A Complete 14-Day Plan for Indonesia

This 14-day loop is for first-time visitors and anyone who wants Bali’s temples, rice terraces and surf beaches without spending half the trip in transit. The pace is relaxed: four bases, no transfer longer than three hours, and plenty of slow mornings. Bali has almost no usable public bus network for this loop, so you’ll rely on the Grab and Gojek ride-hailing apps, tourist shuttles, a hired car with driver for the longer legs (around Rp 600,000 to 800,000 for a 10-hour day) and, if you’re a confident rider with an international license, a rented scooter at Rp 70,000 to 100,000 a day.

Days 1-3: Canggu and Tanah Lot

Land at Ngurah Rai airport and head 45 to 90 minutes north (traffic decides) to Canggu Beach. The black volcanic sand and mellow beach breaks make it the easiest place on the island to try surfing, with board rental from around Rp 50,000 an hour and lessons on every corner. Two lazy days here shake off the jet lag.

On day 3, ride 25 minutes up the coast to Tanah Lot Temple for … read more 👉

This 14-day loop is for first-time visitors and anyone who wants Bali’s temples, rice terraces and surf beaches without spending half the trip in transit. The pace is relaxed: four bases, no transfer longer than three hours, and plenty of slow mornings. Bali has almost no usable public bus network for this loop, so you’ll rely on the Grab and Gojek ride-hailing apps, tourist shuttles, a hired car with driver for the longer legs (around Rp 600,000 to 800,000 for a 10-hour day) and, if you’re a confident rider with an international license, a rented scooter at Rp 70,000 to 100,000 a day.

Days 1-3: Canggu and Tanah Lot

Land at Ngurah Rai airport and head 45 to 90 minutes north (traffic decides) to Canggu Beach. The black volcanic sand and mellow beach breaks make it the easiest place on the island to try surfing, with board rental from around Rp 50,000 an hour and lessons on every corner. Two lazy days here shake off the jet lag.

On day 3, ride 25 minutes up the coast to Tanah Lot Temple for sunset. The sea temple sits on its own rock, cut off at high tide, and foreign adults pay about Rp 75,000. Arrive by 4pm, walk the cliff path north for the better angle and leave the souvenir alley for the walk back.

Days 4-8: Ubud via Ulun Danu Bratan

Skip the direct one-hour drive to Ubud and loop through the highlands instead. Hire a driver for the day, climb 1.5 to 2 hours to Lake Bratan at around 1,200 m and visit Ulun Danu Bratan, the water temple whose pagoda roofs seem to float on the lake. The air up here is noticeably cooler, so bring a layer. Then drop 1.5 to 2 hours down to Ubud.

Five nights in Ubud is deliberate. Walk the Campuhan Ridge before the heat sets in, take a cooking class, catch a Legong dance at the royal palace in the evening. Ride 30 minutes north to Tirta Empul Temple, where Balinese line up to purify themselves under spring-fed spouts; go before 9am, wear a sarong and you can join them.

Days 9-10: Tirta Gangga

Move 1.5 to 2 hours east to Tirta Gangga, the royal water garden built in 1946 by the last raja of Karangasem. Sleeping here lets you hop the stepping stones over the koi ponds before tour groups roll in around 10am. Spend the afternoon walking the rice terraces behind the village, with Mount Agung filling the skyline on clear days.

Days 11-14: Jimbaran and Uluwatu

Drive 2.5 to 3 hours south to the Bukit peninsula and settle at Jimbaran Beach, a calm, curving bay where seafood is grilled over coconut husks on tables set right on the sand. Prices are by weight, so agree on the total before the fish hits the grill.

One evening goes to Uluwatu Temple, perched on cliffs about 70 m above the Indian Ocean, where the kecak dance at sunset costs around Rp 150,000. Hold on to your sunglasses: the resident macaques trade stolen items for fruit. The airport is 20 to 30 minutes away, which makes departure day painless.

If you can spare one extra night, the Sidemen valley between Tirta Gangga and Ubud has songket weaving workshops and terraced hillsides that see very few tour buses.