Embark on a 4-day, 3-night independent trip to Bali

Direct flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Bali offer convenience for Vietnamese travelers to explore and enjoy their time here.

Experience a 4-day, 3-night self-guided tour of Bali

Bali is often dubbed the 'ultimate resort paradise' in Southeast Asia and remains a beloved destination for Vietnamese tourists. Below are some suggestions for dining, accommodation, and sightseeing for those inclined to embark on a Bali self-guided tour.

Day 1: Departure from Ho Chi Minh City to Bali

Starting October 27th, Vietnam Airlines commenced ticket sales for the Ho Chi Minh City – Bali route, with flights lasting over 3 hours. As such, travelers can opt for direct flights from Vietnam without layovers as in the past. Currently, the airline operates only one round-trip flight per day. Departure time from Vietnam is between 11am and 12pm.

Upon landing at Ngurah Rai Airport (the sole international airport in Bali, also known as Denpasar International Airport), you can take a taxi to your hotel for refreshments and rest.

After dinner, spend some time exploring the streets near your hotel or enjoy a cocktail at local bars. A tip for travelers is to choose accommodations in the Kuta area. This is a popular tourist spot, close to the beach, affordable, and around 5 km from the international airport. Along the streets, you'll find convenience stores, souvenir shops, and more.

Day 2: Tampak Siring Temple – Kintamani Village – Tegalalang

Your first stop should be the sacred Tampak Siring Holy Water Spring Temple (also known as Tirta Empul). This site holds significant spiritual importance for the local community.

Locals and Hindu visitors often come here to bathe in the 12 sacred fountains to cleanse themselves of impurities and misfortunes. This act symbolizes a desire for blessings from the divine for physical health, spiritual purity, and mental clarity.

The second stop is Kintamani Village. Here, you can enjoy lunch while admiring the famous Mount Batur volcano. One of the best restaurants with a prime view of the volcano is Batur Sari. A buffet meal for two starts from 350,000 Rp (approximately 580,000 VND).

One of the must-visit places is the Tegalalang rice terraces in Ubud. It's famous for its beautiful scenery of rice fields built using the subak system – a traditional Balinese farming technique. Tegalalang is one of the three most beautiful terraced fields in the town. Here, you can take thousands of 'Instagrammable' photos with the terraced fields or on swings, adorable bird nests. The price for a photo on the bird's nest starts from 25,000 Rp (40,000 VND), swings from 200,000 Rp (330,000 VND). If you want to rent a costume for photos with the swing, the price is 200,000 Rp.

Additionally, you can also visit a nearby coffee farm for exploration. Here, tourists can enjoy various local Balinese coffee, swing, zipline... The entrance fee per person starts from over 330,000 Rp (550,000 VND).

Day 3: Explore Lembongan Island

Travelers can reach the island by speedboat or traditional boat. Speedboats have the advantage of being faster, with the journey to the island taking about 50 minutes, but they can be shaky and prone to seasickness. Traditional boats are slower, taking about 90 minutes to reach the island, but they offer comfortable seating and a smoother journey.

There are plenty of water activities to enjoy on the island such as banana boat rides, kayaking, and beachfront BBQ buffets. Additionally, you can also experience Sea Walking with a price of 800,000 Rp (over 1.3 million VND).

When the boat reaches the middle of the sea, passengers will put on swimsuits and wear a rather heavy helmet to walk underwater. You'll get to admire swimming fish, corals in the Indian Ocean. Around 2-3 pm, there's a boat back to the main island to pick up passengers.

Day 4: Tanah Lot Temple and Return to Vietnam

After breakfast at the hotel and check-out, head to Tanah Lot Temple. This is one of seven sacred temples in Bali, built on the remnants of a volcanic eruption near the western coast. The temple is constructed as a gesture of reverence by humans to the protection of the sea deity. Locals believe that sea snakes inhabit the waters around the temple to safeguard it against intrusion and harm from evil forces.

The temple is dubbed the 'loneliest in Bali' because the access road to the temple gets flooded during high tides, preventing visitors from reaching it. Afterward, you can stop by the shopping center before heading to the airport for your return journey.

Some Tips for Traveling in Bali:

One of the most popular attractions in the island paradise is the 'Gateway to Heaven' at Pura Lempuyang Luhur Temple. However, the site is often crowded with visitors wanting to take photos. Each visitor gets only about 2 minutes to pose with the 'legendary' gate but must wait for 2-3 hours. Many tour groups couldn't wait that long and had to leave, so you may want to consider this location. Bali also has many gates with similar shapes (like at Tanah Lot Temple), where you can go for alternative photo opportunities.

The Indian Ocean waters are colder than the Pacific Ocean waters (the sea in Vietnam), and the helmets worn for Sea Walking are quite heavy. Many tourists couldn't bear its weight and had difficulty breathing underwater, leading them to give up. However, you'll get a refund if you choose not to participate in this activity.

When traveling in Bali, it's advisable to exchange local currency at banks, airports, or use Visa cards. Avoid exchanging money at roadside stalls or hotels as they often offer unfavorable exchange rates, putting travelers at a disadvantage.

Starting from October 27th, Vietnam Airlines inaugurated direct flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Bali. Passengers can now enjoy round-trip flights to Bali starting from $69 USD (excluding taxes and fees). Currently, flights depart from Vietnam at 11:10 AM and from Bali at 4:50 PM on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. This marks the airline's second route to Indonesia, following the Ho Chi Minh City – Jakarta route.

Source: Phuong Anh/ Vnexpress

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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour