3 weeks in Bali in 2025 (page 1 of 3)

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they offer an A380 (much more comfortable than a 350 for taller travelers), but their movie selection is limited and outdated.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?! ;)