The Best Of Bali 2024
Forget Bintangs, let’s go chase waterfalls. The island paradise that so many rave about, yet so many forget to explore outside the main attractions.
Located on Australia’s door step this island has boomed in tourism over the past few years, making it easier and cheaper than ever before to visit a tropical paradise after just a few hours spent at 35,000 feet. Some guides will have you finding the cheapest beers with places to stay in the main city hub, I like to do things a little different and get out to see what the real island life has to offer. After spending a month touring this spectacular island I have put together a few of my absolute favourites spots for you to enjoy and add to your bucket list including those famous waterfalls and cliff drops.
Having just left Perth I soon realise my flight is an hour shorter on route to Denpasar than it would be from Melbourne, it is now easy to see why so many people can afford to make weekend trips to this island paradise while jumping over international waters. The next question was why had it taken me 45 countries to finally explore Indonesia!? With very few plans and a 30 day free visa this country was begging to be seen from many unique angles.
Starting in Seminyak and Canggu I soon realised why so many expats now call this home… world class cafes and restaurants flood the dining scene here with new spots popping up on a weekly basis. While there isn’t much to see in terms of attractions around these parts make sure to stop in and find a few quality golden drips and smashed avo dishes before venturing off North. Feeling right at home with both imported and locally grown coffee beans meant what fell from above when the water poured through for those glorious few seconds produced world class artisan coffee.
My personal favourites;
Ubud. While only 25kms North of Canggu, this trip takes over an hour with the islands infamous roads and traffic systems. Remember playing with matchbox cars on a mat as a kid? That’s basically what they have based these roads on, organised chaos at it’s finest. I would always suggest taking set fare transport when in Bali such as Grab ( the Asian version of Uber ) as you can quite often sit still for long periods of time to no fault but the narrow roads with no highways as such in sight.
Ubud is home to the famous Monkey forest which is really well made and maintained to let both the visitors enjoy and the monkeys feel peacefully at home. This is a great way to start the day followed by a trip out to the Tegalalang Rice Terraces seeing how the tier method of irrigation farming is still used to this day.
The Campuhan Ridge walk is an easy scenic way to explore the greenery of Ubud while getting away from the traffic. While the return trip only takes around 40 minutes it is the perfect spot to take a few photos so allow an hour.
Munduk. This was one of the best decisions we had made. Booking a glamping tent in the middle of a coffee plantation 2 hours North of Ubud may have been a little tricky when organising a grab to make the journey out there. It definitely paid off very shortly after as we soon found ourselves checking in to an eco resort amongst the clouds for only $30 AUD a night..smoothie bowls and pancakes for breakfast included. Going to bed with very little visibility amongst a fogged in mountain let us wake up to jaw dropping views through the hills with only the sound of the river running down below and birds chirping, are we really still in Bali?
Being quite remote there is little transport so hiring a scooter for a few dollars worked perfectly. Honestly some of the islands best waterfalls and trail hikes are in this area and worth every minute on the windy roads getting here. Banyumala Twin Waterfalls were an absolute highlight having the entire place to ourselves leaving for the perfect place to jump in and cool off underneath two huge falls. Lucky for us our scooter ran out of fuel at the top of the hill where the locals happily helped out with a smile and a bit of a laugh. We learnt real quick not to trust the little fuel gauge that still showed completely full.
Mt Batur. Three AM the alarm sounds… it might sound crazy when I say I literally jumped out of bed but the thought of climbing one of Bali’s most active and largest volcanoes for sunrise had excitement beaming from the minute we decided to book our trip out East and see this beautiful sight. The weather had been super cloudy and pouring down in the days leading up to our visit.
For as little as $40 you can have a private guide lead you up the trail towards the summit of Mount Batur where you will enjoy eggs cooked in 260 degree volcanic rocks, oh and I nearly forgot… the most spectacular sunrise that comes up from behind Mount Agung! Thankfully with lightning in the distance the clouds not only cleared but not a single drop of rain fell. This was so relaxing that I decided to keep the camera in the bag and just enjoy the pure beauty for that special hour after first light. Once back at the hotel enjoying a bath in the natural hot springs while taking in the views over lake Batur makes you wonder if starting every morning like this is possible?
Nusa Islands. While not technically on the island of Bali, these islands lay only a short 30 minute boat trip from the mainland making them a must on any adventure to Indonesia. Nusa Penida is still yet to have a tourist boom making it the perfect time to explore what this natural beauty truely has to offer. If you think you have seen perfectly blue water alongside clifftops then think again, this island takes it to the next level! While there is zero public transport on this island, hiring a scooter and riding on these roads is super easy and relaxed. Make sure to head over to the East side of the island less than an hour ride from the main harbour to experience one of my all time favourite beaches - Diamond Beach. Walking down these stone crafted stairways to an untouched beach, name a better Saturday morning?
Nusa Ceningan is the love child of relaxation and crystal clear water. Order a cocktail, jump in the hammock and watch the waves roll on by as you turn a little sun kissed waiting for the sun to drop below the horizon. As you cross the famous yellow bridge you will quickly realise how few people are here as it is scooters only, leaving any tour groups stuck on Nusa Lembongan. You heard right, a tour free island believe it or not!
Forget taking your laptop for some work as there is very little reception and few reliable wifi spots. Perfect excuse to turn the phone off and just enjoy island life for a while if you ask me….
Uluwatu. Surfing paradise… Located in the most Southern point of Bali has you surrounded once again with quality coffee shops but now add in perfect waves rolling in along the cliffside coast. Don’t expect any easy to access beaches, we all know good things come from adventure so strap the board to the side of your scooter and find yourself a nice little dirt road to ride down and set up for the day.
As you probably know by now I am always on the hunt for the perfect sunset spot usually going to a different place each night. While staying in Uluwatu we went to the same cliff top 4 nights in a row it was just that mind blowing! Sheer cliff drops and not a soul around with milky turquoise waters below crashing up against the rock faces just had us in awe wishing this wasn’t our last stop of the trip. Feel free to hit me up for that secret location!
You’re spoilt for brunch options here with ‘The Cashew Tree’ and ‘The Loft’ both stealing my heart. As the sun begins to drop head off road to a bar simply named 'Sunset Point’ for a laid back vibe keeping all those thirty souls happy.
Exploring Bali really opened my eyes to a different way in which I looked at Indonesia and pictured it from the many stereotypical visitors which come here for the cheap booze and instead made me fall in love with a place which shows true character through both it’s traditional ways and modern combinations.
So next time you think about visiting Bali make sure to do something different as this island has thousands of unique places to stay, visit and explore!
