Self-Launched Best of Bali & Komodo Escape
10 days · Bali & Komodo (Flores), Indonesia
Vio Travel charges £760
No-markup version: ~£573 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A DIY 10-day version of Vio Travel's "Best of Bali & Komodo Escape": three nights in Ubud, four in Seminyak, then a flight east to Labuan Bajo for the Komodo highlights (Padar Island, Pink Beach, Kanawa, manta rays). Instead of private transfers and a partially guided package, you book budget guesthouses and mid-range hotels yourself, use Grab/Gojek and regional shuttles, and book the Mount Batur jeep sunrise and the Komodo speedboat day trip directly or via GetYourGuide/Klook. Same beaches, dragons and viewpoints, done on a solo-traveller budget. All costs are approximate.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Bali and transfer to Ubud
Ubud, Bali
Land at Bali Ngurah Rai (DPS) and make your own way to Ubud — roughly 1.5 hours. A Grab/Gojek car booked at the app's pickup zone costs about £12-15; an official airport taxi desk is £18-22. If you're solo and want to save cash, take a Kura-Kura shuttle bus to Ubud (~£5) if timings suit. Check into a guesthouse or budget hotel in central Ubud, then ease in with a wander along Jalan Hanoman and Monkey Forest Road, a cheap warung dinner (nasi campur, ~£2.50) and an early night.
🚌Airport to Ubud by Grab/Gojek or shared shuttle, ~£5-15
🛏Ubud guesthouse/budget hotel (e.g. simple pool guesthouse near Jalan Hanoman), ~£16/night
- →Arrival and check-in
- →Evening stroll along Jalan Hanoman
- →Warung dinner in central Ubud
Ubud rice terraces, temples and markets
Ubud, Bali
DIY the classic Ubud day without a driver: walk or Grab to the Campuhan Ridge Walk for sunrise (£1), then walk north to the Tegalalang rice terraces (~£3 entry, more if you're there after 9am) — or rent a scooter for the day (~£6) if you're licensed and confident in traffic. Afternoon: Ubud Art Market and Saraswati Temple, and a Balinese cooking class if it appeals (GetYourGuide classes from ~£22). Evening Balinese dance performance at Ubud Palace or Pura Dalem (~£7).
🚌Walking plus occasional Grab/Gojek hops or scooter rental, ~£6
🛏Ubud guesthouse/budget hotel, ~£16/night
- →Campuhan Ridge Walk at sunrise
- →Tegalalang rice terraces
- →Ubud Art Market & Saraswati Temple
- →Optional Balinese cooking class (~£22)
- →Optional Legong dance performance (~£7)
Mount Batur sunrise jeep and hot springs
Kintamani / Mount Batur, Bali
Book the Mount Batur sunrise 4x4 jeep trip yourself — operators pick up from Ubud around 03:30. GetYourGuide/Klook versions including hotel pickup, breakfast at a viewpoint restaurant and a coffee plantation stop run roughly £32-40 per person (the standard trek with breakfast is similar). After the sunrise viewpoint, continue to the Toya Devasya or Batur Natural Hot Springs (~£8-10 entry) to soak in the volcanic water before returning to Ubud by early afternoon. Rest, then a spa massage in the evening (~£8 for an hour in Ubud).
🚌Shared jeep/tour pickup included in the activity
🛏Ubud guesthouse/budget hotel, ~£16/night
- →Mount Batur sunrise jeep ride (book via GetYourGuide/Klook, ~£35)
- →Black lava field viewpoint
- →Batur hot springs soak (~£9)
- →Coffee plantation stop (included)
- →Balinese massage (~£8)
Ubud to Seminyak
Seminyak, Bali
Slow morning in Ubud — one last warung breakfast and a browse of the market — then head south to Seminyak. A Grab/Gojek car is around £12-14 for the 1-1.5 hour drive; alternatively the Kura-Kura shuttle runs Ubud-Seminyak for about £5. Settle into a mid-range hotel or boutique guesthouse a few minutes from the beach, then walk Double Six or Petitenget beach for sunset with a Bintang from a beach warung (~£2).
🚌Grab/Gojek or Kura-Kura shuttle Ubud to Seminyak, ~£5-14
🛏Seminyak boutique hotel/guesthouse with pool, ~£18/night
- →Final Ubud market browse
- →Transfer to Seminyak
- →Sunset at Double Six Beach
Seminyak beach day and Eat Street
Seminyak, Bali
A proper slow day: beach time in the morning, a surf lesson if you've never tried it (group lessons on Seminyak beach from ~£18-22), then the boutique strip along Jalan Kayu Aya. Skip the expensive beach clubs and use a sunbed at a local warung or the free public beach access instead. Dinner on Jalan Kayu Aya — the cheaper warungs just off 'Eat Street' do excellent nasi goreng and grilled seafood for £3-5.
🚌Walking and short Grab/Gojek rides, ~£4
🛏Seminyak boutique hotel/guesthouse, ~£18/night
- →Seminyak beach morning
- →Optional surf lesson (~£20)
- →Boutique shopping on Jalan Kayu Aya
- →Dinner on Eat Street
Hidden temples and coast south of Seminyak
Canggu / Tanah Lot, Bali
Rent a scooter (~£6) or use Grab to explore the coast: Tanah Lot temple for the sea views (~£4 entry), the quieter Echo Beach and Batu Bolong in Canggu, and the small Pura Batu Mejan. If you'd rather not drive, a half-day private driver split between two or three people via Grab/GetYourGuide is about £30-35 total. Evening back in Seminyak with a £6-8 dinner.
🚌Scooter rental or shared Grab car, ~£8
🛏Seminyak boutique hotel/guesthouse, ~£18/night
- →Tanah Lot temple
- →Echo Beach and Canggu
- →Optional half-day driver (~£12 pp shared)
Seminyak slow day — spa, cafés and beach
Seminyak, Bali
A buffer day with nothing booked so you can flex around weather or just slow down. Cheap spa hour (£7-9), a specialty coffee and brunch (£5-7), an afternoon reading by the pool, and a final Seminyak sunset. Do your laundry (£2-3) and repack for the Flores leg — you'll want a dry bag and reef-safe sunscreen for Komodo.
🚌Walking, ~£3
🛏Seminyak boutique hotel/guesthouse, ~£18/night
- →Balinese spa treatment (~£8)
- →Café brunch
- →Pool and beach time
- →Laundry and repack for Flores
Fly to Labuan Bajo, Flores
Labuan Bajo, Flores
Fly DPS to Labuan Bajo (LBJ) — direct flights with Garuda, Wings Air or Batik Air take about 1.5 hours and cost roughly £55-90 one-way if booked a few weeks ahead. Grab a Grab or shared airport transfer to your hotel on the hill above town (~£3). Afternoon: the waterfront fish market for grilled snapper, then sunset from the Loccal Collection-style rooftop or the free viewpoint above town. Book tomorrow's Komodo speedboat trip online tonight if you haven't already.
🚌Flight DPS-LBJ ~£55-90; airport transfer ~£3
🛏Labuan Bajo harbour-view hotel/guesthouse, ~£22/night
- →Flight to Labuan Bajo
- →Waterfront fish market dinner
- →Sunset viewpoint over the harbour
Komodo: Padar, Pink Beach, manta rays and Kanawa
Komodo National Park, Flores
Take a full-day speedboat tour of Komodo National Park — self-bookable on GetYourGuide/Klook or direct with operators at the Labuan Bajo waterfront for roughly £55-75 including park fees, lunch box, snorkel gear and hotel pickup. The classic route: early hike on Padar Island for the famous three-bay viewpoint, Komodo dragon tracking on Komodo or Rinca Island with a ranger (£15-20 park fee usually bundled in), snorkelling at Pink Beach and Taka Makasar, a Manta Point stop, and sunset snorkelling at Kanawa Island. Book the speedboat rather than the slower wooden boat if you want to fit all of it into one day.
🚌Speedboat tour with hotel pickup included
🛏Labuan Bajo harbour-view hotel/guesthouse, ~£22/night
- →Padar Island hike
- →Komodo dragon ranger walk
- →Pink Beach and Taka Makasar snorkelling
- →Manta Point
- →Kanawa Island snorkelling
Labuan Bajo to Bali
Labuan Bajo / Denpasar, Bali
Morning at the hotel pool or a last walk through the Labuan Bajo market for ikat textiles and Flores coffee (~£5-10). Fly LBJ back to Denpasar (~£55-90), or extend on Flores toward Bajawa and the Kelimutu crater lakes if you've got more time. Onward international flight or onward stay in Bali.
🚌Flight LBJ-DPS ~£55-90; airport transfer ~£2
🛏None (departure day) — or a Bali airport-area guesthouse ~£16 if you fly out next day
- →Labuan Bajo market and souvenir shopping
- →Final Flores coffee
- →Flight back to Bali
Self-launched vs. Vio Travel
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Vio Travel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£573 | £760 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £187 per person (25%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Vio Travel-style trips? Check them out here.~£573
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched Best of Bali & Komodo Escape cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £573 per person for 10 days in Bali & Komodo (Flores), Indonesia. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Vio Travel?+
Yes — Vio Travel charges around £760 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £573 — a saving of roughly £187 (25%) per person.
How long is the Bali & Komodo (Flores), Indonesia trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 day-by-day stops through Bali & Komodo (Flores), Indonesia.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, beaches, culture trip through Bali & Komodo (Flores), Indonesia, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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