Bali Experience 15 Days — Self-Guided

Arrive at Ngurah Rai International Airport. Take the fixed-price official airport taxi (~£6–8) or pre-book a Grab ride to your hostel in Kuta or Seminyak. Spend your first evening exploring the beach, grabbing a cheap local meal (nasi goreng!) on Poppies Lane, and getting your bearings. Pick up a local SIM card at the airport for ~£5.

🚌Official airport taxi or Grab app (~£6–8 to Kuta/Seminyak)

🛏Hostel dorm in Kuta or Seminyak (e.g. Puri Hostel or Bali Backpacker) — ~£8–12/night

• →Arrive and check in to hostel
• →Walk Kuta Beach at sunset
• →Explore Poppies Lane for cheap street food
• →Buy a local SIM card (Telkomsel or XL, ~£5)

Rent a scooter (~£4/day) or hire a local driver for the day (~£20–25) to explore Seminyak and nearby Canggu. Visit the iconic Tanah Lot sea temple in the late afternoon for the famous sunset views. Grab dinner at one of Canggu's many affordable warungs.

🚌Scooter rental (~£4/day) or Grab/Gojek ride-hail

🛏Hostel dorm in Canggu (e.g. Tribal Hostel or Dojo Bali) — ~£10–14/night

• →Rent a scooter and explore Seminyak's beach clubs
• →Surf lesson on Canggu Beach via GetYourGuide (~£18)
• →Visit Tanah Lot Temple at sunset (entry ~£3)
• →Dinner at a local warung in Canggu (~£4–6)

Take a shared shuttle bus from Canggu to Ubud (~£4–6, bookable via Perama or Kura-Kura Bus). Check in to your guesthouse and spend the afternoon exploring the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary and the vibrant Ubud Art Market.

🚌Shared shuttle bus Canggu → Ubud via Perama or Kura-Kura Bus (~£4–6)

🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Ubud (e.g. Pondok Pundi Village Inn or Ubud Tropical Guesthouse) — ~£10–15/night

• →Shared shuttle from Canggu to Ubud (~£4–6, ~1.5 hrs)
• →Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary (entry ~£3)
• →Browse Ubud Art Market for handicrafts
• →Sunset walk along Campuhan Ridge

Hire a local driver for the day (~£20–25) or rent a scooter to visit the stunning Tegallalang Rice Terraces, Tirta Empul holy water temple, and Gunung Kawi temple complex. These are all within easy reach of Ubud and offer some of Bali's most iconic scenery.

🚌Scooter rental (~£4/day) or private driver hire (~£20–25 for full day)

🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Ubud — ~£10–15/night

• →Tegallalang Rice Terraces (entry ~£2, photo swing ~£5 optional)
• →Tirta Empul Holy Water Temple (entry ~£2)
• →Gunung Kawi Sebatu Temple complex (~£2)
• →Traditional Balinese cooking class in Ubud via Airbnb Experiences or GetYourGuide (~£20–25)

Rise at 2am for a guided sunrise hike up Mount Batur (an active volcano, 1,717m). Book a local guide through your guesthouse or via GetYourGuide (~£25–35 including guide and breakfast at the summit). Return to Ubud by mid-morning and spend the afternoon relaxing or exploring Ubud's galleries.

🚌Return transport from Ubud usually included in hike package; if not, hire ojek (~£5 each way)

🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Ubud — ~£10–15/night

• →Mount Batur sunrise hike with local guide (~£25–35 via GetYourGuide)
• →Breakfast cooked on volcanic steam at the summit
• →Optional hot spring visit post-hike (~£8)
• →Afternoon rest and explore Ubud galleries

Hire a driver for the day (~£25–30) to visit Pura Besakih — Bali's 'Mother Temple' — perched on the slopes of Mount Agung. Continue east to the laid-back fishing village of Amed, a budget-friendly snorkelling and diving hub.

🚌Private driver hire for the day Ubud → Besakih → Amed (~£25–30)

🛏Budget guesthouse in Amed (e.g. Amed Beach Bungalows) — ~£10–14/night

• →Pura Besakih Mother Temple visit (entry ~£5, sash hire included)
• →Drive through scenic East Bali countryside
• →Check in to Amed guesthouse
• →Sunset snorkel off Amed beach (rent gear ~£4)

Amed is one of Bali's best budget diving and snorkelling spots. Day-trip to nearby Tulamben to snorkel or dive the famous USAT Liberty shipwreck — one of the world's most accessible wreck dives, sitting just 30m from shore. Book directly with local dive operators on the beach.

🚌Local ojek or shared bemo Amed → Tulamben (~£3–5 return)

🛏Budget guesthouse in Amed — ~£10–14/night

• →Snorkel the USAT Liberty Shipwreck in Tulamben (~£10 gear hire + local guide tip)
• →Optional intro scuba dive at the wreck (~£35–45 via local dive shop)
• →Relax on Amed's black sand beach
• →Fresh seafood dinner at a beachside warung (~£5–8)

Take a local bemo or pre-arranged shared shuttle along Bali's scenic north coast road to Lovina (~£6–10). Lovina is a quiet, budget-friendly alternative to the south's busier tourist centres, known for its dolphin watching trips and black sand beaches.

🚌Shared shuttle or local bemo Amed → Lovina (~£6–10 via north coast route)

🛏Budget guesthouse in Lovina (e.g. Hotel Banyualit or Rini Hotel) — ~£8–12/night

• →Shared shuttle or local bemo from Amed to Lovina (~£6–10, ~2.5 hrs)
• →Check in to guesthouse
• →Visit Gitgit Waterfall en route (~£1 entry)
• →Explore Lovina's relaxed beachfront in the evening

Wake before dawn for a local boat dolphin-watching trip — Lovina is famous for this, and local fishermen take tourists out in traditional jukungs for ~£8–12. Spend the rest of the day visiting the Brahma Vihara Arama Buddhist monastery (Bali's only Buddhist temple) and the Banjar hot springs.

🚌Scooter rental or ojek for local sightseeing (~£5–8)

🛏Budget guesthouse in Lovina — ~£8–12/night

• →Sunrise dolphin watching boat trip (~£8–12, book directly with beach operators the evening before)
• →Brahma Vihara Arama Buddhist Monastery visit (free, ~£1 donation suggested)
• →Banjar Hot Springs soak (entry ~£2)
• →Afternoon at leisure along Lovina beach

Take a shared tourist shuttle from Lovina back to Sanur in the south (~£8–12, bookable via Perama). Sanur is a calmer, more relaxed alternative to Kuta and is the main departure point for ferries to Nusa Penida. Spend the afternoon exploring Sanur's beachside promenade.

🚌Shared tourist shuttle Lovina → Sanur via Perama (~£8–12)

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Sanur (e.g. Sanur Hostel or Flashpackers Sanur) — ~£10–14/night

• →Shared tourist shuttle Lovina → Sanur (~£8–12, ~3 hrs)
• →Check in to hostel in Sanur
• →Walk the flat, palm-lined Sanur beach promenade
• →Book Nusa Penida fast boat for tomorrow (book ahead, ~£8–12 return)

Take the fast boat from Sanur to Nusa Penida (~£8–12 return, 45 mins). Hire a local driver on the island (~£20–25/day) to visit the island's unmissable western highlights: the dramatic T-Rex cliff viewpoint at Kelingking Beach, the natural rock pool of Angel's Billabong, and Broken Beach.

🚌Fast boat Sanur → Nusa Penida (45 mins, ~£8–12 return); local driver hire on island (~£20–25/day)

🛏Budget guesthouse on Nusa Penida (e.g. Penida Colada or Ped Inn) — ~£10–14/night

• →Fast boat Sanur → Nusa Penida (~£8–12 return, book via GetYourGuide or direct at Sanur Beach)
• →Kelingking Beach T-Rex cliff viewpoint (free)
• →Angel's Billabong natural rock pool (free, entry to area ~£1)
• →Broken Beach scenic arch viewpoint (free)

Explore the eastern and southern sides of Nusa Penida. Snorkel or dive at Manta Point — one of the best places in the world to swim with manta rays. Crystal Bay is ideal for snorkelling with stunning reef fish. Book directly with local dive/snorkel operators near the harbour.

🚌Local driver hire on Nusa Penida (~£20–25/day)

🛏Budget guesthouse on Nusa Penida — ~£10–14/night

• →Manta Point snorkel trip (book locally, ~£12–18 including boat and guide)
• →Crystal Bay snorkelling and swimming (gear hire ~£4)
• →Thousand Island viewpoint
• →Sunset from Atuh Beach on the east coast

Take the morning fast boat back to Sanur, then hire a Grab or pre-arranged driver to Uluwatu on the Bukit Peninsula. Uluwatu is famous for its clifftop temple, world-class surf, and stunning sunset Kecak fire dance performance.

🚌Fast boat back to Sanur; Grab/driver Sanur → Uluwatu (~£10–15)

🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel in Uluwatu/Bukit (e.g. Uluwatu Surf Villas dorm or local guesthouse) — ~£10–15/night

• →Fast boat Nusa Penida → Sanur (included in return ticket)
• →Grab/Gojek or driver to Uluwatu (~£10–15)
• →Pura Luhur Uluwatu clifftop temple (entry ~£3)
• →Kecak Fire Dance at sunset at the temple (~£8, book on arrival)
• →Dinner at Single Fin or a budget warung on Uluwatu cliffs

Spend a relaxed final full day exploring the Bukit Peninsula's stunning beaches — Padang Padang, Bingin, and Balangan are all within easy reach by scooter. These are some of Bali's most scenic and least crowded beaches. Perfect for a slow travel day before departure.

🚌Scooter rental (~£4/day) around the Bukit Peninsula

🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel in Uluwatu/Bukit — ~£10–15/night

• →Scooter ride along the Bukit Peninsula clifftops
• →Padang Padang Beach (entry ~£1)
• →Bingin Beach — relax, swim, surf
• →Balangan Beach sunset
• →Final dinner at a local warung

Check out and head to the airport. Take a Grab or Gojek to Ngurah Rai Airport from Uluwatu (~£8–12, allow 45–60 mins depending on traffic). Pick up any last souvenirs at the Kuta Art Market if time allows.

🚌Grab or Gojek to Ngurah Rai Airport (~£8–12)

• →Check out of accommodation
• →Optional last-minute souvenir shopping at Kuta Art Market
• →Grab/Gojek to Ngurah Rai Airport (~£8–12)