14 Days in Bali: The Full Island Loop

🚗 Airport to Uluwatu: about 1–1.75 hours by car

• AfternoonWalk down to Suluban, the cave beach at the foot of the cliffs where surfers paddle out to the Uluwatu break
• EveningSunset on the decks of Single Fin, on the cliff above the surf

Tip: Suluban is not a swimming beach, as the surge rushes through the cave, so check the tide table and walk down at low tide.

• MorningPadang Padang Beach, reached through a narrow passage in the rock
• AfternoonSwim in the lagoon at Melasti Beach, reached by a road cut through the cliffs
• AfternoonWalk the clifftop paths of Uluwatu Temple, 70 metres above the ocean, before the evening show
• EveningKecak fire dance at sunset in the clifftop amphitheatre beside the temple

Tip: Temple entry and the Kecak are ticketed separately, and Kecak seats are first come, first served, so reach the temple by about 4 PM, walk the clifftop paths, then take your seat by 5 PM.

🚗 Uluwatu to Sanur Harbour: about 1–1.75 hours; fast boat to Nusa Penida: about 30–45 minutes

• MorningMorning fast boat from Sanur Harbour to Nusa Penida, then drop your bags at a hotel on the north-west coast, in Toyapakeh, Ped or Sakti
• AfternoonKelingking's T-Rex headland from the clifftop viewpoint
• AfternoonBroken Beach's rock arch and the Angel's Billabong rock pool, a short walk apart
• EveningA swim close to shore, then sunset at Crystal Bay

Tip: Waves sweep over the rocks at Angel's Billabong without warning, so stay out of the pool and back from its seaward edge.

🚗 Toyapakeh to Goa Giri Putri: about 35–45 minutes; Goa Giri Putri to Diamond Beach: about 40–50 minutes; Atuh back to the north-west coast: about 1–1.5 hours

• MorningGoa Giri Putri, a Hindu temple inside a vast cave near Suana, on the coast road east
• MorningDiamond Beach in the morning sun, down a staircase cut into the cliff
• MorningThe Thousand Islands view over the limestone islets off the east coast, from the clifftop above Atuh
• AfternoonLunch at the warungs on Atuh Beach, next door, before the drive back

Tip: Swimming is banned at Diamond Beach, so enjoy it from the sand, and arrive before noon: it faces east and falls into shadow by afternoon.

🚗 Fast boat to Sanur: about 30–45 minutes; Sanur to Ubud: about 1–1.75 hours by car

• MorningFast boat back to Sanur and the drive up to Ubud
• AfternoonSacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, a walk from the centre of town
• EveningDinner at Maluku, contemporary Asian cooking on Monkey Forest Road

Tip: Last entry to the Monkey Forest is at 5 PM, so go there first once you reach Ubud.

• MorningCampuhan Ridge Walk at sunrise, before the heat
• MorningTegallalang Rice Terrace, on the trails down into the valley
• AfternoonUbud Art Market for baskets, sarongs and woodcarvings
• EveningAn evening dance performance in the courtyard of Ubud Palace

Tip: Campuhan Ridge has little shade, so walk it early and carry water.

🚗 Trek pick-up in Ubud around 2 AM; about 1.5 hours to the trailhead

• Before dawnSunrise from the summit of Mount Batur, on a guided trek
• MorningTirta Empul's spring-fed purification pools, on the way back
• AfternoonGunung Kawi, ten shrines carved into the cliffs on both banks of the Pakerisan River, about 300 steps down

Tip: At Tirta Empul a sarong and sash are required and can be rented at the entrance; bring a change of clothes if you join the purification ritual.

🚗 Ubud to Sidemen via Goa Gajah and Semarapura: about 1–1.5 hours of driving

• MorningGoa Gajah, the Elephant Cave, entered beneath a giant carved face
• MorningKertha Gosa in Semarapura, the old royal court with a painted ceiling
• AfternoonA late-afternoon walk through the Sidemen rice terraces

Tip: Sidemen's paddy paths turn muddy after rain, so wear shoes with grip.

🚗 Sidemen to Lempuyang: about 1–1.25 hours; Lempuyang to Amed via Tirta Gangga: about 45–60 minutes of driving

• MorningLempuyang's split gate, the Gates of Heaven, framing Mount Agung
• AfternoonStepping stones across the koi ponds of the Tirta Gangga water palace
• EveningSunset with Mount Agung on the skyline, from the road above Jemeluk Bay

Tip: Reach Lempuyang before 7 AM to avoid the longest queues at the famous gate.

• Before dawnSunrise from the Jemeluk viewpoint as the fishing boats head out
• MorningSnorkel Jemeluk Bay straight off the beach, out to the underwater statues
• MorningLate morning at the Japanese wreck in Banyuning bay, 15–20 minutes east, its top just a few metres down

Tip: Snorkel Jemeluk early, before the dive boats, and wear fins, as a current can run along the reef wall.

🚗 Amed to Tulamben: about 20–30 minutes; Tulamben to Lovina along the north coast: about 2–2.5 hours

• MorningDive or snorkel the USAT Liberty wreck, just off the beach at Tulamben
• AfternoonA soak in the Banjar hot springs, 15–20 minutes west of Lovina (open until 5:30 PM)
• EveningAn evening stroll on the calm black-sand beach at Lovina, by the dolphin statue

Tip: Be at Tulamben by 8 AM, ahead of the day-trip groups from the south.

🚗 Lovina to Munduk: about 45–60 minutes by car

• Before dawnSunrise boat trip to look for wild dolphins off Lovina
• MorningUp through Seririt into the clove and coffee hills to Munduk
• AfternoonMunduk Waterfall (Red Coral), an easy forest walk of about 20 minutes each way

Tip: Choose a dolphin boatman who keeps his distance and does not chase the pod.

🚗 Munduk to Bedugul: about 30–50 minutes; Bedugul to Jatiluwih: about 45–60 minutes; Jatiluwih to Tanah Lot: about 1–1.5 hours; Tanah Lot to Canggu: about 30–55 minutes

• MorningUlun Danu Beratan, the water temple on the shore of Lake Beratan
• MorningWalk the trails through the Jatiluwih rice terraces, part of Bali's UNESCO-listed subak landscape
• EveningSunset at Tanah Lot, the sea temple on a rock off the Tabanan coast

Tip: At low tide you can walk across to the foot of Tanah Lot's rock; at high tide the temple stands in the sea.

🚗 Canggu to the airport: about 1–2 hours, longest in the late afternoon

• MorningBrunch at Milk & Madu on Berawa Beach Road
• AfternoonA last afternoon at The Lawn, a beach club on the sand in Canggu, facing the surf

Tip: Allow up to two hours for the drive to the airport on top of your airline's check-in time, especially on late afternoons and weekend evenings.