The Ultimate Bali Indonesia Travel Guide

This will be the only Bali travel guide that you will need. I break down everything that you need to know about Bali, my entire trip day by day, and tips so that your trip can be as epic as mine.

Flight

I flew EVA Airlines from Chicago to Taiwan, and then Taiwan to Bali. My goal was to spend time in Taiwan on my way back home. I loved EVA and will be flying them again soon. The legroom was spacious, the food was good, and the staff was sweet. We flew on the hello kitty plane on the Taiwan-Bali leg & that was an added plus. The flight was very reasonable. I highly recommend them. Everyone that I know spends over $1,000 for their Bali flight. I did not pay over $1,000! My flight was $750. Head over to EVA Air. 

Currency/Credit Cars/ATM’s

Bali uses Indonesian Rupiah. I exchanged $350 at the airport upon arrival. I wanted to have some cash for tipping and street purchases. I also had to pay my driver in cash. I mainly use my travel card when I travel so that I can rack up miles. There are plenty of ATMs around the island. I used ATMs on several different occasions. Make sure that you use an ATM at a bank.

Language

The main languages spoken are Indonesia, Balinese, and English

Visa

If you have a US Passport, no visa is required for stays under 30days. This information is as of January 2020. Please check travel.state.gov for the most up to date information.

Accommodations

I stayed in three different places. The first two nights, I stayed in Seminyak at Ramada Encore By Wyndham. The next eight nights, I stayed in Canggu at Yetama Luxury Villas. You can read about the luxury villa here. The final few nights, I stayed in Ubud at Amatara Royal Ganesha.

Plugs

The plug types are C & F. Make sure you bring an adapter.

Weather

April- August is peak season, so the weather is great during this time. It did rain a couple of mornings while I was there, but the rain was light and did not last long.

Transportation/Taxis/Roads

I hired a private driver while I was there, and he charged me $50 per day. The range that I was quoted was from $40-$50 per day. Sadly, I cannot recommend the driver that I used. I also used the Grab app often. It works like Uber. I also used taxis quite a bit. Make sure only to use Blue Bird taxis.

If you do not remember anything in this article, please remember this. The traffic is insane, and you will spend a lot of time transporting to your destination. If you know where you want to go, my suggestion is to get your accommodation in that area to cut down on the time you spend getting from one place to another. The locals use scooters & motorcycles as a means of transportation as well.

People

The people are gorgeous inside and out. They are some of the sweetest people that I’ve ever met. They went out of their way when something was wrong, and did everything possible to be accommodating.

Daily Activities
I tried to squeeze in as much as I could. Hold on tight!
Here is a daily diary of everything I did & explored:

Day 1
I arrived at Bali Ngurah Rai International Airport, also known as Denpasar International Airport. I had a smooth process through the passport control line, and my wait was about 1 hour long. I exchanged cash at the airport because I needed money for the next few days to pay for my driver. My hotel arranged for transportation from the airport to the hotel. I checked into my hotel in Seminyak, Bali. Not much happened after check-in. I cleaned my room and grabbed a bite to eat. I was exhausted from the trip, so I went to sleep early.

Day 2
Today was a day full of excursions. My driver picked me up in Seminyak around 8:00 am.

Waterfall Tegenungan Village
Entrance fee Rp. 20.000
Out first stop was Tegenungan Waterfall. This waterfall was one of my favorites in Bali. There is numerous birds nest to take pictures in and swing to swing in that provides a view of the entire waterfall.

Waterfall Kanto Lampo
Entrance fee Rp. 20.000
Kanto Lampo was my favorite waterfall in Bali. I loved it so much that I dedicated an entire article to it. You can read my five tips here.

Bali Aloha Swing
Entrance Fee: Rp. 300.000
There are different packages depending on what you choose to do. I took pictures in 4 different swings and had lunch on site afterward.

Monkey Forest
Entrance Fee: Rp. 50.000
The monkey forest was a blast. I wrote an entire post about it, you can read it here.

I was exhausted after a day full of activities. Once I got back to my hotel, I got a massage and pedicure, had dinner, and called it a night.

Day 3
Today was an early start; my driver arrived at 6 am. I wanted to get to heavens gate as early as possible because I knew there would be a long wait.

Heavens Gate
Entrance Fee: Donation
There is quite a bit of information about heavens gate if you would like to know more. I wrote an entire article giving five tips so that you have an amazing visit. You can read it here.

Tirta Gangga Water Palace
Entrance Fee: Rp. 30.000
This water palace is made up of gardens, water ponds, and sculptures. You can take a walk on the stones within the water pond. There are also huge fish in the pond that you can feed while walking on the stones. You can buy fish food at the entrance for an additional fee.

Black Sand Beach
There was no entrance fee for the beach, and I did not like it, so I do not recommend it. The beach was empty, and there was quite a bit of trash on it. It was a quick break at best.

When I got back to my hotel, I had another hour-long Balinese massage. The massages in Bali are very cheap, at around $20. I received a massage every single day while in Bali, sometimes twice a day.

Day 4
Today I slept in. I was a little tired from the activities over the past couple of days. I had a delicious breakfast and checked out of my hotel that afternoon and headed to Canggu.

Upon arrival in Canggu, I had an on-site masseuse, and she gave me an incredible life-changing massage, please read here about how she took my soul.

Day 5
Today was very relaxing. The chef prepared a healthy breakfast and lunch. I hung out by the pool and received massages all day.

Later that evening, I went to La Brisa Beach Club for dinner. La Brisa is one of the best beach clubs in Bali. There is plenty of seating, but if you want the best seating, you will need to make a reservation ahead of time. You can order food and drinks, relax in the pool, or chill at one of the tables. If you are around when the sun sets, it gives an amazing view.

Day 6
Tegalalang Rice Terrace
Entrance Fee Rp. 15.000
Bali is known for its rice terraces. I went to Tegalalang Rice Terrace and took amazing pictures.

I had chicken and vegetables at Habitat cafe.

Tibumana Waterfall
Entrance Fee Rp. 10.000
Finally, I went to one of my favorite waterfalls- Tibumana Waterfall. This beautiful waterfall is located in the jungle. I arrived late, so I was on a race against time so that I could witness the beauty of the waterfall. It did not disappoint.

Day 7
I hung out with friends and went to The Lawn Beach Club for dinner.

Day 8
Handara Gate
Entrance Fee Rp. 30.000
I went to Handara Gate. It’s a smaller version of Heaven’s Gate, and there was little to no wait.

Ulun Danu Beratan Temple
Entrance Fee Rp. 50.000
After leaving Handara Gate, I went to Ulun Danu Beratan Temple. This temple is located on Lake Beratan. To have the full experience and get epic pictures, I recommend taking a boat around the lake to enjoy the view.

Lunch & drinks at Breeze Terrace

My Texas side came out with a horseback ride on the beach.

You can go see Balinese dancers, or in my case, Balinese dancers came to see me.

Day 9
I had a pool party and a quintessential floating breakfast. You cannot go to Bali and not have a floating breakfast.

Helicopter Ride- Air Bali
I try to always do something outside of the box. I went on an adventure and took a helicopter ride around Bali. You can read all about my experience here.

Day 10
I shopped until I dropped, and bought some much-needed souvenirs.

Late that afternoon, I left Canggu and checked into my hotel in Ubud.

Day 11
I woke up late, received another massage, and went swimming.

I happened to be in Bali for their Independence Day. My hotel had a ceremony in the evening that included singing and dancing.

Day 12
Fiji & Sekumpul Waterfalls
Entrance Fee Rp 350.000
The entrance fees vary. I paid a little bit more because my package included the slide, and a guide the entire time.

I went waterfall chasing! Fiji waterfall & Sekumpul waterfalls are a favorite in Bali. If you have to choose a waterfall, I highly recommend going to Fiji & Sekumpul. You can read all about my experience here.

Day 13
I relaxed all day and did nothing. If it required too much of a change in my heart rate, it was not happening. Always make time for self-care and relaxation.

Day 14
I ended my trip with the iconic massage & flower bath at Udaya Resorts. You can read all about my experience here. Do not leave Bali without a flower bath!

Day 15
Flight home via EVA airways. I flew back through Taiwan and stayed there for 24 hours.

Here is a movie that I created of my trip:

Have you been to Bali? What was your favorite part of the island? If you have any questions, please ask.