Weekend Getaway Series (Bali)

Bali at a Glance

Having been to Bali a few times, I don't specifically have a 5-6 day itinerary, as it depends largely on what you aim to do, but instead, this blog will list out the top day trips for Bali, restaurants, cafes and beach clubs that I have been or recommend, slightly different from my previous posts.

Recommended Duration: 5-6 nights is a good period for your first trip to Bali, and subsequently, dependent on what you aim to do there.

Getting There: There is no shortage of flights to Bali from Singapore, with multiple airlines having multiple flights a day to Denpasar. SIA is flying 6 flights a day from June onwards, with other full-fledged airlines including Garuda Indonesia, KLM, and budget options like Scoot, Jetstar, Airasia, Batik Air complementing the multitude of options to Bali. Costs are usually around ~$200 for budget, and $300-$400 for a full-fledged airline.

Cost (Out of/$$$$$): $$. Still considerably value for money, with cafe food options costing you around ~$10-$15, although prices generally get steeper if you go to the more touristy places.

Currency used: Indonesian Rupiah (IDR)

Weather: Hot and Humid like Singapore.

Data: You can get cheap data plans from Pelago, Klook, ChangiRecommends or even on arrival, although I don't recommend buying upon arrival as they are more expensive. You can go for e-Sim options on Shopee as well.

Apps to Use: Grab/Gojek for transport around the towns, as well as to order food delivery

Visa/Entry Requirements: None required for Singaporeans/Malaysians

Accommodation: Where you stay in Bali depends on what you want to do for the trip.

The more popular area for tourists, Seminyak, will put you in close vicinity of good food, popular beach clubs, cafes, and touristy beach areas, but it also means you will have to content with heavier traffic, potential jams living in the area.

I've stayed at this Airbnb here. 3 bedrooms means you can comfortably house a group of 6 here, with an attached pool and a living area and kitchen. Loved my stay here.

Another popular option nowadays is Canggu, where it is considered to be a place where digital nomads go to stay, with their reasonable accommodation prices, multiple work-from-home locations, and less crowded cafes. It is definitely more out of the way from the touristy areas, but still within distance from the newer beach clubs that are located between Seminyak and Canggu.

I've stayed at Planta Luxury Boutique Hotel, a huge 1 bedroom villa that is super value for money - Link here

(Stayed in that hut in the background, forgot to take a photo inside but it was super nice!!)

Ubud is also another place to stay, as it is located in the mountains, where your accommodation is likely to oversee rice paddy fields, nature, and in a sense, a more peaceful location to stay if you are looking to find your 'zen' there. Those who are going there for Yoga classes should definitely spend some nights here with the multitude of classes littered throughout the town.

I've stayed at Adiwana Suweta for 2 nights, and their service were impeccable, with great views as well as a really nice pool. I booked through Agoda here!

Other areas include staying at Nusa Dua, where all the 5 star resorts are located, i.e Conrad Bali, Sofitel Bali etc, but again, it is very disconnected from the main areas of Bali, so only stay here if you are planning to chill in the resort most of the time!

Places to visit:

Seminyak

Restaurants:

Naughty Nuris: Ribs are to die for, 100% recommend

Made Warung: One of the most popular local restaurants, which you have to try once if you are in Bali definitely. Recommend having the Nasi Campur Special, which is a selection of local food options like vegetables, chicken, pork all around a bowl of rice. Sedap!

Nook: Local food + Western food options

Cafes:

Sisterfields: One of the most popular cafes among Singaporeans and tourists alike, solid brunch food options, but on the pricier side.

How I Met Coffee: Took away coffee + french toast from here, solid offerings

Pison Coffee: Had a decent cup of Cold Brew here, known for their coffee options, with other branches in Ubud as well.

Revolver Bali: Another solid coffee option.

Livingstone Cafe and Bakery: Brunches were so so, but the coffee decent. A lot of bakery options that looked so tempting as well but was already full.

Expat Roasters: One of the nicest lattes I've had in Bali!

Beach Clubs:

Mari Beach Club: Chill, family vibes, cheaper daybeds, minimum spent can be used as credits to offset purchases of food, drinks, shisha etc. Has a really nice pool that oversees the beach and sunset.

Nightlife:

Motel Mexicola: Fun club vibes, with decent mexican food options, and a dancefloor in the evenings.

Alleycats Bar and Restaurant: A great place to meet other travellers/locals if you are in the mood to socialise! Was there during my solo trip and met some great locals who brought me around.

Shi Shi Nightclub: Free entry for ladies, this nightclub is pretty lit, but be careful of your personal belongings as I heard of people going in to steal things. Still a fun experience if you want to experience clubbing in Bali. You can buy a full soju bottle for only S$8 inside..

What else to do:

Sundari Day Spa: Hands down the best massage place in Bali so far. However, they are super popular, and you have to make prior booking online on their website here. You will also need to make prior payment online to secure your booking.

Canggu

Restaurants:

Penny Lane: Very nice location and unique design, serving excellent local food offerings like their Mee Goreng as well as brunch food offerings. Would recommend for lunch or dinner instead of brunch though. They also serve pretty good drinks at night too!

Milk and Madu: Lines are quite blurred whether it is a cafe or restaurant, as they serve very good pizza and pasta, but also brunch options here. Had the grilled prawns which was yummy too!

Cafes:

Blacklist Coffee Roasters: Had one of my best filtered coffee here, definitely recommend if you are here for coffee.

Crate Cafe: Very underrated place for brunch and coffee.

Beach Clubs:

Atlas Beach Club: Probably the biggest beach club in Bali, got many options other than purchasing daybeds, we got a normal table for 800k IDR, but you can walk in for 200k IDR with a free drink. There is also Atlas Superclub there for you to club till the wee hours.

Finns Beach Club: Wasn't able to stay as it was full, but friend mentioned it was more of a party vibe, and if you are into EDM and club music, this is the place for you.

What else to do:

Tanah Lot Temple: The most famous sunset place in Bali, where you get to see the sunset from the seaside. (PS: Get your grab driver to wait for you and pay him an amount, as it can be hard to get Grab back from here after sunset)

Millers Records: If you are into vinyl records, a lot of interesting records here for you to look through!

Ubud

Restaurants:

Tis Cafe: A nice restaurant in the middle of nowhere overlooking the rice terraces if you want to avoid the touristy areas. Go early to get good seats, and you can even go into the pool that is located within this cafe, and trek to the rice terraces if you wish.

Cafes:

Clear Cafe: Definitely designed for people who want to find their Zen, really nice, huge and quiet cafe where there are also board games like chess, and a spa within the premises. Coffee was decent, and the cake was not bad too.

Beach Clubs:

Cretya Ubud: Saw some people recommending it, essentially beach club vibes but you are overlooking the rice terraces.

What else to do:

Tegenungan Waterfall: Very nice place to see a waterfall, easy trek down, can stop by the Omma Beach Club for a chill drink, then take the escalator back up if you are lazy HAHA.

Ubud Traditional Market (And the main town itself) -Good area to snap up some souvenirs, and to also explore the various bars, cafes around the city area.

OTHER AREAS:

Rock Bar: Situated in the Ayana Resort area, it is about 1 hr drive from Seminyak towards the south-west, but the beauty of this place makes it definitely worth it to see the sunset and just to enjoy drinks.

Day Trips out of Bali:

1. Nusa Penida Day Trip - Book here on Klook ($48 per pax)

This trip will take you out on a full day trip, with a drive to Sanur, and then taking a ferry over to the Island of Nusa Penida. Then, there will be a car driving you around the island. However, do take note that if you have motion sickness, I highly recommend you to take some medicine before as the roads are bumpy and unpaved. Here are some nice photos that we took there.

2. Mount Batur Trek - Views were really nice at the top if you can get good weather, but you do have to wake up at 2am for the car pickup, and then start climbing at around 430 am to reach the summit before sunrise!!

Getting Around:

From/To Airport:

I reckon getting a airport transfer from Klook, as it will only cost you around $4 SGD for a journey to Seminyak area. Can book here.

Conclusion

Bali is such a chill destination, where you can go just to relax your mind and enjoy your peaceful time at the different beach clubs, cafes, and spas in the entire island. If you want to party hard, there are also many options for you. I will definitely be back regularly Bali! :)

-Daryl