3 weeks in Bali in 2025

We’ve read it all about Bali: mass tourism, non-stop parties, ferry disasters, the kingdom of “Instagrammers,” pollution, “Bali belly”... But luckily, this island isn’t just about Kuta’s beaches and the Lempuyang Temple.

Sure, it’s not as exotic or off-the-beaten-path as other Indonesian islands (the Moluccas, Timor, Flores...), but we spent 3 weeks there and loved it!

Our (planned) itinerary in 7 stops: - Ubud (4 nights) - Sidemen (2 nights) - Gili Meno (3 nights) - Amed (2 nights) - Pemuteran (4 nights) - Munduk (2 nights) - Jatiluwih (2 nights)



We booked our accommodations in advance, and for the rest (drivers, activities...), we took it day by day with help from the homestays (making sure to contact them a few days ahead via WhatsApp).

In the end, it’s an “easy” destination, very affordable, and one that’s managed to keep a certain authenticity.

Sunday, July 27, we had booked a Lyon/Doha flight with Qatar Airways, and 15 days before departure, we realized the flight had been canceled and we’d been rebooked on a flight from Paris.

A rant against this airline, which had actually sent us an email back in March titled « Your flight schedule has changed »—where you had to read the fine print to see that not only had the timing changed, but the departure airport too.

It’s going to be a long journey: 6h50 from Paris to Doha + a 3-hour layover + 9h20 from Doha to Denpasar. And when you’re nearly 2 meters tall, you start dreaming of "Business" class!

Worth noting: the food is actually better than on AF, the cabin crew smiles, they offer an A380 (much more comfortable than a 350 for taller travelers), but their movie selection is limited and outdated.

Monday, July 28, we arrive in Denpasar around 5:00 PM. We wait ages for our luggage, buy visas (62 € for two, payable in euros or dollars to get some local currency), and our driver takes us to Ubud after 2 hours of hellish traffic in pouring rain. The whole way, we’re glad we had the good sense to skip the south of the island with this traffic.

Our place in Ubud is a bit out of the way (20-minute walk from the center), but it’s super quiet on Jalan Subak Sok Wayah. It’s called « Kidem Villa Ubud », and we can definitely recommend it. When we arrive, the road turns into a path. Kidem is waiting for us at the drop-off point to take our suitcases up by scooter. We also use the scooter to reach the ridge at night. The adventure begins!

Our wooden bungalow:

Tuesday, July 29, a day of discovery. We’d decided to start with a quiet day—no visits, no travel, no activities—to "adjust" to the 6-hour time difference.

We set off under a light rain to do Campuhan Ridge in the morning. It’s nice, not many people around, and we recommend going a bit further to see some beautiful rice terraces.



In the afternoon, we head out to wander through the Subak Juwuk Manis Rice Fields. It’s really lovely here too, and it’s surprising how calm it is just 300 meters from Ubud’s chaotic traffic.



All in all, a peaceful day under drizzle and rain. The rain put us off coming down from our little nest to see a dance performance. We’d rather just chill!

Wednesday, July 30, nothing but water, water from above!

Kidem takes us to the Tegallalang rice terraces where the rain is pouring down. We hesitate to go for a walk, but what’s the point in this downpour... A thought for the young couple we run into there. They came by scooter, soaked to the bone and disappointed by this weather. I hear them say again "at least in Toulouse the weather’s nice today"!



Right after, we head to the Gunung Kawi temple in Sebatu.



A "Pura" in its own juice where a few families come to purify themselves under the watchful eye (and smartphone) of their guide.



Next, we visit its namesake, the Gunung Kawi in Tampaksiring with its "chapels" carved into the rock. The setting is gorgeous, and offerings are everywhere!





Then it’s the Pura Mengening temple, another favorite. It’s so authentic, and we’re far from the crowds.





Kidem suggests we have lunch where all the tourists go near Tirta Empul before checking out the spring and the temple, where we run into a bit of the "pilgrim" crowd again.



We end the day at the Goa Gajah temple in Bedulu, but the worst is yet to come—it takes us 3 hours to cover the last 5 kilometers to Ubud. This just goes to show how insane the traffic is, and a reminder that in Ubud, it’s better to get moving in the morning.

Hi there

In the end, a "easy" destination, very affordable and one that has managed to keep a certain authenticity.

That’s totally true! 🙂

I’m following along and can’t wait to hear your thoughts on Munduk—I loved it.

Thursday, July 31, it's still raining. We’d thought about doing an e-bike tour in Tegallalang, but in the rain, we decide to skip it.





So we head out for a stroll along Jalan Subak Sok Wayah (really nice) and then head down to Ubud to check out the market, the temples, and the Monkey Forest. The monkeys are well-managed and not aggressive at all. If you follow common-sense rules (don’t feed them, don’t encourage them to climb on you, etc.), there’s no problem.





For lunch, a great spot in Ubud: "Wayan Cafe and Bakery." The portions are generous, the food is delicious, and the welcome is super friendly.



All in all, another pretty soggy day.

Friday, August 1st, we're heading to Sidemen. The weather is still cloudy and misty.

On the way, we decide to make three stops: the village of Penglipuran, Pura Kehen temple, and Besakih temple on the slopes of Mount Agung.

Penglipuran presents itself as a "street village" that you walk up to the temple. You can enter some houses, but it lacks a bit of authenticity—except for the visitors, who were mostly Indonesian that morning.





Pura Kehen is a real highlight. We had the place all to ourselves in this stunning temple—don’t miss it on your itinerary!





Besakih disappoints us with its concrete parking lot, long shopping avenue (which we explore on the way back), its massive size, and its dark color accentuated by the heavy low clouds. We don’t fall for the charm of the place, even though we spend quite a while there. However, we’d read a lot of warnings about overly insistent guides with little real value. We politely declined their offer, and it wasn’t a problem.





In the evening, we arrive in Sidemen at a place I highly recommend: Lumbung Umaluah Villa. Ketut welcomes us with incredible kindness and a smile, and offers to prepare dinner.

He and his wife took out a loan from the Bank of Indonesia in 2023 to build two traditional "huts" in addition to the small warung/grocery store they were already running. Luckily, his brother is a carpenter and helped him with the project.

I’ll take this opportunity to give you a few tips for understanding Balinese names, which depend on caste and birth order. For the farmer caste (the "Sudra"), the names in a family go like this: - Firstborn: Wayan or Putu or Gede - Second: Made or Kadek or Nengah - Third: Nyoman or Komang - Fourth: That leaves us with Ketut - Fifth: We start over with Wayan

Ketut’s cottages are impeccable and immersed in the middle of Sidemen’s rice fields. In the morning and evening, his daughters come to change the offerings... we’re completely charmed!





And tomorrow, the sun’s coming back!

Saturday, August 2, the weather is (finally) nice!

Today’s plan includes some walks. We start with the official "Sidemen Rice Terrace" walk, which is just 100 meters from Ketut’s place. We also head to the village of Sidemen (it’s a bit of a climb to get there) and take another walk above the first one toward Pure Pedarman Sri Naraya Kresna. Another gorgeous, peaceful walk with Mount Agung watching over us.











In Sidemen, you really feel the authenticity of the place—kids flying kites or bathing in the rice terrace streams while moms do the laundry. It’s a world away from the hustle and bustle of Ubud.









The sunny day ends beautifully with dinner at Warung Puriasih (right across from Ketut’s place). Hands down, it’s the best warung we’ve tried in 3 weeks in Bali. The food is amazing, the flavors are incredible, and the welcome is royal! Don’t miss this warung if you’re in Sidemen.



A stop we really loved! !

Sidemen continued with the kites 😉 and the farmers...

Sunday, August 3, the cruise is fun!

Ketut drops us off at Padang Bai to catch our speedboat to Gili Meno, and we board the EkaJaya company boat in pouring rain for a 2.5-hour trip. We let our Gili hotel handle the ticket booking.

Barely had the boat pulled away when the blue sky appeared.

We arrive at Gili Meno around 11:15 AM. Disembarking happens in two stages—passengers and luggage are transferred to a wooden barge that can dock at Gili’s pier.





Gili Meno is the quietest of the three islands (Gili = island). A tiny 1km by 2km rock surrounded by sandy beaches and coral reefs where motorized vehicles are banned. Our hotel is the Seri Resort, located on the northeast side of the island. I recommend it if you’re booking a bungalow (not just a room). We chose one with a "partial sea view" and made the right call!





To get to the hotel, you’ve got two options: drag your wheeled suitcases through the sand or take a horse-drawn carriage. We went for the horse and cart.



Seri Resort is a great choice. The service is impeccable, the seawater pool is lovely (though not always spotless), the bungalows are perfect, and the sea is just 10 meters away. We had fun watching the hotel’s supplies arrive (clean towels and groceries).



Compared to our previous homestays, the crowd here is different. Mostly "young couples" sipping cocktails, listening to the hotel’s chill music, lounging in the pool, and stealing a few kisses.



The tide was at its lowest when we started swimming around 3:00 PM, and we had the water all to ourselves. True, at low tide, you’ve got to watch out for dead coral, and you *should* wear plastic water shoes no matter the tide. Luckily, all hotels sell them for those who didn’t plan ahead.



Just 50 meters from shore, there’s a constant ballet of small wooden boats. That’s because right in front of the hotel is a turtle-watching spot, and sure enough, we didn’t have to wait long to see them. I’ve got a feeling we’re gonna love this...



No sunset that evening, but we’d make up for it the next morning...

Monday, August 4th, we're going for a tour.

In the morning, we're swimming at high tide, and around 3:00 PM, we're off for the island loop. On paper, it takes about 1 hour 15 minutes / 1 hour 30 minutes, but with photos, stops, and breaks, we'll probably take a little over 2 hours.

We come across small boat repair yards, homestays, a few hotels, beachside warungs, beginners trying to learn diving, and boats arriving to restock Bintang or haul away empty water jugs...

















We also think our choice of location was spot on. The west coast faces Gili Trawangan, which is really close. We can even hear the partiers a bit. The south coast doesn’t have much of a beach, and the waves crash against the reefs—not very inviting!

The southern part of the east coast seems great for swimming, but there, Gili Air is right in front. You’ll also find a sea turtle protection center that takes care of these animals for their first few years before releasing them around Meno.



In the evening, we got into the habit of going to Warung Licung Bamboo, just behind our hotel. It’s a family-run warung owned by someone who used to work in big hotels in Lombok. He really gets marketing—he offers every guest a delicious little starter (grilled sweet potato) and a small plate of watermelon for dessert to end on a sweet note. This’ll be our HQ for the stay!

Thanks for the detailed itinerary—I think we’ll be using a lot of it for inspiration since we’re staying the same amount of time in Bali! Quick question: did you book your boat trips in advance, or are there plenty of options so you can just show up at the port on the day?

Hey Manu

I’m diving into this travel journal at full speed 😎 I found the vibe of Ubud again (very—maybe *too*—lively, but with super calm surroundings). For the rest, I’m discovering things, since our route was pretty different. No luck with the early weather: I thought July-August were dry season (we left at the end of April, right at the end of rainy season, and had sun the whole time except when we arrived). Can’t wait for what’s next 🙂

For the speedboat trip, we contacted Seri Resort a month in advance. They know the companies (not all are equal), the schedules, and they have direct contacts (to avoid middlemen)...

For the outbound trip, everything went perfectly. For the return, it was a bit more rock & roll, but you’ll read about that soon...

All the drivers told us the "dry season" was really struggling with climate change. But luckily, the rest of the trip was much kinder!

My first trip to Bali was from a time that anyone under 20 won’t remember... This start of my travel journal makes me want to go back! ;)

Unfortunately, Qatar stopped serving Lyon this spring. That’s too bad—it means less competition from this airport, and now Emirates is the only long-haul option with a stopover halfway there.

Tuesday, August 5, is Grand Bleu day.

The hotel offers a bunch of activities, including a snorkeling tour... but you never know who you’ll end up with. So I decided to trust Dee instead.

On Google Maps, I found out that just 50 meters from the Seri Resort, there’s a fisherman with great reviews: "Meno Family snorkeling trips." Behind this catchy name, you’ll find Dee, a fisherman who takes you swimming around the Gilis. His dad drives the boat, and his sister runs the little beach shack.

To read the reviews about this experience, check it out here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/GLHdfuGk6NJRwYfZ9

I’ll tell you right away—the 2.5 hours we spent with Dee and his dad will stay in our memories forever. Not only is Dee super friendly and knows the marine life well, but he’s also a pro at underwater photography and videography.

He offers a tour around Meno (3 private dives) for 700k IDR (350 per person), and you can add a "GoPro" option for 200k IDR. Dee will then channel his inner Luc Besson while you marvel at the fish and turtles. It’s pure bliss.

For us, we brought our own gear (DJI Action Cam 4), and Dee adapted to it perfectly. We left with some amazing memories... A must-do if you’re visiting Meno! Other tours are available (2 or 3 islands).

Dee recommends the first departure (at 7:00 AM) to hopefully see sharks and avoid the crowds at the underwater statues (though 7:00 AM is early on vacation). We opted for the 11:00 AM / 1:30 PM slot to take advantage of the lunch break from other boats coming from the farther Gilis, even though it was crowded at the underwater statues (which we skipped in the end).

For the rest of the day, it was beach time and swimming!

Wednesday, August 6, the false start.

This morning, breakfast at 7:00 AM to be at the horse-drawn carriage by 7:30 AM, which was supposed to take us back to the "port" to catch the boat at 8:30 AM.

At 7:45 AM, we’re at Ekajaya’s booth to pick up our tickets. It’s 8:10 AM when our ticket agent finally arrives, moving slowly in the morning, relaxed in the evening. The dozen or so passengers grab their tickets and head to the dock. 8:25 AM, still no boat in sight.

8:35 AM, we find out the boat isn’t coming. Port authorities suspended speedboat traffic due to strong waves. We’ve got two options: take a ferry from Lombok or wait until the next day.

Ever the optimist, I vote to stay. After all, we’re in paradise, our bungalow is still available (no arrivals that day), and I don’t feel like diving into the ferry adventure—especially since we’re told it could take 8 hours (fake news).

Back to the resort by horse for a day of relaxation at Seri Resort. I let the homestay in Amed know we won’t be able to make it since we’d planned to stay there for two nights.

Another day of "turtles and relaxation," but tonight, we treat ourselves to a candlelit dinner at Seri Resort. A great choice (two grilled John Dory for us), even if it’s a bit pricier than the nearby warung, it’s still very reasonable (400k IDR vs. 140k IDR for two).

Thursday, August 7, a never-ending day.

Here we go again this morning—back at Ekajaya’s shack by 8:00 AM. And the verdict drops: another day of rough seas... time to improvise.

At 8:30 AM, a public ferry leaves for Lombok, so we hop on. It’s nothing like the speedboat—just a long wooden boat with two engines. We board from the back with locals and the speedboat’s leftovers. Luggage and passengers everywhere, and don’t even ask about life jackets... But 25 minutes later, we’re in Lombok.



Once we arrive in Lombok, it’s a bit of a scramble on the beach. Then, surprise—there’s a speedboat (from another company) heading to Padang Bai (Bali’s port) despite the authorities’ ban. It’s packed, but the captain tells me he can take us for 200 USD... now I get why shipwrecks happen around here.

With no speedboat option, we need to get to Lembar port, a 2-hour taxi ride from Bangsal where we are. Normally, the fare is 300k, but we agree to pay 450k to a super friendly (but very business-savvy) driver. The little we saw of Lombok didn’t really win us over.

When we arrive in Lembar, we stop to buy tickets (300k) and join the crowd trying to board the ferry instead of the speedboat. Two hours of waiting in the sun before we finally embark around 1:00 PM. The crossing goes smoothly, especially since the sea is calm (the next day, speedboats would be allowed to run again).









On the ferry, I hop on Booking and book a night in Candi Dasa. We luck out with "Biya Lumba"—a small pool, great vibes, and a discounted price. I’ll also mention that for all our hotels (except Ubud and Sidemen), we found places available at rock-bottom prices the same day. Overtourism, you say?! ;)

Hello, what a journey! And what weather! I'm currently in Java. The weather isn't exactly August-like, but it's manageable...

We followed each other in Jordan, now we're following each other in Indonesia... Let me know where I should go next time!

You’ve got options! After Sri Lanka in December, I’m heading back to the US for the umpteenth time in February... then Namibia in April. Unless Réunion in July sounds more appealing to you?

Great to see you here again!

PS: We’re wrapping up our Javanese trip with a few days in Bali, and the forecast is terrible...

Friday, August 8th, on the way to the North.

We leave Candi Dasa around 9:00 AM and hit the road. Our driver is friendly and suggests our first stop at the Tirta Gangga gardens and pools. The place is really nice!



In the area, the Abang rice terraces offer stunning views.



And we’re still circling Mount Agung little by little.



We soon reach the North coast and head west. Bathroom breaks are always an experience in Indonesia...



Arriving near Pemuteran, we stop at Pura Pulaki, a local temple overrun by a monkey colony that requires fencing to avoid being bothered.







A few kilometers later, we arrive in paradise! This "paradise" is the "Taruna," where we booked a suite for around 50 € per night (for 4 nights). Taruna has everything you’d expect: a family-run hotel with a warm welcome, delicious food, an enchanting garden, a gorgeous pool, the sea just 500 meters away, and fun activity options.

What a joy to follow your trip to Bali and Gili Meno, two islands I loved so much and haven’t returned to in about ten years. You weren’t lucky with the weather in Ubud—we had the same issue in Gili Meno: 2 days in a beach hut under torrential rain in August and just one day of sunshine! I’m happy to see there are still beautiful, affordable accommodations. But there are fewer and fewer rice fields; we already noticed this in Sidemen, where we stayed several times. The rice was being replaced by more profitable vegetable crops due to tourism development, or so we were told.

The offerings and ceremonies still seem to be there—we saw lots of cremation festivals and the tooth-filing ceremony in Ubud!

I’ll be following your adventures in the north of the island!

I really like your way of photographing and your straightforward, no-frills storytelling; it’s a travel journal I enjoy following.

Saturday, August 9 and Sunday, August 10, two days for one night.

On Saturday morning, we decide to chill because tonight, we're doing the Kawah Ijen on Java. A quick trip to the beach before enjoying the pool and the beautiful garden at Taruna.





At 11:00 PM, the driver is waiting for us to start the marathon. Around midnight, we arrive at the port of Gilimanuk, and the driver lets us board in the middle of the trucks. The atmosphere is a bit creepy—my wife isn’t reassured, and I take off my watch to put it in my bag. No need to attract unwanted attention. Outside, the drizzle returns.

About an hour on the ferry, where we meet a French family being taken care of by the same driver who brought us back from Candi Dasa. They’re really nice, and we swap stories. The other passengers are all locals.

At 1:00 AM, we meet our guide—a super-friendly 23-year-old who hikes up Kawah Ijen every night. The excursion was arranged by Taruna (2.2M IDR for the two of us), and the organization is flawless. We hop into an old 4x4 (an Asian model similar to a Land Rover 108), and off we go to the Kawah parking lot in torrential rain.

At 2:00 AM, it’s time to start! There’s a crowd—we knew it’d be busy, but this is beyond anything we imagined. Picture the Champs-Élysées on a Saturday night...



The hike to the crater’s edge is short but steep: 3 km uphill with 600 meters of elevation gain (an average 20% slope). Along the way, there are three small warungs to take a break—and at nearly 60 years old, we’ll take any chance to rest.

At the base of the slope, there’s a fleet of "Lamborghinis"—the nickname for the little carts for those who don’t want to walk... and who can afford it (1M IDR for the ascent and 500k IDR for the descent). Three guys work together to pull and push the carts, and given the slope, it’s a real workout. It’s exhausting having to step aside every 5 minutes when you hear "Lamborghini, Lamborghini!" But it’s their livelihood, so we respect it.

After the 3 km climb, there’s a 1.5 km false flat before finally reaching the crater. Well, we’re *told* we’re at the crater—because at 3:30 AM, in pitch-black darkness (it’s still raining), our headlamp doesn’t reveal much... even though it’s a full moon tonight! Time to put the masks around our necks.



At the crater’s edge, we have two options: 1/ Descend to the lake for the blue flames 2/ Climb to the summit for sunrise

I vote for the blue flames... but I’m not the only one. The entire crowd votes the same way, and it’s a traffic jam on the treacherous trail. While the uphill path allowed three or four people side by side, the crater descent is single file.

After 30 minutes, we’ve only covered 50 meters. Our guide looks hesitant and advises us to forget the blue flames ("too many people, too dangerous, we might arrive too late..."). Plus, he makes it clear I risk slipping (with my 6’6" frame and 220 lbs, I don’t have Nadia Comaneci’s balance!). So we turn around to head for the volcano’s summit, arriving around 5:30 AM—one hour before sunrise. It’s stopped raining, but it’s cold, so we huddle on the ground and try to rest a little.

Around 6:10 AM, it starts to clear up...



And by 6:45 AM, pure bliss!



We take a few photos of the lake from above.



But we need to start descending soon. At the crater’s edge, three or four porters have set up stalls selling little sulfur sculptures and displaying their baskets. But we won’t see much more—the guide says they usually arrive after 9:00 AM.



The descent goes smoothly. Our guide discovers the trekking poles we brought along. He thinks they’re a great idea and wonders where he can buy some in Java. I doubt he’ll find a Decathlon there!

By 8:30–9:00 AM, we’re back at the parking lot. An hour later, we’re on the ferry, and two hours after that, we’re back on the Bali side. On paper, we have one more hour to reach Pemuteran by noon. But our package includes an "Indonesian lunch" on the way back, so we stop at a small warung.



Instead of a warung, we end up at "ACK Fried Chicken" in Gilimanuk—a KFC-style fast-food joint, Indonesian style. There, we reunite with the French family we met on the ferry ride over. They managed to see the blue flames but missed the sunrise... so we swap photos on WhatsApp. I’m a little jealous, even though they confirm it was a total nightmare down there—absolute chaos with the crowds.

The KFC manager offers to take a photo of the French group. Like all drivers, it’s a way to feed their Instagram loop and showcase bits of their activities. We play along with a smile and the obligatory "Tonigencyl" pose.

The rest of the day is dedicated to napping and swimming... After all, we’re in paradise!

Monday, August 11, The Big Blue (the return).

Via the Taruna, we head out for a snorkeling activity on Pulau Menjangan Island.

At 9:00 AM, a pick-up (which looks like it’s from the late René Coty / early Charles de Gaulle era) comes to "pick us up" at the hotel to cover the 500 meters to the beach. We meet up with other tourists (there are 9 of us on the boat, including 7 fellow countrymen), and off we go for a half-hour boat ride to the swimming spot. It’s quite different from Gili Meno: the corals are more beautiful, there are more fish, it’s less crowded, but no turtles, and above all, it’s not a "private" experience despite the price, which is even more expensive (1.2M IDR for the two of us).



We splash around for 1.5 hours at two different sites, and around noon, we head back to Pemuteran. The "captain" explains that the swell picks up in the afternoon and it’s not safe to stay. So, we do the third "dive" as planned at Pemuteran Beach, where a dock has been set up at Biorock—a place where they’re trying to recreate a coral reef using an electrolysis system powered by solar energy. That said, the seabed is much less appealing than at Pemuteran, so we take the opportunity to "enjoy" our lunch (rice and a cold egg with a banana for dessert). By 2:00 PM, we’re back at the hotel after the "tour" in the prehistoric pick-up.









In the afternoon, it’s pool time until 4:30 PM, and then the rain returns.

Tuesday, August 12, the mountain gets you every time. The driver is there around 9:00 AM to take us to Munduk.

This morning, we had several options: leave early to see the dolphins in Lovina (but we weren’t up for waking up at 5:00 AM), stop by the Air Panas Banjar hot springs along the way (but we weren’t in the mood for a swim), or visit the Brahmavihara-Arama Buddhist temple, which turned out to be a great choice.

Here, you’ll find all the classic elements of a Buddhist temple—colorful facades, white or golden Buddhas, multicolored dragons, and even a mini Borobudur (like France Miniature). I highly recommend this stop, especially since the setting is gorgeous, overlooking the sea from the first foothills of the mountains.











We hit the road again, and from Mayong, it climbs a bit to reach the village of Munduk.



Munduk and Pemutran—two vibes in one. The blue of the sea gives way to the green of rice terraces and clove, banana, avocado, and vanilla plantations. The village stretches along the road between 700 and 1,100 meters in altitude, and we chose to stay at the very top in an "ecostay" with wooden chalets "lost" in the forest: Gumi Ayu Hotel. We arrive around 3:30 PM and start with a quick lunch at the restaurant, which offers an extraordinary view over the valley. Then we settle into our chalet for the next two nights (there are only 7 accommodations) and enjoy the view.



Right after, we head to Tutub Waterfall, just above Gumi Ayu. It gives us a first taste of the waterfall vibe we’ll experience the next day. At 6:00 PM, we’ve booked a massage for two. Even though it’s pricier than at previous hotels (350k IDR vs. the usual 150k or 180k), it’s still a steal for an hour of relaxation, and my partner confirms it was worth it.



Around 7:30 PM, we head to the restaurant. It’s starting to get a bit chilly in the dark night (18°C at that moment). Gumi Ayu has one big downside—it’s a bit out of the way from Munduk (and the road there is sketchy), but it has an even bigger upside: its restaurant. Sure, it’s a bit pricier than the warungs, but the food is so good, especially since they serve dishes with "mash potatoes" and "sweet potatoes"... after two weeks of nasi goreng, it’s pure bliss!



We’re on dessert (I recommend the "lava cake") when our server brings us "hot water bottles"! "You said what? Yes, hot water bottles, like hot water bags!"



The idea is to warm up a bit on this windy terrace and keep the "hot water bottles" for the night since the temperature will drop to 14°C. We laugh at the local expression, which isn’t so surprising after all—French travelers are everywhere in this Pemuteran/Munduk area.

We end up having a cozy night under the covers.

Wednesday, August 13, the waterfall hike.

After a good night's sleep, lulled by the sound of the Tutub, we recharge with breakfast at Gumi Ayu (the best of the stay) and its 180% view of the forest.





This morning, we do the hike to the 3 waterfalls (which turned out to be 4). To reach the top one (Golden Valley – free entry), we walk down for 10 minutes along the road (it’s like a Squid Game challenge) before heading into the "jungle."



In reality, there’s no jungle here—just forest agriculture with the different plantations mentioned earlier. It’s nice and bucolic. From Golden, we head down to Labuhan Kebo waterfall (entry 20k) before climbing back up to Red Coral (entry 40k) and then descending to Melanting (entry 20k), tackling the dizzying stairs of Melanting on the way down.











The walk is really great, and I recommend doing it in this descending order (we passed some hikers who weren’t looking too fresh). At regular intervals, little "grocery stalls" sell spices and fruits. That’s where we stocked up on vanilla pods to bring back to our parents (subliminal message: we love your crème renversée).



It’s hotter now, and the mist from the waterfalls is a blessing to cool off before heading back from Melanting via a rougher trail that takes us back to the center of Munduk (via Jalan Taman). I’d planned to do the rice terraces right after, but our French friends from Kawah-Ijen talked us out of it (they did it over 2 days).



We have lunch around 3 PM at a little warung ("Enjoy Café 2") with a nice view (even if it’s getting cloudy) before heading back up to Gumi Ayu with the hotel’s designated driver (150k for the ride, but we could’ve paid 10 times that to avoid the sketchy route). A quiet evening at Gumi Ayu, another great dinner, and hot water bottles to ensure a good night’s rest.

Went to Kawa Ijen 2 days ago. What a letdown! And yet, unlike you, we had amazing weather! Everything’s about business at the expense of safety (and the magic of the moment).

You’ll have to tell us all about it...

Thanks for this travel journal. The photos are gorgeous. I’d considered this destination for this summer, but I waited a bit too long and got worried about overtourism. We ended up going back to the US for a road trip in New Mexico (which we loved) and Arizona (which we already knew).

This journal is slowly making me feel better about the idea of a future trip to Indonesia. I’ll definitely be following it closely.

Thanks so much, Manu, for this Bali update—it brings back great memories! 😊 Unlike you, we didn’t get any rain during our trip in August 2016. Those turtle encounters sound amazing—we didn’t have time for boat excursions, what a shame! Plus, the photos really make this travel journal shine! 😍

White Sands in August—it must be a bit scorching ;)

For us, it was in 2009... https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=2531862;#2531862

White Sands in August—it must sting a bit ;)

More than a bit... even after 6 PM! I’d been tempted by this destination for a while, but I couldn’t get more than a week off during New Mexico’s "ideal" season. And since we didn’t want to wait until retirement to go, we headed there in August. Sure, we definitely felt the heat at times. But not a single regret about going—we loved it. (Ten degrees cooler would’ve been amazing, but we made do.)

Thursday, August 14, from mountains to rice terraces.

Around 9:00 AM, "John Lennon" is waiting for us in the parking lot. John—whose real name is Kabi—is our driver (super friendly and a bit quirky), and he’s the one taking us to our final stop, "D'Ume Bendoel Homestay" near Jatiluwih.

The road winds through the mountains, and we quickly reach the Twin Lakes viewpoint. The view is really nice and reminds us a bit of our "cow mountains" back in Auvergne.





From the summit, we head down to Lake Bratan to visit Pura Ulun Danu Bratan, an iconic temple set in the lake. The place feels a bit like Disneyland, but it’s still fun to watch Indonesians enjoying a bit of tourism. Heavy clouds loom over the lake, but luckily, the sun makes a few rare appearances—just enough to make me happy. It’s nice, but we’ll see better later.









Next, we head to the rice terraces of Jatiluwih to do the short loop and explore the area (we’ll be back tomorrow). A 1-hour-15-minute walk through the terraced rice fields is beautiful, even though the sun’s gone AWOL and the clouds are looking a bit more threatening.





After that, we make our way to Pura Luhur Batukaru, a temple we really loved.

It’s the complete opposite of the last one—jungle vs. lake, authenticity vs. Disneyland, solitude vs. crowds, quiet reflection vs. a wild party. A great moment on the slopes of Mount Batukaru... and on top of that, I discover the udeng suits me perfectly (the udeng is a headband Balinese men tie around their heads).





Then, it’s time for us to head to our chalet...

D'ume Bendoel Homestay is a truly special place.

Tucked away at the foot of Batukaru Temple, this homestay offers individual little cottages right in the heart of the rice fields. You're 25 minutes from Jatiluwih, but it's just as charming here—though very secluded... so it's perfect for spending a night (or even two).

One small downside: the welcome felt a bit too commercial. It’s a shame they only push the (paid) activities they offer. We would’ve liked a little more spontaneity.

So we set off on foot to explore our little slice of paradise.

In the evening, dinner choices are simple: Nasi or Mie Goreng (plus a soup). We’re starting to get a bit tired of potatoes, though ;)

The night is filled with the sounds of the rice fields (but why do roosters in Bali start crowing at 1:30 AM?!) and the gecko that never fails to make its presence known.

Friday, August 15, how beautiful the rice terraces are!

I was up before 7:00 AM to capture the rice terrace in the morning light, and it was totally worth it!





Around 9:00 AM, John Lennon is back for a day of sightseeing. We start by heading back to Jatiluwih, which makes us so happy. The weather is great, the parking lots are still empty, and John takes us on a 2.5-hour tour that’s absolutely breathtaking.









It’s worth noting that the rice terrace isn’t just a postcard-perfect scene.

Late morning, John Lennon takes us for coffee at a "plantation" just past the rice fields, the "Jati Wangi Luwak Coffee."

Let’s be honest, it’s super commercial: 5 minutes in a garden looking at coffee plants and other vegetation, 5 minutes to see a civet and catch the smile of a woman showing us the roasting process, and then they sit you down to taste flavored coffees and teas. The good news is it’s free... unless you try the Luwak (50k, but we do it because it’s a chance to taste it) or if you can’t resist the shop (and we do that too). In short, it’s well-oiled!









Next, John suggests stopping by the "Bayan Ancient Tree" of Kayu Putih, a 700-year-old tree that’s supposedly the oldest on the island and makes a great playground for kids. It’s nice.





Final stop at the chocolate plantation "Desa Coklat Bali," where we have lunch around 3:00 PM (they serve dishes without rice!). The alternative was scooter meatballs, but we’re not risking it!



Right after, we do the tour (330k), which includes a walk through the plantation (2 hectares of cocoa trees) to open a bean and a presentation of the different steps in making chocolate. It was okay, but it felt more "alive" in Colombia.







After that, back to our chalet and its nasi goreng...

Saturday, August 16, well, that’s it—it’s over!

Our last day in Bali before heading back home. We hired Gusti, a driver we met in Ubud who turned out to be the best choice for these three weeks in Bali: he’s friendly, drives carefully, and his Toyota is comfy (WhatsApp +62 822-3688-6636). He was supposed to pick us up around 10:00 AM but arrived an hour early, so he got to discover our little hidden spot he didn’t know about.

That morning, I took another sunrise walk around our chalets before a much heartier breakfast than yesterday (weird how it changed from one day to the next!).



First stop of the day: Pura Tanah Lot by the sea. It’s a temple usually visited in the late afternoon for the sunset, but morning works too. The tide was low, the parking lots were empty, and there were plenty of street vendors and animal handlers around.





We took the chance to grab an "avocado juice."



Second stop: we headed back up to visit Pura Taman Ayun in Mengwi. On paper, it didn’t make much sense route-wise, but Gusti didn’t want to drive through the area in the early afternoon—the south of the island is a nightmare for traffic.

Pura Taman Ayun in Mengwi was a real pleasant surprise—our favorite temple in Bali. It’s spacious, picturesque, not too crowded, and feels authentic. We loved it!









Around 3:00 PM, we headed for lunch at "Bebek Uma Sari Resto" (a recommendation from our driver). It’s a fancier, more international version of our usual warungs. The prices were a bit of a shock, but the food was good, and the view over the rice fields was lovely.

From 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM, we visited the "Bali Bird Park." The price was another sticker shock (730 IDR for two), but hey, that’s the game, right? (And we needed something to do before our flight.) The park isn’t huge, but the birds are beautiful—though not all are native to Indonesia, like that South American parrot or the African crowned crane.





At 6:00 PM, we hit the traffic jams. Gusti suggested stopping by the Kedonganan fish market (right next to the airport), but the traffic had other plans. It took us two hours to get to the airport, so we decided to skip the market—it was dark, we didn’t want to stress, and we could let Gusti head back to Ubud earlier.

At the airport, everything went smoothly. We changed clothes (there’s a cabin upstairs), dropped off our luggage (the check-in area is air-conditioned), went through security, and grabbed dinner to use up our last rupiahs.

From there, Qatar Airways flew us back to Paris without a hitch....

What’s the verdict on these 3 weeks (19 nights there)? "It’s beautiful but it’s far!" as a former French President once said.

We really loved our trip to Bali—we’d only booked the first 7 accommodations in advance. It’s super easy to get around, visit places, and explore... as long as you speak a little English. No need (we think) to hire an agency if you’re staying on Bali.

We saw stunning landscapes (rice terraces, sea, mountains, volcanoes...) without having to take flights with all their waiting and uncertainties.

We got plenty of rest since we didn’t want to overdo it (but feel free to add tons of activities, especially in Ubud where there were loads of options).

We met friendly, smiling people... though we were never quite sure if there wasn’t a slight "commercial" side to it (we kept getting the same standard questions at every stop, like a well-rehearsed script with limited vocabulary).

We loved being able to treat ourselves on an island that’s still super affordable (75 € on average for our cozy accommodations with breakfast, under 10 € for lunch for two at a warung, day-long taxis for around 50 €...).

We weren’t bothered by overtourism (90% of tourists crowd into 10% of the island). Still, as always, we mostly saw French travelers, like in South America (oh, the crisis!).

The only real downside is the distance. With roughly 24 hours total for the trip there and back, we’d recommend staying for 3 weeks if you can.

Cost of the trip for 19 nights for two people: 2975 € (including a 10% minimum tip for restaurants, guides, and drivers) Accommodations: 1425 € (75 € / night) Meals: 470 € (12 € / meal) Activities (tours, boats, excursions, diving): 620 € Drivers: 460 €



Hope our experience helps—have a great trip! Manu

Darn. Already over! Thanks anyway for this awesome travel journal. I’ll say it again—the photos are stunning. And thanks for the price breakdown too. I’m really surprised by the prices (they’re so low). I’ll definitely come back to this journal once we’ve decided to go to Indonesia.

Thanks for this lively travel journal that took me back to some regions of Bali 🙂

Darn. Already over! Thanks anyway for this great travel journal. I’ll say it again—the photos are stunning. And thanks for the price breakdown too. I’m really surprised by the prices (they’re so low). I’ll definitely come back to this journal when we decide to go to Indonesia.

We were surprised by the prices too.

Here are some price ideas, knowing that 100k IDR = 5.3 €:

Taxi Airport / Ubud 450k Lunch for 2 at a warung 130 to 200k (1 dish + 1 drink each) Lunch for 2 at a touristy spot: >500k Individual temple entry 50 to 150k Speedboat to Meno round-trip per person 1.3M Horse on Meno 150k for a ride for 2 (300k round-trip) Dinner at Meno hotel 400k Snorkeling in Gili (2.5h) for 2 private 750k + 200k for the GoPro Snorkeling in Pemuteran (5h) for 2 in a group of 9: 1.2M Upgraded canoe Meno-Lombok 42k Ferry Lombok-Bali 150k per person Kawah Ijen 2.2M for both of us (excluding tips) Taxi Candi Dasa / Pemuteran 850k Massage 150 to 350k per person Vanilla purchase 200k for 12 nice pods (50k for 8 small ones) Bali Bird Park 770k for two Driver for a day in Jalituwih 600k Return Jalituwih / airport with 5 stops (Tanah Lot, Mengwi, restaurant, tourist market, and Bali Bird Park) for 1.2M (as soon as you head south, it’s more expensive due to traffic).

For drivers, the prices include the visits (and thus waiting time for the driver). We could’ve found cheaper options (via apps), but those are often non-Balinese drivers who sleep in their cars and undercut the local market, especially around Ubud (according to our drivers when we asked).

I definitely had a good instinct to check it out. Straightforward and punchy style, great photos, and a thorough report. I’ll happily come back to read you next time.

thanks for this travel journal

Wow, I didn’t know Bali was this gorgeous!

Wow, I had no idea Bali was this gorgeous!

We kinda figured it’d be great since several of our expat friends in Asia had told us so. But we didn’t expect to find that kind of authenticity as soon as you move a little away from the South and Ubud. Sure, it’s not a "backpacker" destination for those seeking adventure (there are plenty of other islands in Indonesia for that), but for us, it was just the right balance between ease of experiences and quality of encounters. A must-do!

We’re definitely following each other’s journeys! You’ve just finished your travel journal, and I’ve started posting mine! Thanks for sharing your experience, by the way! 😊