This blog post is a story of how I spent ten days of traveling Bali. However, you can still use this as an inspiration when planning your Bali itinerary (I certainly won’t stop you haha).
After spending four amazing weeks at Serenity Eco Guesthouse in Canggu, it is time for me to pack up my backpack and finally start traveling Bali. I’ve done some day trips prior to this but there is still so much more to explore.
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Day trip to the South – first trip during my ten days of traveling Bali
I kick off my ten days of traveling Bali with Marie, a fellow German, who I met at Serenity. We plan on starting our day trip from Nusa Dua. From there we’ll be picked up the next day to make our way to the Nusa islands. However, it turns out to be nearly impossible to find a Grab driver who makes a fair offer.
Then, we finally find Wayan (recommend 100%, message me for his number) whose offer is so amazing that our drive to Nusa Dua with him turns into a day trip of the south. We first drop off our things at our accommodation in Nusa Dua before heading to Bingin Beach, the first of a few beach stops along the way.
Bingin Beach
You can’t drive all the way to Bingin Beach. It is probably a 10-minute-walk down to the beach; a very beautiful one may I add. The beach itself is absolutely stunning as well. We have some lunch in one of the Warungs overlooking the beach while watching about 50 surfers waiting for their waves.
Padang Padang and Blue Point Beach
On our way to Blue Point Beach, we come across Padang Padang Beach. We don’t go down there as we want to make it to Uluwatu in time for sunset and we would have to pay to do so. We see some monkeys though. If you have more time for the South of Bali, definitely include it in your ten days of traveling Bali.
To get to Blue Point Beach we have to go through a little village of market stands and restaurants on the cliff and walk through a cave. Marie and I are absolutely amazed by the colors at Blue Point Beach so we go on to have a full on photo shooting down there.
Sunset at Uluwatu Temple
Our last destination of the day is Uluwatu Temple. We make it there about half an hour before sunset starts so we have some time to explore. There are many cheeky monkeys so we have to be very protective of our belongings. It is all worth it though, the sunset is one of the most beautiful ones I’ve ever seen. When we get back to our homestay we are so exhausted we fall asleep almost immediately.
Nusa Dua Beach
The next day, we walk along Nusa Dua Beach for two hours. The beach close to our homestay, at the top of the peninsula, isn’t all that pretty. You can do all kinds of water activities there though. The further we get down south, the more beautiful the beach gets. There are some amazing hotels we pass but if you think about going there you should know that they are located in the entry lane of Denpasar Airport so it gets noisy.
Marie and I walk until we get to a beautiful bay where we enjoy some time at the beach and go for a swim. By the time we get back to our homestay, it isn’t long until we are picked up by our shuttle to Sanur.
Nusa Lembongan & Nusa Ceningan
We booked our fast boat to Nusa Lembongan online because we didn’t want to spend extra time in Sanur just to figure out which boat would be the cheapest. There are cheaper options but ours isn’t much more expensive and it includes free pick-up in Nusa Dua. Check-In at the beach is very chaotic and boarding starts half an hour after we should have left Sanur but oh well. The boarding process is definitely quite interesting as you can see in the picture below.
The drive over during sunset is very nice and we are dropped off at our Homestay (Nyoman Homestay – I can absolutely recommend going there). We have dinner, bump into a friend of Marie from back home and walk around a little.
Exploring Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan
The next day, we decide to explore Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan by foot. I’m not gonna go into detail about that because I have a more in-depth blog post about it. But I can tell you it was an adventure.
We make our way to Mushroom Bay, pass by Devil’s Tear, spend some time on Dream Beach. Then, we walk along a long and abandoned beach until we get to the yellow bridge that connects Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan. Once we get to Nusa Ceningan, we are hungry (and probably slightly dehydrated) so we have lunch there. Afterward, we continue on to the Blue Lagoon and to some amazing viewpoints.
We make our way back to the hostel by Scooter and enjoy the rest of the afternoon in (not by) the pool.
Nusa Penida – THE place to go during your ten days of traveling Bali
The next morning, our host drops us off at the yellow bridge for our 10 min boat drive over to Nusa Penida. Our Airbnb there is nice but secluded and the island bigger than we expected. Also, we learn that Jess (a Canadian friend that I met in Canggu) won’t be able to join us due to some complications on her journey there. That’s a bummer!
Since there isn’t really anything to do (unfortunately, the beach close to our place is not that nice), we just keep walking along the water. Eventually, we find two guys willing (well, actually forced by one of their mothers) to drive us to the East Coast of Nusa Penida. Driving a scooter on Nusa Penida can be very dangerous, so only do it if you’re really comfortable and a safe driver.
There is actually a blog post about what to do on Nusa Penida, so I won’t go into detail about all the different sights.
East Coast of Nusa Penida
Our first drive leads us to Diamond Beach. We have some amazing views along the way and this is probably one of my favorite scooter drives ever. Definitely my favorite scooter drive of my ten days of traveling Bali! The descent to the beach is quite the challenge as you can see down below. We also have to climb some rocks in order to get to the beach. I actually still got marks from the scratches I got there (1 ½ months later!). It is definitely worth it though. Even the two boys start enjoying the trip.
We also go down to Atuh Beach which is right next to Diamond Beach. It’s nice but I find Diamond Beach to be nicer.
Before we head back to our Airbnb, we make a quick stop at the Instagram-famous Rumah Pohon (tree house) to snap some pictures and enjoy the view on Diamond Beach. Back at our place, we find a driver for the next day. Note: there are very few reasonably priced drivers on Nusa Penida! Message me if you would like to have the number of our driver.
West Coast of Nusa Penida
Our next day on Nusa Penida, we explore the West Coast. After some stops – where our driver gives us loads of free food – we drive to Kelingking Beach. The drive there is very bumpy and is probably way more comfortable (yet dangerous if you’re not a local!) to drive with a scooter. The walk down is more of a climb and we don’t go all the way down to the beach because we want to make Angel’s Billabong in time for low tide since then is the only time it’s safe to swim in it.
Even though we arrive at Angel’s Billabong right at low tide, we are still not allowed to swim because it is “too dangerous”. The water doesn’t even move one bit during the whole time we are there though. Ironic since we’ve just climbed down a descend at Kelingking Beach that would for sure be deemed as too dangerous in most European countries. But there is nothing to do about it so we just enjoy the Broken Beach right next to Angel’s Billabong and have lunch in a Warung overlooking the sea.
Our last stop of the day is Crystal Bay Beach where we spend all afternoon. I do some yoga on the beach, go for a swim and have a nap. We also stay at Crystal Bay Beach for sunset and dinner.
Back at our Airbnb, we decide to leave Nusa Penida early in the morning so that I can catch the shuttle to the North that day instead of having to wait around another day in Sanur.
North of Bali – more exploring during my ten days of traveling Bali
Once we get back to Sanur, it’s time to say goodbye to Marie who goes back to Canggu for her last few days in Bali. I, on the other hand, take a shuttle to Lovina, via Ubud and Bedugul. I’m dropped off at Summer Guesthouse that was recommended to me by a guy I’ve met in Canggu earlier. I actually sleep outside in a “tent” (see picture below) which I can absolutely recommend to anyone staying in Lovina.
I spend my afternoon exploring Lovina: they have an amazing promenade, an awesome sunset, and many people will come and talk to you.
The majority of the next day I spend relaxing at Summer Guesthouse as I need some time to unwind. Their dog had puppies a few weeks ago so I make sure to cuddle with all of them. In the afternoon, I go to the Banyumala waterfalls and move to the tent on top of the house.
Secret Garden of Sambangan
The next morning, I go to the Secret Garden of Sambangan. You can actually check out my blog post about the whole experience (one of the best ones in my life) here. I have a blast, jumping and sliding down waterfalls. And I actually even make it back to the guest house just before breakfast ends. I spend another day by the pool, walking around in Lovina and enjoying a picnic at the beach for sunset.
Overall, my time in Lovina was meant to recharge my batteries. It was just what I needed. If you ever make your way to Lovina, be sure to check out Akar Cafe, Global Village Cafe and Warung Rendezvous.
Ubud for 3 days
My last stop before heading back to Canggu is Ubud. I’m going back there with another shuttle company than the one I came with. In the morning just before we leave they tell me that today, the shuttle will drive via Amed and Padang Bai instead of via Bedugul which takes about 3 hours longer.
The drive is okay though and I arrive in Ubud in the afternoon to meet up with Jess. She actually vlogged our whole Ubud experience. You can check out her two vlogs here and here. We spend the rest of the day just exploring Ubud by foot for a bit before having dinner at Soma Café (check out my blog post on vegan places in Ubud here).
A Full Day of Sightseeing
The next day, it’s an early start for us (check out my blog post on things to do in and around Ubud here for more details). We start out at water temple Tirta Empul before we make our way to the amazing cave waterfall Tukad Cepung. We spend quite some time there exploring and have lunch on our way up.
Next stop is Tibumana waterfall where we also go for a swim. On our way back to Ubud, we stop at the elephant cave, Goa Gajah. We honestly don’t find it that spectacular. Jess and I have a really nice dinner at Zest.
Last day before returning to Canggu
We wake up really early the next morning to go to rice terraces shortly after sunrise. It’s a nice place and we are able to get some amazing pictures. However, we expected something different from all the posts we saw on Instagram before.
We return to our Airbnb for a bit before we have lunch at my favorite place in Ubud, The Seeds of Life.
After that, it’s goodbye (for now) for Jess and me, as I am being picked up by a driver from Surf WG where I spend my last days in Bali learning how to surf.
Check out:
For more blog posts helping you plan your time in Bali, check out these: Your vegan food guide to Canggu. Your Day Trip to Tanah Lot. The Secret Garden of Sambangan (as a solo traveler). Your vegan food guide to Ubud. 10 Things to do in and around Ubud. My first weeks in Bali.
Planning on going to the Nusa Islands? Check out my guides on how to explore Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan by foot and the best places on Nusa Penida.
For more itineraries check out my 3-week Myanmar itinerary here and my 3-week itinerary for the Philippines here.
Follow me on Instagram here to keep up with my life after traveling!
2 comments
Girl, I am going through your posts and you make me travel !!!
I am so impressed with all you have been doing ? I can feel your smiley, sweet and caring personality,y through your posts and I absolutely love it ! ❤❤
Thank you girl, this makes me so happy to hear! xxx