Holiday on Bali
When you google for nice things to see and do on Bali, you will always find the same 10 things. And there is so much more to enjoy on Bali. I am visiting Bali for 10 years now and I have collected the hidden gems for myself. On this page you will find these other (less touristic) points of interest.
Since I always stay in Ubud, most sightseeings are in and around Ubud.
Google maps
Most hidden gems I placed on my google maps. My favorites are here. Just open it and you will see immediate the distance to your present location.
Ubud
Ubud is a small city in the center of Bali. There is no beach nor sea. It is much more green than the overcrowded places like Kuta and Seminyak.
Many art objects can be found in and around Ubud. There are a lot meditation and yoga classes around. There are several vegan (and even raw-vegan) restaurants around. As a result you will find the more cultural interested tourists in Ubud. Beer drinking Aussies go to Seminyak.
Ubud is situated in an old vulcanic area. You will find many steep roads with a lot of green nature and ricefields.
Transport
Ubud has a high temperature (31 Celsius), the Humidity is high and the roads are steep and very narrow and very busy. As a result you can not bycicle. The best thing is to rent a scooter for $ 6 per day or $ 40 per month. Or take a taxi. Most taxi's are scooters. Taxi's are very cheap at Bali.
Scooter
I have not seen electro scooters yet. Most scooters are 110 cc petrol scooters. Petrol is cheap. For driving such a scooter, you need to have an international driving license for motorcycles. Nobody will check but in case you have an accident, the is no insurance company that will pay if you dont have the international driving license. In The Netherlands you can obtain it at ANWB for $ 17,50.
From the airport
The distance from the airport to Ubud is 20 Km and a taxi takes 1 hour for that. Traffic is slow on Bali. A taxi will cost 350.000 Rupiah ($ 21). Whatsapp +6287762747374 for Madé taxi in Denpasar. Book in advance while you are still home.
Food
In and around Ubud you will find hundreds of small restaurants (Warung makan) where you can enjoy many different types of food. You can eat a Nasi Goreng or a Satéh for $ 0.60 or you can have a rijsttafel (Nasi Campur) for $ 5. If you also order a bottle of beer that beer can be more expensive than the food.
Some of my favorites:
Warung Mangga Madu.
My favorite is Paddy Point
Streetfood at the pasar Sengol; after a 2 km walk through the ricefields.
Bali Luwih is good en low-priced.
Around Tegallalang is the green Kubu in the ricefields recommended.
Sayan Point serves Wagyu steak for $9 (as well as many other dishes).
shopping center
The Bintang supermarket is on 1800 meters distance from the Penastanan area in Ubud. Open till 22.00 and they have a huge assortment (also bread) for a reasonable price.
In the direction of Tegallalang is the Delta Dewata Supermarket, also with a huge assortment.
Campuhan love trail
The Campuhan hike trail is known under the local young people as "The Love Hill". It is a beautiful walk through the nature and you will enjoy the views from there. Many young boys and girls will be seen there, declaring their love to each other.
Entrance is at the Jalan Raya Ubud (the main street) just over the bridge. It is the same entrance as the Ibah bungalows besides the Ubud clinical center.
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Rafting in Ubud
There are several organizers of rafting and you will find many offerings along the streets for $ 75.00 per person. The trip is on de Ayung river. They pick you up at the cottages at 10.00 am and bring back at 14.30 pm. Included is the transport to the starting point, the rafting, a good lunch and bringing you back again. Not included is a drink halfway on the riverside and you should also give a tip to your driver and boatman.
The rafting itself takes 2 hours (10 km) and you can get out for a shower under a waterfall, you see beautiful carvings on the side of the Ayung river and you get very wet. At the finish there are showers (towel included) where you can shower and change for dry clothes. It is a safe and fun thing to do for all ages.
Lowest price is $ 29 / person (300.000 Rupiah) and they will ask you not to talk with others about this price since most persons pay 75 USD.
Look at Gangga, New gangga whitewater, Red paddle, they are all close to each other in the same street and there are many more.
Walk through the rice-fields
If you walk from Penestanan into Ubud citycenter, you will see before the royal palace on your left hand the Puri Lukisan Museum of modern Balinese art. Just behind the museum starts the Subak Juwuk Manis trail with beautiful views over the ricefields. There is a café and a warung along this trail. If you turn on the right at the T-split you walk back to the mainroad Jalan Kajeng that leads to Café Lotus on Jalan Raya Ubud (which means Main street Ubud).
Classical dance of Bali
In the royal palace (Jalan Raya Ubud) is every thursday from 07.30 pm till 08.45 pm a classical dance with Gammelan music. Entrance fee is 100.000 Rupiah ( 7 euro). This is the best classical dance on Bali and it is very strongly recommended.
There seems to be on another location (few hundred meters from the royal palace) every day a classical dance, but I haven't found the location yet.
Transport
Madé taxi in Denpasar Whatsapp +6287762747374
Mardika taxi in Ubud Penastanan Kaja Whatsapp +6282236239436
Putu Sudiarta taxi in Lovina Whatsapp +6281558553208.
There is a tourist-bus from Perama. The bus brings you from Ubud to many destinations at Bali. However, if you travel with multiple persons you'd better take a private taxi. I did take the bus from Ubud to Lovina to watch the dolfins and go snorkelling. I did stay in Puri Mandhara Lovina (basic resort close to the beach).
Teman Bus: since 2022 there is a public bus on Bali, named: Teman Bus. The price is 4400 Rupiah per trip (independant from the trip-length). You must have the App on your phone, connected to the local payment system. Here is the road-map. It only works if you have an Indonesian SIM-card.
Vulcano
Mount Agung is the largest vulcano on Bali. It is still active. Height 3142 meters.
Many tourists are going there to see the sunset at 5 o'clock in the morning. So you'll have to travel there the day before to see the sunset. On that height it is terribly cold early morning, so be prepared and take a jersey, long pants and a jacket with you.
Mount Batur is also active and is only 1717 meters high. This vulcano is suited for a daytrip from Ubud. It is possible to do sunrise-trekking there. It takes 1 hour and 15 minutes from Ubud to Mount Batur and on the road back you can do some sightseeings:
Manuaba waterval
Tegallalang Ricefields
Green Kubu Cafe
Pura Tirta Empul watertemple ($ 6 entrance)
Gunung Kawi 13th century templel ($ 6 entrance)
Genah Melukad Sebatuh holy waterfall
Tangkup Waterfall
Pura Segara Ulun Danu Batur watertemple
This is to much for one day so you have to ask your taxidriver to make a choice for you.
Movies:
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Swimmingpool
On 20 minutes drive (scooter) from Ubud is the 50-meter bath Tirta Arum
Not far from the swimmingpool is the free waterfall air Tejun Pengempu Waterfall . You will be the sole visitor and you can stand under that waterfall in all privacy.
On the road from the pool to the waterfall there are many satéh warungs. Very recommended!
On the road from the pool to the waterfall is the Sangeh monkey-forest. If you go there on working-days it will be very quiet. In the weekend you'll see busses with Indonesian visitors.
Hospital
Hopefully you don't need it. BIMC
Visum 30 days E-VOA 213
Will you stay 30 days or less on Bali? In that case you can buy a VOA (Visum On Arrival) through the website https://evisa.imigrasi.go.id for 519.500 Rupiah ($ 32). On the VOA you will see the date VALID FROM and that is the day that you filled in the form, which is NOT your arrival date.
This 30-day visa can be extended in Denpasar with 30 days extra (totally 60 days). The procedure to extend will take 3/4 of a day and you have to come back 3 times.
It is easier to let an agent do the extension for you. The agent will charge you 600.00 for the services as well as 500.000 for the visa.
The agent is Mrs. Ibu Komang WA +62 813 3864 48576. You will have to travel to Denpasar only one time.
You must extend your visa between 7 and 15 days before it is finished. Not before and not after!
If you extend the visa yourself, you have to print the form from the website
s.id/onstar and there you make an appointment for extending visa. You will receive a confirmation and attached are the forms that you have to fill in with a black (!) ballpoint. So take a black ballpoint with you to Bali.
I now see a link on the evisa website that you can extend your visa through internet. I have no experience with this.
Visa 60 days C1
Starting from 2024 you can apply for a 60-day visa https://evisa.imigrasi.go.id which can be extended one or two times. This C1 visa costs $ 90.
Download the sponsorletter, but I am not sure if this is only for familyvisit and not for tourism.
Customs
The waiting queu on the airport is minimum 30 minutes because they only have 6 computers . You can fill in the custom forms 3 days before your arrival in Bali at home in The Netherlands (or wherever you are). You will receive a QR-code (print it or store on your phone). The following link leads to the customs form:
Well known touristic destinations
On this website you'll find the famous touristic places where you will find parking lots full with touringcars with Indonesian and Foreign tourists. Look here.
Watching the Dolfins in Lovina. I went there and I did not see any Dolfin. But snorkeling was amazing.
Monkey Forest in Ubud is now very touristic. Sangeh monkey-forrest not so far from the Swimming Pool in Blakiuh might be a good alternative. 20 minutes from Ubud.