Bali & Beyond: The Perfect Island Loop — Self-Launched
16 days · Bali & Lombok, Indonesia
G Adventures charges £810
No-markup version: ~£762 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A DIY version of G Adventures' 16-day "Bali & Beyond: The Perfect Island Loop" — surf Canggu, learn to make offerings in a north Bali village, hike Mt Batur for sunrise, explore Ubud's temples and rice paddies, then cross to Lombok for village life and weaving before finishing among the beaches and snorkelling reefs of the Gilis and Seminyak. The full loop is partly guesswork on the public route (the original's Day 13-15 detail wasn't fully shown), but the classic backpacker path is well-trodden: local buses and bemos, fast boats, guesthouses and homestays booked direct, and activities via GetYourGuide, Klook or your guesthouse host. Costs are approximate per-person estimates and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Canggu
Canggu, Bali
Fly into Ngurah Rai (DPS), pay the Bali tourist levy online beforehand (~£7) and grab a Grab/Gojek or metered taxi to Canggu (~150,000–200,000 IDR / £8–11, 45–60 min). Check into a Canggu hostel or guesthouse, then spend the evening wandering Batu Bolong and Echo Beach for a sunset beer at a beach bar.
🚌Airport taxi/Grab to Canggu ~£9
🛏Canggu hostel, dorm bed (e.g. The Farm Hostel or similar)
- →Arrival and hostel check-in
- →Sunset at Batu Bolong Beach
- →Warung dinner in Canggu
Learn to surf in Canggu
Canggu, Bali
Book a group beginner surf lesson through your hostel or GetYourGuide/Klook (~350,000–450,000 IDR / £17–22 for 2 hrs with board). Canggu's beach breaks are perfect for first-timers. Afternoon free: rent a board (~50,000 IDR/hr) to keep practising, or relax at a beach club. Cheap eat tip: nasi campur at a local warung for ~30,000 IDR.
🚌Walking / scooter rental ~£4
🛏Canggu hostel, dorm bed
- →2-hour group surf lesson
- →Optional board rental in the afternoon
- →Beach time
Canggu to Bedugul and north Bali village
Bulian/Singaraja area, north Bali
Take a Grab or shared shuttle north (Canggu to Bedugul ~2 hrs, ~£18–25 private; or a Perama/shared shuttle ~£8). Stop at Ulun Danu Beratan Temple on the lake (~75,000 IDR entry) for the classic floating-temple photos. Continue to a village homestay around Bulian/Singaraja — book a north Bali homestay via Booking.com or Airbnb (~£12–18/night). Ask your host to arrange a village walk and a chance to make canang sari offerings and visit a local temple.
🚌Grab/private car or shared shuttle north ~£20
🛏North Bali village homestay (booked direct)
- →Ulun Danu Beratan Temple
- →Village walk with homestay host
- →Learn to make Balinese offerings
Waterfalls and rice terraces around Lemukih
Bulian/Lemukih, north Bali
Hire a local guide through your homestay (~200,000–300,000 IDR / £10–15) for the Lemukih waterfall and rice terrace walk — you'll pass durian and coffee plantations and can slide down a natural waterslide. Alternatively rent a scooter (~70,000 IDR/day) and ride the quiet northern backroads. Evening: home-cooked dinner at the homestay.
🚌Local guide / scooter rental ~£10
🛏North Bali village homestay
- →Lemukih village and waterfall trek
- →Rice terrace walk
- →Optional scooter ride through north Bali
Free morning, then on to Kintamani
Kintamani, Bali
Morning at leisure in the village — join a cooking class with your host (~£12) or a sunrise fishing trip if offered. Midday, arrange a private car or Grab to Kintamani (~2 hrs, ~£22). Book a guesthouse with hot springs nearby (Toyabungkah has public hot spring pools, ~150,000 IDR entry) — options from ~£18/night. Early night ahead of the sunrise hike.
🚌Private car to Kintamani ~£22
🛏Kintamani/Toyabungkah guesthouse
- →Optional village cooking class
- →Drive to Kintamani
- →Hot spring soak
Mt Batur sunrise hike, then Ubud
Kintamani → Ubud, Bali
Book a Mt Batur sunrise trek via GetYourGuide/Klook (~£30–40 incl. guide, torch, breakfast) — pickup ~2:30am, 2 hrs up, stunning sunrise over the caldera. Back down by ~9am for breakfast and a hot spring soak. Then take a Grab/private car to Ubud (~1.5 hrs, ~£15). Check into a Ubud guesthouse or hostel (~£12–20). Evening: explore Jalan Hanoman and Monkey Forest Road, and catch a Kecak dance if one's on (~150,000 IDR).
🚌Trek pickup + transfer to Ubud ~£20
🛏Ubud guesthouse or hostel
- →Mt Batur sunrise hike with local guide
- →Hot spring soak
- →Transfer to Ubud
- →Evening walk in central Ubud
Ubud free day
Ubud, Bali
Pick your own Ubud adventure: Tegalalang rice terraces at dawn (50,000 IDR), the Campuhan Ridge Walk (free), Sacred Monkey Forest (~80,000 IDR), or a Bali swing. Book a small-group rice terrace bike tour via Klook (~£20). Evening: cheap nasi goreng and a beer on Jalan Goutama.
🚌Scooter rental or Grab ~£6
🛏Ubud guesthouse or hostel
- →Tegalalang rice terraces
- →Campuhan Ridge Walk
- →Optional rice terrace bike tour
Culture and cooking in Ubud
Ubud, Bali
Book a Balinese cooking class (~£25–30 via GetYourGuide, includes market visit) or a spiritual/offering-making workshop at a local foundation (~£15). Alternatively join a countryside cycling tour (~£22). Afternoon: visit the Ubud Water Palace and Pura Taman Saraswati, then a cheap massage (~80,000 IDR/hr).
🚌Walking / Grab ~£4
🛏Ubud guesthouse or hostel
- →Balinese cooking class
- →Temple visits in Ubud
- →Optional offering-making workshop
Speed boat to Lombok, into the countryside
Padang Bai → Lombok (Tempasan area)
Grab to Padang Bai harbour (~1 hr, ~£10). Fast boat to Lombok's Bangsal or Lembar (~2 hrs, ~350,000–450,000 IDR / £17–22 — book via 12Go or your guesthouse). From the port, a car to the Tetebatu/Tempasan area (~2 hrs, ~£25) — book a village homestay or guesthouse in advance (~£12–18/night). Group dinner with your host family.
🚌Speed boat ~£20 + car transfer ~£25
🛏Tempasan/Tetebatu village homestay
- →Speed boat crossing to Lombok
- →Homestay check-in
- →Village dinner with hosts
Rice terraces and weaving in Tempasan
Tempasan, Lombok
Hire a local guide via your homestay (~£10) for a rice terrace and village walk — meet farmers, taste local fruit and coffee. Visit nearby weaving villages (Pringgasela is the well-known one, ~45 min away, ~£15 transport) to see traditional songket loom work. Afternoon: optional yoga, cooking class or countryside bike ride organised by your guesthouse (~£8–15). Campfire evening if your host offers it.
🚌Local guide and transport ~£20
🛏Tempasan/Tetebatu village homestay
- →Rice terrace village walk
- →Weaving demonstration in Pringgasela
- →Optional yoga or cooking class
Lombok free day — waterfalls, monkeys or Rinjani views
Tempasan / Senaru, Lombok
Choose your own day: hike to Sendang Gile and Tiu Kelep waterfalls near Senaru with a local guide (~£18 incl. transport), visit the black monkey forest, or book a snorkel trip (~£20). Serious hikers can look at a 2-day/1-night Rinjani crater rim trek (~£130–170 with an agency) as an alternative to a rest day — plan that in advance.
🚌Local transport ~£15
🛏Tempasan/Tetebatu village homestay
- →Sendang Gile & Tiu Kelep waterfall hike
- →Black monkey forest
- →Optional Lombok snorkel trip
Bonjeruk cycle and on to Senggigi
Bonjeruk → Senggigi, Lombok
Bus or hired car to Bonjeruk village (~1.5 hrs, ~£15) for a half-day cycle tour through the village with a local guide (~£12) and a Lombok lunch. Continue to Senggigi on the coast (~1 hr, ~£10). Check into a beach guesthouse (~£15–22/night) and spend the afternoon on the sand with a sunset drink.
🚌Car/bus to Bonjeruk and Senggigi ~£25
🛏Senggigi beach guesthouse
- →Bonjeruk village cycle tour
- →Lombok village lunch
- →Senggigi beach afternoon
Senggigi to Gili Trawangan
Gili Trawangan
Short public boat from Bangsal harbour to Gili T (~30 min, ~100,000 IDR / £5, or a fast boat from Senggigi ~£10). Gili T has no cars — walk or cycle. Book a hostel or bungalow (~£15–25/night). Afternoon: swim, snorkel off the beach, or cycle to the quiet north end. Evening: sunset cocktails on the west side.
🚌Public boat ~£6
🛏Gili Trawangan hostel or bungalow
- →Public boat to Gili Trawangan
- →Beach snorkelling
- →Sunset on the west shore
Three-island snorkel tour
Gili Trawangan / Gili Meno / Gili Air
Book the classic three-island snorkel trip via a local operator (~200,000–300,000 IDR / £10–15, half day) — turtles, tropical fish and the Gili Meno underwater statues. Afternoon free: optional sunrise SUP yoga (~£12) or a bike loop of the island (~£4). Cheap eats: night market satay sticks and grilled fish.
🚌Bike rental ~£4
🛏Gili Trawangan hostel or bungalow
- →Three-island snorkelling tour
- →Optional SUP yoga or island bike loop
- →Gili night market
Back to Bali and Seminyak
Gili Trawangan → Seminyak, Bali
Fast boat back to Bali (Padang Bai or Serangan, ~2 hrs, ~£20–25 — book on 12Go or via your hostel). Grab/Gojek to Seminyak (~£10–15). Check into a Seminyak guesthouse or hostel (~£18–28/night). Final night: sunset drinks at a Seminyak beach bar, dinner at a warung, and a last wander round the shops.
🚌Fast boat + Grab ~£35
🛏Seminyak guesthouse or hostel
- →Fast boat back to Bali
- →Seminyak sunset drinks
- →Final night dinner
Depart from Bali
Seminyak → Ngurah Rai (DPS)
Final breakfast, pack up and take a Grab to the airport (~£6, 30–40 min). Allow 2–3 hrs before an international flight. If your flight is late, squeeze in a last Seminyak beach morning.
🚌Grab to DPS ~£6
🛏N/A — departure day
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£762 | £810 |
| Duration | 16 days | 16 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £48 per person (6%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£762
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 Bali & Beyond: The Perfect Island Loop — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £762 per person for 16 days in Bali & Lombok, 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 G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £810 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £762 — a saving of roughly £48 (6%) per person.
How long is the Bali & Lombok, Indonesia trip?+
This itinerary runs 16 days, covering 16 day-by-day stops through Bali & Lombok, 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, backpacker, beaches trip through Bali & Lombok, 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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