In & around Bali, Indonesia - a travel guide
- rosalindstevenson6
- Oct 31, 2025
- 14 min read
These days you’d be hard pushed to not know at least one person who has been to Bali or wider Indonesia, and with good reason. It is a beautiful, incredible country with so much to offer visitors. From the sights, attractions and climate to the food, people and culture, Indonesia should definitely be on your list for your next trip.
In September/October 2022, I spent just over 16 days in Bali and other parts of Indonesia. For those that aren’t aware, Bali is a province of the country, Indonesia, and is a very popular holiday (and even relocation) spot for millions of people year on year but there are other gorgeous parts of the country worthwhile visiting, not far from Bali. For example, Lombok and the Gili Islands aren’t classed as Bali, but you can easily get to them by boat.
On our trip, we spent an evening in Nusa Dua in Bali before getting the boat to Lombok for a few days, from there we stayed on Gili Air and Gili Trawangan and then on to Ubud and Seminyak, again in Bali. Keep reading for what to do in these areas and some important tips and advice.
Here’s what we got up to...
What to do and where to stay on Lombok
We arrived in Indonesia after a hectic few days in Singapore, so we used our days in Lombok to rest and recharge. We stayed in the Katamaran Resort, a lavish 5-star hotel on the shores of Senggigi beach. We loved this hotel. The room, pool area, beach and view were just the perfect place to enjoy a few days of relaxation. Both restaurants at the hotel, the Sail Restaurant and the Kliff Bistro served delicious food, and we were even treated to an impromptu firework show that we could see from the balcony of the Kliff Bistro as we were enjoying drinks after our meal. We regularly saw romantic dinner settings being put together by Katamaran staff on the beach in front of the hotel for a couple's sunset dinner - who knows how many engagements and special moments these allowed for!
We did leave the hotel a couple times. There were a few bars literally on the beach just a short walk along from the hotel and even Verve Beach Club - a bar and restaurant with a pool just off the beach, a really nice place for cheaper but still great food and drink, compared to the hotel, or just for a change of scenery while still enjoying the amazing view on offer. Speaking of the view, the sunsets we witnessed on Lombok were just stunning.
Although we didn't get out and about around Lombok much (lazy and enjoying the hotel too much), I had done my research as always and had put together a list of recommendations to go and see on the island. Tanjung Aan Beach is a beautiful beach with white sand and crystal-clear waters making it the perfect place for swimming, snorkelling and relaxing. Right next to it is Kuta Beach, the livelier area of the island. There are also various waterfalls and volcanoes on Lombok to marvel at: the impressive Mount Rinjani volcano is a popular hiking location providing amazing views and waterfalls Sendang Gile and Tiu Kelep are worth the visit and make for a great photo.
What to do and where to stay on Gili Air
On to the Gili Islands we went, spending two nights on Gili Air at PinkCoco Hotel, a really cool pink themed (shock) hotel with individual little cave like rooms, providing a relaxing turn down service at night. This was another hotel we loved on this trip and would recommend staying in. After an uncomfortable arrival (more on that at the end), we grabbed some food at the restaurant that overlooks the beach and across to Gili Meno. We then hired bikes from the hotel and went exploring for a while around the island. That night we watched probably the best sunset of the holiday on the beach at hotel then we went for dinner at one of the many places I had taken note of during my research but we found that unfortunately a lot of places were now shut, I'm assuming because of the pandemic (always blame the pandemic). So, we grabbed food at the first place that looked good and ended up having drinks and listening to live music and entertainment at Cheeky Monkey Bar - it was a fun night, but the toilets are questionable, a regular occurrence on this trip.
The next day we chilled around the pool and on the beach at the hotel and of course took pictures on the iconic PinkCoco swing. Going the opposite direction of where we had been the night before, we walked round to the northwest side of the island and grabbed a bean bag at a beach bar and enjoyed a few cocktails and yet another gorgeous sunset. There were loads of bars and restaurants in this area such as PJ's Beach Bar & Grill, Sands Beach Club, Jungle Bar and El Pirata - it's a great place to have some food and enjoy a drink or two while taking in the scenery. For dinner that night we had pizza at Mama Pizza and headed back to the room for an earlyish night as we were moving on to Gili Trawangan the next day to meet friends.
What to do and where to stay on Gili Trawangan
Commonly known as Gili T, it is the largest of the three main Gili Islands offering a vibrant atmosphere. Although it is very difficult to decide, Gili T probably just pips our other Indonesian stops at the post to be my favourite place of the trip. Our home for the three nights we spent here was at Ponte Villas - again, we absolutely loved this hotel. The setup of the individual little villas was so cute, the breakfast was great and the staff were brilliant. I highly recommend booking here for your stay on Gili T. My only qualm, as a sun worshipper, would be the way it is set up means there's only one area around the pool that gets most of the sun but there is so much to do on the island you probably won't be spending much time at the pool.
After spending a few hours at the pool catching up with our friends, we headed out for the night. During our own bar crawl, we came across an official bar crawl run by a company on the island - it wasn't our thing but if you're younger, travelling alone or love an absolutely chaotic night out and aren't worried about being deathly hungover the next day, go for it, it looked like a laugh for the right clientele. We ended up at Jungle, a bar come nightclub with beer pong and other entertainment outside the actual club and is open what seemed all night. Remember me just talking about being deathly hungover? That was me the next day. They aren't shy with their alcohol pours there and with new information about methanol poisoning in Indonesia (and other countries), I'm not as surprised at how unwell I was now as I was back then - just be careful of what you're consuming.
The next day was a struggle as you can imagine but I managed to rally and get out in the late afternoon, hiring bikes again from the hotel and going in the opposite direction of what some might call the 'strip'. As I did on Gili Air, I found that a lot of places I wanted to go to had closed down but we ended up at a great bar called Exile just next to Sunset Point and enjoyed some hula hooping and beers while watching the sunset (can you tell I absolutely love a sunset, I'll go out of my way to not miss it). We had a lovely dinner at Pearl Beach Lounge but headed home straight after as we were all feeling the effects of the night before.
Our last day on Gili T was a real good one. Starting the day with a traditional floating breakfast in the pool at our hotel, we then set off to have a beach day. In the late afternoon we had organised a sunset cruise which consisted of snorkelling and swimming with turtles, seeing the blue coral and visiting the "Nest" underwater sculpture. I do have photos of all these, but they are on my GoPro and I STILL haven't downloaded them from there - three years later, actually shocking - but it was all very impressive and we saw loads of turtles, we loved it! We had a stop on Gili Meno which can be seen from Gili T then we of course watched the sunset from the top of the boat. It was the best day of the holiday. That night we had dinner at the Banyan Tree, a cute little restaurant that turned out to be a vegetarian only menu (the food was great so don't let that put you off if it isn't necessarily your thing) before finishing the night and our time on Gili T off enjoying some live music at Sama Sama Reggae Bar.
What to do and where to stay in Ubud
Ubud felt very authentically 'Bali' to me out of all the places we visited. There is SO much to do in this area and we managed to do and see a lot despite the classic downpours of such a tropical location. Our hotel for our time in Ubud was Adiwana Bisma, another gorgeous 5-star hotel with a fantastic breakfast in a great location - walking distance to plenty sights, attractions, bars and restaurants. The pool area, although very cool with a very relaxing view, is a little small. However, we were so busy here that wasn't too much of an issue for us. My partner and I are convinced there was a monkey crawling in the ceiling of our room one night, which was equally funny and scary and hopefully a pretty niche problem! If you are looking for a place to stay in Ubud, I would definitely recommend Adiwana Bisma.
My first port of call in Ubud, as a monkey lover, was of course Ubud Monkey Forest (The Sacred Sanctuary). I loved this. It was incredible to be so up close and personal with the monkeys and you even got the chance to take a monkey 'selfie'. The monkeys are free to roam as they please and it wouldn't be unusual for you to see monkeys running around the street out with the sanctuary (so us thinking a monkey was in the ceiling at the hotel isn't so crazy). We then headed to Ubud Water Palace, also known as the Lotus Temple, a very serene and calming spot. With its beautiful, traditional Balinese architecture in the temple and peacefulness of nature with the lily pad ponds in front, it is well worth a visit, even if just for the perfect photo. Around this area you will find little markets up side streets selling everything from clothes and shoes to art and ornaments - ideal if you are looking for some authentic souvenirs. We had a late lunch at Simply Social, although not traditional Balinese cuisine, the food was really good (the sushi in particular) and there was a lot to offer. Our last stop of the day was Campuhan Ridge Walk, a scenic nature trail with endless views of Ubud's lush greenery, it's worth the effort if you have the time. I wouldn't recommend going just before sunset as the trail can get very dark very quickly.
The next day, we hired a driver to take us around a few places I had on my list. As there was a group of us this worked out pretty nicely pricewise per person but I don't recall it being too expensive anyway. Obviously we had to visit the iconic rice terraces that Ubud and Bali are known for, so our first stop was Tegalalang Rice Terrace. A remarkable place with a lot of attractions for you to enjoy, including the (again iconic) swing. We also had a go at cycling a bike along a zip wire, a very interesting experience indeed. After that, we were then taken to Pura Tirta Empul, one of the most treasured Hindu temples in Bali, frequented by those looking for significant spirituality. Here, there is a purification pool where you will see many worshippers praying and washing themselves in the Holy Water - it is quite a sight to behold. There are a number of coffee plantations in Ubud. We visited Luwak Coffee Plantation, which is little known compared to Alas Harum, a big tourist attraction. We sat down with a worker at the plantation who talked us through a whole load of different coffees and told us how the coffee beans were made (two words: animal poop). I'm not a coffee drinker but I found this interesting and even enjoyed some of the coffees we were given to try.
We finished the day off visiting some pretty impressive waterfalls, Tibumana and Kanto Lampo. Tibumana was a bit of a walk from the car park but enjoyable and definitely worth it. Kanto Lampo is a huge waterfall and a popular photo spot, you will see men in the water directing people how to pose for photos which is pretty entertaining.
The next morning, before heading off to Seminyak, a few of us went for a massage at one of the many massage parlours available on the streets of Ubud. A bit of relaxation before the hectic drive to our next stop, traffic was wild so it took a couple hours. All of our group plus our bags couldn't fit in one car so we went first and put a lot of trust in the hotel staff and driver to get our bags to our hotel in Seminyak a little later once another (Adiwana Bisma owned) car arrived - our blind trust paid off and they pulled through with our bags showing up not too long after us.
What to do and where to stay in Seminyak
In Seminyak, we stayed at the Fairfield by Marriott Bali Legion. Not my favourite hotel compared to the others we had stayed in during the rest of the trip but this was definitely a more city vibe hotel so the difference made sense. The pool area was great, a huge pool with a swim up bar, and the food both at breakfast and on the lunch/dinner menu available was good. It was also in a decent location to walk to some of the main streets with plenty of bars and restaurants to choose from.
Our first night, we all felt like getting some Mexican food and we ended up at Los Jefes Tequila Bar and Kitchen, a great spot with amazing food and drinks. Following this, some of us headed in Kingsway just down the road on the way back to the hotel. A busy, atmospheric bar with live music, virtual darts and pool tables - you could have easily spent hours here. Unfortunately, this has since closed down. However, it looks like a very similar place called The Goat has opened up either in the same venue or very, very close by, so if that's your kind of thing, it may be worth a try.
The next day we booked Finn's Beach Club in Canggu - the choice was between there and Potato Head Beach Club which we may have spent another day at had some of us not gotten very unwell (more on the dreaded Bali Belly in a minute). Again, as we were a group the price worked out well for us to book an area in the VIP section at Finn's, giving us a huge area of our own sunbeds to spend the day on and the price we paid was actually redeemed against our final bill, so it was well worth it. As you would expect, food and drinks are pricier here but the vibes made for a fun day.
The next day some of us (including myself) didn't feel so great (a regular occurrence for me in my travels, unfortunately). Bali Belly had hit, so many of our plans went out the window, which I was gutted about. We couldn't work out what had caused it as it had affected only some of us and we had all eaten and drank the same thing the day before. Since, however, I have heard of many, many people getting sick after being at Finn's. Unsure what causes it, we thought it could have been the pool water as some of us had been kindly dunked by others in our group after getting a little too merry. Either way, if Finn's is a must for you then I don't want to put you off going, it's just something to be aware of.
We tried our best to power on and enjoy the last few days of our trip (thankfully it was toward the end of our holiday). We made it to Ling Ling's for dinner, serving delicious Asian fusion food, and spent a few hours at Shooters - an amusement park with various games and attractions such as mini golf, food and drinks on offer, a fun way to spend an evening. The rest of our trip was spent in bed sadly, but I will share with you the other places we had planned to go to had we not been so cruelly struck down by Bali Belly.
Number one on my unfulfilled list is Nusa Penida, a gorgeous island where you can take truly Instagram worthy photos, it'll be my first stop if we ever make it back. Next is Ku De Ta, a restaurant/beach club that I would have loved to have gone to for dinner during sunset, but it wasn't to be. Lastly (other than Potato Head Beach Club), is Double Six Beach, a lively beach with gorgeous sand and views of the sunset, providing a vibrant atmosphere surrounded by bars and restaurants.
Tips & advice for your trip to Bali, Indonesia
A few key things to note before you go:
🚤 Travelling between your chosen locations
Other than the car ride between Ubud and Seminyak, we travelled by boat everywhere else. The boats to and from the mainland are generally larger boats that can be pre-booked in advance. For travel between the islands such as Lombok and the Gili Islands, the distance isn't long at all so you can get smaller speedboats that are usually waiting around at the harbours for whenever you show up. As we had a set plan of when and where we were going to each place, we had pre-booked our boat tickets to Lombok and to Ubud but just showed up and asked one of the boat drivers for a lift to Gili Air and Gili T and it was fine. A quick heads up, the waters can be choppy and the speedboats get thrown around when this is the case (I was green coming off the boat in Gili T) and there doesn't seem to be much regulation about drivers being under the influence, so just be wary.
🐴 No motorised transport on the Gili Islands
The Gili Islands are all pollution free and therefore don't have any cars. The islands are small enough that it is easy to get around on foot or by cycling, however, when arriving or leaving with your luggage (especially if you have over packed with wheeled suitcases) walking or biking to or from your accommodation may not be an option. There are horse drawn carts, known as "cidomos", but I really wasn't a fan of these as I felt bad for the horses. Something to keep in mind when packing or choosing the distance between your hotel and the port when picking accommodation.
🧻 Staying as hygienic as possible
Many of the bathrooms, even in well-known establishments, leave much to be desired. I would recommend packing plenty hand sanitizer and tissues or wipes and taking them out with you everywhere you go as toilet paper and soap aren't always provided.
👘 Wearing the correct attire
As with pretty much any temple in any country, you must be covered appropriately if you want to visit or enter the building. The best way to plan for this is to have a top or a shawl to cover your shoulders and wear long trousers to cover your knees. It is a sign of respect in these highly spiritual places.
🤔 Confusing signs and symbols
Don't be alarmed or offended if you see a swastika during your travels in Indonesia. These are very common there and they have a very different meaning from what they have come to represent in Europe. The swastika has ancient origins in Hindu and Buddhist culture, it is a sacred symbol representing good fortune and prosperity and has nothing to do with the negative connotations of Nazism.
🍜 My favourite traditional Balinese food
I love Asian cuisine and couldn't fault any of the Balinese recipes I tried on this trip. However, the stand outs for me were definitely nasi goreng and mie goreng (essentially a fried rice or noodle dish with various meats and vegetables). They are even a common breakfast dish and I highly suggest giving them a try!
As you can tell from the length of this blog, there are endless locations to visit in Indonesia, and even more things to do, places to eat and drink and sights to marvel at in this wonderful country. The people are very welcoming, hospitable and polite and you can immerse yourself in the culture easily. Hopefully my tips and advice on travelling around, where to go and other important points make your trip to Indonesia smooth sailing (quite literally in some places) and one you'll be longing to return to for years to come!
Helpful, informative guide with beautiful photos.