Bali: My Top Tips & Recs

Last updated: September 22, 2024

If you’re going to Bali for the first time, here’s what you need to know:

• Get a bit of cash at the airport. But most places accept cards.
• For your phone, get an eSIM. My recommendation below.
• Try the krupuk beras, my favorite local snack.
• If you have lots of Marriott Bonvoy points, do a night or two at the St. Regis in Nusa Dua.

I’ve got a lot more to say, including over 75 interesting restaurant and yoga recommendations from my trusted friends.

Below are my tips, tricks, photos, videos, and specific suggestions.

Important Notes

• The food was generally very good. Better than India. Lots of meat. Good vegetables. Rice. Tasty. See below for a whole section of food photos.
• Related short video I made: Balinese Tasting Menu. This was at the St. Regis restaurant.
• Go to some warungs (local restaurants) and you point at what you want, buffet-style, and they make you a nice plate. I used Google Maps to find good ones nearby.
• Standout local snack: Krupuk beras, crispy crackers made from rice & tapioca flour.
• I appreciated the good interior design in a lot of tourist spots including restaurants and hotels. Thoughtful incorporation of living trees, fresh air, nice light.
• Plenty of convenience stores in the tourist areas for water, sodas, and packaged snacks that all accepted credit cards.
• I got cash at the airport and was happy to have it. I used the cash to pay for massages, food at smaller restaurants, etc. But credit cards were widely accepted.
• The subak system used for irrigation is amazing. It is how they transport and share water across Bali. The system is over 1,000 years old. Many of the subak canals we saw deep in the jungle were immaculately engineered. The water was crystal pure.
• For cell service and mobile data roaming, I used the Airalo app again to get an eSIM. It worked great and was easy to set up, eliminating the need to purchase a SIM card upon arrival at the Bali airport. This isn’t sponsored. I legit use the Airalo app. You can use my code NICK9323 for $3 off. Or if you don’t trust me then search for a code on Reddit. They’re all $3 off coupons. I’ve used Airalo a lot in Thailand, Japan, India, and now here in Bali. The prices are equivalent to buying local and it’s 10x easier to just do it all through their app. Sometimes my T-Mobile roaming didn’t get service but my local eSIM via Airalo worked great.
• Grab and Gojek are the Bali equivalents of Uber and Lyft. I used Grab the entire time to book motorcycle taxis and car hires. You can also order food etc. Set up your Grab account before your trip.

Jungle Hike

I spent 2 weeks on the island: one week hiking through the jungles and rice fields, and another lounging in luxury hotels.

The jungle hike with friends was my absolute favorite. Kevin Kelly and Craig Mod organized this hike for a small group. For six days we walked through the jungle from Ubud all the way to the beach.

This was our route:

It was truly “off the beaten path.” We hardly ever saw other foreigners or tourists. I think this trek gave a glimpse of the Bali of 30 or 40 years ago: green, lush, beautiful, and quiet.

We ate home-cooked food, slept next to waterfalls, wandered through rice fields, and almost never saw other tourists. Craig wrote much more beautifully about our adventure here.

My Favorite Photos

Food Photos

Notable Locations

We hired Astungkara Way to handle our logistics and lead the tour. They were great. They introduced us to some neat places along the hike which I’ve listed below.

This “off the beaten path” stuff is the only part of Bali that I would highly recommend, although it might be hard to find and explore on your own.

• Bubu Suite. Inexpensive ($70?) guest house in Ubud that was nice / fine.
• Sangeh Monkey Forest. We started the hike here on the sidewalk to the right. Saw tons of monkeys!
• Bayan Ancient Tree. Huge banyan tree along our hike. Nice spot to rest.
• Desa Kope Bali. Inexplicably amazing restaurant and cafe along our hike. We had a long day of walking and then came to this paradise. There’s a neat trail behind it with impressive concrete steps going down to the river below.
• Penglukatan Bhuana Amertha and Buka Waterfall. We did our water purification ceremony here. I think they opened it especially for us. I can’t imagine this is open to the public normally or foreigner-friendly. Legit.
• Bali Botanical Garden. We didn’t go here, but we hiked through the nearby mountain. My friend Danny Postma has been here and he said it was good, so if you’re looking for a waypoint to explore the area, this might be neat.
• Seribupati Camp. We did a homestay here and the sunrise view was incredible. Overlooking the lakes below and the clouds coming in. Magical.
• Golden Valley Waterfalls. Nice cafe on site. You can walk to the water and immerse underneath the waterfall.
• Taman Sri Widari. You can wade here! Beautiful little public pool about 1M deep max. So refreshing. We passed it on our hike.
• Pantai Seririt. We ended the hike on the beach here.

Canggu

In stark contrast to the serene jungle experience, I found Canggu to be less enjoyable. I actually sort of hated it. More on that later.

But if you need to go there, here are some spots I can recommend:

• Wrong Gym. The nicest, most expensive, most beautiful gym in Bali. Models and drop-shippers work out here.
• BWork Bali Coworking. My friend Danny says it is the nicest coworking spot in Bali.
• Outside Bali Pererenan. My friend rented a villa for a month here and she loved it. Expensive but nice.
• Shore Amora Canggu. Nightly rentals. My friend said it is nice and in a good location.

My impressions of Canggu include:

• Crowded, loud, polluted roads with bad traffic delays.
• Filled with Western tourists.
• Restaurants and commercial areas mostly reminded me of hip Santa Monica or Brooklyn spots rather than unique Balinese or Indonesian offerings.

Generally this area of Bali gave me bad over-tourism vibes. I didn’t like it at all.

But. You’ll be around a bunch of other Western tourists and there’s easy access to hotels, cafes, yoga studios, etc.

In Defense of Canggu: If you’re a digital nomad, or if this is your first time in Bali, staying in or near Canggu might be the easiest option. It can be a good fit for some travelers. I spent a day with a Canadian friend who was new to Asia. She had settled in Canggu for a month and was happy there. She liked easy access to cafes and co-working spaces, the nice gyms, and opportunities to make friends easily with other Western tourists. And I have another friend who bought a house in Canggu off the main strip. He’s happy there.

There are a lot of indie makers and digital nomads who love Canggu. It just wasn’t for me.

After two days in the thick of Canggu and Seminyak, I fled south to Nusa Dua to post up and relax at a few luxury resorts.

You should probably stop reading here: the rest of this article is just tips on Nusa Dua, an area beloved by Australian tourists and families.

But it is also home to the St. Regis, which if you know me, you know I had to check out.

Previously: my reviews of the St. Regis Bangkok, St. Regis Puerto Rico, St. Regis Mexico City, St. Regis Singapore, and more.

Nusa Dua

Nusa Dua is a developed, resort-rich neighborhood in the south of Bali. I think a lot of Australians come here. It isn’t authentic, it isn’t local, but it does have nice resorts.

Watch the first minute of my Nusa Dua vlog here to get an overview:

My favorite hotel in Nusa Dua was The St. Regis Bali Resort. This is primarily why I came to Nusa Dua. I love St. Regis hotels.

I loved this hotel so much that I made this extensive video tour of the property:

My second favorite hotel in Nusa Dua was The Laguna, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa.

The Marriott Bonvoy redemption rate was incredible here. I think I paid 40,000 points per night including a beautiful buffet breakfast. But I’d say The Laguna was only half as nice as The St. Regis. Watch my video tour of The Laguna Bali Resort here.

One little seafood restaurant I enjoyed in Nusa Dua was Ikan Bakar Vichi. No air conditioning, simple seating, but the fish was tasty, staff was nice, and the prices were local. I ate here twice.

If I were to return to Bali, I’d like to spend more time in Ubud. While it’s certainly crowded and filled with tourists, I believe Ubud offers plenty of pockets of beautiful areas and a lot to explore. So be sure to see my friend Alex’s recommendations next about Ubud.

Ubud: Tips from Alex Hardy

My friend Alex spent several months in Bali, mostly in Ubud. He sent me a lot of detailed tips. I’ll share them below. All of the notes are his but I tried to change the perspective or put in quotes his notes to me at times.

Nice resource: Alex has a Google Map list of all his favorite spots in Ubud. The list includes lots and lots of cafes, vegan restaurants, and spas.

Yoga in Ubud

• Alex did his teacher training at Alchemy Yoga and he believes it’s the best teachers he’s ever had. Here’s their IG. They also have a great cafe across the street.
• He says you should also check out Yoga Barn: “it’s an absolute institution in Ubud. It’s a massive indoor/outdoor complex with great vibes. For yoga classes, I like Vinyasa w Lawrence”
• Also, their ecstatic dances are absolutely epic, especially the Sunday morning one. “I’d really try to go if you can (11:30am to 1:00pm) but tickets online at least 3 days prior and make sure you get upstairs in the ticket.”
• Kirtan is a beautiful practice of Mantra changing. They have amazing ones on Sunday evenings at Sayuris. This guy also posts good local Kirtans

Spas / Massage

Ubud is the land of epic massages, perhaps second only to Thailand. Here are some of Alex’s favorite spots.

• Pan, an incredible private bodyworker. Offers 3-4 hour private massages at your villa. It’s VERY deep and borderline painful but you feel absolutely amazing afterwards. His number is  +62-813-3735-0365
• Incredible Spa built into the side of a mountain: Paul Millerd and I spent many hours here, it’s awesome.
• Jaens Spa Shanti Ubud: Great high-end spa.
• Best Deep tissue: Ubud Body Works or go to Julien Bodywork. Neither are super fancy but both extremely good.
• Amazing high end spa / resto combination: MEKAR By K Club Ubud and AKAR By K Club Ubud

Food in Bali

Ubud leans heavily toward vegan meals. Alex is not vegan so he scouted some good places that served quality meat.

• Locavore to go: Grass fed and grass finished. Very expensive but worth it. 
• Batubarra: also solid 
• Pasir Restaurant: More good steak / nice resto generally 

Other great restaurants / vibes to check out in Ubud:

• Zest
• Mudra cafe
• Sayan House

Experiences

• Go to a sound healing at The Pyramids of Chi. One of a kind experience – you will never get to experience a place like this.
• This Airbnb experience is really cool: water temple and shamanic reading
• This place is great for workout / sauna / poolside chilling 
• Incredibly powerful Energy Healer (Shelly): +61 404 716 617 – send a whatsapp message to her assistant Kerry. She books out very far in advance so you probably won’t be able to get an appointment with her but my experience was extremely powerful.
• Men’s Groups: I had never attended a men’s group before I got to Ubud but it’s been one of the most powerful and transformative experiences I’ve ever had. My favorite in Ubud is run by a guy named Dean. They meet at 6pm every Weds at Kafe all the way upstairs on the 3rd floor. If you’re in town, definitely worth going to. Arrive at 5:50pm. They’re strict with no late arrivals.
• You MUST go to the Istana if you go to Uluwata. It’s a location unlike anything Alex has ever been to. They don’t let phones on the premises so capturing content could be tough but it’s one of his favorite places he has been to while traveling. Catch a sunset or morning yoga there. 
• Uluwatu Surf Villa: You must try this very good yoga place in Ulu.

Thank you Alex for the great tips! Next up: Mary’s favorites.

Mary McG’s Restaurant Tips

Mary has lived in Bali for several years. She loves to share Bali’s restaurant scene with others and she sent me a bunch of quality tips.

We have excellent restaurants given this is a small island in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Here are a few of my favorites based on location. I’m a non-drinker, so all the locations below are accessible for low-or-no alcohol people.

Canggu and Seminyak

Canggu and Seminyak are the current tourist centers of Bali. They also have by far the best restaurant options.

Lunch/Dinner

Shelter Bali – Contemporary woodfired Mediterranean, Middle Eastern food. Restaurant itself is in a garden. Make sure to reserve a seat in the joglo to avoid mosquitoes. Absolutely delicious food and a fun atmosphere.

Ulekan – Best contemporary Indonesian in Canggu. Family-style service, so be prepared for larger servings. Indoor/outdoor seating and will be full of families on weekends. Great for a leisurely lunch in a nice environment with tasty food. Service can be a bit slow so don’t go starving.

Chef Wayan’s – Faster, quicker, less leisurely contemporary Indonesian than Ulekan, and their food will actually come spicy if you order it spicy. Great spot to eat if you’re in Pererenan and want Indonesian food.

Seoul Soul – Better Korean food than I had in the 3 times I’ve been to Seoul on work. Owner/chef is a Korean chef who relocated here. Get the tteokbokki or the fried chicken. Fun place for drinks with friends!

Mason – One of the first higher-end international chef restaurants in Bali. Focuses on cured, smoked meats, cheeses, and shareable small plates. Always excellent food. Also, fun party vibe for drinks on weekend evenings. Make sure to get the bread pudding dessert and the cured meats plate!

Kong – When you just absolutely need a burger and it has to be fucking delicious, Kong’s got you. Contemporary Australian steakhouse with seafood. 

Sensorium – One of the most famous restaurants in Bali (maybe the most). Indonesian chef, and a mix of Indonesian, Japanese, an d

Woods – The vibe is impeccable in this place. Food’s vegetarian-focused, plus steaks and it’s okay. However, the design of the location is truly unique, which is why it’s on this list. They also serve brunch.

Yema – Eat tasty kofta in a beautiful garden, surrounded by flowers and Bougainvillea bushes. Is anything better? I make my fiance go here at least once a month because it’s so relaxing.

Yuki – Sushi with sushi on top. When it first opened 2 years ago, I ate in this restaurant 5 times in 2 weeks. 

Zali – Lebanese food, made from recipes from an OG Lebanese grandma. The grandma still lives on the island, and you may see her stop by to test the zaatar. You can basically order anything here and it’s going to be fucking delicious.

Cibo – Real Italian food by an Italian chef. Fresh pasta, Roman-style pizza, and good gelato. Eat outdoors in the garden area in the evening. 

Breakfast

Neighbor’s Table – Favorite breakfast place. Cozy, unassuming cafe, run by a Korean/Indo couple, with bomb-ass spicy rice bowls, good coffee, and great kimchi bacon sandwiches, all at a very affordable price. Plus, it has a cute dog.

Lusa by Suka – Popular breakfast spot in Berawa. Their food is generally quite tasty. I’d go for the food that’s served hot and skip anything yogurt/smoothie-based here, because their egg dishes and hot breakfast dishes are much better.

Hungry Bird – Local coffee chain run by locals that works with independent Indonesian coffee farmers. Each coffee they serve comes with its own story card to tell the story of the farmer who grew it. There are many good coffee spots in Canggu, but Hungry Bird hits it out of the park with great coffee plus an emotional tie-in. 

Quick Bites & Gojek Delivery Orders

Gojek is Indonesia’s “everything app”, including food orders. 

Shuang Xi – Singaporean food. Get the noodles and noodle soups or even… chicken feet.

Don Juan – Mexican. Pan-fried burritos, quesadillas, etc. Delivery’s usually very fast and it’s quite filling – great if you’re starving. 

Beach Bums Cafe – Get Nasi Campur from here! Small, locally-run warung with nice food.

Tony’s Pizza – White pizza or the spicy salami pizza are best. 

Happy Pork Rendang – Hole-in-the-wall pork rendang that’s fantastic. Highly recommended. 

Ubud

Honey and Smoke – Creative contemporary Australian with artistic presentation. Speakeasy styling is quite unique for Bali. It feels like “Chicago contemporary meets Bali”, if you know what I mean. Best contemporary sit-down dinner in Ubud IMO. We love the corn.

Locavore – The original farm to table resto that put the Bali food scene on the map. Usually quite good, but not outstanding. 

Sayuri – Unique, creative vegan and raw food. Hugely popular hangout spot for people who live in Ubud. Going here is partially for the food, partially to see what the social scene’s like in Ubud, and to overhear people saying things like, “I met her when I was on the 42nd day of my juice cleanse and my crown chakra was just alive!”

Zest Cafe – Like Woods, go here for the vibes, rather than the food, as the food is high-concept and generally not the best-executed on this list. Incredibly beautiful vegan restaurant. The drinking cacao is always tasty.

Yellow Flower Cafe – Balinese food in a cozy setting on a hillside. Charming, family-run, casual restaurant. Get the nasi campur here.

Uluwatu & Pecatu

Drifters Cafe – California-meets-Bali at this casual, sit down garden restaurant. Tasty food and larger portions. Usually feels very relaxed inside. Can be nice for any meal of the day, and usually full of surfers.

Mana Restaurant – Mexican food. One of the best views in Uluwatu. Go for breakfast or the incredible sunsets.

Thank you Mary McG for all the restaurant recs in Bali! 

Bree’s Tips

My Twitter / X friend Bree shared a bunch of her personal tips and recommendations for exploring Bali below.

Must Try in Bali

Gamelan music: The instruments used for this Indonesian version of “orchestra” is highly unique, and there are different versions for different occasions. While it is traditionally a music of royalty originating out of Yogyakarta, you can find it played informally. The best way to find some is to ask the locals (one of my Grab drivers also happened to love gamelan and played me some on his radio)

Balinese dance: Usually accompanied by gamelan music, most of these (there are a few sub categories) are elaborately costumed and routines. 

Cooking class: I like the one at Ayana Resort and Spa near Jimbaran (overly touristed seafood spot), it’s definitely on the upscale side but I like the small class, their farm to table spices, the settings (it’s a golf resort) – and you can walk along the beautiful coastline and beach after (though the beach clubs are only open to hotel guests).

Cycling tours: Mostly downhill through spice plantations and rice fields, ending with a village-cooked lunch hosted in traditional family sharing style. You can find many different options online and when you’re in town.

A word of advice for beaches outside of Seminyak: they are full of rocky bits due to the geological nature of the surrounding mountains, so bring water shoes or grow really thick soles.

Where to Eat

Babi Guling (Balinese roast suckling pig) – very very local spot.

Made’s Warung – slightly upscale, Balinese fusion food spot. They have really good Bebek Goreng (fried duck) and one of the best sambals (IMHO).

Cool Places

Potato Head Club – very “foreigner” hang out beach club, great for cocktails and sunset views; but IMHO what is an experience is how they utilize plastic waste in Bali created by tourism to build their entire space. They are a fully self-contained waste utilization brand.

Deus Ex Machina – super hipster brand, with a nice cafe and merchandise. 

Monkey Forest – I’m not a fan of monkeys! Espe since the one time I got persuaded to go, some got overly familiar with me pawing my backpack. But usually people like seeing them up close since they are not common in the western hemisphere 

The Kecak dance / Sunset ritual: a traditional Balinese dance and ritual that originated in the 1930s. It is performed primarily as a dramatic retelling of the Hindu epic, the Ramayana. 

Pura Luhur – one of Bali’s 6 temples of significance. It’s situated on a cliff in Uluwatu and has beautiful views. I suggest taking a cab and hiking partially; you can catch the kecak dance there too.

Thanks to Bree for those tips! Follow her on X here.

Conclusion

Whew, that was a lot! Thanks for reading my blog. I spent about 15 hours compiling all of this Bali information in this free resource. If you enjoyed this, please check out my free monthly Friends Newsletter. Or add me on Instagram, Twitter/X, or YouTube.

Bali, Indonesia has a lot to see and explore. But I’m afraid that it has become a victim of over-tourism. You will have to look deep and spend time to find the magical spots. I hope this list helps you get started.

THE END