2-WEEK ITINERARY
Arrival & Departure: BALI – Denpasar International Airport
5 days – Ubud and center-north of Bali
4 days – Gili islands (Air, Meno, Nanggu)
5 days – Ubud and center-east of Bali
In this travel article on Bali and the Gili islands, you will find our favourite places to relax in Ubud and the temples, jungles, waterfalls and beaches that we explored.
When to visit? The best months to visit Bali and the Gilis are April-May (beginning fo the dry season) and September-October (end of the dry season). The wet season is from November and March and the highest season runs from June to August.
Combining affordable accommodation with day passes to luxury hotels: we rented a nice and inexpensive room in a villa complex with a pool in Ubud center. Thanks to day passes, we could enjoy infinity pools of several luxury hotels, coupled with a delicious lunch (some day passes includes a credit to be used for food and drinks).
Getting around, scooter and taxi: we rented a scooter and used it for all the small trips to cafes, restaurants, parks and pools in and around Ubud. The roads are very crowded so it can be overwhelming to drive a scooter there if you are not used to it. For longer trips, we got a taxi and we rented once a taxi for the whole day to visit several locations far away from Ubud.
5 DAYS
UBUD AND CENTER-NORTH OF BALI
We spent the first 5 days of our holidays relaxing, exploring Ubud and its surroundings in the center-north part of Bali. As with other trips, we alternated each day between a day of visits and a day relaxing. We have listed below the infinity pools, temples, forests, parks and rice fields we visited in Ubud and nearby.
Relaxing day
UBUD
& AROUND
Pool day at Jungle Fish
POOL DAY AT JUNGLE FISH
We spent our first day relaxing at the gorgeous pool of Jungle fish, a 15-minute drive north from Ubud center.
This is a great way to start the holidays, away from the stressful traffic and the heat of Ubud.
Jungle Fish has an infinity pool with stunning views of the jungle. With nice lounge music playing, you can relax on sun loungers, sunbeds, sofas or hanging egg chairs. The restaurant bar serves delicious Indonesian and international food, snacks, smoothies and cocktails.
This is an ideal place to book a massage, as you’ll get a relaxing experience before and afterwards (vs. when you book it in Ubud center).
TIP: come early morning to reserve your spot on a sun-bed. Try the dragon fruit,
Visit and relax day
UBUD
& AROUND
Monkey Forest Ubud
Folk Pool & Gardens
Tegallalang Rice Terrace
MONKEY FOREST UBUD
The Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary is a 15-min walk south from Ubud center or 5 min drive.
It’s an important spiritual, economic, educational, and conservation center for the village. There are around 700 monkeys, 186 species of trees in 12.5 hectares of forest, status and temples (only accessible by locals to pray).
TIP: avoid physical contact with the monkeys, they are wild animals, can carry germs and they like to take things from people’s bags!
FOLK POOL & GARDENS
A short 7-min walk from the Monkey Forest will bring you to Folk Pool & Gardens, where you can get a refreshing and tasty break. There is a bar in the pool and a terrace for lunch.
TEGALLALANG RICE
TERRACE
A 15-20 mins drive north from Ubud are the rice fields of Tegallaland. Depending on when you visit, the rice fields will be more or less grown.
TIP: visit the rice fields during the golden hours, near sunset or sunrise time.
Day trip from Ubud
CENTER-NORTH OF BALI
Nungnung waterfall
Pura Ulun Danu temple
Jatiluwih rice fields
NUNGNUNG WATERFALL
Beautiful huge waterfall.
TIP: visit early to avoid crowds.
PURA ULUN DANU TEMPLE
Temple & lake, quite far and not worth the travelling, unless you are going in the North of Bali.
JATILUWIH RICE FIELDS
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TIP: xxx
Relaxing day
UBUD & AROUND
Padma resort Ubud
Saraswati Temple
PADMA RESORT UBUD
30 mins from Ubud center by car.
TIP: xxx
Saraswati Temple
LOTUS WATER TEMPLE
In the heart of Ubud.
TIP: xxx
Relaxing day
UBUD & AROUND
Puri Sebali Resort
PURI SEBALI RESORT
15 mins from Ubud center by car.
TIP: xxx
SKIN ORGANIC
TIP: xxx
Not worth visiting in our opinion:
AHIKABARA DISTRICT: ELECTRONICS SHOPS, ARCADES AND MANGA CULTURE.
ROPPONGI HILLS: Modern entertainment and shopping complex.
4 DAYS
GILI ISLANDS
We …
Travelling day
FROM UBUD
TO GILI AIR
Ubud > Padangbai
Padangbai > Gili Air
UBUD TO PADANGBAI
1h by car
TIP: xxx
PADANGBAI TO GILI AIR
3h by boat, via Gili Trawangan.
TIP: xxx
GILI AIR
Don’t cycle, too much sand. We walked the whole island, the west coast beaches are the best, with swings in the water.
Sunrise from Sunrise Resort, swings.
Sunset from the Island View hotel (nice beds, swings at a bar, barbecue, etc).
1 night overstay
GILI MENO
Sunset
Sunrise
Beautiful beach
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A must visit if you go to the Gilis. Take the boat from Gili Air to Gili Meno (it takes around 10-15 minutes, you buy it at the ticket office at the Gili Air Pier).
Stay one night on Gili Meno to see a sunset and a sunrise.
The most beautiful beach of Gili Meno (we walked around the whole island) is the most accessible one. Just walk towards the left when you arrive at the port of Gili Meno.
TIP: xxx
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TIP: xxx
Boat day trip from Gili Air
GILI NANGGU
Snorkeling tour
Gili Nanggu
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Day boat trip from Gili Air for snorkeling, with glass floor boat. Nice if you have time but quite far for a day trip.
TIP: xxx
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TIP: xxx
Not worth visiting in our opinion:
NiJO-JO: Nijo castle with an architecture from Japan’s feudal era.
Ryoan-ji: famous for its rock garden, we personally preferred other rock/sand gardens.
Kyoto gosho: kyoto Imperial Palace.
5 DAYS
UBUD AND CENTER-EAST OF BALI
We …
Visit and relax day
UBUD & AROUND
Bird park
Folk pool & gardens
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TIP: xxx
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TIP: xxx
Visit and relax day
UBUD & AROUND
Ubud Palace
Ubud Market
UBUD PALACE
Beautiful architecture, free entrance.
TIP: xxx
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TIP: xxx
Visit and relax day
UBUD & AROUND
Campuhan ridge walk
Amora Villas
Karsa Spa
Pura Dalem Ubud
Lazy Cats cafe
CAMPUHAN RIDGE WALK
Beautiful paved path on a little hill, with views of the nature. The walk brings you to Amora Villa where you can pre-book a floating breakfast in the pool.
TIP: do it at sunrise, beautiful light and not to hot
AMORA VILLA
Book in advance.
KARSA SPA
Book in advance.
PURA DALEM UBUD
Beautiful architecture, temple in the center of Ubud, magnificent flight of stairs.
TIP: xxx
Day trip from Ubud
CENTER-EAST OF BALI
Cepung waterfall
Besakih temple
Volcano
Tirta Empul temple
Gunung Kawi temple
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TIP: xxx
CEPUNG WATERFALL
Small, dark and crowded quickly
BESAKIH TEMPLE
Beautiful black stones temple
Volcano
TIRTA EMPUL TEMPLE
Crowded, people do it to do the water purification rituals for pictures (we did not do it).
GUNUNG KAWI TEMPLE
Beautiful temple with carvings in the mountain wall, nice to visit during a ceremony.
TIP: xxx
CAFES & RESTAURANTS IN UBUD
DINNER AT HIPPIE FISH
Dinner with live jazz music. In the heart of Ubud.
DESSERT AT CLEAR CAFE
Clear Cafe is…
Lunch at Full Circle
DINNER AT SEEDS OF LIFE
In the center of Ubud.
Dinner at Miro’s Garden
Fair Warung Bale
Name of the cafe up the stairs in Ubud?
Aperitif restaurant
SPAS IN UBUD
Karsa Spa
Spa organic
Dont recommend clear cafe for treatments
PHOTOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL 