Bali jungle pool
Indonesia · Spring 2025

Bali

"I came here on a whim and stayed three weeks longer than planned. The island just doesn't let you leave."

The Itinerary

Seven days across the island of the gods.

Day 1 — Ubud Arrival
Morning
  • Land at Ngurah Rai, grab a driver to Ubud — 90 minutes through rice fields
  • Check in, shower, fight the jet lag with strong Balinese coffee
Afternoon
  • Seniman Coffee for a proper introduction to Bali specialty coffee culture
  • Gentle walk around the Ubud Monkey Forest — chaotic and magical
Evening
  • Hujan Locale for dinner — Indonesian cuisine done beautifully, local ingredients
  • Early night, you're jet lagged and sunrise is worth waking up for
Day 2 — Ubud Temples
Morning
  • Tirta Empul water temple at 6am — the spiritual purification ritual
  • Drive through Tegallalang rice terraces before the tour groups arrive
Afternoon
  • Locavore for the tasting menu — this is a world-class restaurant, book ahead
  • Ganesha Bookshop browse in the afternoon heat
Evening
  • Kecak fire dance at Uluwatu temple — dramatic cliffside sunset ceremony
  • Dinner at Sarong in Seminyak if you've made the move south
Day 3 — Seminyak Switch
Morning
  • Drive from Ubud to Seminyak — 90 minutes, completely different vibe
  • Revolver Espresso for your first proper flat white in Seminyak
Afternoon
  • La Plancha beach club — colorful bean bags on Echo Beach, very chill
  • Browse Seminyak Village for local designer wear
Evening
  • Merah Putih for dinner — spectacular venue, Indonesian sharing plates
  • La Favela for late drinks — the décor alone is worth the trip
Day 4 — Potato Head Day
Morning
  • Yoga class at any of the hundreds of studios — morning Vinyasa on the beach
  • Revolver Espresso again — it's that good, no apologies
Afternoon
  • Potato Head Beach Club for the full day — iconic architecture, great pool
  • Order cocktails, get in the pool, feel very alive
Evening
  • Ku De Ta at sunset — the view over the ocean is still iconic after all these years
  • Motel Mexicola for dinner and dancing — festive, loud, absurdly fun
Day 5 — Uluwatu
Morning
  • Drive south to Uluwatu — dramatic sea cliffs, surfer territory
  • Padang Padang beach if you can navigate the narrow cliff entrance
Afternoon
  • Cliff bars above Uluwatu watching surfers work the breaks below
  • Pasar Seni Sukawati art market on the way back — local crafts and textiles
Evening
  • Mirror Lounge for the glamorous crowd and proper cocktails
  • Sarong Seminyak for dinner if you haven't been yet — intimate, beautiful
Day 6 — Slow Day
Morning
  • Sunrise walk to Tanah Lot temple — misty, spiritual, not to be missed
  • Traditional Balinese breakfast at your hotel's rice field restaurant
Afternoon
  • Traditional Balinese massage — go for the 90-minute full body, ~$15
  • Seniman Coffee back in Ubud if you've gone back up for a day trip
Evening
  • Motel Mexicola dinner and dancing — if you went once, you'll want to go again
  • Or a quiet night in, watching the rice fields from your balcony
Day 7 — Last Day
Morning
  • Final offering ceremony at the nearest temple if you're up before 7am
  • One last coffee at Revolver, one last pastry, take your time
Afternoon
  • Pasar Seni Sukawati art market for last-minute sarongs and carvings
  • Pack carefully — you will have acquired things you didn't plan to
Evening
  • Final sunset at Potato Head or Ku De Ta — you'll want this image in your head
  • Night flight out, already planning when to come back
Where to Stay, Eat & Play

My favorite spots.

Hotels
Amandari
$$$$
Perched above the Ayung River gorge in Ubud with infinity pool views over rice terraces. Every suite is designed like a traditional Balinese village compound.
"I sat by that infinity pool for four hours reading and completely forgot what month it was. That's the benchmark."
amandari.com →
COMO Shambhala Estate
$$$$
Wellness resort in the jungle above Ubud — private yoga pavilions, Ayurvedic treatments, pristine organic cuisine. This is where you go to genuinely reset.
"Three days here and I felt like a different person. Slept 10 hours a night, ate only plants, left glowing."
comohotels.com →
Alaya Resort Ubud
$$$
Boutique luxury in central Ubud, walking distance from the palace and monkey forest. Beautiful pool, warm staff, great value for the quality.
"Best bang for your buck in Ubud. The rooms are gorgeous, breakfast is incredible, and you can walk everywhere."
alayaresorts.com →
Restaurants
Locavore
$$$$
One of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, tucked into Ubud. The tasting menu is a love letter to Indonesian ingredients done with serious technical skill.
"One of the best meals of my life. Book two weeks out minimum. Worth every single rupiah."
locavore.co.id →
Merah Putih
$$$
Stunning open-air venue in Seminyak shaped like a Balinese pavilion. Indonesian sharing plates that span the archipelago — order the sambal assortment.
"The most beautiful restaurant I've ever been to. Architecture alone is worth the reservation."
merahputihbali.com →
Hujan Locale
$$
Intimate Ubud restaurant spotlighting local Indonesian produce and regional recipes. Warm, unfussy, and genuinely delicious. A local favorite for good reason.
"First dinner in Bali and it set the bar perfectly. The grilled duck with bumbu bali is perfect."
Ubud →
Sarong Seminyak
$$$
Intimate fine dining in a lush garden setting. Pan-Asian sharing plates, excellent cocktail list, romantic lighting, and service that feels genuinely attentive.
"Perfect solo dinner spot — the staff made me feel completely comfortable eating alone. Took my time, ordered too much, loved it."
Seminyak →
Beach Clubs
Potato Head Beach Club
$$$
Iconic Seminyak beach club with a façade built from recycled shutters. Pool, sun beds, DJs from noon, and strong cocktails. A Bali institution.
"You have to go at least once. The architecture is genuinely beautiful. Go on a Sunday for the best energy."
ptthead.com →
Ku De Ta
$$$$
The original Seminyak beach club. Sunsets here became famous for a reason — the sky goes every shade of orange and gold while the ocean catches it all.
"The Bali sunset experience. Get there by 5:30pm, order immediately, find a good spot. Never leave disappointed."
kudeta.com →
La Plancha
$$
Colorful bean bags and hammocks right on Echo Beach, cold Bintangs, fresh grilled fish. No pretension, pure joy. Arrive before sunset for the best colors.
"The most Instagrammable bean bag situation in existence. Also the food is actually good, which is rare."
Echo Beach →
Nightlife
La Favela
$$
Eccentric, jungle-themed bar-club decorated floor to ceiling with found objects, plants, and lights. Bali's most interesting space for late-night drinks.
"I spent twenty minutes just looking at the décor before I ordered a drink. It's completely surreal in the best way."
lafavelabali.com →
Motel Mexicola
$$
Over-the-top Mexican diner meets nightclub in Seminyak. Tequila shots, tacos, neon signs, a dancefloor that gets serious after 10pm. Genuinely fun.
"This place makes no sense — Mexican food in Bali? — and yet it absolutely works. Went three times."
motelmexicola.com →
Mirror Lounge
$$$
Seminyak's most glamorous club, known for its mirror-covered interior and upscale crowd. DJ nights get serious, dress code is actually enforced.
"For when you want to feel like you're at a proper club and not a beach bar. Very different Bali energy, but great."
Seminyak →
Coffee
Revolver Espresso
$$
Hidden down a tiny Seminyak alley, this tiny café punches way above its weight. Excellent single-origin espresso, proper technique, zero pretension.
"Best coffee in Seminyak. Find the alley, push through the door, order a flat white. This is a morning ritual you'll adopt."
revolverespresso.com →
Seniman Coffee
$
Ubud's best coffee shop in a gorgeous multi-level space. Local Balinese coffee sourcing, great pour-overs, and a terrace perfect for a slow morning.
"This is where you go to remember that Bali has some of the world's best coffee and you should be drinking it."
senimancoffee.com →
Shopping
Seminyak Village
$$–$$$
Open-air mall with the best mix of local Bali designers, international brands, and handcraft boutiques in Seminyak. Good spot for resort wear and jewelry.
"Picked up three things I wasn't looking for and left incredibly happy about it. Classic Seminyak trap."
Seminyak →
Ganesha Bookshop
$
Ubud's beloved indie bookshop with a deep selection of books on Bali, Southeast Asia, spirituality, and travel. A cool, quiet refuge on a hot afternoon.
"Bought four books about Balinese culture and spent the next two evenings completely absorbed. Worth every rupiah."
Ubud →
Pasar Seni Sukawati
$
Bali's famous art market with stall after stall of batik fabric, carved masks, silver jewelry, and traditional crafts. Bargaining is expected and fun.
"Don't go without cash and don't go in a hurry. Budget two hours and start your offers at 40% of the asking price."
Sukawati, South Bali →