1. Nusa Dua:

Nusa Dua is on the East coast of Bali around 30 mins by taxi from the airport.

Type of area: Up-market & luxurious area with fancy resorts, golf courses & spas.

Where to visit: Geger beach is a lovely spot, we spent Xmas day 2023 there.

There are strips of restaurants, stretching down Nusa Dua beach and inland on Jl. Pantai Mengiat.

Where to stay: We stayed at Kubu Dimel Suites & Villas Resort, hidden gem, slightly away from everything (see picture below). 200m walk to restaurants & shops. 1km to beach, lots of taxi’s around.

Want ultimate luxury? Stay in The Laguna A Luxury Collection... Resort, it’s huge, has winding lagoon-style pools that lead to the beach.

Cons? The in-land sidewalks are hazardous with uneven terrain and exposed storm drains, although this is very typical for Bali & you’ll experience this in most area’s.

2. Uluwatu:

Located on the South-West of Bali, around 30-40 mins by taxi from the airport.

Type of area: Laid back-atmosphere with warm and welcoming locals. Influencer-haven with trendy restaurants, cafes, bars etc.

Where to visit: Bingin Beach is a personal favourite. It has accommodation/huts/bars nestled all along the cliff that winds down to the beach (accessibility is steep, you need to be prepared for lots of steps down the cliff face).

Uluwatu Temple is a beautiful Hindu temple that stretches along a cliff top, lots of pretty Bougainvillea are usually in bloom. Monkeys occupy the temple and are familiar with humans, just watch your belongings as they can steal stuff and bribe you for food! Sarongs are provided at the entrance to cover legs.

Uluwatu is quite hilly and stretches along the coast for some distance, depending on where you stay it's good to rent a scooter to get around or use the local taxis.

Where to stay: There’s so much accommodation from hotels, villas, homestays, you’ll be spoiled for choice. Village Bali Uluwatu, is a place we’ve stayed, so beautiful. It's slightly away from shops/restaurants but they have taxis constantly outside to take you places. Beautiful pool with little villas/huts dotted around a landscaped garden.

Cons? Not many! Besides the distances between areas depending on where you stay, easily tackled with a taxi or scooter.

3. Ubud

Located North of the airport, around 1 hour drive.

Type of area: In-land jungle of Bali with rainforests, rice fields and monkey forests.

Where to visit: Ubud is a popular place for tourists wanting to see the jungle side of Bali. It’s an established area full of restaurants, bars, art markets, crafts etc.

Visit the rice fields on a day excursion where you can see the crops and eat the local food.

See the coffee plantations nestled amongst the surrounding landscapes and sample local tea/coffee. We had a taxi driver that offered to take us on a day around all the sights for a good price.

For our adrenaline junkies, this is a good area for zip lining, water rafting and quad biking through the jungle.

Visit the famous Monkey Forest or spend the day at a pool club nestled in the jungle.

Where to stay: There are so many hotels in the main town of Ubud you’d be spoilt for choice. Note that the builds are quite dated compared to some areas in Bali but there is a lot of authentic Balinese accommodation with thatched roofs and wooden frames.

How to get around? If you stay in the main hub you can walk to most places. Taxis and scooters are everywhere. Traffic in the area is very busy and you can expect to see traffic jams.

Cons? As mentioned, it’s a very traffic heavy area. The sidewalks also feature your classic exposed storm drains which make wicked trip hazards. But look at your surroundings, the paddy fields and jungle climate is a great experience.

4. Kuta & Seminyak

Located just west of the airport, Kuta and Seminyak lay next to each other on the coast, as close as 10mins drive from the airport.

Type of area: Think Indonesian city vibes; many streets of busy restaurants, hotels, clubs, shopping and tourists. If you're looking for a relaxing & zen destination, this is probably not it. It has similarities to Bangkok, just a little smaller and tamer. Although it's a good spot to book for a night or two to get over the jetlag and walk the streets.

Where to visit: These areas are best for dining in restaurants, drinking in bars & shopping down the many streets of markets/kiosks.

Want a new suit or tailored outfit? There are many tailors in the area that offer beautiful fabrics and design whatever you’d like for a much affordable price than Western countries.

Visit the waterpark at Waterbom Bali for a fun day out. The facilities are very good, safe, and the slides range from kid friendly to adrenaline junkie. There’s also some cute pool bars and quiet lazy rivers for those who want to chill.

The ocean along Kuta/Seminyak has a calm surf and is good for beginners.

Where to stay: Similar to the other areas, there’s no shortage of hotels, resorts and villas. Our hotel stays in this area have always been pleasant.

Cons? It completely depends on what your idea of a holiday is, as mentioned, this area is a built-up busy city and with that comes its pros and cons. If you’re wanting pristine beaches, this is not the area. They have a huge beach with lots of vendors, but the water is brown and it can be pretty busy and polluted.

5. Gili Islands

Located 3 hours boat from Nusa Lembongan, the Gili Islands are in the region of Lombok which is a different island off the East- coast of Bali. There are three main islands popular with tourists; Gili T (most established island) Gili Air (our favourite) & Gili Meno (quietest of the 3). We’d recommend visiting if you have at least 3 days to stay on the island and 1 day to travel back to Bali.

Type of area: A pristine paradise of tiny islands where you’ll experience the true tropics of Indonesia. There are no motor vehicles on these islands, transport consists of push bikes, horse and carriages, and e-scooters. Each island is so small you can walk around the circumference in less than 2 hours. A true island paradise.

Where to visit: Most recently we’ve stayed on Gili Air. We’d recommend taking a cooking class with one of the locals where you learn and cook traditional Gili cuisine. Visit the small kiosks selling souvenirs mostly made by the locals, they do wood carving and have lovely items for sale. Hire a bicycle and explore the island whilst stopping off for a fresh coconut or cold beverage in the many island bars dotted around. Visit the beach, hire snorkeling gear and paddle out to the reef (very shallow and not far from shore). Here you will see turtles & a beautiful coral oasis full of life.

Where to stay: There are many boutique hotels, huts and homestays all around the island.

Cons? Very few cons for this island. If we were to be picky, the local mosque upgraded their speaker system last year so morning prayers at 4am can be an unwelcome alarm clock for some! It’s all part of the charm.

6. Nusa Penida

Located just next to the wedding island Nusa Lembongan, it's the larger of the islands & a short boat ride away.

Info: A bigger island than Lembongan but with a lot of similarities. It's relatively under developed and known for its natural landscapes and beautiful coastal views. The island is very hilly so it's necessary to travel via scooter or taxi.

As you're spending time on Lembongan anyway, I'd recommend seeing other areas of Bali over Penida as it isn't as comfortable or easy to navigate.