I had three weeks until my visa was up. It takes a week to extend it, so that left me with two weeks to see Bali. Where should I go?

Bali is a tiny island. You can drive around it in a day. But it’s jam packed with stuff to see. Temples, volcanos, beaches, rice terraces. You could spend months here.

With only two weeks, I would have to think carefully about where I would go, and what route to take.

I wanted a good mix of culture, temples, volcanos, and beaches. I wanted to have a plan, but not be committed to a schedule by booking ahead. This is what I came up with.

These are just the places I spent the night. I visited many other places as day trips.

Ubud
Bali’s cultural capital is the place to see Balinese dancing and rice terraces. It’s also a good base for seeing temples. Many sites can be seen as a day trip fro Ubud. I’d spend several nights here.

Sidemen
As nice as Ubud is, it’s also full of tourists. I wanted to spend a couple days away from the crowds in the rice terraces of Sidemen. It’s also a good base for climbing Mt. Agung, Bali’s highest volcano.

Candidasa
A beach town, with some cultural attractions nearby.

Amed
Small fishing villages with black sand beaches and views of Mt. Batur.

I wanted to visit Munduk, a remote mountain town in the North, which I could use as a base to explore the scenic lakes nearby. But the ogah-ogah came out on Nyepi, changing my plans.

That’s why it’s good to have a rough plan, but not to book it in advance.

Gray sky, green fields.
Gray sky, green fields.
Terry
I'm Terry, former cubicle-dweller, and now traveler, photographer, writer, and entrepreneur. I quit my job in 2014 to travel to US national parks, then to South East Asia. I write about independent, flexible, long-term, budget travel. Sign up to my newsletter to get the latest news on what I'm up to. I hope you join me on my trek around the world.

Like what you read? Have a question?

Your email address will not be published.