Buzz
In the travel writing competition “Explore Freely – Your Way” by Quách Nhâm, experience the beauty of Bali like a heavenly abode on earth.
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Preparation
After our truly heartfelt journey to Bali, where we put a lot of effort into researching and planning, we received quite satisfactory results. So, we really want to share so that you can have more experiences to travel and play in a simpler way.
If you are financially comfortable, that is fortunate because you can actively go wherever you want without needing my tips.
Firstly, this sharing is for those who love traveling but are not financially strong, who want to travel but don't want it to be a burden. We need to plan early and then do things step by step to avoid feeling too much pressure about money.
Secondly, this is experiential travel, not resort-style vacationing. Suitable for groups of friends or couples. It's not necessarily unsuitable for families with young children, but some adjustments may be needed, such as choosing suitable transportation like a car instead of a motorbike.
Criterion: Economical yet Comfortable.
The reality is I haven't reached the level to travel in a 'rough' way. The type where you only have a backpack and faith like those travel bloggers, and wherever you go, you think about making money for the day. I haven't been able to do that. I still need to prepare enough money, supplies for the days I'm away. Still eat, sleep well but within the budget, limit any unplanned expenses.
Why Bali?
Honestly, Bali is truly a beautiful gem. Balinese people, or Indonesians, provide quite good services. They make the most of their advantages, showcasing all the beauty that this land has to offer, to promote and attract foreign visitors. Once they attract visitors, their approach to service to retain customers and create a good impression is truly admirable. But in reality, even if you want to learn, it's difficult. From what I see, it's their way of life.
Some reasons why I think you should choose Bali:
- English is the second language, even more common than the native language: you can ask for directions from anyone you meet on the street in English, and of course, they will be ready to help you. Even if you can't speak well, they may still understand up to 50%, because Indonesian has many borrowed English words, the writing may be different but the pronunciation is similar. So, your English doesn't need to be very good, just being able to say a few simple sentences to ask for directions, order food, bargain (if any) is enough to travel abroad.
- A melting pot of many cultures and diverse beauties: while Kuta is a bustling entertainment hub, Ubud, just about 40km away, is a peaceful green town, and only 30 minutes by boat to the Nusa Islands (Lembongan, Cenigan, Penida) is a paradise for experiencing beach tourism with truly natural wonders that must be described as 'miraculous'. Coming here is like experiencing almost the entire culture of Indonesia.
- Plenty of places to explore: there's truly no shortage of things to do.
- Customers are always gods: whether you go to a roadside eatery, a fancy restaurant, a cheap hostel, or a 5-star resort, the way they treat you is the same. From my experience, they always smile when serving customers, even when not serving like when you're waiting for food, looking around and bumping into them, they still don't forget to smile at you even though they're doing something else. Throughout the 6 days there, I haven't encountered any frowning, discomfort, or rudeness. It's truly spending money but still feeling happy. Okay, it's their job to provide service like that, but it's really sad that in Vietnam many times I spend money but don't feel any joy, that's why there's such a comparison.
How many days should you spend in Bali?
Bali is a large island, and usually when visiting Bali, it's combined with the small Nusa Islands which are about a 30-minute boat ride away. So, if you have the time, energy, finances, and a genuine interest in experiencing, exploring, then you should spend 10-15 days in Bali.
Initially, I thought just hanging around the island for 6 days (1 day for flying, leaving 5) would be enough. But of course, I was wrong, and now that I've returned, I still regret missing out on many places. Although on the last day returning to Kuala Lumpur, I had vomiting and diarrhea (don't know exactly why because only one of us got sick), even with more time, I probably couldn't go anywhere, because I specifically skipped the entire transit day in KL to stay at the airport even though I had planned for a day in KL, even bought all kinds of tickets for trains, buses... That's when I realized that time and money are both worthless without health.
When is the best time to visit Bali?
Bali has two distinct seasons: the dry season and the rainy season. The rainy season is from November to April the following year. During this time, if you've already been to Bali and experienced enough, you can choose this time to relax. Choosing a resort in Ubud and lying down to watch the pouring rain is absolutely wonderful.
The dry season is from May to October. The peak tourist season is in July, August, and September. It's not advisable to go during these three months because the tickets are expensive, and the tourists are as numerous as ants. You can choose to go at a time like mine, during the holiday April 30 - May 1. We coincided with the holiday, and it wasn't peak season yet, the rainy season was over, and for all 6 days we were there, the weather was sunny with not a single cloud. Of course, it's all luck, there may still be rain in some years, but less, and it clears up quickly. The weather is sunny but not scorching, very pleasant, even if you're in Ubud, the places without direct sunlight will be very cool, sometimes even cold if you're riding a motorbike and wearing thin clothes.
Bali is famous for its big waves for surfers, but the beaches in Bali are not as beautiful as those in Da Nang, Nha Trang. If you're a professional, then the rainy season is the time to go if you want to surf the highest waves. Of course, it's only for professionals. If you know how to play but not a pro, then you should still go during the dry season, starting from March-April. If you want to start learning, just go when it's crowded, there will be lifeguards =))).
Procedures, luggage to prepare
For Indonesia or some other Southeast Asian countries, you don't need to apply for a visa.
Everything you need is:
- Passport (Valid for at least 6 months): 1 original copy and at least 1 photocopy (keep separately, not together)
- Airplane ticket and other types of tickets (details in the following section).
- Credit card (Visa, Master Card): Whatever type of credit card you have, it's valuable, especially when traveling abroad.
- Cash: It's recommended to carry USD, you can exchange some local currency in advance - a little for taxi or the first meal. Exchanging from USD to local currency is always higher than exchanging in your home country. For example, in Hanoi: 100 USD = 1,150,000 rupiah, in Bali: 100 USD = 1,350,000 - 1,390,000 rupiah (exchange rate in May 2018).
- Comfortable clothes, shoes, don't forget a few outfits for Instagram-worthy photos. And swimsuits. And sunglasses, hats.
- Basic medicines, especially digestive medicines because you might not agree with the food.
- Sunscreen (very sunny and hot), mosquito repellent (many trees, many mosquitoes)
- Basic English proficiency.
- Consider bringing a backpack if you're fit enough because it will be much more convenient for moving around.
Hunting for Cheap Airplane Tickets
If you plan to travel around April-May, you should hunt for tickets around October-November of the previous year. I booked with Air Asia round trip for 2 people for 10.2 million VND. This isn't the cheapest price because before that, less than a month ago, I checked and calculated it was only about a little over 8 million VND for everything, but at that time, I wasn't enthusiastic yet, and I also tried to wait to see if the price would drop more. After searching, I saw that the tickets only increased, so I booked them immediately, still regretting it was more expensive by nearly 2 million VND :P.
The experience is to hunt for discounted tickets from Air Asia by signing up for email newsletters about the airline's discount programs. This is a budget airline from Malaysia, the quality in my opinion is quite average, slightly better than Vietjet Air. The plus point is there are little to no delays, I've never experienced a delay in all 4 flights. It could be because KLIA airport is very spacious, and the airline also has many airplanes so there's no shortage of airplanes or airport congestion.
In addition to Air Asia, you can also consider other airlines such as Malindo Air, Lion Air, Singapore Airlines.
There are 2 options to book tickets.
- First, you can book a connecting flight by searching from Hanoi (HAN) to Bali (DPS) directly. Of course, there will still be a transit, Air Asia will transit in Kuala Lumpur (KUL), but you will save time, no need to check out and collect your luggage (checked baggage) as you will be transferred directly to the next flight, also no need to worry about timing issues like fearing the previous flight will be delayed and then delay the next flight. But of course, it will be slightly more expensive.
- Secondly, book separate round trips: HAN-KUL and KUL-DPS, cheaper than option 1 above by about more than 1 million VND/person (don't remember exactly). I chose this method because it was cheaper, of course. The payment fee for the KUL-DPS flight for 2 people is $30, so the ticket price increased quite a bit compared to when I first checked the price. So, you should also consider because the price difference is not too much, lack of airport experience, and saving time as well as avoiding being passive, you should book a connecting flight like option 1.
Where to Stay That's Both Beautiful and Affordable?
Overall, hotels in Bali are quite cheap. If you want a high-end luxury resort, it's only about 2 million - 5 million VND/night. My family stayed at a mid-range level but still found it very satisfactory, plus their décor is very reasonable, and importantly, clean and polite.
- Sanur: Semarandana Hotel – overnight stay waiting for the boat to Nusa is very OK. Clean, with a swimming pool and a small bar. ~ 450k/2 people/night
- Kuta: Cara cara Inn – A true Smart Hostel. Compact, clean, and smart. The room is very small, only about 9-10m2 for 2 people but fully equipped with bunk beds, WC, table & reading lamp, clothes rack, accessories... ~550k/2 people/night.
- Ubud: Villa D’Bisma – Mid-range resort. Cozy, quiet, overlooking the peaceful rice fields. With a swimming pool and a gazebo. Each room is a villa, with a bathtub and an open-air bathroom, honestly bathing in the open air is very refreshing, and rest assured they design it to be outside no matter where you are, you can't see yourself bathing. ~550k/2 people/night.
- Nusa Lembongan: Sukanusa Luxury Huts – Mid-range resort. They build rooms as leaf huts, very natural but cozy and luxurious. With a swimming pool, a bar counter, and other services like surfing tours, cycling, motorbike rental... ~ 750k/2 people/night.
Detailed Itinerary for 6 Days 5 Nights
Bali is vast, with a land area of over 5,500 km². The main attractions and activities are in the East, Southeast, and South of the island. The Nusa Islands, including Lembongan, Cenigan, Penida, are located in the Southeastern sea of Bali, about a 30-minute boat ride from the island. You can refer to other Bali experiences to choose a suitable destination.
Day 1: Fly, Fly, and Fly.
Indeed, we spent a whole day flying from Hanoi to Bali.
We had 2 flights: HAN-KUL and KUL-DPS, each lasting 3 hours. You need to pay attention to the layover time between the 2 flights, which is the transit time at KLIA2 Airport – Kuala Lumpur. Because this airport is very large, the process of checking out, going through customs, then checking in, and going through customs again takes a total of up to 2 hours. So, don't risk booking 2 flights less than 2 hours apart. At least book them 3 hours apart (if possible), or like me, 4 hours apart.
Although lying around waiting at the airport for the next flight is quite boring, it's better than booking too close to the previous flight, then the previous flight gets delayed and overlaps with the next flight, making you short on time for procedures => late for the next flight, or constantly in a state of anxiety, rushing, which already makes the trip less enjoyable.
Rest assured, KLIA2 Airport is very spacious, and there is a whole second floor that is a commercial center as big as Royal City or even bigger. Of course, you should only go sightseeing, or eat and drink, but not buy anything yet, save shopping for the return trip to avoid carrying extra baggage and overspending your budget.
Around 9 p.m. local time, we arrived in Bali. At this time, finding directions, looking for a taxi, and negotiating prices will surely make you tired after a whole day of flying. So, what you should do before you go is to buy a Bali airport transfer package from Klook. I'm not advertising for Klook, because after researching various channels, the price here seems to be the best. The price is divided by region, so make sure you know exactly which area your hotel is in to choose the right package. I traveled from the airport to the Sanur area for 236,562 VND (odd because it's converted from local currency).
Book your Bali airport transfer with Klook
While you're at it, grab a phone SIM card too. There are 2 packages: 5GB 3G + 5GB 4G and 6GB 3G + 6GB 4G +38GB Bonus valid for 1 month. Depending on your needs and the duration of your stay, choose the suitable package. I bought the 5GB package, which cost 178,232 VND, and I still had over half of the unused GB by the time I left. But note that this SIM card doesn't cover the Nusa Islands area, so you might want to consider other network providers. I overlooked this, only realizing there was no signal when I got to the islands, so it's like I wasted 2 days without using the SIM. To avoid this situation, instead of buying a SIM card, you can rent a portable wifi device, the price is quite cheap depending on the number of days you're traveling for.
Get your Bali 3G/4G SIM card from Klook
Simply provide the accurate flight details, and when you arrive at the airport, there will be a KLOOK staff member holding an orange sign waiting for you. One person will have the SIM card and will set everything up for you right at the airport. Another driver will take you directly to the location you specified when purchasing the taxi package. No additional hassles, no asking for directions, no getting lost.
Day 2: Nusa Lembongan
The Nusa Islands consist of 3 small and medium-sized islands, and if you visit Bali without going to these islands, then you're truly missing out, you could say you haven't really been to Bali. And this is also the most physically demanding destination, so prioritize visiting on the first day when the momentum is still high and your energy levels are still high.
On the first night, we stayed at a hotel in the Sanur beach area – the departure port for Nusa Islands – to save travel time.
Ferry tickets were purchased in advance at gilitickets. The round trip for 2 people cost $68, approximately 1,550,000 VND.
Actually, you can buy tickets at the port as well, and the price might be slightly lower. But why buy in advance and from this website?
- You can view and choose departure and return times to manage your schedule.
- Round-trip transfer service: hotel in Bali – ferry terminal, ferry terminal – hotel in Lembongan, hotel in Lembongan – ferry terminal, ferry terminal – hotel in Bali. You just need to provide your hotel address for pickup and drop-off when booking tickets. Very punctual and on time, no need to call ahead, just be there at the agreed time and they will be there.
- I took the 9:30 AM ferry of D’Camel, and at 8:45 AM, I was picked up at the hotel by a 7-seater car with another Chinese couple, and that was it, no more passengers were picked up, so the journey was very fast and comfortable. Upon arrival at the port, our guide directed us on how to get the tickets, as it was very crowded in the morning, we asked the driver to help us line up, so we didn't have to wait too long. Although I booked the tickets online, like taking a flight, you still need to check in to get the paper tickets to board the ferry at the terminal!
The ferry is spacious, from the outside it looks like the ferries to Co To or Cat Ba islands in Vietnam, but inside it seems wider, more spacious, and importantly, it doesn't cause motion sickness like our ferries. We arrived at Jungut Batu port in Lembongan at 10 AM. The staff at the port will gather passengers in the same area to take a ride in a small truck, similar to the three-wheeled vehicles in Vietnam, or a small truck. There's not much traveling by car on the island.
Lunch at Warung Pancer: 75,000 rupiah including drinks. The restaurant was recommended on Tripadvisor, the food was cheap and delicious, but there were only about 10 dishes, all of them were local specialties so there weren't many choices. This place is close to the hotel I stayed at, in the Jungut Batu area, northeast of the island, so if you're staying in the west or south of the island, you may want to find other options.
Renting a scooter for 2 days costs 150,000 Rupiah. You can ask the hotel, they might have rentals available or they can direct you to a rental shop with the same price.
Dream Beach: a small beach located in the southwest of the island. It's actually just a very small beach, but they do good marketing so tourists still flock there to check in. Above is a resort with an infinity pool for great photo opportunities. I didn't go in so I can't review the price, you can search Dream Beach Huts for more information.
Devil’s Tear: about 600 meters from Dream Beach, there are signs at the junction leading to Dream Beach. This is truly a natural wonder. I still can't understand how such amazing images can be created. Imagine there's a hole under the standing rock cliff, when the waves hit the cliff, they are sucked into the hole and then, due to high pressure, the water from the hole splashes out very strongly, creating the impressive 'Devil's Tears.'
Walking a little further, you'll find this natural 'arena,' standing in the midst of it and challenging the waves feels amazing. On calm days, if you're brave enough, you can walk to the edge of the 'arena' and take some great photos.
Near this area, there's also a place called Water Blow but I couldn't find the way down and it was getting late, so I decided to head to Cenigan to watch the sunset instead.
Cenigan is the smallest island among the 3 Nusa islands, to go from Lembongan to Cenigan, just find the Yellow Bridge. It's a small bridge, if you encounter oncoming scooters, you'll need to slow down to pass each other.
When you're in Cenigan, don't forget to visit the Blue Lagoon, like a rest for the sea, the water flooding into this small bay is beautifully emerald green, it's really worth coming here at sunset, the sun dipping slightly down makes the colors truly magical.
But if you have time to arrive early, there's a very spacious grass field nearby, perfect for some Instagram-worthy shots, when I was there, it was already getting dark so the photos didn't turn out as nice anymore.
Heading back to the path towards the Yellow Bridge, I stopped at the Last Stop Bar and Cafe. This place is amazing for watching the sunset, below there's even a shallow pool with hammocks for some adventurous youngsters to chill in. I arrived late so I didn't get to enjoy it.
This meal + drinks cost 200,000 Rupiah = 400,000 VND. The food was okay, drinks were good. In this place specifically and in Bali in general, there's a dish called Spring Rolls – like Vietnamese spring rolls but not as good – very expensive and very little, especially if the filling is seafood => not worth ordering. The owner of this place is quite friendly, chatting with us and giving us some useful tips for our trip the next day.
Returning to the hotel in the evening was also challenging because traveling on the afternoon roads meant going in circles, and taking shorter routes meant it was hard to find the way in the dark. Venturing out with the map led to a stretch of forest, literally going into the woods and the road was just a bit rocky, narrow, and winding, plus it was dark, but since we were already there, we pushed through, it took about 2km like that to get back to the main road. Quite an adventure indeed. Lesson learned is to stick to the bigger roads.
Day 3: Nusa Penida
This was the toughest and most regretful day of the trip.
To get to Penida, you have to take a boat which takes about 20 minutes from the base of the Yellow Bridge, the bridge to Ceniga we crossed yesterday. The round-trip ticket costs 240,000 Rupiah for 2 people, bought right at the small shop on the left side of the bridge. If you go during the day, you have to return before 5 pm to catch the last boat, otherwise you'll have to stay overnight.
I was careless and didn't leave early, only made it to the boat dock around 9:30 am. Since I rode my scooter there, I didn't have to pay for a taxi (motorbike taxi), which usually costs up to 100,000 Rupiah to get to the boat dock – too expensive for a stretch of road only about 4-5 km. You can just leave your scooter at the dock without needing to pay for parking, and there's no one watching it anyway.
Arriving in Penida around 10 am, rented a scooter for 70,000 Rupiah already filled with gas.
Drove straight along the northern coast of the island to the first stop, Atuh Beach, next to Thousand Island. The first half of the road was beautiful, with the sea on one side and the mountains on the other, smooth road, few vehicles, a pleasant ride. The second half began to enter the middle of the island, so the road became rougher, harder to find, and harder to drive. At Atuh Beach, there's a parking lot on the cliff. Park your scooter there and walk down about 200m, tickets for 2 people and 1 scooter cost 25,000 Rupiah. Atuh Beach is just a small bay with a long stretch of rocks, when the tide is high, standing in the middle of the rocks is only up to your waist. If you go early in the morning, you'll see the rocks clearly, but generally, it's more beautiful when the water is still. To get down to the beach, you have to climb down the steps built into the cliff, quite steep, about 20m high. Okay, you can climb down, but you also have to climb back up!
Thousand Island is the name given by Westerners to this area, the local name is Pulau Seribu. It's on the other side behind that rocky promontory shaped like that tower over there, I don't know if there's a way down, but looking at the high and steep cliffs is enough to give me the creeps. Because I didn't have time, I couldn't go to the Tree House – the viewpoint of Thousand Island. From reviews, the entrance fee is 10,000 Rupiah per person.
My plan was to go to Peguyangan Waterfall and then continue to Kelingking, but estimating the remaining time wasn't much, so I skipped Peguyangan and went straight to Kelingking. The road was super hard to find because it's very small. No phone signal, no internet, luckily the GPS still worked so I knew where I was to find the way. Tip is always keep the GPS on, turn it on when you have internet and search the map beforehand, when the internet is gone, the GPS still works and you can still use it to know where you are, just a bit harder because there are no directions like when you have internet. I had to fill up the tank with another 20,000 Rupiah, which means filling up half the tank again.
Kelingking is an icon of Penida specifically or Bali in general. Everyone who comes here must go to Kelingking. It's a small bay with rare white sand here. What's special is that the way down under the bay is through a small road 'on the back of a dinosaur'. The rocky promontory shaped like a dinosaur reaching out to the sea is what everyone must reach. Seeing it with my own eyes was truly majestic, felt scary but really wanted to conquer it. When I arrived at Kelingking it was already 3 pm, took some photos up there until 3:30, the guy invited me down but I was confident that I couldn't climb up in time to get back so I skipped it.
Even going back at that time, we still had to race against time because the phone ran out of battery, the power bank was also dead. Trying everything, put the SIM card into the phone with a little battery left but still couldn't get any signal to turn on the GPS. Struggled and finally got 15% charge at the new inn to continue. By this time it was almost 4 pm. The way back to the boat dock wasn't far but expected to be difficult like when I arrived so still worried about not having enough time. Luckily there was a car going in the same direction, it went ahead and I followed, so didn't have to bother finding the way anymore. Rushed and arrived at the dock at 4:55 pm. Just in time to return the scooter and call the boat to get on. It was like an exciting race, really.
Regretful because there were at least 2 more places I wanted to go but couldn't: Broken Beach and Crystal Bay. Not to mention not being able to climb down to Kelingking bay. If I had gone early from around 7 am it would have been more comfortable, and less tiring.
In the evening, quite tired so didn't go far to eat, went to Warung Pancer, the evening was crowded and the atmosphere was more touristy. After eating, went out to the beach, my hotel was about 200m from the beach so walked comfortably. Lying on a lounge chair drinking water to relax at a place I can't remember the name, seems to be a resort with a beach view, so the drinks were quite expensive, 2 of us ordered 2 cheapest fruit juices 35,000 Rupiah each.
Day 4: Back to Ubud
Morning, had breakfast, rested, packed up, then checked out, waited for the pick-up to the pier at 11:45 am. I returned on the 12:30 pm trip. Note that you still have to go to the counter to get the ticket.
Arrived at Sanur at 1 pm, at this time the waves were rough, it took a while to get the boat into the dock, and even had to wade through waist-deep water from the boat to the shore. If anyone is afraid to wade, the boat staff will carry them ashore to avoid getting wet. Ubud is about 40km from Sanur. There are free shuttle buses to take you back to the hotel in Ubud.
In Ubud, in the afternoon if you rent a scooter, you should visit Monkey Forest, Bali Bird Park, tickets for each place are 50,000 Rupiah/person/visit. Bali Swing, $31/person/visit.
I wanted to walk around comfortably so I only went to Monkey Forest, it's a monkey conservation forest, lots of monkeys, don't eat anything here because you'll always be robbed by some monkey. When admiring the monkeys, don't look directly into their eyes; don't touch or approach baby monkeys when their parents are around; don't touch a monkey when another is grooming or petting it. They're ready to bite and attack you.
They preserve nature very well here. Ubud is like a city in the forest. If you've ever watched the animated movie Zootopia then you'll immediately associate it with Ubud. Just imagine interspersed between houses are rice fields, then it's the forest with all ancient trees, then it's the streets, then it's the residential area...
Ubud has many temples, the architecture is all the same style with an entrance gate like a split tower. If you've read and loved the book Eat, Pray, Love, then Ubud is the place for you. Serene, green, it's a wonderful place to relax. That's why Ubud is also the paradise of resorts. Depending on your economic conditions, there are many accommodation options.
Ubud also has terraced fields, but they pale in comparison to the terraced fields in Y Ty or Mu Cang Chai in our country. It's just that they excel in tourism, with only a few hectares of terraced fields but they offer various tours: Trekking, Cycling around the Tegalalang Rice Field very professionally.
Book now the tour to visit Tegelalang rice terraces and monkey forest in Ubud on Klook
In the evening, take a stroll along Monkey Forest Street - straight from the Monkey Forest gate - it's a bustling street with restaurants, shops, clothing stores, cafes... everything. Eating here can be pricey. I found a place called Alam Pizza with delicious and cheap pizza. 200,000 Rupiah for 2 people, and we couldn't fit another bite.
Another interesting thing in Ubud is that most people follow Hinduism or Buddhism, so they eat less meat, if any, it's usually white chicken meat. So almost all the food here is very healthy, aside from being heavily spiced, mainly with curry and spice. For those who love indulging in food, it might be a bit difficult to find food to your liking here.
Day 5: Exploring Northeast Bali
There are also plenty of attractions in Ubud, but I want to venture further for variety, so I'm charting a course to 2 remote spots at the northernmost tip of Bali: Mount Batur volcano and Ulun Danu Beratan temple.
Here, renting a motorbike is cheaper, with 2 types available: 50,000 Rupiah for small displacement bikes (equivalent to Click) and 80,000 Rupiah for larger ones, which are also bigger and more suitable for Westerners or heavier individuals (similar to Air Blade). We opted for the economical choice, paying 50,000 + 20,000 extra for an evening rental to go out for dinner, returning it the next morning, and topping up with 20,000 for a full day's ride, which worked out great, no issues. We also rented a car back to Kuta the next morning for 300,000 for over 40km, which is cheaper than a taxi here by several tens of thousands.
Early in the morning, we went for a walk at Campuhan Ridge Walk: it's located near the center of Ubud and is simply a path, with grass fields and forests on both sides. It's quite ordinary, yet attracts many tourists. This path is about 2km long, or more, but we didn't walk the entire length. You can only walk or ride a bicycle here. You can book Ubud cycling tours if you're into this activity and have enough stamina. It costs around 1.5M per person per day, quite exhausting so consider carefully.
Mount Batur volcano: from the center of Ubud, it's about 35km by motorbike to reach the viewpoint of Mount Batur, which is along the Kintamani road. It's a large dormant volcano, surrounded by a valley with a very spacious lake. If you come here at noon, stop at a restaurant on the Kintamani road for lunch and to admire the volcano. Although the prices are quite high, it's still a very interesting experience, remember to order the fish caught from the river at the foot of the volcano!
Book now a tour to explore the forest and see sunrise at Batur on Klook
Oh, the 'road toll' for this Kintamani area is 30,000 Rupiah per person with a motorbike, I'm not sure about cars. At the intersection from Ubud up to the Kintamani road, there's a police booth collecting money, they call it a scenic viewpoint fee for the volcano area. They don't have signs or barriers, they just wave and remind you to pay. I think the fee is reasonable, because this area only has the volcano, it wouldn't be fair to view it for free. Although the fee collection process is somewhat unprofessional, the officer said they value the awareness of tourists, those with awareness will stop immediately when asked to. Previously, there was a motorbike, looked like a Vietnamese person, heard the call to stop but still kept going, or didn't understand, so just continued, and they saved 60,000 🙂.
After lunch, we headed to Ulun Danu Beratan temple. It's about 60km from Kintamani, but it probably took us about 2 hours to get there. This stretch of road passes through mountainous areas, cool and refreshing, with some spots feeling quite chilly as we were both in shorts, only wearing thin sun jackets.
All the temple has is what's in the picture, with a few temple areas inside, which might be suitable for those who are inclined towards religious beliefs. Despite that, the tourist crowd is terribly overwhelming. The 3-4km stretch of road is heavily congested as 45-seat buses line up one after another. Not just for this Ulun Danu temple, there's also an adventure park nearby which probably attracts tourists as well. Since I'm not fond of adventures, we skipped it.
From here, it's about another 50km back to Ubud (not taking the same route but a different one to form a loop back to the starting point). So, the entire journey today is quite exhausting, those who are not accustomed to long rides under the sun should reconsider.
Instead, there are many places worth visiting in Ubud, such as Bali Swing with high swinging games, or those bird's nest photo spots... But the tickets are quite expensive, $31/person for full games, $10/person for a few 'safe' photo spots. So, we didn't go, not really our thing so we felt it was a bit of a waste of money hehe. However, the tourist reviews are quite good, so if you're into adventures and Instagrammable spots, you might consider spending 700,000 VND/person to play!
Book now a full-day swing and waterfall tour in Ubud on Klook
Tonight after trying many local dishes, we found a rare pork specialty restaurant, and the price was very cheap, probably because pork is less valued here due to their dietary habits. The restaurant is called Warung D'Atas. With a budget of 200,000 Rupiah per meal, we decided to go all out to see how far our budget could take us to compare with the places we've eaten. It's truly meat heaven, seasoned very well. If you're unsure what to order, just go for the Combo meat + 1 soup or rice dish as a side!
Here, almost every eatery has the word Warung in its name. It's like Restaurants, so that's also a way to recognize when looking for a place to eat!
Day 6: Last Date with Kuta
Checked out of the hotel the next morning, the pick-up was at 10 am, and it took nearly 2 hours to get back to Kuta because the roads here are very winding.
At this point, with just a little Indo money left and not knowing what to eat, I went to KFC. KFC here is extremely cheap, Fast & Cheap Food in every sense. Two of us ordered 2 sets of 3 pieces of chicken with rice and 1 Japanese-style chicken rice set (?), with all the condiments, only 59,000 Rupiah.
In the afternoon, I planned to visit 2 legendary beautiful temples here to watch the sunset and check them out, but I was tired so I just took my sandals to the beach about 500m from the hotel - Kuta Beach to watch the sunset, probably the most beautiful in Southeast Asia, no exaggeration because I haven't seen any place where the sunset is this beautiful.
The beach here is very long and flat, like a wide sports field extending for hundreds of meters, the length of the beach is probably equal to half of My Khe Beach in Da Nang, but the sand is not as good as the sand at My Khe Beach. Just watching the sunset and surfing is amazing.
If you have time and want to explore the architecture of the two special temples here, you should spend the whole afternoon to visit, or just visit one of them. They are Tanah Lot and Uluwatu. Tanah Lot is located on a rock in the middle of the sea, in the early morning and late afternoon, you can clearly see the path from the shore due to the low tide, Uluwatu is located on a high cliff overlooking the sea, with a balcony with a sea view and monkeys, there are many monkeys here.
Book now for a Tanah Lot sunset tour on Klook
In the evening, you can stroll along the beachfront streets or the inner streets for shopping for souvenirs or trying scalp-tight hair tats - a popular service along with spas here. Western ladies seem to really like it because I see many people doing it, but I imagine how it would be waking up, so I pass.
Ending the last day in Bali, the next morning I flew early to Kuala Lumpur, planning to transit and spend a day here but there was a slight change of plans due to health issues. So, there are no Kuala Lumpur photos to show off with my buddies.
Total Damage
Total: 25.3M for 2 people:
- Flight tickets: 10.2M
- Hotels for 6 nights, 4 accommodations: 3.8M
- Train, car, SIM cards, and other online purchases: 3.3M
- Food and other expenses: 8M
=> not even reaching 13M per person.
We kept our dining expenses modest, and since we didn't have many entertainment needs, spending 8M for 2 people was just about right. But if you have a more generous budget and slightly higher spending desires, then budgeting around 10-15M should do the trick hehe.
Tips:
- Book flights 4-6 months in advance
- Book hotels, homestays 1-2 months in advance
- Purchase services that can be bought online about 1 month before the trip.
- When traveling, carry about 5-10M per person, so the money pressure isn't all at once. Instead of preparing 25-30M at once, divide it evenly into each category, each preparation stage, saving money and reducing pressure. To do this, you need to plan and budget meticulously in advance.
- Rupiah exchange rate = VND x 1.7 (I always round up to x2 for convenience).
Above are the experiences of our trip. Beforehand, I also researched and searched for experiences from many places, it took quite a while to find a plan that suited me. So, take it as a reference, the important thing is to see what suits you best to gain experience, each place has its own characteristics, and if you're traveling independently, it naturally takes time to explore. But it's worth it, truly!
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