Bali is one of the most popular islands in Indonesia and is visited by thousands of tourists from all over the world every month. The main season starts in March and lasts until October.

Bali offers its tourists amazing nature, coastline, beautiful culture and a very specific and tasty cuisine. Many people travel here for a few weeks, so we’ve put together a 2 week itinerary that includes some of the best the island has to offer.

Of course, it is not possible to explore all the areas and visit all the beautiful places in this time, but it is still enough time to fall in love with the island. So let’s get to it.

Our 14-day itinerary includes 13 nights divided as follows:

• 3 nights Uluwatu
• 2 nights Nusa Penida island
• 3 nights Ubud
• 3 nights Munduk
• 2 nights Canggu

You’ll really enjoy everything with this itinerary. The beautiful coastline and great vibes in Uluwatu, the gorgeous beaches and snorkeling in Nusa Penida, the enchanting nature and rice fields in Ubud, or the breathtaking waterfalls in Munduk. Finish your holiday in tourist favourite Canggu, where you’ll enjoy luxury restaurants, beach clubs and the best shopping places.

Canggu

How else to end your holiday in Bali than in the most famous Canggu? This is where you’ll find the best beach clubs, nightlife, a large number of fancy cafes, restaurants and boutiques.

There are also markets where you can buy beautiful souvenirs. We definitely recommend La Brisa Market, which is open every Sunday.

If you’re not in Canggu on a Sunday, an alternative is the Canggu Center Market, which is located just to the right of La Brisa and is open every day.

The island of Bali is one of the most popular islands in Indonesia and offers its tourists rich nature, vast rice fields, beautiful beaches, but also a diverse culture that penetrate to all aspects of life on the island.

Among other things, you’ll also enjoy very tasty cuisine here, and the home-style Warungs (a sign for a family restaurant or business) will serve you great Mie Goreng (noodles with chicken and vegetables) or Chicken Satay (chicken skewer with peanut sauce) for less than 3€.

However, it is also a place that you need to prepare for in advance. We bring you 10 things you should definitely know before your trip.

5. Never brush your teeth with tap water

I’m sure you’ve heard of the term Bali Belly. These are stomach problems that torture large number of tourists. The reasons may be different, but very often it is mainly due to the consumption of unfiltered water, fresh vegetables or drinks with ice.

It is important to remember that our bodies are used to different standards of hygiene and therefore we need to be very careful in some Asian countries. We therefore recommend brushing your teeth exclusively with bottled water from the store.

7. For boat trips we recommend the Bookaway!

If you decide to explore the surrounding islands such as Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, or the Gili Islands, you will probably be moving by boat. Boats to these islands run several times a day and usually depart from Sanur Bali port or Padang Bay port.

The ideal way to book your tickets is online through Bookaway platform. There you’ll find all the time schedules and companies that run, so you simply pick a time and day that suits you and hooray for your next adventure.

9. You will have only 2 minutes to take a photo at the viewpoints or temples

As Bali is visited by thousands of tourists every month, the main spots are packed with crowds of people from early in the morning. At a temple like Lempuyang, for example, you’ll wait 2 hours for them to call your number and you’ll have exactly 3 poses – then the next one goes.

You need to prepare in advance and consider whether visiting such tourist spots is worth it for you. There are still less crowded places in Bali that you can enjoy to the fullest. However, if you decide to go to the most famous spots, we definitely recommend going early in the morning or before sunset.

Is it even possible to visit Bali without taking a day trip to Nusa Penida? Our answer is definitely no!

Where to stay in Nusa Penida?

Despite the fact that you can get from one side of the island to the other in 1 hour if the traffic is good, there are several areas to live.

Toya Pakeh harbour area

During our stay on Nusa Penida, we stayed just 300 metres from Toya Pakeh harbour. The great advantage of this area was that we could get from the port to our accommodation very quickly and easily without a taxi.

Another advantage was the many restaurants, shops and cafes that were located there. It was the perfect starting point for us to explore this beautiful island. We stayed at Ari La Casa and paid 15€ per night for two (without breakfast). The accommodation was modest, but it was clean, had air-conditioning and the sweetest owner! We also rented a scooter from him, so we highly recommend it.

Ped area

Located just a few minutes by scooter from the marina. It stretches along the coast, so you’ll find plenty of beach bars and restaurants with a view.

Sampalan & Batununggul area

Sampalan is one of the largest towns on the island, which is the main point for all ferry boats coming to Nusa Penida. Overall, the Sampalan and Batununggul area has many accommodation options as well as restaurants and bars for tourists. It is an ideal place for couples, but also for families with children.

Crystal Bay

If you want to visit the most beautiful spots on the island and you don’t want to move around too much, the Crystal Bay area might be the perfect place for you. This is because it is really close to the most famous place Kelingking Beach. From here you can also enjoy beautiful sunsets.

Well, let’s go to the most beautiful things this island has to offer. We bring you the TOP 8 most beautiful places you must see.

Diamond Beach

Another beautiful and very famous beach on the island is Diamond Beach. Again, we recommend visiting early in the morning to avoid the crowds and the extremely full roads, which are not in the best shape.

Entrance to Diamond Beach is 2€ per person + 0,3€ for parking. However, you also get a bottle of water with the entrance fee. There is much better terrain leading to the beach than the previous Kelingking Beach and the hike is also shorter.

You can get down to the beach in about 15-20 min. Again, we recommend bringing suitable sports shoes to help you tackle the last part of the route much easier. There is also a small buffet on the beach where you can buy a drink and a snack.

Tree house “Rumah Pohon”

Another popular spot on the island is the tree house. When we saw photos and videos from there on social media, we thought it was just another fancy place that is absolutely not worth visiting. We even read on the internet that if you go there during the day, you have to wait in line for more than an hour. When you finally get to your turn, you are limited to 3 minutes to take pictures and enjoy this famous house. Crazy, right?

So we decided to visit this place at sunrise. So we got up in the morning and arrived a little after 6:00 am. We were there first! This place was truly magical and actually looks like something out of a fairy tale.

You will pay 1,5€ per person + 0,3€ for parking. However, if you want to take a photo or video with the house, you will pay an additional 4,5€. It may happen that if there are two of you they will ask you for 2 x 4,5€, which is really a bit too much for us. We very nicely explained to them that whether there was 1 person or two in the photo it is the same and so we only paid once.

Teletubbies Hill

A lesser known spot on the island that is not visited by hundreds of tourists a day is Teletubbies Hill. It is called so mainly because of the rounded hills, which are reminiscent of the hills from the children’s TV show Teletubbies. There is no entrance fee at this place – not even for parking.

Broken Beach

Broken Beach gets its name because of a specific arch that creates a beautiful lagoon with turquoise water under the arch. It is located on the southwestern edge of Nusa Penida. However, the beach itself is not open to tourists, so you can only enjoy the views from above.

You can get there in 5 minutes from the car park. To get to the parking lot, however, you will have to walk down a very unpleasant rocky road, so if you are on a scooter you need to be very careful. There is no entrance fee, you will pay 0,3€ for parking. There is also a large number of restaurants and shops nearby.

Manta Bay a Manta Point

A very popular activity that many people travel to this island for is snorkelling with the Manta Rays. On the island you will find a large number of companies that offer this kind of tour. Some go out to Manta Bay, others to Manta Point.

What is the difference between them? We asked our local owner directly about this at the accommodation. If you want to have a better chance of seeing manta rays you should definitely go to Manta Point. The chances are up to 90% (50% for Manta Bay).

Another difference is the overall condition for snorkelling. Manta Bay is located just 20 minutes from Toya Pakeh Harbour, around Broken Beach and Angel Billabong. The water there is relatively shallow, so the manta rays are very easy to see from the boat. However, you need to be prepared for a huge number of boats and tourists. Manta Point is a little further away, about 45 minutes from Toya Pakeh harbour, but the chances of seeing manta rays are much higher. However, it is necessary to prepare for deeper and colder water, i.e. more difficult conditions for snorkelling. Full body neoprene is recommended. The best season for snorkelling is May to November.

Gastronomy on Nusa Penida

We tried quite a few restaurants on Nusa Penida. Since we stayed near the Toya Pakeh marina, our recommendations will be mainly related to restaurants in the area.

If you are looking for international cuisine such as burger or pizza, we recommend Happy Eating Penida. Sunny Cafe Penida has a very good selection of Mexican food and a great breakfast menu. Wyn’s Penida Café offers a great evening atmosphere with live music. We tried the tuna steak there and it was great. As we already mentioned, for breakfast or brunch we definitely recommend The Chill Penida, where you can easily spend a few hours.