Indonesia🇮🇩 | regionsBaliRice terraces, temple ceremonies, surf breaks, Ubud and Canggu | things to do and best time to go

Day 1-2: Ubud: Bali has no trains and no useful public bus network, so the island runs on roads, and the roads decide your pace. Everything funnels out of the south, where traffic between the airport, Canggu and Denpasar can turn 30 km into two hours. Ubud sits roughly 1 to 1.5 hours from the airport by pre-booked car, and it is the right first base because the rice terraces, temples and cooking classes sit within a short scooter ride or a Grab or Gojek hop. Spend Day 1 walking the Campuhan Ridge at dawn before the heat and tour vans arrive. On Day 2, book a Mount Batur sunrise trek. The pickup is around 2 a.m., the climb takes about two hours, and you eat steam-cooked eggs on a warm crater rim while the clouds turn orange below you.Day 3: Sidemen: Sidemen is the off-path detour, about 1 to … read more 👉

Day 1-2: Ubud: Bali has no trains and no useful public bus network, so the island runs on roads, and the roads decide your pace. Everything funnels out of the south, where traffic between the airport, Canggu and Denpasar can turn 30 km into two hours. Ubud sits roughly 1 to 1.5 hours from the airport by pre-booked car, and it is the right first base because the rice terraces, temples and cooking classes sit within a short scooter ride or a Grab or Gojek hop. Spend Day 1 walking the Campuhan Ridge at dawn before the heat and tour vans arrive. On Day 2, book a Mount Batur sunrise trek. The pickup is around 2 a.m., the climb takes about two hours, and you eat steam-cooked eggs on a warm crater rim while the clouds turn orange below you.Day 3: Sidemen: Sidemen is the off-path detour, about 1 to 1.5 hours east of Ubud by scooter or shared shuttle. It is a valley of terraces framed by Mount Agung, where weavers still work songket cloth on wooden looms and the loudest sound is a rooster. It breaks the long eastern drive into two easy halves, so you lose almost no time and gain a slow afternoon of walking between villages with no tour buses in sight.Day 4-5: Amed: From Sidemen, Amed is about 1.5 to 2 hours north-east along the coast, a drive of black-sand bays and fishing boats pulled up on the beach. Chartered cars run about US$25 to 40 for the stretch, and a shuttle is cheaper if you can match the schedule. Use Day 4 to snorkel straight off the beach, where the reef starts a few strokes from shore. On Day 5, make the short ride to Tulamben and snorkel the USAT Liberty wreck, a WWII cargo ship resting in shallow water. Leave early, since the best visibility comes before the dive groups arrive.Must-do day: Day 2. The Batur sunrise justifies the whole trip, because you earn that view with your legs and it costs only US$35 to 50 with a guide.

Start with nasi campur: steamed rice heaped with shredded chicken, spiced tempeh, peanuts, vegetables and a fiery sambal matah of raw shallot and lemongrass. Eat it at a warung, a family-run stall, where a plate costs about US$1.50 to 3. Seek out babi guling (spit-roast suckling pig with crackling skin) in Ubud and Gianyar, and bebek betutu, slow-cooked spiced duck wrapped in banana leaves.

For snacks, try sate lilit, minced fish and coconut pressed on lemongrass sticks and grilled over coals, plus jaja Bali sweets from morning markets. Night markets such as Gianyar’s sizzle with satay, fried noodles and sweet martabak.

Drink Balinese coffee, thick and often unfiltered, or fresh coconut straight from the husk. Arak, a local rice or palm spirit, is common in cocktails, but only buy it from … read more 👉

Start with nasi campur: steamed rice heaped with shredded chicken, spiced tempeh, peanuts, vegetables and a fiery sambal matah of raw shallot and lemongrass. Eat it at a warung, a family-run stall, where a plate costs about US$1.50 to 3. Seek out babi guling (spit-roast suckling pig with crackling skin) in Ubud and Gianyar, and bebek betutu, slow-cooked spiced duck wrapped in banana leaves.

For snacks, try sate lilit, minced fish and coconut pressed on lemongrass sticks and grilled over coals, plus jaja Bali sweets from morning markets. Night markets such as Gianyar’s sizzle with satay, fried noodles and sweet martabak.

Drink Balinese coffee, thick and often unfiltered, or fresh coconut straight from the husk. Arak, a local rice or palm spirit, is common in cocktails, but only buy it from reputable bars because methanol poisoning has occurred. Tuak, palm wine, is milder.

Customs: eat with your right hand when using hands, and do not step on canang offerings. Smaller warungs often take cash only. Tap water is not safe, so refill bottles at stations for under US$0.50.