Bali Kuta, Gili & Ubud Getaway

This short holiday packs three very different worlds into five nights: the lively beaches of southern Bali, the car-free coral islands of the Gili archipelago, and the green, spiritual heart of the island at Ubud. Each stop feels like a new trip, and because the journey is planned with private transfers on Bali and a fast boat to the islands, the moves between them are part of the adventure rather than a chore.

Your flight lands at Ngurah Rai International Airport, on the narrow neck of land at the southern end of Bali. Put your watch forward two and a half hours from Indian time. Indian passport holders can get a visa on arrival, but it is much quicker to apply online in advance for the e-VOA, and you should also fill in the arrival card and pay the Bali tourist levy before you fly. At immigration, you show your passport, visa and onward ticket; then collect your bags, pass through the customs scanners and walk out into the arrivals area, where our representative will greet you by name.

The private drive to Kuta takes only 15 to 30 minutes. Kuta is the easiest place in Bali to begin a holiday: close to the airport, with a long sandy beach, plenty of restaurants and shops, and hotels for every budget. After the flight, it is a relief to check in, have a shower and relax by the pool rather than face a long drive into the hills.

Standard check-in is usually from 2 PM. If you arrive in the morning, leave your bags at reception and have a light lunch nearby; Kuta's cafés serve everything from smoothie bowls and banana pancakes to nasi goreng and Indian curries. Let us know when you book if you are celebrating a honeymoon or anniversary, and we will pass it on to the hotels on your route.

In the late afternoon, walk to Kuta Beach. It faces west, and the sunsets here are some of the best in southern Bali, with the sky turning gold, then pink and violet, as surfers catch the last waves of the day. Fresh coconuts, grilled corn and cold drinks are sold along the beach, and the atmosphere is cheerful and relaxed. Swim only between the red and yellow flags, as the currents can be strong.

Kuta has a long history as a meeting place. Centuries ago, it was a small port where traders from China, Java and beyond landed, and in the 19th century, a Danish trader named Mads Lange built a trading post here. Tourism arrived in the 1930s, when an American couple opened a small hotel on the beach, and it grew rapidly in the 1960s and 1970s when surfers discovered its waves. Today, Kuta is Bali's busiest beach area, and it still has a cheerful, youthful energy.

In the evening, walk along the beachfront to Beachwalk Shopping Centre, an attractive open-air mall with cafés and restaurants, or explore the narrow lanes of Poppies I and Poppies II, full of small shops, bars and warungs. Kuta has a good choice of Indian restaurants, and vegetarian food is easy to find everywhere in Bali.

A few practical tips help on the first evening. Buy a SIM card or eSIM at the airport, so you can use maps and order cars through apps such as Grab and Gojek. Withdraw cash from ATMs inside banks or shopping centres, and change money only at authorised money changers, as some street booths short-change tourists. Drink bottled or filtered water, and keep mosquito repellent handy in the evenings.

It is worth carrying some cash for the Gili Islands, where there are fewer ATMs and some small cafés and shops do not take cards. Rupiah notes come in large denominations, so it helps to keep smaller notes for tips, drinks and souvenirs.

Bali is a very safe island for visitors, and the Balinese are famous for their warmth and gentle hospitality. Smile, say terima kasih, thank you, and you will be met with smiles in return.

If you are a keen photographer, the light on Kuta Beach is at its best in the last hour before sunset, when the sand glows gold and the surfers become silhouettes against the sky.

Get a good night's sleep: tomorrow is a morning on the water at Tanjung Benoa, and the day after, you sail for the Gili Islands.

Included today: meet and greet at Bali airport, private arrival transfer to your hotel in Kuta, hotel stay.

Good to know: apply for the e-VOA, complete the arrival card and pay the tourist levy before you fly. Pack a small overnight bag for the Gili night, as fast boats limit luggage. Read our Bali visa guide for Indians and our guide to flights from India to Bali.

After breakfast, your driver takes you east across the southern tip of Bali to Tanjung Benoa, a slender cape on the edge of the Nusa Dua resort area. The journey takes 30 to 40 minutes and usually follows the Bali Mandara toll road, a long bridge across the bay and mangrove forests, with views of fishing boats and the hills of the Bukit peninsula.

Tanjung Benoa is Bali's water playground. Unlike the surf beaches of the west coast, it lies inside a protective coral reef, so the water is calm, shallow and warm. Dozens of water sports centres line the beach, each with changing rooms, showers, lockers, a restaurant and a jetty, and the bay is busy with speedboats towing parachutes, inflatable rides and jet skis.

Your package includes a banana boat ride, a perfect icebreaker for the day. Everyone wears a life jacket and sits astride a long inflatable tube, and the speedboat pulls you in wide arcs around the bay. The ride is bumpy, splashy and full of laughter, and the driver usually finishes by turning sharply enough to throw everyone into the sea. You float easily in your life jacket, and a support boat helps you climb back on.

Once you have had a taste of the water, you can add more activities, paid locally. Parasailing is the most popular choice for couples, especially in a tandem harness that lifts two people together under one parachute. The sea walker lets you stroll along the sea floor among fish and coral, breathing normally inside a helmet fed with air from the surface. Jet skiing, the flying fish, the rolling donut, wakeboarding and snorkelling trips to the reef are also available, and many centres sell combination packages that cost less than buying each activity separately.

A glass-bottom boat ride to Pulau Penyu, or Turtle Island, is a gentler option. On the way, you watch fish and coral through the boat's glass floor, and on the island, a small conservation centre raises baby sea turtles, which are released into the ocean when they are big enough. Visitors can see the turtles up close, and the centre also keeps some birds and other animals.

The morning is the best time for water sports, when the sea is calmest and the wind is light. All activities depend on weather and sea conditions, and some have age, weight or health limits, so tell us in advance if you are travelling with children or anyone with medical conditions. Bring swimwear, a towel, sunscreen, a hat and a change of clothes, and keep your phone in a waterproof pouch.

On the way back, it is worth a short stop at Nusa Dua Beach, a long, curving stretch of pale sand lined with resort gardens and palm trees, with a paved promenade that is perfect for a stroll. At the southern end, at Waterblow, ocean swells crash through a cleft in the limestone rocks and shoot spray high into the air, especially at high tide.

The afternoon is free. Spend it by the pool, take a surf lesson on Kuta Beach, or book a Balinese massage, which is the perfect remedy after a morning in the sea. In the evening, many visitors head south to Jimbaran Bay for dinner on the sand: the seafood restaurants there set their tables out on the beach at sunset, and you choose fresh fish, prawns, squid and lobster to be grilled over coconut husks, with rice, vegetables and spicy sambal.

If you have never tried water sports before, this is a good place to start. The staff are used to beginners, most activities last only a few minutes, and everything is done in calm, shallow water close to the beach, so you can try several without getting tired or nervous.

For lunch, the cafés at the water sports centres serve Indonesian staples such as nasi goreng, mie goreng and fresh fruit juices, or you can wait and eat back in Kuta, where the choice is much wider.

Remember to drink plenty of water and reapply sunscreen after every swim, as the equatorial sun is strong even on cloudy days.

Before bed, pack a small overnight bag for the Gili Islands. Fast boats have limits on luggage, and on the islands, bags are carried by horse cart or on foot along sandy paths, so a small wheeled bag or backpack is far easier than a large suitcase. Ask us whether your main suitcase can be sent on by road to your hotel in Ubud, so that you only take a small bag to the island.

Included today: half-day Tanjung Benoa beach tour with banana boat ride, transfers, breakfast.

Good to know: other water sports and Turtle Island are optional and paid locally. Water sports are not recommended during pregnancy or for anyone with back, neck or heart problems. Read our guide to Bali water sports and activities.

Today you leave Bali behind for a night on the Gili Islands, three tiny coral islands off the north-west coast of Lombok, the next island east. After an early breakfast, check out from your hotel. A car takes you to the harbour for the fast boat, usually at Padang Bai on Bali's east coast or Serangan near Sanur, depending on the day's schedule. The drive to Padang Bai takes about one and a half to two hours, through villages and rice fields, with views of Mount Agung, Bali's highest volcano.

The fast boat crossing takes about one and a half to two and a half hours, depending on the boat, the route and the sea. The boats are fast and comfortable, with seats inside and sometimes on deck, and the staff load your luggage for you. The Lombok Strait, between Bali and Lombok, is deep and can be choppy, especially in the afternoon and during the windy months, so if you are prone to seasickness, take a tablet before you board and sit near the back of the boat, where the motion is gentler.

The three Gili Islands are Gili Trawangan, the largest and liveliest, with the most restaurants and hotels; Gili Meno, the smallest and quietest, a favourite with honeymooners; and Gili Air, closest to Lombok, which has a relaxed village atmosphere. All three are fringed with white sand and clear turquoise water, and they lie on the edge of the famous Wallace Line, the deep-water boundary that naturalists noticed separates the animals of Asia from those of Australasia.

The first thing you notice when you arrive is the silence. There are no cars or motorbikes on the Gili Islands; people get around on foot, by bicycle or by cidomo, a small, brightly painted horse cart with jingling bells. Boats often land directly on the beach, so be ready to step into shallow water. A cidomo takes you and your bags from the harbour to your hotel along sandy lanes lined with palm trees, cafés and dive shops.

After check-in, the rest of the day is yours. The best way to explore is by bicycle, which you can rent almost anywhere for a small fee. A road runs around each island, and you can cycle around Gili Trawangan in about an hour, or Gili Meno and Gili Air in even less, stopping at quiet beaches and cafés along the way. In the heat of the day, find a shady spot on the beach, swim in the calm water or relax in a beanbag with a fresh fruit juice.

The Gili Islands are famous for snorkelling and diving. The reefs around the islands are home to many green and hawksbill sea turtles, which graze on seagrass close to the shore and are used to swimmers. You can snorkel straight from the beach in some places, or join a glass-bottom boat trip that visits the best snorkelling sites around all three islands. Off Gili Meno, a circle of life-size underwater sculptures called the Nest has become one of the most photographed snorkelling spots in Indonesia.

Sunset is the highlight of the day on the Gilis. On the west side of the islands, swings and beanbags are set up on the beach facing the sea, and as the sun goes down, it sinks behind Mount Agung on Bali, a dramatic silhouette across the water. It is one of the most romantic sights in the region, and the perfect place for photographs.

The islands are also known for their gentle pace of life. There are no big resorts or shopping malls, and most hotels are small bungalows and villas set in gardens a short walk from the sea. Wi-Fi works in most places, but many guests are happy to switch off their phones and simply enjoy the peace.

Respect the local customs while you are on the islands. Most people on Lombok and the Gilis are Muslim, so cover up when walking away from the beach, and you will hear the call to prayer from the small island mosques at dawn and dusk.

Turtles are protected, so never touch or chase them when snorkelling. Keep a respectful distance, and they will often carry on feeding as you float above them.

In the evening, Gili Trawangan's night market sets up stalls of grilled fish, satay, noodles and Indonesian sweets, and the beachfront restaurants serve everything from seafood to pizza and Indian curries. Gili Meno and Gili Air are much quieter, with candlelit dinners on the sand. Wherever you stay, the island nights are peaceful, with the sound of the waves and a sky full of stars.

Included today: transfer from Kuta to the harbour, fast boat to the Gili Islands and cidomo to your hotel (shared), hotel stay, breakfast.

Good to know: boat times depend on the schedule and sea conditions; in rough weather, crossings may be delayed or rescheduled. Carry cash, as ATMs are limited. Bicycles, snorkelling trips and diving are optional, at extra cost. Read our guide to Bali and Gili Islands packages.

Wake up early if you can and take a walk along the beach before breakfast. The Gili mornings are calm and still, with fishermen bringing in their catch, the water like glass and, on a clear day, the peak of Mount Rinjani, Lombok's great volcano, rising to the east. If the boat leaves later in the morning, there may be time for a last swim or a quick snorkel with the turtles.

After breakfast, check out from your hotel. A cidomo takes you back to the harbour, and you board the fast boat back to Bali. As before, boats often load from the beach, so keep your sandals handy and be ready to step into shallow water. Sit near the back of the boat if you are prone to seasickness, and enjoy the views of the islands slipping away behind you.

The journey from the Gilis to Ubud is the longest of the trip, so keep water, snacks and a light layer for the air-conditioned car within easy reach. The driver will make a short stop if you need a break.

On arrival in Bali, your driver meets you at the harbour for the drive to Ubud. From Padang Bai, the journey takes about one and a half hours, through the rice fields and villages of eastern Bali, where life feels slower and more traditional than in the south. You will see farmers in conical hats working in the paddies, ducks waddling along the irrigation channels and temple gateways decorated with offerings.

Eastern Bali is less visited than the south, and the road passes through some of the island's most traditional areas. Look out for the great temple complex of Besakih on the slopes of Mount Agung, the mother temple of Bali, which can be visited on a future trip, and for salt farms and black-sand beaches along the coast near Padang Bai.

If time allows, your driver may suggest a short stop along the way. Klungkung, once the seat of Bali's most powerful kingdom, has the Kertha Gosa, a royal court of justice whose ceiling is painted with scenes of heaven and hell in the traditional Kamasan style. Goa Gajah, the Elephant Cave, near Ubud, is an 11th-century sanctuary with a carved entrance and bathing pools. Both are optional and depend on time and traffic.

Ubud lies in the hills of central Bali, surrounded by rice terraces, rivers and jungle-filled ravines. It is the island's cultural heart, home to painters, woodcarvers, musicians and dancers, and it has inspired artists and writers for almost a century. The town itself is small and walkable, with a royal palace, a busy art market, temples, galleries and hundreds of cafés, while the countryside around it is dotted with peaceful hotels and villas looking out over the rice fields.

If you arrive in Ubud with time to spare, a traditional Balinese massage is the perfect way to unwind after the boat and the drive. Many spas in Ubud are open until late in the evening.

Check in to your hotel and spend the evening at leisure. If you have energy, walk to the centre of Ubud. The Ubud Palace, home of the town's royal family, has elaborately carved gateways and courtyards, and in the evening, it hosts traditional dance performances, such as the Legong and the Barong, accompanied by the shimmering music of the gamelan orchestra. Tickets are sold at the entrance during the day.

Next to the palace, Pura Taman Saraswati, the water temple dedicated to the goddess of learning and the arts, is surrounded by ponds filled with pink and white lotus flowers, a beautiful, peaceful place, especially in the soft light of early evening. A café beside it looks out over the lotus pond.

For dinner, Ubud has some of the best restaurants in Bali, from simple warungs serving Balinese specialities to romantic restaurants on the edge of the river valleys. Try nasi campur, rice with a selection of small dishes; bebek betutu, duck slow-cooked in spices and banana leaves; or one of the many vegetarian and vegan dishes for which Ubud is famous. There are also Indian restaurants in town if you want familiar flavours.

Ubud is quiet at night, and most restaurants close by about 10 PM, so it is a good place to rest and settle into the slower rhythm of the island. Tomorrow, you head up to the volcano at Kintamani.

Included today: cidomo and fast boat from the Gili Islands to Bali (shared), private transfer from the harbour to your hotel in Ubud, hotel stay, breakfast.

Good to know: boat times can change with the sea conditions, and arrival in Ubud may be in the late afternoon. Optional stops on the way depend on time and traffic. Read our Ubud guide.

Today is a full day in the countryside around Ubud, with craft villages, a coffee plantation and the great volcanic landscape of Kintamani. Your private car and driver collect you after breakfast, and because the day is yours alone, you can linger wherever you like and skip anything that does not interest you.

The first stops are in the villages south of Ubud, where Bali's crafts have been passed from parents to children for generations. The stone carvers of Batubulan shape soft grey volcanic stone into statues of temple guardians and gods. In Celuk, silversmiths work at low benches, twisting fine silver wire into delicate filigree, and in Mas, woodcarvers create graceful figures and masks from hibiscus, crocodile wood and teak. At a batik workshop, you can watch artisans drawing designs on cloth with hot wax before dyeing it, and try it yourself if you like.

From the villages, the road heads north through Ubud and climbs gently through rice terraces and forests. If you would like to add a stop on the way, the Tegalalang rice terraces, a valley carved into green steps, and Tirta Empul, a water temple where Balinese Hindus bathe in holy springs to purify themselves, both lie on this road. Both are optional and depend on time.

As you climb higher, the air grows cooler and the vegetation changes to coffee bushes, tangerine groves and vegetable gardens. The town of Kintamani stands on the rim of a huge caldera, about 1,500 metres above sea level, formed by two enormous eruptions tens of thousands of years ago. From the viewpoint, the land drops away into the caldera, and in its centre stands Mount Batur, an active volcano about 1,700 metres high, its slopes streaked with black lava flows from 20th-century eruptions.

Beside the volcano lies Lake Batur, a deep crescent-shaped crater lake and the largest lake in Bali. The lake is considered sacred, as its waters are believed to feed the springs and rivers that irrigate the island's rice fields, and the goddess of the lake is honoured at Pura Ulun Danu Batur, one of Bali's most important temples, which stands near the rim with its tall, many-roofed shrines. On a clear day, you can also see Mount Abang and the great cone of Mount Agung beyond.

The villages around Lake Batur are home to some of the Bali Aga, the island's original inhabitants, whose customs predate the arrival of Hindu kingdoms from Java. In the village of Trunyan, on the far shore of the lake, the dead were traditionally laid to rest under a sacred banyan tree rather than cremated, a custom found nowhere else on the island.

The Mount Batur sunrise trek is one of Bali's great adventures for those with a little more energy. You start in the dark, around 2 or 3 AM, and climb for about two hours with a local guide to reach the crater rim at dawn, where breakfast is often cooked on volcanic steam. It can be booked on another day, at extra cost.

Restaurants along the rim serve buffet lunches with views over the volcano, at your own cost. Try to reach Kintamani before noon, as the clouds often roll in during the afternoon, especially in the wet season. Bring a light jacket or shawl, as it can feel cool and breezy at this height.

A traditional buffet lunch on the rim usually includes Indonesian dishes such as nasi goreng, mie goreng, satay, gado-gado and tempeh, with fresh tropical fruit for dessert, and there are always vegetarian options.

On the way back, stop at a coffee plantation, where you can see coffee, cocoa, vanilla, cloves and cinnamon growing, and sample a selection of coffees and herbal teas. You may be offered kopi luwak, coffee made from beans eaten by civets, but much of it comes from caged animals, so we suggest trying the other coffees instead.

As you drive back through the hills, keep an eye out for ceremonies. Bali's temples celebrate their anniversaries, called odalan, every 210 days in the Balinese calendar, so on almost any day, you may pass a procession of villagers in white and gold carrying towering offerings of fruit and flowers.

You return to Ubud in the late afternoon. Spend your last evening with a Balinese massage, a dance performance at the palace or a quiet dinner overlooking the rice fields.

Back in Ubud, an evening dance performance at the palace or a nearby temple is a wonderful way to round off the day.

Included today: full-day Kintamani volcano tour with Ubud village visits on a private basis, breakfast.

Good to know: bring a light jacket, comfortable shoes and some cash. Lunch, entry to optional stops and the Mount Batur sunrise trek are not included. Read our Mount Batur and Kintamani guide.

Your last morning in Bali begins in the peace of Ubud. If you wake early, take a walk through the rice fields close to your hotel before breakfast, when the mist still lies in the valleys and farmers are already at work. The Campuhan Ridge Walk, a paved path along a grassy ridge between two jungle rivers, starts near the centre of town and is especially beautiful in the soft morning light.

After breakfast, there may be time for a final visit to the Ubud Art Market, which is at its liveliest in the morning. It is a good place for souvenirs: woven baskets, sarongs, batik, carved wooden figures, wind chimes, paintings and silver jewellery. Bargaining is expected, so start at about half the first price and settle somewhere in the middle, with a smile. The Sacred Monkey Forest, at the bottom of Monkey Forest Road, is also best visited in the morning, when it is cooler and quieter.

Checkout is usually at 11 AM or noon. Pack carefully, and go through the room for passports, phones, chargers and anything in the safe. Keep passports, tickets and valuables in your hand luggage, and pack oils, perfumes and liquids in your checked baggage. If you have bought wooden or bamboo souvenirs, make sure they are clean and free of bark and insects.

Ubud is further from the airport than the beach areas, so allow plenty of time for the journey. Your private driver collects you at the agreed time, and the drive to Ngurah Rai International Airport usually takes one and a half to two hours, but traffic in the south can make it longer, especially in the afternoon. Check in at least three hours before your international flight, which usually means leaving Ubud about five hours before departure.

On the way, your driver can stop briefly if you need to, for example at a supermarket for snacks or at a shop for last-minute gifts. Popular buys include Balinese coffee, vanilla, spices and palm sugar, handmade soaps and essential oils, and rattan bags. Remember that Indian customs has limits on duty-free goods and jewellery, so keep the bills for anything valuable.

At the airport, the international terminal has duty-free shops, restaurants, cafés and lounges. If you have leftover rupiah, you can change it at the airport, though the rates are better in town. Queues can be long in July, August, December and January, so do not leave it too late.

As your plane lifts off, look out for a last glimpse of the island: the beaches of the south coast and, on a clear day, the volcanoes rising above the clouds. In five nights, you have seen three very different sides of the region: the surf and sunsets of Kuta, the turtles and turquoise water of the Gili Islands, and the rice fields, crafts and volcano of central Bali.

There is still much more to discover. Next time, you might spend longer on the Gili Islands, visit the dramatic cliffs of Nusa Penida, stay in the peaceful resorts of Nusa Dua, or combine Bali with Singapore or Malaysia for a longer holiday. Whenever you are ready, our team would love to help you plan it.

Families with children will find the long drive easier with a few breaks, and your driver will be happy to stop if anyone needs it. Keep snacks, water and a charged phone in your hand luggage for the journey.

If you have an early flight, ask your hotel the evening before for a breakfast box, which most are happy to prepare, and settle your bill the night before to save time in the morning.

Bali has two seasons, and both are lovely. The dry season, from April to October, brings sunny days and calmer seas for the Gili crossing, while the green season, from November to March, brings short tropical showers, lush rice fields and fewer crowds outside the Christmas holidays.

Before you go, thank your driver and the hotel staff; tipping is not compulsory in Bali, but a small amount for good service is always appreciated.

Thank you for travelling with Dreamland Vacations. Our team will stay in touch until you are safely home, and we would love to hear what you enjoyed most. If you enjoyed your trip, a short review on Google means a great deal to our team.

Included today: private departure transfer from Ubud to Ngurah Rai International Airport, breakfast.

Good to know: choose a flight that leaves at least 3 hours after you reach the airport; from Ubud, allow about 5 hours in total. Late checkout is subject to availability and may cost extra. See our Bali travel tips and the Bali trip cost from India.