Rice terraces, temples and dream beaches … these images are probably the first ones that come to mind when thinking of Bali. After our short stop in the vibrant metropolis of Singapore, we were looking forward to a few relaxing days. We decided on 3 starting bases to discover the island – Jimbaran, Ubud and Nusa Dua.
When choosing a hotel, one should definitely consider that in Bali you cannot swim in the sea anytime and anywhere. On the one hand there are strong currents in many places, on the other hand you can only get into the water on certain beaches at high tide because of the sharp corals. The beach of Kuta was a bit too touristy for us, so the choice fell on Jimbaran for the first few days.
The InterContinental Bali Resort is located on Jimbaran Bay and offers everything you need for a few relaxing days. An idyllic resort, a beautiful sandy beach, delicious food and pure tranquility.
InterContinental Bali Resort
There were several restaurants to choose from within a 5 minute walk from the hotel. On every menu you could find Asian specialties and lots of fresh fish. With a glass of wine we marveled at the sunset and listened to the waves.
To get a little more background knowledge about Bali’s culture, we booked a full day excursion with a private driver. The program included a barong dance performance, a visit to the Tegalalang rice terraces, views of the Batur Mount volcano and the Besakih Temple.
The Barong Dance is a traditional Balinese dance performance. The story tells of the struggle between good and evil and the fact that there can be no winner.
We continued north to the Tegalalang rice terraces. They are among the most beautiful sights in Bali. I can only agree.
Tegalalang Rice terraces
We headed for Kintamani Village, which is even further north. From this mountain village you have a wonderful distant view of the active volcano Gunung Batur and Lake Batur.
volcano Gunung Batur
Batur lake
At the end of our tour we visited the Pura Besakih, also called the Mother Temple. It is one of the most important temples in Bali and consists of more than 80 individual temples. Our guide provided us with a sarong and told us a lot about the Balinese beliefs while he showed us around the complex.
Pura Besakih
Meanwhile, preparations for a Balinese night in the hotel were in full swing. A barong dance performance was performed while we were sampling Balinese specialties.
So our last evening in Jimbaran came to an end. We were now looking forward to a change of location.
After breakfast we took a taxi to Ubud, the cultural Mecca of Bali. The road conditions were partly a disaster, we were extremely happy not to be behind the wheel ourselves 😉 The closer we got to Ubud, the more we could admire the green vegetation. Ubud is located in the highlands of Bali and is surrounded by rainforest and rice terraces.
A very nice surprise awaited us in our accommodation Komaneka at Tanggayuda. We were upgraded to a pool villa with a garden for no significant reason. That’s what I call a warm welcome 😊
We spent our first day in Ubud just letting our souls dangle. We started with a delicious à la carte breakfast, enjoyed the peace and quiet in the hotel complex and ordered room service in the evening.
The relaxed dinner in our villa was abruptly interrupted when I spotted an unannounced visitor behind me on the wall 😱 – fortunately not toxic.
The next day we visited the town of Ubud and the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary. Our hotel offered an hourly shuttle service to Ubud, which was about 15 minutes away. We strolled along the streets and admired the handicraft in the numerous shops until we felt the desire for Balinese cuisine again 😉
Ubud Palace
playing monkeys on the roofs of Ubud
Well strengthened we went to the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary – the monkey forest of Ubud. In the park we were surprised by heavy rain showers. We bought a few bananas for the little guys. I have to say, they were pretty cheeky. Sven was even bitten on the finger by a monkey when he didn’t let go of the banana 😱
Evidence photo for the monkey bite
Before dinner, we treated ourselves to a foot spa 😉
On our last day in Ubud, we urgently needed a little more exercise. We decided to do a rice field hike on our own. I had previously chosen a route on the Internet, but I had the feeling that we were walking around quite haphazardly. Anyway, we definitely enjoyed the beautiful landscape.
After 3 days in Ubud we were looking forward to the sea again. We spent our last days in Bali in Nusa Dua, known for luxurious resorts and the kilometer-long Nusa Dua Beach. When we reached the Nusa Dua section, we immediately noticed that we had arrived in a completely different area. Everything was luxuriously staged for tourists and had nothing to do with the “real” Bali. However, since we only wanted to relax for 3 days, that didn’t bother us.
The Grand Hyatt Resort had a lovingly designed garden and a great sandy beach.
Grand Hyatt Resort
Did I mention earlier that we just wanted to relax? Well, that was a bit of a flicker … you know, we have our problems with “just relaxing” 😉 We had planned a day trip again. The program included 4 temples, a rice terrace and a coffee tasting.
First our guide took us to the Pura Ulun Danu Bratan – an important water temple on a volcanic lake, the water of which is considered sacred. Our rain skins bought in Ubud had paid off here at the latest.
Pura Ulun Danu Bratan
As is so often the case in Bali, the rain showers did not last long. Our next stop was the Pura Luhur Batukaru. A big advantage of this temple complex was that it is so remote and therefore you can hardly find any tourists here. As a result, you felt a completely different energy here.
Pura Luhur Batukaru 
Then we went to the Jatiluwih rice terraces. Despite the breathtaking beauty, this area is also spared from mass tourism, in contrast to the rice terraces in Tegalalang.
Jatiluwih rice terraces
Jatiluwih rice terraces
After a short hike, we earned a coffee break. We tasted one of the most expensive coffees in the world – the Luwak coffee or “cat coffee”, because the stealthy cat makes a big contribution to its production.
This feline predator is fed coffee cherries. In the digestive tract, the bean is subjected to a special fermentation process, which gives the coffee its special aroma. The excreted beans are then roasted. Sounds weird and I have to say we didn’t really like the coffee either.
Luwak coffee
The journey continued to the Pura Taman Ayun – Temple of the Floating Garden.
Pura Taman Ayun
The last temple was the Pura Tanah Lot – the temple of the sea. This is located on a small rock island in the sea and can only be reached on foot at low tide. It is probably the most photographed temple in Bali at sunset. Unfortunately, we weren’t very lucky with the weather, as there was no sun 😔
Pura Tanah Lot
After a total of 5 temples on our Bali tour, we eventually had enough 😉 Bali absolutely enchanted us and we would highly recommend it to everyone. It will definitely not have been the last Indonesian island 😊
Our personal opinion about Bali:
- beautiful landscapes (rice terraces, rainforest)
- very tasty food
- relatively inexpensive
- interesting culture / temples
- less suitable for a beach holiday
- Bali has a big rubbish problem
Best travel time:
The dry season in Bali is from May to October, so we recommend this period.
Hotel recommendations:
- InterContinental Bali Resort – Jimbaran
- Komaneka at Tanggayuda – Ubud
- Grand Hyatt Bali – Nusa Dua
Other tips & recommendations:
We booked excursions through…
If you want to see something of the country, we would not recommend Nusa Dua. Here you will find 5 star resorts and entertainment, but not the “real” Bali.
Ubud is a must on a trip to Bali.
