Kuta & Seminyak Bali Explorer

If you want a Bali week that is active from the first morning to the last, this is the trip. Over six nights you will ride the waves at Tanjung Benoa, stand on the rim of a volcano, watch fire dancers at a clifftop temple, take a speedboat to the wild island of Nusa Penida and still have time for the beach, the cafés and the nightlife. It is planned for first-time visitors, groups of friends and young couples who like to keep moving, with four nights in Kuta to start and two in Seminyak to finish.

Your journey ends, and your holiday begins, at Ngurah Rai International Airport, on the southern tip of the island. Clocks in Bali run two and a half hours ahead of Indian time, so adjust your phone as soon as you land. The smoothest arrivals are for travellers who have done the paperwork at home: the e-VOA visa applied for online, the arrival card filled in and the Bali tourist levy paid. With those three on your phone, immigration is usually a quick passport check and a stamp.

Once you have your bags and have passed the customs scanners, look for our representative in the arrivals hall, holding a sign with your name. Your car to Kuta is private, and the drive is short, usually a quarter of an hour to half an hour. Within minutes you are among the scooters, roadside shrines and bright shopfronts of the south, with the smell of incense and clove cigarettes drifting through the open air.

Kuta is the island's original beach resort and still its liveliest. Fishermen and traders lived here long before tourists came; then surfers arrived in the late 1960s and early 1970s, chasing the long waves that roll onto its sand, and word spread fast. Today it is a busy, good-value base, full of hotels, surf shops, cafés, bars and markets, and it puts you close to the airport, the water sports at Benoa and the temples of the south.

Check in and take it easy for a few hours. Rooms are usually ready from about 2 PM; if you land earlier, the hotel can hold your luggage while you find lunch. A swim, a shower and a short nap go a long way after the flight, and the afternoon heat is a good reason to stay by the pool until the sun starts to drop.

Then head for the sand. Kuta Beach faces west across the Indian Ocean, and as the afternoon fades, the whole strip fills with people waiting for the sunset: surfers sitting on their boards beyond the break, groups of friends with cold drinks, children digging in the wet sand and hawkers offering coconuts and grilled corn. When the sun touches the horizon, the sky turns orange, then pink and purple, and the surfers become black shapes against the light. It is one of the best free shows in Asia.

Respect the ocean on this coast. The waves are powerful and rip currents are common, so swim only in the zone marked by red and yellow flags, where lifeguards keep watch. If the flags are down or the sea looks rough, enjoy it from the shore.

After dark, Kuta comes alive. Beachwalk Shopping Centre, facing the sea, is an easy first stop for dinner, with an open-air design and plenty of restaurants. The narrow lanes inland, especially Poppies I and Poppies II, are crammed with small shops, warungs and bars, and further north along Jalan Legian the nightlife runs late. If you want familiar flavours, Kuta has several Indian restaurants, and vegetarian dishes are easy to find on almost every menu.

A few first-night essentials make the week easier. Pick up a local SIM card or eSIM at the airport so that you can use maps and book rides on Grab or Gojek, which are cheap and reliable. Use ATMs inside banks or malls rather than on the street, and change money only at licensed counters. Drink bottled or filtered water, and keep mosquito repellent in your day bag for the evenings.

Pack light for this trip: quick-dry clothes, swimwear, a sun hat, sandals and one pair of comfortable walking shoes for Nusa Penida and the temples. A sarong is the most useful thing you can buy on arrival, as it works as a beach towel, a temple cover-up and a scarf for cool evenings.

Do not stay out too late, though. Tomorrow starts with a morning on the water, and the week ahead is full.

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, and keep the receipts on your phone. Read our guide to the arrival card and tourist levy and our flights from India to Bali guide.

This morning is all about the sea. After breakfast, a car takes you across the southern neck of the island to Tanjung Benoa, a thin finger of land that points north from the Nusa Dua resorts. The trip takes 30 to 40 minutes, much of it on the Bali Mandara toll road, which runs on a bridge across the mangrove-fringed bay. Benoa is Bali's water sports hub because a reef sits just offshore, flattening the swell and leaving a lagoon of calm, warm water perfect for speedboats and inflatables.

The banana boat ride is already part of your package, and it is the best warm-up there is. Up to half a dozen riders sit astride the long yellow tube, everyone in life jackets, and a speedboat drags you in tight loops around the bay. You will be soaked within seconds, laughing within a minute, and almost certainly dumped into the water at the end, because that is the driver's favourite trick. Non-swimmers need not worry: the life jacket keeps you floating until the crew helps you back on.

After that, it is your call, and a little planning helps. If you are new to water sports or a nervous swimmer, start with the sea walker, where you stroll along the seabed among fish and coral wearing a heavy helmet supplied with air from above, or the glass-bottom boat to Turtle Island. Both are calm and need no swimming. If you want a rush, go for parasailing, which lifts you high over the bay behind a speedboat, the jet ski, which you drive yourself with an instructor riding behind, or the flying fish, a raft that leaps into the air as the boat accelerates. Thrill-seekers often finish with the donut, a spinning tube that bounces wildly over the wake.

Prices are charged per person and per activity, so budgeting is easy once you know your list. Most centres sell bundles of two, three or four activities at a lower price than buying them one by one, and you can usually negotiate a little if you are in a group. Our team can give you an idea of current rates before you go, so you can decide in advance and not be rushed on the beach. Carry some cash as well as a card.

The order matters too. Do the flying and towed rides first, while the sea is calmest and the wind is light, usually before late morning. Leave the sea walker and snorkelling until later if you like, as they are less affected by the breeze. Weather, tide and safety rules always come first, and the staff may change the plan if conditions are not right.

If you are travelling as a group of friends, Benoa is a good place to split up and meet again: the thrill-seekers can head for the parasail and jet ski while others snorkel or sit in the café, and everyone regroups for the boat to Turtle Island.

Pack swimwear under your clothes, a towel, a change of clothes, high-factor sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat. The centres have showers, lockers and changing rooms, and most have a café overlooking the lagoon where you can rest between rides. Keep your phone in a waterproof pouch if you want photos from the boat, or hand it to a friend on the beach.

Remember to drink plenty of water and reapply sunscreen after every ride, as the equatorial sun burns quickly even on cloudy days.

Turtle Island, or Pulau Penyu, is a short hop across the bay by glass-bottom boat. Through the floor you can watch fish darting over the coral, and on the island a small breeding centre looks after green and hawksbill turtles of every size. It is a gentle contrast to the speed of the morning.

Back in Kuta by early afternoon, you have the rest of the day free. Waterbom Bali, in the middle of town, is one of the region's best water parks and a lot of fun for adults as well as children, with near-vertical slides and a long lazy river, at extra cost. If you would rather go slow, book a massage, nap by the pool and save your energy for the evening.

For dinner, head to Jimbaran Bay, 20 minutes south, where seafood restaurants put their tables right on the sand. Choose your fish, prawns or squid from the display, watch it grilled over coconut husks, and eat with your feet in the sand as the sun goes down.

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

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

Swap the beach for the mountains today. After breakfast, your private driver heads north out of Kuta towards the highlands, with stops in the craft villages around Ubud on the way up and a coffee farm on the way back. It is a long, varied day, roughly eight to ten hours, and because the car is yours, you set the pace.

The road first passes through a string of villages that have specialised in one craft for generations. In Batubulan, roadside yards are full of grey stone figures, from temple guardians with bulging eyes to serene Buddhas, all carved from soft volcanic rock. In the batik houses, artisans trace designs onto fabric with wax from a tiny copper spout, then dip the cloth into dye baths so that the waxed lines stay pale. Celuk's silver workshops turn fine wire and tiny beads into intricate jewellery, and in Mas, carvers coax birds, dancers and deities out of blocks of wood. Watch, ask questions and buy only if you want to.

North of Ubud, the land starts to rise. If you would like a stop on the way, Tegalalang's rice terraces are a short detour: emerald steps of paddy curving around a deep valley, with swings, cafés and photo platforms for those who want them. It is optional, and early in the day is best before the crowds build.

Higher still, the air cools and the crops change to coffee, citrus, cabbages and chillies. Then the road reaches Penelokan, a village on the rim of a vast ancient crater whose name means "the place to look", and the view opens up in front of you. Far below lies the caldera floor, with Mount Batur rising from its centre, its flanks streaked black with lava from 20th-century eruptions, and Lake Batur curving around its foot like a blue crescent. On clear days, the much taller cone of Mount Agung stands on the horizon to the east.

For photographers, the best light at Penelokan comes in the morning, when the lake is often still and the volcano is sharp against the sky. By midday, cloud can drift in quickly and hide the summit.

Bali Aga villages, home to some of the island's original inhabitants, lie around the shores of Lake Batur. Their customs are older than those of the Hindu kingdoms that came later from Java, and in Trunyan, across the water, the dead were traditionally laid beneath a sacred banyan tree rather than cremated.

The lake itself is sacred, believed to be the home of the goddess who supplies water to the rice fields across the island, and the great temple of Pura Ulun Danu Batur, with its tall, many-roofed shrines, stands near the rim in her honour.

If that view sparks your sense of adventure, consider the Mount Batur sunrise trek on another morning of your stay. Guides collect you from your hotel in the small hours, and you start walking by torchlight at about 4 AM, climbing for around two hours up loose volcanic gravel to the crater rim. As the sky brightens, the sun comes up behind Mount Agung and Lake Batur appears below, often wrapped in mist. Many guides cook eggs or bananas in the steam vents for breakfast. It is a moderate climb that most reasonably fit people manage, and it can be booked at extra cost.

For lunch, the restaurants along the rim lay on buffets with views of the volcano, at your own cost. Grab a table by the window, because the clouds often roll in by early afternoon, and bring a jacket, as Kintamani can feel chilly after the coast.

On the way down, your driver stops at a coffee and spice plantation. You will see coffee cherries ripening on the bushes, cocoa pods hanging from the trees, vanilla vines, cloves and lemongrass, and you can taste a tray of local brews, from Bali coffee and cocoa to ginger, lemongrass and turmeric teas. You will probably also be offered kopi luwak, made from beans that have passed through a civet. Much of it now comes from caged animals, so we suggest skipping it and enjoying the other cups instead.

If there is time, ask your driver about a quick stop at Tirta Empul, the holy spring temple where Balinese Hindus bathe under carved spouts to purify themselves, or in central Ubud for a look at the royal palace. Both depend on time and traffic.

You will be back in Kuta in the late afternoon, ready for a swim and a relaxed dinner.

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

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

Bring your camera today. You visit the two most photographed temples in Bali, one standing on a rock in the surf on the west coast and the other clinging to a cliff at the island's southern tip, and you finish with the sunset and the Kecak fire dance. Wear something light that covers your shoulders and knees, pack water, sunscreen and a hat, and leave the hotel after breakfast with your private driver.

Tanah Lot is about an hour from Kuta, depending on traffic. Its temple sits on a black rock just off the shore, and its shrines have been a place of worship since the 16th century, when the Javanese priest Dang Hyang Nirartha is said to have chosen the spot. What you see depends on the tide. At low tide, you can walk across the wet sand to the foot of the rock, where a freshwater spring rises beneath the temple and priests bless visitors with its water. At high tide, waves crash around the base and the rock becomes an island. Our team can check the tide table for your date, so you know what to expect.

For photographs, the classic shot is from the clifftop to the left of the temple as you face the sea, looking down on the rock with the waves breaking around it. The light is softest from mid-afternoon, and the hour before sunset is spectacular but very crowded, which is why this tour visits in the earlier part of the day and saves sunset for Uluwatu. Walk a few minutes along the coast to Pura Batu Bolong, a smaller shrine on a natural stone arch, for a quieter angle and fewer people in your frame.

Bring a little cash for parking, donations and drinks at both temples.

From Tanah Lot, the tour heads south past the airport onto the Bukit peninsula, a dry limestone plateau with some of the most dramatic coastline in Indonesia. Stop for lunch on the way, at your own cost. If you love beaches, the Bukit is where to find them: Padang Padang, Bingin, Melasti and others lie at the foot of the cliffs, with white sand and clear water, and some are reached by long stairways. Ask your driver about a short stop if time allows before sunset.

Between the temples, the road passes Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park, home to a towering statue of Vishnu riding Garuda, finished in 2018 and visible across much of the south. It can be added to the day at extra cost if you are curious.

Uluwatu Temple stands on the edge of a sheer cliff about 70 metres above the ocean. It is one of Bali's most sacred sites and is believed to date from the 11th century. Sarongs and sashes are handed out at the gate, and paths run along the clifftop on both sides of the temple, with long views over the surf and the deep blue water. Keep your sunglasses, hats and phones secure: the resident monkeys are expert thieves and often hold their loot to ransom for a piece of fruit.

The Uluwatu cliffs are also famous with surfers. The break below the temple is one of the best known in the world, and the clifftop cafés nearby are a good place to watch the experts ride the long waves.

If you are travelling as a couple, Uluwatu at sunset is one of the most romantic places in Bali: find a spot on the cliff path before the dance, look out over the ocean and take your time.

The Kecak dance takes place in an open-air amphitheatre beside the temple, timed so that the performance ends with the sun setting into the ocean behind the stage. Tickets are sold at the temple at extra cost and the show often sells out, so arrive in good time, ideally about an hour before sunset. For the best view of the sunset during the show, sit on the side that faces west; the seats are tiered stone benches, so bring something to sit on if you like. A large circle of men chants "cak-cak-cak" as the story of Rama, Sita and Hanuman unfolds, and the finale, with Hanuman scattering burning coconut husks, is unforgettable.

When the show ends, the crowds leave together, so be patient in the car park or wait a few minutes before walking out. Your driver will take you back to Kuta, about 45 minutes away, or drop you at Jimbaran for a seafood dinner on the way.

Included today: full-day Tanah Lot temple and Uluwatu temple tour on a private basis, breakfast.

Good to know: cover shoulders and knees at both temples. Entry tickets, the Kecak dance, lunch and dinner are not included. Read our Bali temples guide for more on each site.

After three full days of sightseeing, today has a gentler rhythm. There is no tour, only a short transfer up the coast to Seminyak, so take your time over breakfast and enjoy your last morning in Kuta. Checkout is usually at 11 AM or noon.

If you have never surfed, this morning is a perfect chance to try. Kuta is one of the best beginners' beaches in the world: the sand is soft, the waves near the shore are small and regular, and the surf schools along the beach provide soft-top boards, rash vests and instructors who stay in the water with you. A two-hour lesson starts on the sand, with how to paddle and how to pop up, then moves into the white water, where most first-timers manage to stand at least once. Lessons are at extra cost and are best booked for the early morning, when the wind is light.

Your private car then takes you north to Seminyak, only a few kilometres away but a different world. The drive takes 20 to 30 minutes, past Legian and Double Six, two beach areas that sit between Kuta and Seminyak. Legian is a little calmer than Kuta, with plenty of hotels and bars, and Double Six Beach is known for its beanbags and umbrellas lined up for sunset.

Seminyak is Bali's most stylish neighbourhood. Not long ago it was rice fields and fishing villages, but over the past few decades it has filled with boutique hotels, private villas, designer shops, galleries, cafés and some of the best restaurants in Indonesia. It is livelier than Ubud but more polished than Kuta, and it suits groups of friends and couples who want good food and a little glamour.

Once you have checked in, spend the afternoon exploring. Jalan Kayu Aya, nicknamed Eat Street, and Jalan Petitenget are lined with cafés serving excellent coffee, smoothie bowls and brunch, and with boutiques selling linen clothes, swimwear, leather goods, jewellery and homewares. Prices in the boutiques are fixed, while street stalls expect a little bargaining. Seminyak Village and Seminyak Square have air-conditioned shops if you need a break from the heat.

Seminyak is also an easy place to get around. Many cafés, shops and restaurants are within walking distance of the hotels, and Grab and Gojek cars are cheap for longer trips. Taxis with meters are available too, but agree that the meter will be used before you set off.

Close to the beach, Petitenget Temple is one of the old sea temples along this coast and is still busy with ceremonies. In the late afternoon, you may see women in lace blouses and sarongs carrying tall towers of fruit and flowers on their heads, accompanied by gamelan music. Watch quietly from outside the inner courtyards.

If you prefer a quieter afternoon, Seminyak's spas are some of the best on the island. A traditional Balinese massage uses long, flowing strokes and warm oils, while a boreh is a warming scrub of spices once used by rice farmers after a day in the fields.

Canggu, about half an hour north, is another option for the afternoon: a laid-back mix of surf beaches, rice fields, cafés and yoga studios that has become one of the most popular areas in Bali with young travellers.

Sunset in Seminyak is a social event. The famous beach clubs, with infinity pools, daybeds, DJs, food and drinks, fill up from mid-afternoon, and many visitors spend the evening there. Each club has its own rules for entry and minimum spend, and some fill their daybeds early, so it pays to check ahead or book. If you prefer something simpler, find a beanbag at one of the small bars on the sand, order a fresh coconut and watch the sky turn gold.

Seminyak's beach has the same strong currents as Kuta, so swim only between the flags.

For dinner, you are spoilt for choice. Seminyak has Balinese warungs serving babi guling and nasi campur, smart Indonesian restaurants, Italian, Japanese, Mexican and Middle Eastern kitchens, and several Indian restaurants. Many menus mark vegetarian and vegan dishes clearly. Get a reasonably early night after dinner: tomorrow's pickup for Nusa Penida is early.

Seminyak's nightlife is more relaxed than Kuta's, with cocktail bars, live music and late-night cafés rather than big clubs.

Before bed, pack a day bag for the island with swimwear, a towel, sunscreen, a hat, water, snacks, a little cash and any seasickness tablets you might need.

Included today: private transfer from Kuta to your hotel in Seminyak, hotel stay, breakfast.

Good to know: surf lessons, beach clubs and spa treatments are optional, at extra cost. Swim only between the red and yellow flags. Compare the beach areas in our guide to where to stay in Bali.

Today is the wildest day of the week: a full-day trip to Nusa Penida, a rugged island south-east of Bali with towering limestone cliffs, natural arches and water so blue it looks edited. The tour is shared with other guests and includes a local lunch on the island.

Pickup from Seminyak is early, usually soon after dawn, because the boats leave in the morning. The drive to Sanur harbour, on the east coast, takes about 40 minutes to an hour. Fast boats cross the Badung Strait to Nusa Penida in about 40 minutes to an hour, depending on the sea. The water can be choppy, so take a seasickness tablet before you board if you need one and sit towards the back, where the motion is gentler. Boats often load and unload on the beach, so wear sandals and expect wet feet.

Nusa Penida is far larger and less developed than its neighbours, Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan. Its interior is hilly and dry, dotted with small villages, temples and farms, and many coastal families grow seaweed in the shallows. In the past, Balinese kings used the island as a place of exile, and it is still regarded as a home of powerful spirits. Tourism arrived only recently, and the roads are narrow, steep and bumpy, so you travel around the island in a car with a local driver.

Expect the roads on the island to be slow; even short distances can take a while, which is why the tour visits the west coast highlights rather than trying to cover the whole island.

The first stop is usually Kelingking Beach, the most famous view on the island. A narrow ridge of rock, often compared to the head of a T-Rex, plunges into the sea above a perfect arc of white sand and turquoise water. The viewpoint at the top is the place for photos. A steep, rough path does lead down to the beach, but it takes most people about an hour each way and is only for the very fit and sure-footed.

Broken Beach, or Pasih Uug, comes next. Here the ocean has punched a round hole through the cliff, creating a hidden lagoon ringed by rock, with waves surging in through the archway. A path loops around the clifftop, giving views from every side. A short walk away is Angel's Billabong, a rock pool on the edge of the sea, so clear that you can see every pebble on the bottom.

Angel's Billabong is beautiful, but it has a serious warning attached. When the tide is high or the swell is big, waves break over the rocks without warning and can sweep people into the open sea. Never swim in the pool unless your guide says it is safe, and never stand near the edge for photos. The same applies at all the viewpoints on Nusa Penida: there are few railings, the drops are long, and no photo is worth the risk.

The local lunch is usually rice with vegetables, chicken or fish, crackers and fresh fruit at a simple island restaurant. Vegetarian options are available, but tell us in advance about any dietary needs or allergies.

After lunch, the tour ends at Crystal Bay, a sheltered beach with white sand, palm trees and clear water, which is lovely for a swim or a snorkel after a hot morning of viewpoints. From roughly July to October, divers come here hoping to see the oceanic sunfish, or mola mola, one of the strangest fish in the sea.

Nusa Penida is also famous for manta rays. At Manta Point, off the south coast, huge reef mantas glide through the water to be cleaned by small fish, and snorkelling trips there can be arranged on another day, at extra cost.

What to carry makes a big difference today: plenty of water, as shops are few, sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, swimwear under your clothes, a towel, a dry change of clothes, a plastic bag for wet things, and cash for toilets, parking and drinks. Comfortable walking shoes are better than flip-flops at the viewpoints.

Sunglasses with a strap and a hat that ties on are useful, as the wind at the clifftop viewpoints can be strong.

You return to Bali in the late afternoon and are dropped back in Seminyak by early evening. Most people are tired but thrilled, and it is a good evening for a simple dinner and an early night.

Included today: full-day Nusa Penida west island tour with return fast boat, island transport and local lunch (shared), transfers, breakfast.

Good to know: this is a long day with rough roads and some walking. The tour depends on sea conditions and may be rescheduled. Entry fees on the island may be extra. Read our Nusa Penida guide.

The week has flown, but there may still be a little time left. If you are up early, walk down to Seminyak Beach before the heat, when the sand has been raked smooth and only a few surfers and dog walkers are out. Take a last swim in the pool, then linger over breakfast and argue about the best moment of the trip: the banana boat, the view from Penelokan, the Kecak at sunset or the cliffs of Kelingking.

If you have an early-morning flight, ask your hotel the evening before for a breakfast box and settle your bill in advance, so the morning is calm.

Checkout is usually at 11 AM or noon. If your flight leaves later in the day, ask the hotel to store your bags and use the free hours well. A final massage is a classic way to end a Bali holiday, and several spas near Seminyak and the airport have showers so you can freshen up before the journey. Late checkout is sometimes possible, subject to availability and usually at extra cost.

This is your last chance for gifts, and Seminyak has plenty. Popular choices include Balinese coffee, vanilla, cloves and other spices, packs of kacang Bali, the garlicky roasted peanuts, handmade soaps and essential oils, batik and ikat textiles, silver jewellery, rattan bags and small paintings. Boutiques in Seminyak are fixed-price, while markets expect friendly bargaining. Keep receipts for anything expensive, because Indian customs has limits on duty-free goods, gold and electronics, and declare anything over the allowance when you land.

Pack with care. Check the safe, the bathroom, under the bed and the balcony, where swimwear often gets forgotten. Put perfumes, oils and other liquids in your checked bag, and keep passports, tickets, chargers and valuables in your hand luggage. If you bought wooden or bamboo items, make sure they are clean and free of bark, as customs rules on plant products can be strict.

At the agreed time, your private driver collects you from the hotel. From Seminyak, Ngurah Rai International Airport is usually 30 to 45 minutes away, but the roads of southern Bali can jam badly, especially in the late afternoon and during holiday periods, so leave extra time. Always plan to reach the airport at least three hours before an international flight.

Inside the terminal, you will find restaurants, cafés, duty-free shops, lounges, free Wi-Fi and charging points. If you have leftover rupiah, change it at the counters or keep a little for your next trip. Queues at check-in, security and immigration can be long in July, August, December and January, so do not cut it fine.

Families and groups often use the last hour at the airport to share photos and pick favourites for an album; the free Wi-Fi in the terminal makes it easy.

Keep your phone charged for your boarding pass, and if your flight connects through Singapore, Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok, check the connection time and terminal before you board.

As the plane climbs out over the sea, look for the long line of surf along Kuta and Seminyak and, on a clear day, the volcanoes rising inland. In six nights you have covered a lot of Bali: beaches, water sports, highland villages, a volcano, two great temples and a wild island. Next time, you might slow down in Ubud, spend a night on the Gili Islands or add Singapore or Malaysia for a longer holiday.

Bali has two seasons, and both are good for a return visit. The dry season, from April to October, brings sunny days, calmer seas and good conditions for Nusa Penida, while the green season, from November to March, brings short tropical showers, lush scenery and fewer crowds outside the Christmas holidays.

Back home, many travellers find it hard to choose a favourite photo; the T-Rex cliff, the Kecak fire and the sunset at Kuta usually make the shortlist.

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

Wherever you go next, we hope the energy of this week stays with you, and that Bali calls you back.

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

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

Good to know: choose a flight that leaves at least 3 hours after you reach the airport. Late checkout is subject to availability and may cost extra. Plan your next trip with our Bali itinerary guide and our Bali travel tips.