Bali is by far my top travel destination; I stayed there for 10 days and I wish had stayed longer. There’s definitely much more to see on this beautiful island and that’s why another visit (maybe a much longer stay) is surely considered as a future plan of mine. Seminyak, or the South of Bali, in general, was my favorite part of the island. There are so many fun things to do in Seminyak and its neighboring areas like Kuta and Canggu, which I’ll be mainly covering in this post.
Best Time to Travel to Bali
Bali goes through two seasons; the wet season and the dry one, and it’s better to go there during the latter. The dry season starts from around end of April till end of September/early October. I went from end of August till early September; it was sunny for the most part, windy (in a nice way), humid, and it rarely (and barely) rained.
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Where to Stay in Bali?
Bali’s a big island, and as much as you’ll probably want to cover as many parts of it, it won’t be easy to commute if you decide to reside in a single destination. I stayed in Seminyak during my time in the South and for the second half of my stay, I stayed in Ubud. It’s a long drive from Seminyak to Ubud; at least an hour by car.
Things to Do in Seminyak and the Rest of the South
Now let’s move to my itinerary! Below, you’ll find my complete itinerary in the South of Bali when I was staying in Seminyak. I’ll tell you all about the best things to do in Seminyak, Kuta, Canggu, Nusa Dua, and the neighboring islands such as Nusa Penida.
Day 1
I arrived at mid-day in Bali. I first exchanged a small amount of money at the airport; just enough to pay my driver and get a sim card right away. You shouldn’t exchange lots of money because the rates at the airport are so bad. I only exchanged a small amount to get me to my hotel in Seminyak and then I exchanged at an authorized office whenever I needed cash. Also, don’t buy a sim card from the airport; they’re way more expensive too; more like triple the price! My driver took me to a mobile shop and I bought a 7GB Telekomsel sim card; that offered me a week of data, for only IDR 100,000.
As soon as I arrived, I took a power nap, showered, and got ready for my first night in Bali. I headed to Kuta; a neighborhood that’s best known for its crazy nightlife. I had dinner at a restaurant that I really loved called Vi Ai Pi. Lucky for me, there was a kickass live performance; I stayed till the very end of it. I’m a sucker for live music to the extent that I sometimes follow it until I find a nice place to dine or just hang around.
Afterwards, I headed to Sky Garden club, which was right next to Vi Ai Pi actually. The entry ticket cost IDR 200,000, which got me two Redbulls and access to an open buffet! I’m a social butterfly, so I actually managed to make new friends there. Generally, I loved the vibe, but I didn’t really enjoy the choice of music that night. It was mostly techno and I’m not really a big fan.
Day 2
I woke up early and went out to explore Seminyak. Luckily, my hotel was pretty close to stores, eateries, bars, the flea market, and more. I had breakfast at Dough Darlings; they serve super delicious moist fresh donuts and I highly recommend it. It was also a 20-minute walk to Potato Head Beach Club; I had reservations for lunch that day. Let me tell you all about my Potato Head experience so you wouldn’t fall for the same pitfall I fell for.
I checked their website the night before and I figured out that I should place reservations beforehand. However, they mentioned that sunbeds are on first in first serve basis and the best I could do is put my name on a waiting list as soon as I arrive. I wanted to swim and stay till sunset; I heard the view was sick, but there was no guarantee I’d even find a spot before then. By the time I arrived, I was number 95 on the waiting list and they were still serving 34!
Anyways, I went to have lunch at Kaum, one of the three restaurants there, that serves authentic Indonesian cuisine. It was a super fancy place but on the second floor. So, you need to sit by the window to get a decent view. For lunch, I had
I canceled my plans to hit the beach at Potato Head afterwards as I got my message at 6 pm! What I should’ve done though was not to have lunch at the restaurant and head there as early as 9 am to have breakfast, lunch, swim, and basically spend the entire day because the minimum spend was IDR 500,000 already. So, kids, take notes and learn from my mistake!
Later that night, I went to La Favela and had dinner. It’s a really nice place with a vintage warm atmosphere that turns into a club late at night. It’s located in the hottest and probably the busiest street in Seminyak where most of the bars and eateries are. I had an encounter with the waiter though that kind of ruined my night. They served me raw meat and I had to change my dish. He failed at dealing with it and was incredibly rude. I don’t know if I should blame the language barrier, but I honestly hated the way he spoke with me; the manager was the one who fixed the situation eventually. Anyways, the food was finger-licking good, the portion was pretty decent, yet again, it’s not for budget travelers.
Day 3
I woke up early on day 3 to spend the day in Nusa Penida, a beautiful island near Bali. I thought I would have enough time in Bali to visit all three islands; Penida, Lembongan, and Ceningan, on day trips. However, they required so much time. So, I prioritized Nusa Penida since I already knew in advance it had the best sceneries.
I drove from Seminyak to Sanur where I took a fast boat; the round trip ticket for the that cost me IDR 600,000. Once I landed on the island, I rented a scooter for IDR 100,000; you have either this option or a car, but that would cost around another 600k. Roads in Nusa Penida are nothing like Bali, I called them ‘the rollercoaster roads’. They were spiral narrow roads going up and down with occasional bumps and holes. It was terrible and it took an hour+ ride to get up there, but the views were definitely worth it as you can see!
There are two main views to aim for:
- The Angel’s Billabong and the Broken Beach were where I made my first stop. The rock formations and the natural pool were heavenly picturesque. Before heading to my second stop, I stayed to sip on a coconut so I would have the full tropical experience!
- Then, I headed to Kelingking beach which was honestly my favorite. The aerial view of the rock formations in the middle of the ocean was just out of this world and I loved it.
The entry ticket for each stop cost IDR 5,000, and the parking tickets were as cheap as IDR 1,000. After I finished, I went back to the shore and had lunch at a warung (a local meal house) as I waited for my fast boat to take me back to Sanur. I had noodles with veggies and a glass of cold lychée juice. It was tasty, clean, and super budget-friendly. It all cost me in total about IDR 30,000.
I took a nap on the boat *lol* and headed back to Seminyak to rest. I then spontaneously bought a ticket online for what made my day 4 so special, but let’s not jump to that now.
This night, I met another fellow traveler; who had been in Bali for a whole month. Later that night, I went out with her and her friend; I met them at Bali Beach Shack, an Aussie bar in Kuta. The funny thing was that we ended up watching a drag show! And frankly speaking, it was super entertaining and hilarious!
One of the girls previously told me she was thinking of getting a tattoo before leaving Bali and I talked her into doing it right after the show. Legian street, where we were, was packed with tattoo studios. They were mostly closed because it was almost midnight, but lucky for us, some were still open. We eventually found ourselves at Star Angels Tattoo Studio where she got her ying-yang tattoo and I got my second ear piercing; I got my first one in Prague. The owners were very sweet and friendly, and the place was very clean and hygienic.
Day 4
I headed to a vegan café (you’ll find lots of those in Bali) called Go Fresh near my hotel for breakfast. I had a fruit bowl made up of dragon fruit, bananas, watermelon, strawberries, pineapples, and mangoes, served with yogurt and honey! It was so healthy, delicious, and energy-boosting!
Remember when I told you about my day 4 being so special? Well, to cut a long story short, I bought a ticket to see Fergie, Liam Payne, and Mark Ronson perform live! Those were the main headliners at Rapture‘s debut year at Nusa Dua‘s prestigious Mulia hotel. Rapture wasn’t really a festival nor a concert, but rather an extravagant pool party with lots of exotic dancers and live performances by kickass artists. The entry ticket cost IDR 3,751,000 and to rent a sunbed, I paid IDR 605,000. Then there was, of course, the extra cost of food and drinks.
Later that night, I had dinner at the classic Johnny Rockets in Seminyak for a change. I thought a burger was a good idea to take a break from Asian cuisine, but the franchise was no longer as good as I remembered it. Or maybe it wasn’t that good in Bali.
Day 5
That was my last day in Seminyak and I was supposed to head to Ubud after checking out. However, I loved the south of Bali so much that I couldn’t just leave. That’s why I headed to Canggu, which took me 15 minutes by scooter and spent the day there! After buying some souvenirs from Seminyak’s flea market, I headed to Finns Beach Club, a less touristy option for a beach club but definitely as good, or even better than Potato Head. I honestly liked it more.
The entry ticket cost IDR 500,000, and because I knew that it would cost around that much in advance thanks to my experience at Potato Head, I spent the day there. I had breakfast and lunch there and got to take Red Bull home with me with the remaining amount. The entry also included the sunbed and free access to the beach and pool. Fortunately, I made a friend there after striking one of those strangers’ conversations. Hence, my day wasn’t slightly boring at all!
I left right after sunset so I would have enough time to get my luggage and drive to Ubud, my final stop. Of course, I couldn’t have left without snapping a few pictures here and there during the golden hour. During that time, music normally starts and a party mode is turned on. So, if you have the time, spend the night there as well. I’m pretty sure you won’t regret it!
Fast-forward to day 10
Remember when I told you how much I loved the South of Bali? Well, I couldn’t help but go back on my last day before catching my flight. I’ve always fancied those Instagrammable vegan cafés I saw online and I’ve always wanted to go to one. Lucky for me, I stumbled upon Kynd Community in real life! I bought a “Take Me to Bali” t-shirt online from We Like Bali and Kynd happened to be one of the outlets where I could pick it up. I stayed for a super delicious smoothie bowl and I ended up buying a brass pineapple spoon as a reminder of Bali.
Know More About the South of Bali
I listed down below the popular areas in the South of Bali along with what kind of vibe to expect from each for you to have a better understanding and decide where to stay.
- Seminyak: Superb beaches and more upscale cafés and restaurants.
- Canggu: All about surf culture and cafés there are artsy, boho, and they have more vegan options.
- Kuta: The nightlife district.
- Nusa Dua: Upscale, posh resorts.
- Uluwato: Incredible, picturesque beaches for both swimming and surfing.
For the rest of my adventure, make sure to check out the rest of my itinerary that takes place in Ubud:
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Nadine is an Egyptian curly-head who decided to quit the norm because it just doesn’t suit her. She ditched her 9-5 as a magazine editor to pursue her dream of becoming a full-time digital nomad and to inspire aspiring travelers to embark on their own solo adventures.
