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Bali 2 weeks itinerary

Bali, Nusa Lembongan-Ceningan-Penida and Gili Islands ultimate travel guide.


Ubud

Day 1

Breakfast: Warung Tenten Bamboe, a traditional restaurant, far from the touristic ones. The area is well-known for their strawberries, ask them some fresh ones, they will pick it at the moment for you.


Morning:

Bali Handara Gate, one of the most "instagrammable" gates in Bali. Not a lot to do in here, but is a must to take a picture here.



Pura Ulun Danu Bratan is one of the highlights of the northern Bali. The lake temple is incredibly popular and I suggest you to visit it as soon as it opens in the morning to avoid the crowd.



Banyumala Twin Waterfalls is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Bali. Despite its incredible natural beauty, Banyumala waterfall doesn’t yet have the crowds associated with visiting others waterfalls (like Sekumpul waterfall, Tukad Cepung etc.).



Jatiluwih Rice Terraces is one of my favourites from this part of Bali. These rice terraces are stunning and are way more beautiful than the most famous and crowded Tegallalang. Except for a few people from nearby resorts, you won’t see a lot of people here. Jatiluwih is derived from two words. Jati means “real” and Luwih means “good” or “beautiful”; the name represent exactly what this place is.



Lunch: Warung Bubur Betutu Beras Merah Jatiluwih, a typical warung with the best view on the rice terraces.


Afternoon:

Mokey Forest is a nature reserve and temple complex in Ubud. It houses approximately 340 monkeys. The Sacred Monkey Forest is a popular tourist attraction, a bit too crowded in my opinion but the forest and the temple are really beautiful (and the monkeys are cute if they don't bite you eheh).



Day 2

Breakfast: Warung De Koi, typical warung surrounded by nature, one of the most beautiful we have been to. Not touristy at all. For breakfast I recommend you their banana pancakes.



Morning:

Tegallalang are the most famous rice terraces in Bali. Avoid the crowd and visit the park before its opening, you will be there alone with nature and you will enjoy it even if it's a touristic place.



Pura Tirta Empul is my favourite temple visited in Bali. It's one of the busiest water temples in Indonesia because it's considered sacred by Balinese Hindu community. The temple has several holy springs which are said to have been created by The God Indra and believed to be blessed water that could purify those who bathe there. Tirta Empul is dedicated to Vishnu, the Hindu God of water.


Tukad Cepung Waterfall is a unique one because it is surrounded by cliffs. Beaufitul but too crowded as it is one of the most famous "instagram spot" in Bali.



Lunch: Rumah Makan Padang Putra Minang, good place to eat a typical Nasi Goreng.


Afternoon:


Cretya Ubud is a restaurant and day club with a breathtaking view on Tegallalang rice terraces. It's a bit too crowded and touristy, but the view really worth the visit.



Campuhan Ridge Walk, hidden behind the hotels of Ubud’s main street, this street is an absolute must see when visiting Ubud. The walkway will take you up and down a ridge along rice fields and palm trees, a perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle from Ubud. I suggest you yo visit it at sunrise or at sunset, to enjoy it with less crowd and with a beautiful light.



Saraswati Temple also known as the Ubud Water Palace, is a Balinese Hindu Temple in the center of Ubud. This temple is notable for its lotus pond and it takes few minutes to visit The



Ubud Palace, officially Puri Saren Agung, is a historical building complex situated in the center of Ubud. The palace was the official residence of the royal family of Ubud. During the night they usually organize traditional shows in the palace's outdoors.


Dinner: Pesona Lounge Ubud an amazing Indian restaurant in the center of Ubud. Really one of the best curries and naan ever tried.



Nusa Lembongan & Nusa Ceningan

Day 3

Early Morning:

**Ubud to Tanah Lot (1 h by car) - I recommend you go early in the morning to avoid the traffic and see the temple without people**


Tanah Lot is an ancient Hindu temple dedicated to the gods of the sea. The temple is situated on a high rock, facing the wide open ocean. It is one of the most beautiful place visited in Bali.



Seminyak beach is a white sandy beach situated in north of Legian Beach. Many surfers visit this beach to conquer the waves and enjoy the surf adventures (the waves here are mostly for beginner surfer).


Breakfast: Kynd Community (Canggu) is one of the most instagrammable café in Bali. The location is really cool and the food is also good. I recommend you to try their Açai Bowl.



**Ferry from Sanur to Nusa Lembongan (30 min - 1h, depending on the boat you choose)**


Lunch: The Deck Cafe & Bar is the bar with the dreamiest view in the world. Is. a unique island spot, which you can't miss if you visit Nusa Lembongan. The food wans't the best tried in Bali, but the view really worth a visit.



Afternoon:

Dream Beach is the most popular beach on the island. The small bay is enclosed by cliffs on either side and the crystal clear water exposes a nice reef below the surface.



Dinner: Indiana Kenanga is, for me, the most romantic restaurant on the island. Dinner on the sofas on the beach, feet in the sand, candles and soft lighting. Amazing food, especially their dessert.




Please note: you will need to rent a scooter to go around the island. I recommend you to rent it at the port or to ask at your hotel.
Day 4

Breakfast: Seabreeze warung (Nusa Ceningan) is a locally family owned businesses, located 500 meters from the Yellow Bridge. The open-air design allows you to enjoy the flow of warm tropical breezes and stunning ocean views.



Morning:

Yellow Bridge connect the two island of Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan. This bridge can only be passed by motorbikes because the width of this bridge is not too big, about 1.5 meters. This yellow bridge is a very famous tourist destination and from here you can also take the ferry to go to Nusa Penida.


Blue Lagoon (Nusa Ceningan) is a place well-known for its amazing view on the ocean and for cliff jumping. A short walk through the palm trees will lead you out to the most turquoise waters you will find in Bali.


Devil’s tears bay (Nusa Lembongan) is the perfect place to admire the craziest waves you ever seen. An impressive show of Mother Nature’s power: after the waves crash against the rocks, you see a huge spray and then what looks like dozens of mini waterfalls cascading down back into the water. With the sun, at every wave crush you will see a beautiful rainbow appear on the water.


Lunch: La Bianca Bali is one of my favorite restaurant from this trip. Placed on the seafront under a tree-lined terrace of Ketapangs, La Bianca enjoy a superb 180° view of the sea on the sunset side. They do a continuous service from breakfast to dinner, in the sun on a beautiful wooden terrace or on the sand in the shade of the trees. Loved their vegetarian curry with rice!



Afternoon:

**Ferry from Nusa Lembongan to Nusa Penida (ferries departs from the yellow bridge) - 15 min**


Sunset at Crystal Bay, a stunning sandy beach that can be easily reached by road, as well as a renowned location for scuba diving and snorkeling. It's an exceptional spot, highlighted by a remarkable rock formation in the center of the bay, making it a must-visit destination in Nusa Penida. Locals grill vegetables, meat and fish, you can enjoy a traditional dinner here paired with a fresh beer.



Please note: you will need to rent a scooter to go around the island. I recommend you to rent it at Nusa Penida port, where you arrive with the ferry.

2/3 days in Nusa Penida

Day 5

Hotel: Kelingking mesari villa & spa (it's less than 5 min walk from Kelingking beach, really recommended if you want to see the beach without the crowd of people)


Breakfast: Penida Colada is the best eco-friendly beachfront bar and restaurant in Nusa Penida. It features delicious comfort food, specialty drinks, and organic coffee from morning to evening.



Morning:


Diamond Beach is an untouched, white-sand, and silky blue water bay on the eastern tip of Nusa Penida. It is one of the most beautiful place I ever visited in my life. I recommend you to visit it at sunrise, as we did, to avoid the crowds and to enjoy it with an amazing pink sky.



Rumah Pohon Tree House is one of the most instagrammable locations in Nusa Penida. The tree house is located high on a cliff on the southeastern end of Nusa Penida Island, near Diamond and Atuh Beaches. This location is called Thousand Islands Viewpoints as you get spectacular views of the coastline in either direction. You can also book your stay here, but I won't recommend it as the location is really far away from everything on the island.



Pura Goa Giri Putri (also known as Karangsari Cave) is a hidden temple located inside of a huge natural cave. Hindu ceremonies are still performed here, but it’s also open to tourists. Exploring this cave is an interesting experience: at the top a Hindu priest will flick some holy water on your forehead as a purification rite, then, to enter the cave, you get to crawl through a small opening in the side of the rock. After crawling a few meters through a narrow, slightly claustrophobic passage, the inside opens up to a huge room with high ceilings.



Afternoon:

Kelingking Beach is the most iconic and recognisable tourist attraction in Bali. From the top, it looks like a T-Rex head. From the viewpoint, you have a look over the limestone formations, ocean, and the beach. The walk down to this beach is quite hard, is recommendable to go with closed shoes.


We came here at sunset and the atmosphere was really nice and relaxed (most of the toursit already left at this time).



Day 6

Breakfast: Secret Penida Cafe



Morning:

We also enjoyed Kelingking Beach at sunrise, without people, and was just amazing.


Angel Billabong is incredible natural infinity pool. It is framed by rock cliffs and hangs out over the ocean overlooking Manta Point Beach.



Broken Beach is a cove and the reason it is called Broken Beach is due to the archway that wraps around the bay allowing water to flow in and out from the ocean. From above the cove appears almost circular and closed in, however, at eye level the arch is quite high. Unfortunately, there is no way down into the cove



Manta Bay is one of the hottest spot for snorkeling in Nusa Penida. This bay is full of manta rays almost all year round. Generally, these mammoth marine animals are there floating in the water with their characteristic harmonious movement. Manta rays are really big (around 5m) so you can also spot them from the above.


Afternoon:

Sunset at Crystal Bay.


Dinner: Greenkubu Penida, now called: Amarta Sunset Lounge


Gili Air

Day 7

**Ferry from Nusa Penida to Gili Air (2h)**


Morning:

Island tour by bike.

Unique about the Gili Islands is that that are no cars on the island. You can explore the islands by bicycle.

Lunch: Luckys Bar, nice place to enjoy a quick lunch on the beach.



Afternoon:

Relax on the beach.


Sunset at The Krishna Sunset. Comfortable sofas, colorful umbrellas, feet in the sand and the sun going down just in front of you.


Dinner: Olala Cafe is a Thai restaurant located in the main street of Gili Air. Cozy atmosphere, friendly staff, delicious meals and attractive prices. 


Day 8

Breakfast: Barefoot blondie is my favourite café in Gili Air. They are located in the busiest main street of Gili Air, close to the harbour. Their upper deck is the perfect combination of seatings, sea breeze and view. The space is super cool and the food is really good.



Morning:

(really recommended)



Afternoon:

Beach time.

Sunset by the beach.


Dinner: Gili Mood Local Eatery offers traditional dishes that are difficult to find elsewhere (both typical of Bali and Lombok), very good food, full of flavors, generous and inexpensive. The restaurant is family run and the staff is lovely.




Gili Meno & Gili Trawangan

Day 9

Hotel: Gili Amor Boutique resort (Gili Trawangan)

Breakfast: Juju Zero Waste Store & Vegan Cafe is a really good place to have breakfast in Gili Air. I recommend their Salted Caramel Apple Smoothie Bowl (fresh apple, banana and pineapple smoothie topped with banana granola, peanut butter and salted caramel drizzle).


Morning:

Snorkeling between Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan:

  • The Nest sculpture is one of the top underwater spots to visit in Indonesia and is a must see attraction when visiting the Gili Islands. The sculpture is an underwater sculpture comprised of 48 life sized human statues formed in a circle, both standing up and lying on the seabed. The sculpture is a man made reef in shallow waters, only 3 meters deep. This is perfect for snorkelers and divers. The circle of statues represents the circle of life and will eventually be filled with all types of marine life in the underwater world. The nest statues consist of pH neutral materials to promote natural growth of coral and to conserve the precious marine life.



  • Turtle Heaven is a snorkeling site that definitely lives up based on its name, here often appears around 10 turtles on 1 dive.

Drop off at Gili Trawangan.


Lunch: Hellocapitano Cafe is an awesome café by the beach. You can eat indoors or outdoors, I recommend you the 2nd floor with an amazing view on the beach. The staff is friendly and their smoothie bowl are a must to try.



Afternoon:

  • Beach time

  • Sunset and drink on the beach by FRii Resort

Dinner: Gili Trawangan night market is the main public dining spot with its open-air food stalls and traditional warung style cafeterias. The night market opens just before sunset, satisfying those cravings for seafood and local delights with a good variety of menu items to choose from. Here I had the best dinner of the whole trip, their grilled fish is really amazing.



Day Amlapura and night in Canggu

Day 10

Breakfast: Coffee & Thyme is a nice cafe to enjoy freshly brewed coffee and delicious baked products. They offer a lot of vegan options.


Morning:

**Ferry from Gili Trawangan to Padangbai (1h 30min)**


Pura Lempuyang Luhur is one of Bali’s oldest and most highly regarded temples. The entire landscape looks very picturesque, but the gate also known as ‘The Gates of Heaven’ is the main attraction for tourists.



Tirta Gangga is a former royal palace and temple turned into a stunning open water garden sanctuary. Tirta Gangga literally translates to “Water of the Ganges,” Hinduism’s holy river, and is a well-known place of reverence for Hindus. It is a popular tourist attraction and is visited by many tourists and locals, so if you wish to explore this place in solitude, I’d definitely recommend getting there early in the morning.



Afternoon:

**Transfer from Amlapura to Canggu (2h)**

Sunset at La Brisa Bali, located on the foreshore of the iconic Echo Beach, offering stunning decor, sustainably sourced cuisine, and authentic Balinese hospitality. La Brisa is recognized as one of the most popular yet sustainable eco-friendly destinations on the island.




Hotel: Rama Village (Canggu)


2 days in Uluwatu

Day 11

Hotel: Kelana Uluwatu Breakfast: Crate Cafe is one of the best breakfast spots in Canggu. Here you can try really creative dishes, in an amazing open air location. I recommend you to try "Cratezy"; vegan fluffy pancakes with coconut whip and strawberries.



Morning:

**Tranfer from Canggu to Uluwatu (50 min)**


Uluwatu Temple, locally known as Pura Luhur Uluwatu (with Luhur meaning ‘something of divine origin’) is one of the most popular spots if you’re embarking on a cultural journey of the region and provides a true slice of Balinese culture. It’s renowned for its magnificent location. Perched atop a steep cliff approximately 70 metres above the crashing ocean below, it makes for the most beautiful backdrop at sunset.



Suluban Beach is one of the most spectacular beaches on the island which can be found in Uluwatu. Suluban Beach is world-renowned for its left-hand point break which is very popular among surfers. Suluban Beach Cave is the main entry and exit point for surfers who are game enough to surf Uluwatu’s famous left-hand break at Blue Point Beach. This beach is not the most ideal spot for swimming or sunbathing, but absolutely worth a visit.



Padang Padang Beach is one of Bali’s most famous surf spots but it's also nice for relaxing and a quick deep in the water. If you are lucky, you can also assist to religious ceremonies in this beach.



Karang Boma Cliff, just around the corner from Nyang Nyang Beach, has become a super famous sunset spot in Bali. View wise you can look out as far as the eye can see into the Indian Ocean and round a little to other Uluwatu hot spots.


Pantai Nyang Nyang is one of the cleanest and most beautiful beaches in Bali, characterized by glistening white sand and turquoise waters. It’s the perfect place for taking a dip in the ocean, going for long walks along the beach, working on the perfect tan and getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city.


Lunch: Warung Bejana is a great location for a traditional lunch. My balinese driver suggest me to try this restaurant.



Afternoon: Sunset at Uluwatu Temple

Kecak and fire dance performances are held at the Uluwatu Temple every evening at an amphitheatre nearby, where a troupe of around 75 male dancers descend onto the stage with extended arms and shaking hands, chanting a ‘chak!’ chorus repeatedly. As the sun goes down, fire becomes an increasing component of the ritual.



Day 12

Last strolls around Uluwatu and back to Bali airport 😞 (30-40min by car)

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