Asia

Unlike Kelingking beach, Peguyangan Waterfall is not so popular amongst tourists visiting Nusa Penida. However if you love off the beaten path places, I totally recommend checking it out! I was so obsessed with those iconic blue stairs ever since I saw them on Instagram, so it was no question that I will include it on my Nusa Islands itinerary. If you’re planning on doing the same, I got your back! I put together a complete guide about everything you need to know before visiting Peguyangan Waterfall!

How to get to Nusa Penida

From Bali

If you want to reach Nusa Penida from Bali, you need to arrive at Sanur harbour and purchase your tickets at one of the fast-boat operating companies. Depending on which company you choose, the tickets are usually between 150k-250k Rp (9-16€ / 11-18$) for one way.

The boat ride takes like 45 minutes in total and it will take you to Toya Pakeh Harbour in the north-west side of Nusa Penida.

From Nusa Lembongan/Nusa Ceningan

In order to go to Nusa Penida from Nusa Lembongan or Nusa Ceningan, you have to reach the Yellow Bridge. You will find many local boats around the bridge on the Lembongan side that will take you to Nusa Penida.

There is an official ticket desk where you can purchase your tickets. The ticket price is 60k Rp (3.7€ / 4.2$) for one way per person. The boat doesn’t have a fixed timetable, it will depart once it’s full with passengers. It takes around 15 minutes to reach Nusa Penida and you will arrive at Toya Pakeh Harbour.

How to reach Peguyangan Waterfall

Peguyangan Waterfall (referred as Mata Air Guyangan by the locals) is located on the southern coast of Nusa Penida. The nearby attractions are the Tembeling Beach and the Banah Cliff Point on the east and the Manta Point on the west.

The easiest way to get around Nusa Penida is to rent a scooter at the harbour. They usually cost around 75k Rp (5€ / 6$) for a day. Although be prepared for a very bumpy ride! The roads on Nusa Penida are in a really bad condition with many potholes, so they can be very dangerous.

If you don’t have experience in scooter riding I would recommend hiring a private driver or opting for an organized tour. Traveling in a car is not comfortable either, but at least you don’t have to worry about the road conditions. And having a seatbelt together with airco is a huge advantage too!

When to visit Peguyangan Waterfall

Since Peguyangan waterfall is not so insta-famous (yet), you don’t need to worry about the crowd. Therefore you can visit any time of the day, however due to the intense climbing it’s better to do it in the morning when the weather is not so hot.

What to expect at Peguyangan Waterfall

The entrance

There is no entrance fee for visiting Peguyangan Waterfall, however you have to pay 5k Rp (0.3€ / 0.4$) for parking.

At the bottom of the stairs there is a secret temple so you are required to wear a sarong. If you don’t have your own, you can rent it at the entrance for 10k Rp (0.6€ / 0.7$). It can be hard to climb the stairs wearing a sarong, but you can take it off during the climb and put it back on when you reach the temple at the bottom.

You can find a Warung (restaurant) right in front of the entrance selling food and drinks. Definitely buy some water in case you forgot to bring your own, you’re gonna need it!

Getting down on the stairs

A little arch marks the entrance to Peguyangan waterfall and right after you cross it you will see the iconic blue stairway going all the way down along the cliffs. Going down there is not so easy as you have to hike down almost 700 stairs on the hillside. It’s definitely not for the faint-hearted!

The stairs are incredibly small and there are large gaps between them, so you need to watch your steps! But apart from that, the walk down is not dangerous at all. I would recommend wearing comfy shoes for your own safety, but I personally did it in sandals and there was nothing wrong with that either.

It takes like 20-30 minutes until you reach the bottom. You will find many amazing photo opportunities along the road, so it can take a lot longer if you are stopping for a photo in every corner. Couldn’t blame you for this though, the view is just breathtaking!

Arriving to the bottom

If you were expecting a gorgeous waterfall at the bottom, you will be disappointed! Despite the fact the place is called Peguyangan waterfall, there is no waterfall at all. At least not what you would expect.

There are three little spouts marking the entrance to the sacred temple where the locals usually perform water blessings. Don’t expect a big building though, the temple is just a simple gate with a small outside area behind it.

Balinese people believe that if they take a shower under all of the spouts their spirit will be cleaned from evil. First they have to shower under the tree little spouts that marks the entrance. There is a fourth, bigger spout as well, and they have to finish the ceremony under it in order to receive the blessings from the Gods.

There is a small natural rock pool where you can take a dip in the water and admire the huge waves crashing into the cliffs. Watch out for the signs though, if it say “No swimming”, don’t get in the pool!

Getting back up

After you finished exploring the bottom area, it’s time to get back to the top. If you found the hike down difficult, be prepared for an even harder one to climb up! It’s not a piece of cake, especially in the hot sun. Take it slowly and be careful with your steps!

When you finally made it back to the top, sit down at the restaurant with some cold water and relax a little bit. You totally deserve it after a workout like this!

Pin it for later!

I bet you’ve seen thousands pictures already from this T-Rex shaped cliff on Instagram. No wonder that Kelingking Beach has quickly become the most famous spot in Nusa Penida – just look at this view! Visiting this place is a real must have on your Nusa Islands itinerary. Therefore I put together a complete guide for you, so here is everything you need to know about Kelingking beach!

How to get to Nusa Penida

From Bali

If you want to reach Nusa Penida from Bali, you need to arrive at Sanur harbour and purchase your tickets at one of the fast-boat operating companies. Depending on which company you choose, the tickets are usually between 150k-250k Rp (9-16€ / 11-18$) for one way.

The boat ride takes like 45 minutes in total and it will take you to Toya Pakeh Harbour in the north-west side of Nusa Penida.

From Nusa Lembongan/Nusa Ceningan

In order to go to Nusa Penida from Nusa Lembongan or Nusa Ceningan, you have to reach the Yellow Bridge. You will find many local boats around the bridge on the Lembongan side that will take you to Nusa Penida.

There is an official ticket desk where you can purchase your tickets. The ticket price is 60k Rp (3.7€ / 4.2$) for one way per person. The boat doesn’t have a fixed timetable, it will depart once it’s full with passengers. It takes around 15 minutes to reach Nusa Penida and you will arrive at Toya Pakeh Harbour.

How to reach Kelingking Beach

Kelingking Beach is located on the south-west coast of Nusa Penida. The nearby attractions are the Angel’s Billabong and Broken beach on the east and the Banah Cliff point on the west.

The easiest way to get around Nusa Penida is to rent a scooter at the harbour. They usually cost around 75k Rp (5€ / 6$) for a day. Although be prepared for a very bumpy ride! The roads on Nusa Penida are in a really bad condition with many potholes, so they can be very dangerous.

If you don’t have experience in scooter riding I would recommend hiring a private driver or opting for an organized tour. Traveling in a car is not comfortable either, but at least you don’t have to worry about the road conditions. And having a seatbelt together with airco is a huge advantage too!

When to visit Kelingking Beach

As the most famous spot on Nusa Penida, Kelingking beach is a part of every organized day tours. Since this is usually the main attraction,  it can get really crowded during the day.

If you want to avoid the crowds, try to visit outside the operating hours of the tours. That means either early in the morning (the first tour arrives around 9 am), or late afternoon, when most of the tours are already finished (after 4pm). Sunset is another great time for visiting as the spot will be almost empty and the lights at sunset are always fascinating!

What to expect at Kelingking Beach

Kelingking beach was only discovered in 2003 by a few backpackers who traveled through Nusa Penida. The place was still untouched back then, but since it became more and more popular they started to build out the area. However the whole island is still undeveloped compared to Bali, so don’t expect perfect pathways or fancy restaurants.

After you parked your scooter/car, you need to pay a small entrance fee of 10k Rp (0.6€ / 0.7$) per person to access Kelingking Beach. There is a built concrete platform not far away from the parking lot from where you can safely enjoy the breathtaking view.

Fun fact: Kelingking means “Pinkie” in English, as the smallest finger on the hand. I’m not so sure why did they come up with that name, because the shape of the cliff rather looks like a T-Rex than a little finger.

Getting down to the beach

Although the view from the top is jawdropping, you can decide to hike down to the beach as well. If you wish to do that, be prepared for a really hard hike!

First you have to hike down on the spine of the T-Rex and then venture all the way down to the beach. There are some stairs and railings made from sticks and bamboo but they are not very well maintained. The whole path is very steep and it’s easily to fall, so please be super careful!

With that being said, unfortunately visiting the beach is not for everyone. If you have heart problems or you are generally not that fit, it’s best to find another beach to swim at. It takes around an hour to get down to the beach, and it’s not even the hardest part. Getting back up is the real challenge! It can easily take up to 2-3 hours depending on your fitness level.

Oh and one more thing: don’t even think about hiking down in flipflops or sandals! It’s really challenging even in proper shoes, so only do it at your own risk! 

If you manage to hike all the way down to the bottom, you will be rewarded with an incredible white sandy beach and turquoise water. However the waves are usually very strong and unpredictable, so swimming is not really option here. But at least the view is really one of a kind!

Pin it for later!

The Nusa Islands consist of three little islands: Nusa Ceningan, Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida. While most people visit only Nusa Penida as a day trip from Bali, I highly recommend visiting all the 3 islands! With this perfect Nusa Islands itinerary you can cover all the must see spots in 3 days!

The Perfect Nusa Islands Itinerary for 3 Days

Local people say that the Nusa Islands are the perfect place to see how Bali was like 20 years ago, before it became a tourist hotspot. And it’s really true: the Nusa Islands have such a raw beauty that you won’t believe your own eyes!

Read more: The Ultimate Bali Travel Guide for First-timers

Day 1 : Nusa Lembongan & Nusa Ceningan

In order to get to Nusa Lembongan, you have to catch a boat at Sanur harbour. There are many options to choose from, but the fast boats are the most popular choice as they only need like 45 minutes to reach Lembongan. Check out Scoot or Rocky for prices and timetables.

Getting around the Nusa Lembongan is pretty easy. You can walk around if you have time (and if you can bear the harsh sunshine) but you can also rent a scooter or barter with the local taxi drivers to save time.

Devil's Tear

Since we didn’t have any experience with scooter riding, we opted for a taxi. Finding a taxi around the harbour was not so hard, so we asked for a ride to the Devil’s Tear, since this was the first stop on our Nusa Islands itinerary. 

The Devil’s Tear located in the south-west corner of the island. It’s a pretty cool spot! When the waves crush against the rocky coastline they create a massive water spray explosion with thousands mini waterfalls pouring back to the ocean. Try not to stay close to the edge because the waves are really strong and completely unpredictable!

Dream beach

Dream beach is just a few minutes walk from the Devil’s Tear. It’s the most popular beach on Nusa Lembongan and it’s the perfect spot to chill and have a dip in the ocean. 

If you don’t want to spend hours on the beach it’s better to ask your taxi driver to wait for you until you’re done with your sightseeing! Although the parking lot will be full with cars, those are all from organized tours, hence they already have passengers. Practically there is no free taxi waiting around the beach, so we had a really hard time finding another ride. So it’s better to organize something in advance or you may have to walk from this point!

Yellow bridge

The Yellow Bridge connects Nusa Lembongan with Nusa Ceningan, it is the only connection between the two islands. As you can see in the below photo it’s pretty narrow, so it is only suitable for scooters or pedestrians.

That also means, that there are no cars on Nusa Ceningan! You can continue riding your scooter or you can walk, but you will have no option to take a taxi.

Blue Lagoon

The Blue Lagoon is located in the most southern part of Nusa Ceningan. This spot is famous for its crystal clear turquise water and the amazing rock formations along the coastline. Since we didn’t have a scooter we couldn’t make it all the way down to the Blue Lagoon in time, because we had to get back to catch the last boat to Nusa Penida. But we found some amazing beach swings on the road!

Arriving to Nusa Penida

After you are done with the sightseeing on Nusa Ceningan, head back to the yellow bridge and cross over to Nusa Lembongan again. You can find some local boats around the bridge that will take you to Nusa Penida for your overnight stay.

There is an official ticket desk where you can purchase your tickets. The ticket price is 60,000 Rp (3.7 EUR / 4.2 USD) for one way per person. The boat doesn’t have a fixed timetable, it will depart once it’s full with passengers (although it happens quickly).

It takes around 15 minutes to reach Nusa Penida, you will arrive at Toya Pakeh Harbour. I recommend staying on Nusa Penida for 2 nights, we choose to stay around the harbour to save time on the transportation.

Day 2: Nusa Penida - South

Nusa Penida is a pretty big island with many amazing viewpoints, so you will need at least 2 full days to explore everything. I recommend breaking down your itinerary for 2 days and visiting the southern side of Nusa Penida in one day, and the eastern side in another day.

You need to rent a scooter or hire a private driver to take you around the island. The roads are in a really bad condition, they have many potholes and they are so bumpy that you can easily feel sick while driving. Therefore don’t believe what Google maps says about the driving times, it’s a lot more in reality! Furthermore, there is no coastal route, so you always have to venture back to the inland and go back out again.

As I mentioned before, we didn’t have any experience with scooter riding so we chose the most safest option and hired a private driver. It was a really good decision, especially after seeing the condition of the roads..

Peguyangan Waterfall

Peguyangan Waterfall is located at the bottom of some huge cliffs, in order to reach it you need to climb down almost 700 stairs on the hillside. The iconic blue stairway is really narrow and steep, so it’s definitely not for the faint-hearted. But the view along the road is incredible! Oh, and don’t expect any waterfalls down there – the name is only symbolical. 

Read more: Peguyangan Waterfall, Nusa Penida – The Ultimate Guide

Banah Cliff Point

Banah Cliff is an epic viewpoint along the coastline. Actually there are two different lookout points: the Panorama Viewpoint and the Banah Cliff Viewpoint. Both of them offer an incredible view of the surrounding cliffs and the shimmering blue ocean!

Kelingking Beach

Kelingking Beach with the T-Rex shaped cliff is all over on Instagram, this is the most famous spot in Nusa Penida. Visiting this place is a real must have on your Nusa Islands itinerary!

The view from the top is breathtaking, although you can decide to hike down to the beach as well. If you wish to do that, be prepared for a really hard hike! It takes about an hour to get down and the walk is very steep and only secured by a bamboo rail. Don’t even think about hiking down in flipflops or sandals!

Read more: Kelingking Beach, Nusa Penida – The Ultimate Guide

Angel's Billabong

Angel’s Billabong is an incredibly clear tide pool where you can also have a dip in the water. But you have to be very careful and only do it at your own risk! Always watch out for the signs and only get in the pool when the tide is really low. Don’t stay close to the edge, as the high waves can easily swipe you out to the open ocean. Don’t believe me? Check out these videos (especially the second one) and see it for yourself!

Broken Beach

Broken Beach is right next to Angel’s Billabong, you have to walk just a few minutes to reach it. There is an amazing archway that creates a natural pool  by allowing the water to flow in and out from the ocean. You are not allowed to swim there, in fact you can’t even go down to the beach, but you can walk around the natural pool.

Crystal Bay

If you still have some time left, make a little detour to Crystal Bay on your way back to Toya Pakeh harbour. Unfortunately we didn’t have time for that, but it would have been a perfect sunset point!

Day 3: Nusa Penida - North

Goa Giri Putri

Goa Giri Putri is a cave temple located on the northern coast of Nusa Penida. Since it’s a religious place, you always have to wear a sarong (you can also rent it, if you don’t have your own).

The entrance is only through a small crack in the rock and you have to crawl through it to reach the cave. Inside you will find a huge temple courtyard and that is always filled with locals praying and participating on ceremonies.

Thousand Islands Viewpoint (Pulau Seribu)

The Thousand Islands Viewpoint offers the most breathtaking view on the island. There are several viewpoints in the area, you have to climb down the steep stairway to reach them. There are no words that describe how beautiful the view is.. I had to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming!

Rumah Pohon Treehouse

The Rumah Pohon Treehouse is also a part of the Thousand Islands Viewpoint. This spot was my ultimate favourite viewpoint on our Nusa Islands itinerary! You can actually rent it for an overnight stay as well, check out booking.com for more info.

Atuh Beach

Atuh Beach is really close to the Thousand Island Viewpoint so it’s the perfect place if you want to include some beach time in your Nusa Islands itinerary. It can be accessed from the right and the left side as well, but in both cases you have to climb down on a long stairway.

Diamond Beach

If you park on the right side of Atuh Beach then you will have access to Diamond Beach as well. Like in Atuh Beach, you also have to hike down on a long stairway to reach Diamond beach. Both beaches are amazing so it’s really up to you which one you choose!

Pin it for later!

To be honest with you I knew almost nothing about Bali before I visited. Sure, I’ve seen million pictures of this dream island, I knew that every proper Instagrammer had been there at least once and I saw Eat, Pray, Love, but that was it. If you are like me, I have some good news for you: in this Ultimate Bali Travel Guide I collected everything that you need to know if you are visiting Bali for the first time! So let’s dive in!

If you wanna know how I planned my Bali trip head over to my Step-by Step Travel Planning Guide where I explained everything in details!

The Ultimate Bali Travel Guide for First-timers

Location

Bali is located in the Indian ocean, it’s by far the most famous of the more than 17,000 islands of Indonesia. The island sits east of Java (the most populous island of the world) and west of Lombok. I know it seems like a tiny island on the map, but actually Bali is pretty big: it’s 145 km long and 80 km wide. Apart from the main island, the Nusa Islands (Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Ceningan and Nusa Penida) also belong to Bali.

Population

Bali is home to more than 4.2 million people. About 90% of the population are Balinese, the other ethnic groups are Javanese, Baliaga and Madurase.

Languange

The official language is Indonesian, but many people use the Balinese language in the everyday life. English is widely used as well, due to the high level of tourism.

Religion

Indonesia is the biggest Muslim country in the world, accounting for 13% of the world’s total Muslims. Bali is the only exception, as it is the only Hindu island on Indonesia. Actually this is not the standard Hindu religion, it’s rather a Balinese Hinduism: it’s kind of a mixture of local beliefs and Hindu influences.

Balinese people live in a magic world of people, spirits, gods and demons. I was so surprised to see how deeply religious they are! There are over 20,000 temple in Bali and you can’t go anywhere without seeing countless offerings to the gods and spirits. They seriously believe in karma, that life is governed by a system of cause and effect, action and reaction. Their religion and culture is really interesting, so try to learn about them as much as you can while you are there!

Visa

If you only want to visit Bali for less than 30 days then you don’t have to apply for a visa and you can enter for free. However this is only true for like 170 countries, so please check the official list before arriving, just to be on the safe side. 

The free visa can’t be extended, so you need to leave Bali when your 30 days are over. Of course you can stay longer than that with another type of visa, visit the official immigration website of Indonesia for more info about this topic.

Money in Bali

Currency

The official local currency in Bali is the Indonesian Rupiah (IDR or Rp). The amounts in rupiah are usually very large because of all the zeros. 1 USD is like 15,000 Rp, while 1 EUR is around 16,150 Rp. Therefore the prices are often given with the thousands implied and left off of the end. So when someone says “one hundred”, they most likely mean 100,000 Rp (around 7 USD or 6 EUR).

Cash is the king in Bali, therefore you always need to carry around some cash in your pocket. You can generally pay with credit cards at most of the hotels and cafes in the urban area, but you will need cash for everything else. The largest denomination is the 100,000 Rp banknote, so your wallet will always be stuffed with a lot of banknotes. Make sure you don’t bring your tiniest wallet with you!

ATMs

You can easily find ATMs in the popular travel hubs, but once you are out you will have a hard time finding a machine in the countryside. So it’s better to stack up on cash while you are in a more touristy area.

ATMs typically charge you a transaction fee for every transaction. Fortunately it’s not that much, but the bad news is that there is a daily withdrawal limit. It can be different depending on what kind of ATM you use, but it’s usually between 1.5-2.5 million Rp (around 100-170 USD or 90-150 EUR). So basically you have to pick up cash from an ATM almost every day (or you can use different credit cards, if you have more).

Important note: There are some ATMs that deliver your cash first, and your credit card after. If you are coming from a place that it’s the other way around, you have to pay attention not to leave your card in the machine. Unfortunately we managed to lost a credit card, most likely for this reason. So learn from our mistake!

Exchange

Of course you can exchange all the major currencies into rupiahs at the airport or banks, but you always have to pay a commission fee and the exchange rates are not always in your favour. Generally using an ATM is a better option, but it’s really up to you.

Technically US dollars are not accepted in Indonesia, however you can almost always use them in reality. You will always have to pay more in dollars (because you obviously can’t pay 1.2 USD, so you will pay 2), but it’s good to have a plan B if you accidentally run out of rupiahs.

Best time to visit Bali

Bali is located a few degrees south of the equator, therefore it has a tropical climate all year around. It means that the weather is always hot and humid and there are only two main seasons: the dry season and the rainy season.

Generally the rainy season is between November and March, but it can vary a bit from year to year. During this time it usually rains a couple of hours in the morning and a couple of hours in the afternoon, so you can still have some rain-free hours during the day if you are lucky. Nevertheless I still wouldn’t recommend this period for traveling, especially if you are a first-timer.

Bali is always busy during holidays like Easter or Christmas. July and August are usually crowded too, because of the national school holidays in Indonesia. So if you’re not a fan of mass tourism I would avoid these periods as well.

Based on all this, the best time to visit is May, June, or September. You will have a pleasant weather with almost no rain, and the beaches and famous sites will not be that crowded either.

October can still be a good time, we also visited at the end of October. We were really lucky with the weather, because it only rained on our last day. On the other hand, our driver said that this time last year it was constantly raining all day long and it didn’t stop for days. So be careful with October, it can really be a hit or miss.

How much time do you need to spend in Bali

Anywhere from between one week and a few months. Seriously! We spent 8 days in Bali and it felt really short! We managed to cover all the famous sites but in exchange we spent almost no time at the beach and we were extremely tired at the end. Needless to say, it was totally worth it!

Based on my own experience, I would say 2 weeks would be the optimal amount of time. Of course it highly depends on what you want to see and do. If you are only looking for beautiful beaches and you wish to relax all day long, one week could be enough. However there are so many wonderful sites to explore and various activities to do, that you will need at least 2 weeks if you really wanna see the best of Bali.

Transportation in Bali

Public transportation

Public transportation is basically non-existent in Bali. All right, this is not exactly true: there are some public minibuses called bemo. If you are in a really adventurous mode and you wanna try getting around like a local, you can opt for a ride. But for real transportation I wouldn’t consider this as an option.

Bikes

Renting a bicycle is possible, but Bali is far too big for biking around. But if you wanna explore the countryside close to your accommodation, it can be a great way to get around.

Scooters

The cheapest and most popular way of transportation is renting a scooter. However, if you don’t have an experience in scooter riding I wouldn’t recommend it. 

Why? Because the traffic is crazy! Cars, scooters, chickens, dogs, all sharing the same lane and they are coming from every direction possible. No matter where you go, the streets are always full with scooters and the roads are often in a really bad condition. Scooter accidents are not exceptional, and trust me, you don’t want to spend your holiday lying in the hospital (if there’s any).

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against scooters at all. I’m just saying you have to be really, really prepared and have a ton of experience before trying to get around this way. So please be safe!

Taxi

You can find a taxi practically anywhere, and it works the same way as it does in Europe or America. In Bali, almost everyone is a taxi driver. Seriously. You will be constantly asked by the locals where are you headed and if you will need a ride. Everyone will be glad to take you anywhere.

There are two type of taxis in Bali: the Bluebird taxis, and the rest. The Bluebird taxis always go by the meter and they are safe to use. They even have their own app which you can download, and after registration you can summon a taxi as you please.

The non-Bluebird taxis on the other hand are often corrupt, and they usually play dirty tricks with the tourists, like claiming to have a broken meter or taking you on a longer road to pay more.

Side note: Uber and Grab are illegal to use in Bali. I’ve heard stories that despite the ban they still operate, but I don’t know if it’s true or not. However I do know that there were signs all over Bali about these two being illegal. So please don’t use them!

Private driver

I think having a private driver in Bali is the best option ever, especially if you are a first-timer and you don’t have any experience in scooter riding. It is generally more expensive than renting a scooter, but in exchange it takes away all the stress and you don’t have worry about transportation during your stay.

We also decided to hire a private driver and I’m so glad we did! I received a recommendation from another Hungarian girl and that’s how we found Putu. He is the sweetest guy ever!

I contacted him while we were still at home. Like I mentioned before I’m a big planner, so I’ve already planned most of our itinerary before we first spoke. Therefore we only needed to finalize the program I had in mind and he helped me organize every little detail. So by the time we arrived to Bali we already had a perfect itinerary and everything was taken care of.

How does it work in real life?

To be honest I had no clue how does it work in the real life and I received many questions about it, so I will share my experience. When we arrived at the airport Putu was already there, waiting for us. He took us into our hotel (since it was already late afternoon) and we agreed on which time he should pick us up the next day.

The next morning came, he picked us up as we agreed, and from that point he was always with us until he took us back to the hotel at the end of the day. He drove us from location to location, and while we were away exploring he waited us in the car, or spent the time with other drivers (who were waiting for their clients as well). Yes, even when we were out for hours! Sometimes he even joined us exploring the area, so he could tell us stories about the place and about the Balinese life in general.

He was really flexible with the timing as well. We wanted to do a lot of sunrise tours so he usually picked us up very early. And by that I mean very, very early. Like 1am or 3am in the morning. Yes, you’ve read it right! (I know, you must think I’m crazy. Wait until you see my sunrise pictures!) The only general rule is that they don’t work more than 14 hours in a day, which is totally understandable.

Long story short, I really can’t recommend enough to have a private driver. Everything was just so perfect!

What to wear in Bali

Despite Bali is a very religious island, there is no strict dress code for tourists. The only exceptions are the religious sites where you always have to wear a sarong (and a scarf, if your shoulders are not covered by your clothes). Don’t worry if you don’t own a sarong, you can always rent it for a small amount of money at every religious site.

As I mentioned before, the weather in Bali is always hot and humid. Therefore you will most likely stroll around in shorts and T-shirts, or dresses. Try to pack light-weight cotton and loose clothes! A beach hat or baseball cap is also a good idea to protect your head from the sun.

Regarding shoes, you can almost always wear flip-flops or sandals. But having a comfy sneaker in your suitcase is a huge bonus if you wanna go for a hike. If you plan to hike Mount Batur, you should prepare with some warm clothes too! I know it sounds weird to pack a jacket and a warmer sweater for Bali, but trust me, you’re gonna need it. 

Best things to do in Bali

Okay, this is a very hard questions to answer. There are just so much things to do in Bali! I’m planning to write much more detailed posts about the places we visited (which I will link here of course), so this is just a rough guide about what to expect in the different areas of Bali.

South Bali

The southern side of Bali is the most touristy area on the island. Denpasar (the capital city of Bali) is located here together with the Ngurah Rai International Airport. South Bali is packed with beautiful beaches, posh cafes, fancy restaurants and cool party places.

Best spots: Kuta, Seminyak, Canggu, Uluwatu, Jimbaran

Central Bali

The central area is the cultural heart of Bali and it is also the most picturesque side of the island. Central Bali is home to many beautiful temples, deep river gorges, unbelievably green rice terraces and gorgeous waterfalls.

Best spots: Ubud, Campuhan Ridge Walk, Tegalalang rice terraces, Jatiluwih rice terraces, Pura Tirta Empul, Tegenungan waterfall, Kanto Lampo waterfall

East Bali

East Bali is dominated by the largest volcano in the island: Mount Agung. This is a very active volcano with constant eruptions, therefore it is not allowed to visit. But it’s little brother, Mount Batur (who is also an active volcano) is still safe and open for hiking. The nearby area is really beautiful and it is home to some of the island’s oldest villages. 

Best spots: Mount Agung, Mount Batur, Pura Luhur Lempuyang (Gate of Heaven), Tirta Gangga Royal Water Garden

North Bali

The northern side of Bali is really different from the rest of the island. The climate is more foggy and rainy, therefore you can see many cloudy lakes, misty mountains and lush jungle waterfalls.

Best spots: Munduk Moding Plantation, Wanagiri Hidden Hill,  Pura Ulun Danu Bratan, Banyumala twin waterfalls, Sekumpul waterfall, Handara gate

Nusa Islands

Local people say that the Nusa Islands are the perfect place to see how Bali was like 20 years ago, before it became a tourist hotspot. And it’s really true: the Nusa Islands have such a raw beauty and they are (mostly) still untouched and not packed with tourists. 

Best spots: Kelingking beach, Rumah Pohon treehouse, Peguyangan Waterfall, Angel’s Billabong, Broken beach, Devil’s Tear, Blue lagoon

Read more: The Perfect Nusa Islands Itinerary for 3 Days

Bali Travel Guide - Summary

So these are all the important things you need to know for planning your dream holiday in Bali. Hope you guys liked them and this Bali travel guide will help you to make the most of your visit at this postcard perfect place!

If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment below or send me an email, I always love helping you out! Have you already visited Bali? Leave your comments and tips below!

xoxo, Kriszti

Pin it for later!

Before I’m getting all into my travel stories I thought it would be a good start to talk about the planning phase, because it’s super important. I love planning! For me it is a huge part of the traveling itself and I believe that a good planning is always essential for having a great trip. So let’s see how I’ve planned my first visit to Asia!

Step 1. : Find your travel destination

There are usually two options when it comes to travel. Either you know the exact place you want to visit and you are flexible with the date or you have a specific date and you are searching for the right place to travel to. If the first option is valid for you, you should jump switch up Step 2 with Step 3!

Since we had some nice long weekends in the end of October it was the second option for us. This way we could have a 16 days long holiday with using only 6 days from our personal vacation days. Sounds awesome, right?

I’ve never been to Asia before so I was sure I wanted to start looking in that direction. But let me tell you something: October is not the best time for visiting Asia (Southeast Asia in particular) because the weather is very mixed-up. Most of the popular places are already in the rainy season and on top of that, I wanted to visit something easier first. And by easier I mean something more touristy to avoid the huge culture shock. 

It gave me a really hard time finding the best place. After I’ve been through countless weather reports it turned out that the rainy season only starts in November in Bali. That means if we are lucky enough, the weather can still be good in the end of October. We’ve all seen the incredible photos of Bali all over Instagram, so there was no question left. We are going to Bali!

Read more: The Ultimate Bali Travel Guide for First-timers

Step 2. : Find the best flight ticket

My favourite website is Skyscanner when it comes to flight tickets. I usually check many variable options: first I check the direct routes, then I check all the nearby airports both for departures and arrivals. Most of the time you can find cheaper tickets if you are a bit flexible with your locations!

I managed to find a reasonably priced flight ticket between Budapest and Singapore. Since I wanted to visit Singapore anyway, it was a really good starting point. There are a lot of budget airline with cheap flight tickets if you wanna fly between Asian countries. Because of that, we decided to add another stop to our journey: Kuala Lumpur!

In the end I booked a return ticket from Budapest to Singapore, then a one-way ticket from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, another one from Kuala Lumpur to Bali, and one more from Bali to Singapore. Believe it or not, having all of these tickets were still cheaper than buying a return ticket to Bali directly. Not to mention that this way we could have visited three places instead of one!

Read more: How to Spend 24 Hours in Singapore

Step 3. : Things to check before booking your flight

Already found the perfect flight ticket? That’s amazing, but stop for a second! There are some things you need to check before actually booking your flight.

Passport

Always check your passport before booking anything! You need to have a valid passport that will remain valid for at least six months after the end of your trip. Also make sure that you have enough free space for visas and your passport is in good condition in general.

Visa

Check if you need a visa for entering your dream destination! There are some countries in Asia where you can enter visa-free, but there are some others where you need to obtain for a visa. Sometimes you can get it at the airports but there are some cases when you need to apply in advance. Make sure you have enough time for the approval process!

Vaccinations

There are no officially required vaccinations in Asia so it’s totally up to you if you want to immunize yourself or not. However, keep in mind that some vaccinations require a series of shots spread across months to achieve complete immunity. In this case you need to start the vaccination process well ahead of time.

Weather forecast

Check the weather reports carefully! As I said before, the weather in Asia can be really tricky and it can easily ruin your dream holiday. Make sure you don’t pick the monsoon season for your travels unless you love watching the pouring rain from your hotel window all day long..

Accomodation

Get an overview about the hotels and apartments, especially the price ranges. It happened to me that I booked a really cheap flight ticket and I was so proud of myself until I checked the prices of the hotels.. Ouch. If you already have your flight ticket there is nothing you can do at this point, so make sure to get a good picture in advance! This step is not about actually booking hotels, just about getting a feel of how expensive a place will be.

Step 4. : Plan your itinerary

Now that you have taken care of your flight ticket and all the necessary checkpoints, it’s time to actually plan your itinerary! I’m an avid planner myself and I live by the saying: “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”.

I have a huge fear or missing out (FOMO) so I always wanna be everywhere and see everything. Clearly when you have a limited time, this is not possible, but with a good planning you can easily maximize your time and have the best trip ever!

If you don’t feel like planning at all, you can easily just skip this point and travel with the flow. There are lots advantages of being this flexible and it works really well if you’re on a long-term trip. But if you have only a short period of time as I usually do, I strongly advise you to plan your itinerary in advance, at least the bigger parts.

Planning steps

1. Collect all the spots you wanna visit and make a list of them. There are many different sources for inspiration: travel blogs, Instagram, Tripadvisor, just to name a few.
2. While you are searching for the must-see places, you should also make notes about the opening times and how much time do you need at each location.
3. Prioritize your list. Put a star right next to the places you really, really wanna see. Chances are you will have to drop some items from your list if you won’t have enough time to see them all, this will ease your decision.
4. If you are done with your list, open your Google maps, create a list for your destination and save all the places there. (Check out this article if you don’t know how to do that.) If you are a visual person like me you will love this! But even if you’re not, it’s still really useful to see how far those places are from each other so you can be realistic about your plans.

You know exactly how many days you will have on your trip, so now it’s time to decide what you wanna do each day. I usually try to plan 1 or 2 major sights on a day and then add all the minor ones nearby. How many sights you can pack into a day, it totally depends on you. Just be aware of the opening times, and make sure to allow some time for transportation between locations.

Step 5. : Choose your bases

While having one base for the entire trip sounds easy and hassle free and it might work really well if you’re only visiting a single city, but if you’re planning to visit a bigger area I recommend choosing multiple bases during your stay. Try to plan your stays according to your daily itinerary to cut down on transit time so you can have more time for the fun activities.

Picking a hotel in an unfamiliar destination can feel like a gamble, especially in Asia. That’s where reviews come in handy! I usually use Booking.com or AirBnB on my trips and I always read a ton of reviews before I book anything.

Location is the most important factor for me but I also like to feel comfortable when I get back after a busy day of exploring. I never aim for the cheapest options, I always try to get the best value for my money. Usually I don’t spend much time at the place anyway, so most of the time I book middle-range accommodations which suites all the above requirements.

But if I know I will have some time to relax then I always try to squeeze in some luxury treatments as well. In this case my best strategy is to book 1 or 2 nights at a really nice place and cut down the budget a bit on the other ones.

This way it won’t hurt my overall budget that much but I still get to experience all the amazing services a luxury hotel can offer. That’s what I call a win-win!

Step 6. : Getting around

Transportation in Asia can be really overwhelming as it often seems chaotic, especially compared to the European and American standards. To save yourself from the hassle, the best thing to do is think in advance.

While the bigger cities like Singapore or Kuala Lumpur have a decent public transportation system, there is no such thing in Bali. The cheapest and most popular way of transportation is renting a scooter. However, if you don’t have an experience in scooter riding I wouldn’t recommend it.

Cars, scooters, chickens, dogs, all sharing the same lane and they are coming from every direction possible. No matter where you go in Bali, the streets are always full with scooters and the roads are often in a really bad condition. Scooter accidents are not exceptional, and trust me, you don’t want to spend your holiday lying in the hospital (if there’s any).

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against scooters at all. I’m just saying you have to be really, really prepared and have a ton of experience before trying to get around this way.

Since we never rode a scooter before I opted for another (and much safer) way of transportation. I decided to hire a private driver. Best decision ever! Yes, it was more expensive than having a scooter, but it took away all the stress from our trip since we could arrange everything with our driver well in advance. He helped us putting together our itinerary so we could arrive to Bali with everything already taken care of.

Step 7. : Enjoy your trip

After you’re done with your detailed planning there is only one thing left to do: count down the days and enjoy your trip to the fullest! You did an amazing job planning your holiday, so I’m sure you will have the best time ever!

Pin it for later!