Exploring the Best of Bali in Three Days

Bali is a famous island in Indonesia that is loved by so many because of its wonderful natural sites. It is an interesting destination to see a mixture of tradition and nature. There are gorgeous beaches, beautiful temples and amazing scenery, which are actually what our three days of touring around the island consisted of. Discovering these best places in Bali made me say that truly, this is a great destination to see.

After spending some time in the tropical islands of Gili and Lombok, our group headed to Bali. Our plan was to get to most tourist sites in the island as much as possible despite of the limited time that we had. We had three days. Some of the places to visit included in our list were Ubud, Uluwatu Temple, Tanah Lot and Kuta Beach.

Getting around Bali

There are several ways to get around Bali. There are local transportation like minibuses and taxis. There are also tour companies offering group tours. Bicycles and scooters are also available for rentals. But since tourist attractions in Bali are quite a distant, the most convenient way to get around the island is to rent a private car, which what our group did. We chartered a car for three days from one of the most trusted tour operators in Bali, the Bali Golden Tour. We wanted to have a more convenient and more comfortable way of exploring the island; hence, availing this service was the ideal option that we thought. And it was, indeed.

It was actually a great treat for us to get a private car service. We are used to traveling by public transportation but we didn’t mind to tour this way this time because this isn’t often to happen when we travel. Getting a chartered car was easy and convenient. It made our trip in Bali more enjoyable. We toured around in our own itinerary and our own pace. And for three days, we were able to get around conveniently and see the best of the island.

Visiting Kuta Beach for Sunset on our First Day

We started our getaway in Bali by visiting the famous Kuta Beach. Our resort was just nearby and so we thought it would be perfect to visit this place already before we officially hit the road next day. 

Kuta Beach is located on the western side of the island. It is considered Bali’s most famous beach resort destination. The place is also famous for sunset. Just about 5-minute walk from our resort, we arrived on time for sundown and were able to capture the sunset perfectly.

Beginning our Second Day at Nusa Dua

It was on our second day when we officially began our private tour. Our driver picked us up in our hotel after having our breakfast. Nusa Dua was our first stop. This place in Bali is known for a group of high-end hotels. But we didn’t go there for the hotels but to visit its public beach, Geger.

After walking for a few meters from the gate, we reached the beach site. My friends initially planned to take a swim, but after a while, it seemed the plan was forgotten. Well, perhaps because of the mid-morning heat.

The beach was pretty nice. It has creamy brown sand with clear water that was so inviting. But I was too lazy to change into my swimming attire. We didn’t spend longer in the area. So after taking a stroll and taking some pictures, we went ahead and proceeded to our next destination for the day.

Surprised by Pandawa Beach

After having our lunch in one of the eateries that we’ve found along the road, our driver took us to a beach that wasn’t actually part of our itinerary. He suggested for us to visit Pandawa Beach. And since he highly recommended it for us to see, I supposed it would be a great place. Well, indeed it was. 

All of us were surprised to see how beautiful the beach was. It somehow reminded me of the beaches in Australia because of the wide view and the crazy waves.

Enjoying Dreamland Beach

Dreamland Beach is my most favorite beach that we’ve visited. It was afternoon when we went on this popular beach destination. The beach has white sand that stretches 100 meters and water that is pristine clear. It also has crazy waves making it an ideal place for surfers. The beach also has an elegant and spectacular view. It is said to be great spot to see the sunset.

The beach is a perfect place for day trip. The area might be a little busy at times but it is still a good place to relax and bask in the sun. We spent a little longer on this place. We just simply loved the beach. This is where we were also able to take a swim. The crazy waves made our beach time a little more fun, at least for me.

Taking a Siesta at Padang Padang Beach

Known for the famous movie, Eat, Pray, Love where it took place, we traveled more or less an hour and dropped by Padang Padang Beach.

Getting to the beach needs a little effort because there’s a flight of stairs going down. It was mid-afternoon when we arrived and several visitors already flocked the area. Exhausted from the descent, we immediately looked for a spot and there we placed our things.

It was low tide when we visited the beach. It might not be the good time to see its finest state but I still found it a nice place. It has creamy white sand with clear water. The beach is also ideal for surfing but you need to get a little further from the shore to enjoy the big waves.

We spent about an hour at Padang Padang Beach. Because I was already a bit tired from touring since morning, I took some siesta first before hitting the beach. The same goes with my friends.

Spending Sunset in Uluwatu Temple

After getting to several beaches in Bali, we spent our day end in Uluwatu Temple. Deemed as one of the top places to go to for sunset, we made it as our last stop for the day.

Uluwatu Temple is a Balinese sea temple perched on top of a steep cliff approximately 70 meters above sea level. The site has direct views overlooking the beautiful Indian Ocean.

Monkeys, who are notorious for snatching visitors’ belongings, also inhabit the temple. So be cautious of your belongings when you are in the area. They mostly prey phones, shades and food – or any loose and unattended objects that they could see.

The place was full of tourists during our visit, or it might be actually normal but that didn’t make the place any less magnificent to catch the sundown. Seeing the sunset from the temple is one of the precious moments that we had in Bali. The amazing view and overlooking of the sea made the place even more perfect to watch the sunset.

Quick Morning Visit to Tegenungan Waterfall

We started our third day in Bali by visiting Tegenungan Waterfall. Our driver picked us up again from our hotel after taking our breakfast. This time we will be visiting Ubud and Tanah Lot. And our first destination was this hidden waterfall located southeast of Ubud.

Getting to the waterfall was a little bit tedious because one needs to walk a quite large stairs down for around 15 minutes. The place was very nice. There were just too many people when we paid a visit but the waterfall still looked astounding.

Tegalalang Rice Terraces in Ubud Bali

Ubud is a town situated in central Bali. It is considered as the cultural center of the island. It is famous for arts and crafts. It is also famous for tourist attractions for beautiful rice terraces, which is what we were actually after for why we visited the popular tourist site.

Located at the north side of Ubud, we visited one of its popular sites to see rice terraces, the Tegalalang Rice Terraces. We went after the harvest season making the terraces not as green as it should be. But that was okay. Seeing rice terraces wasn’t actually new to me because there is several of it in my country.

But since I love landscape and green surrounding, I was able to enjoy our visit to the rice terraces in Ubud. I like the beautiful panorama of valley with rice terrace and coconut trees. Viewing the rice terraces isn’t hard when in Ubud. A hard trek isn’t needed because it is already visible from the main road. But since we wanted to get closer to the rice terraces, my friends and I took time to hike down.

Ending the Day at Tanah Lot Temple

Tanah Lot Temple was our last destination. This tourist spot is actually quite far. It took us more than an hour to get to this place from Ubud. We were just so lucky that we had our own private vehicle to take us here. 

Tanah Lot Temple sits on a large offshore rock, which has been shaped continuously over the years by the ocean tide. It is claimed to be the work of the 16th-century Dang Hyang Nirartha. It was built and has been a part of Balinese mythology for centuries. The temple is one of the seven sea temples around the Balinese coast.

We arrived at Tanah Lot on time for sundown. It was the most popular time to visit the area because the sun starts to settle over the horizon and the temple is silhouetted against the vibrant glow of the sky. But too bad, the sky was overcast when we made a visit.

It was low tide during the time of our visit; hence, we were able to get down and closer to the temple. But we didn’t bother to get inside since my friends and I chose to wander around to take some pictures. Although I found it touristy, it was still a nice place for us to end our day. We got to see one of the most iconic temples in Bali with the marvelous ocean as backdrop.

It was an exciting three days touring around Bali. We were pleased to experience the beautiful beaches and see the wonderful attractions. And seeing the best of the island certainly makes me say that Bali is an incredible island destination to visit in Asia.

Disclosure: Our tour in Bali was made possible by Bali Golden Tour. All notes and opinions are my own.