Self-Launched Beautiful Bali: Ubud to Sanur via Villages, Volcanoes & Reefs

Fly into Denpasar (DPS) and get to Ubud without a private transfer: the Kura-Kura or Perama airport shuttle runs ~IDR 200,000–250,000 (£10–13) per person, or grab a Grab/Gojek car (~£12–15 shared). Pre-book a family-run guesthouse or hostel in central Ubud or a 10-minute walk out toward Penestanan (dorms ~£8–10, private rooms £15–20). Spend the afternoon wandering the traditional market on Jalan Raya Ubud and grabbing coffee in one of the many cafés — normally there's an evening drop-in yoga class at studios like The Yoga Barn or Ubud Yoga House for ~£8–10. Eat at a warung (nasi campur ~£2–3) and get an early night for tomorrow.

🚌Airport shuttle or Grab/Gojek from DPS to Ubud ~£10–13

🛏Family-run guesthouse/hostel in central Ubud (~£12)

• →Traditional market walk on Jalan Raya Ubud
• →Café hopping / digital nomad coffee scene
• →Optional drop-in yoga class (~£8–10)

Self-launch the guided Ubud walk by following the Campuhan Ridge Walk at dawn (free, ~1 hour) and then the Rice Field Walk from Jalan Kajeng through the Tegalalang-side paddies. For the 'Balinese home visit', book a small-group coffee plantation/house visit through GetYourGuide or Klook (typically £15–25 including a tasting of luwak-free Balinese coffee). In the evening, buy a ticket at the Ubud Palace or Pura Dalem Taman Kaja for a Kecak dance performance (~IDR 100,000–150,000 / £5–8) — get there 30 minutes early for front seating. Dinner at a night market or warung.

🚌Walking; occasional Grab motorbike ~£1–2

🛏Family-run guesthouse/hostel in central Ubud (~£12)

• →Campuhan Ridge Walk (free, sunrise)
• →Rice field walk from Jalan Kajeng
• →Balinese home/coffee plantation visit bookable on GetYourGuide (~£15–25)
• →Kecak dance at Ubud Palace (~£5–8)

Book a half-day downhill cycling tour online (GetYourGuide/Klook, ~£22–30 including bike, helmet, guide and lunch) — operators like Bali Eco Cycling run routes through villages, small carved temples and rice terraces. Afterwards, make your own way east to Undisan (near Bangli): a Grab car is the easiest option (~£10–12, 45 mins) or ask your guesthouse to arrange a shared car. Undisan is a quiet, low-key village — accommodation is simple homestays and guesthouses (private rooms ~£12–16). There's usually a small warung for dinner; alternatively arrange dinner with your homestay for ~£4–5.

🚌Cycling tour transfers included; Grab car Ubud–Undisan ~£10–12

🛏Village homestay/guesthouse in Undisan (~£14)

• →Guided downhill cycling through villages and rice fields (~£22–30)
• →Small carved temples en route
• →Views toward Mt Agung

Do the morning rice terrace walk around Undisan yourself — a loop of roughly 1.5–2 hours with no entry fee if you follow the irrigation channels. Ask your homestay about visiting local craftspeople and temples; a small donation (£1–2) goes a long way. Mid-morning, take a shared car or Grab south-east down to Sibetan (a salak-farming village near Mt Agung, ~30–40 mins, £8–12). Sibetan has a handful of community homestays (private rooms ~£13–18); several run cooking classes for ~£12–15 where you'll learn to cook with salak (snake fruit) and local spices. Dinner of salak dishes prepared by villagers is the highlight — ask your homestay to arrange it in advance. This is also the point where the original tour includes a traditional 'bungkus' packed lunch, which you can buy at a village warung for ~£2.

🚌Shared car/Grab Undisan–Sibetan ~£8–12

🛏Community homestay in Sibetan (~£15)

• →Morning rice terrace walk in Undisan
• →Village craft and temple visits
• →Optional cooking class (~£12–15)
• →Village-prepared salak dinner (~£5)

Walk the ancient salak plantation with a village guide (arrange through your homestay, ~£6–10 for a couple of hours) and stop for the local 'tipat blayag' lunch — rice wrapped in young coconut leaves with chicken and veg, ~£2. In the afternoon, hire a car and driver or take a Grab down the crater rim road to Lake Batur (around 1.5 hours, ~£15–20) for the classic caldera views. Base yourself in Toya Bungkah or Songan at the lake's edge in a simple guesthouse with hot springs access (~£12–18). If your volcano guide is climbing tomorrow, meet them or message tonight to confirm the 4am start.

🚌Private/Grab car Sibetan–Lake Batur via crater rim road ~£15–20

🛏Guesthouse by Lake Batur, Toya Bungkah (~£15)

• →Guided salak plantation walk (~£6–10)
• →Crater rim drive with Lake Batur views
• →Local tipat blayag lunch (~£2)

Book the Mt Batur sunrise trek directly with a local guide association or via GetYourGuide (~£30–40 including guide, headtorch and breakfast cooked in the steam vents). Pickup is typically 3:30–4:00am; the summit climb takes ~2 hours and is steep on loose volcanic gravel — good shoes essential. Back down by 9am, then soak in the lakeside hot springs (~£3–5 entry). Shuttle or Grab north to Lovina in the afternoon (roughly 2.5–3 hours, £20–25 private or £12–15 shared). Lovina has plenty of guesthouses and hostels a short walk from the black-sand beach (from £8–10 dorm, £14–20 private). Sunset dolphin boats are optional and best booked the night before (~£8–10).

🚌Volcano guide transport; later Grab/shuttle Batur–Lovina ~£12–25

🛏Beach guesthouse/hostel in Lovina (~£15)

• →Sunrise trek to Mt Batur summit with local guide (~£30–40)
• →Lakeside hot springs soak (~£3–5)
• →Optional next-day dolphin boat (~£8–10)

Pre-book a Menjangan Island snorkelling day trip from Lovina through Klook or a local operator (~£30–40 including boat, snorkel gear, marine park fee and often lunch). Boats leave from Labuhan Lalang inside Bali Barat National Park; the reef off Menjangan is one of Bali's best for coral and reef fish. On the way back, stop at Banjar Hot Springs (~£1–2 entry) for a soak in the tiered stone pools. Before the trip, ask about a Balinese cooking class or home-cooked dinner — community cafés like the Global Village Kafe in Lovina run cooking sessions and language/culture evenings for ~£12–15. Also swing by the morning market on Jalan Pasar for a look at village produce.

🚌Shared day-trip transport to Labuhan Lalang included in tour cost

🛏Beach guesthouse/hostel in Lovina (~£15)

• →Menjangan Island reef snorkelling day trip (~£30–40)
• →Banjar Hot Springs (~£1–2)
• →Local market exploration (free)
• →Balinese cooking class / home-cooked dinner (~£12–15)

Hire a car and driver for the southbound day (a full-day private driver in north Bali is roughly £30–40 for up to 8–9 hours, or use Perama/Kura-Kura shuttle Lovina–Sanur ~£10–12 without stops). Break the journey at Gitgit Waterfall (~£2 entry, 40-min walk) and at Lake Bratan for Pura Ulun Danu Beratan, the temple on the water (~£3–4 entry). You'll descend through Bedugul's mountain passes and reach Sanur by late afternoon. Sanur has good-value guesthouses and hostels from ~£12–18, and the beachfront promenade is a lovely place for dinner — book a stay within a few minutes' walk of Jalan Danau Tamblingan.

🚌Private driver/day car Lovina–Sanur with stops ~£30–40 (or shuttle ~£10–12 without stops)

🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Sanur (~£16)

• →Gitgit Waterfall (~£2)
• →Pura Ulun Danu Beratan temple, Lake Bratan (~£3–4)
• →Bedugul mountain drive

You can self-launch the final day however you like: walk the Sanur beachfront promenade at sunrise (the classic spot for watching fishermen and the local boats), swim, or hire a kayak for ~£4–5/hour. The Mertasari and Sindhu beach stretches are the calmer ones for swimming. If you've got an evening flight, use the free late checkout or a luggage store, and take a Grab to Denpasar airport (~£6–8, 20–30 mins). If you're sticking around, Sanur is the ferry hub for Nusa Penida/Lembongan day trips (~£15–20) — easy to add on.

🚌Grab/Gojek to Denpasar airport ~£6–8

🛏None included — optional extra night in Sanur (~£16)

• →Sunrise beachfront promenade walk
• →Swimming and kayaking (~£4–5/hr)
• →Optional day trip to Nusa Lembongan/Penida