. How to not talk about the beautiful Munduk in this Bali travel guide? Munduk is probably one of the most beautiful and peaceful places in Bali. It is way less touristy than Ubud, Seminyak or Nusa Penida. This place is wild and surrounded by nature and vegetation.

Munduk Moding plantation

When we arrived at Munduk Moding plantation, we discovered a beautiful, small and luxurious boutique hotel, located in the coffee plantation. It was surrounded by plants and flowers. I felt like Alice in Wonderland. The villa was amazing too, the decoration was the perfect mix between tradition and modernity. The main pool with the view of the mountains was absolutely stunning. And you can’t imagine how beautiful is this place for the sunset, it was breathtaking! We stay there together to watch the sky turned pink, it was unforgettable.

After we had an amazing dinner at the restaurant near the pool, there was a large vegetarian choice and the meals were really refined and elaborated. Also, fruits and vegetables come from their own garden! It was fresh and really delicious.

What places to visit in Munduk?

Munduk waterfall: the hotel is offering this amazing excursion to Mundul waterfall. It’s located only 30 minutes from the hotel and then only 20 minutes walking to the waterfall. It’s absolutely gorgeous and if you come early in the morning, you will also have this place all to yourself!

Banuymala twin waterfall or Sekumfull are also beautiful but they are further.

Water temple: you can see this beautiful temple in the middle of the lake on the photo at the right. It’s beautiful to see in person.

Your Bali travel guide : ready to visit Bali ?

To conclude, this trip was unforgettable. We lived a lot of amazing moments, we have seen incredible places and meet beautiful people and wild animals. We lived the kind of moments that left us speechless and that made us realize why we are traveling. These 3 weeks were like a dream and I will never forget Bali. All I want is to go back every year because I feel like home there. Thank you so much for reading, I hope this Bali travel guide will be helpful for you! If you have any question feel free to ask me!

Have you ever been to Bali? Or have you planned to go there? Drop a comment I’ll be really happy to read you 🙂

Stay tuned on Youtube and Instagram for our next adventures @chiarabarrasso @jelafaille!