3-week Bali trip in summer: your thoughts?

Time to hit the road again!

Summer seems to be the best time weather-wise for Bali. And since summer’s when we can take a long trip, let’s go for Bali... even though we know it’ll be *packed* with people! So we’ll steer clear of the island’s south...

Our current plan (19 days on the ground, 7 stops): - 4 Nights (3 days) in Ubud 2 days for rice terraces / activities (Tegallalang, Campuhan Ridge, Monkey Forest, Bird Park, coffee plantation, market (?), dance "pestacle," cooking class and/or spa) 1 day with a driver for the Temples (Pura Gunung Kawi, Tirta Empul Spring, Pura Mengening, Goa Gajah...) - 2 nights in Sidemen (1 day for Pura Kehen + Batur Caldera + Pura Besakih and 1 day to relax in the rice terraces) - 3 nights on Gili Meno (Rest and beaches) from Padangbai - 2 nights in Amed (1 day from Padangbai with the Abang rice terrace and Tirta Gangga baths, and the next day a boat tour in Amed) - 4 nights in Pemuteran (1 day for transfer and rest, 1 day to visit Kawah Ijen, and 2 days of snorkeling at Menjangan Island) - 2 nights in Munduk (1 day with the Dayang rice terrace and the 3-waterfall hike, 1 day at Pura Ulun Danu Bratan) - 2 nights in Jatiluwih (1 day in the rice terraces, and on the last day, we’ll stop by Pura Taman Ayun in Mengwi and Pura Tanah Lot before catching our red-eye flight).

Accommodations in homestays or hotels. Transportation to be arranged on-site with the lodgings (?) Boat to Gili Meno to book in advance (?) Kawah Ijen excursion to plan ahead (?)—check with the homestay (?)

Thanks for your thoughts/comments to help us explore this destination...

Hi there,

It’s gonna be "packed" with people! So we’ll avoid the south of the island... (...) - 4 Nights (3 days) in Ubud

About it being "packed," in July-August, consider Ubud as part of the south of the island and absolutely avoid the place. Just north of Ubud, you’ll find some charming little villages with accommodations that’ll help you keep your peace of mind.

1 day to visit Kawah Ijen

I’m not sure it’s possible to do the hike in just one day from Bali—if it is, you’ll still be rushing through it.

Thanks for your thoughts/comments to help us discover this destination...

To really enjoy Bali, more than anywhere else in the world, you need to explore it at a relaxed pace and leave room for spontaneity. You’re planning a super-marathon with a rigid itinerary, and honestly, that just won’t work here. Sorry!

Hello! Same here—Kawa Ijen in a day trip from Bali probably won’t work. Instead, I’d do the Mount Batur sunrise hike while you’re in the area. It’s about a 2-hour climb to catch the sunrise at the top, and it’s absolutely stunning! :-)

FYI, from Pemuteran, all accommodations offer the Kawah Ijen trip without needing to sleep on Java. You have a departure at 11:00 PM (for the blue flames) and another at 4:00 AM.

Here’s my feedback: We took the 11:00 PM departure. - 11:00 PM: Departure from the hotel - Midnight: Arrival at Gilimanuk port - 1:00 AM: Arrival at Banyuwangi port (Java) - 2:00 AM: Arrival at Paltuding parking to start the hike (550m elevation gain over 3km, then 1.5km flat) with a dedicated guide. Warning—it’s like the Champs-Élysées on a Saturday at 6:00 PM! - 3:30 AM: At the crater, then 4:30 AM at the bottom of the crater, and back at the crater’s edge by 5:30 AM - 6:30 AM: Sunrise, then descent (we could’ve stayed a little longer!) - 8:00 AM: Back at the parking lot - 9:00 AM: At the port on the Java side - 10:30 AM: At the port on the Bali side - 12:00 PM: Back at the hotel after a local "lunch." Cost: 2.2M IDR for 2 people