Nusa Dua & Ubud Bali Holiday

This holiday pairs the two most peaceful corners of Bali: the manicured beaches and resorts of Nusa Dua, where the sea is calm and the gardens are immaculate, and the rice fields, craft villages and temples of Ubud, the island's cultural heart. It is a gentle, comfortable way to see Bali, with three nights by the sea and two in the hills, and it suits couples, honeymooners, families with young children and older travellers alike.

Your flight lands at Ngurah Rai International Airport, in the south of the island. Bali is two and a half hours ahead of India, so set your watch forward as you land. Before you travel, apply online for the e-VOA, Indonesia's electronic visa on arrival, complete the arrival card and pay the Bali tourist levy, and keep the confirmations on your phone; it makes immigration much quicker. Collect your bags, pass through the customs scanners and walk out to the arrivals hall, where our representative will meet you with a name board.

The private drive to Nusa Dua takes only about 20 to 30 minutes. The road follows the Bali Mandara toll road, a long, elegant bridge that crosses the shallow bay and mangrove forests south of the airport. Look out for fishing boats moored in the channels and herons wading in the mangroves, a peaceful first view of the island.

Nusa Dua lies on the eastern side of the Bukit peninsula, the dry limestone headland at the southern tip of Bali. Its name means "two islands", after the two small rocky islets that stand off its shore, each topped with a small temple. In the 1970s, the government chose this quiet stretch of coast to build a planned resort area, so that tourism could grow without disturbing village life elsewhere on the island. Today, it is an enclave of large, beautifully landscaped resorts with wide, clean roads, a security gate at the entrance and a long white beach protected by a reef.

Check in to your hotel and spend the rest of the day relaxing. Standard check-in is usually from 2 PM; if you arrive early, the hotel will store your luggage, and many resorts have lounges where you can freshen up. Most resorts in Nusa Dua have several swimming pools, spas, restaurants, gyms and kids' clubs, so you can spend the whole afternoon by the pool without needing to go anywhere. Let us know in advance if you are celebrating a honeymoon or anniversary, and we will pass it on to the hotel.

The beach in front of the hotels is calm and shallow, with soft pale sand, and it is one of the safest places in Bali to swim, especially for children. The water is clear, and at low tide, you can walk far out across the sand towards the reef. A paved beachfront promenade runs for several kilometres along the coast, connecting the resorts, and it is lovely for an early evening stroll as the air cools.

Nusa Dua faces east, so it is one of the few places in Bali where you can watch the sunrise over the sea. If you are awake early tomorrow because of the time difference, walk to the beach at dawn and watch the sky turn pink and gold over the Lombok Strait.

At the entrance to the resort area, Puja Mandala is a remarkable sight: five houses of worship, a mosque, a Catholic church, a Buddhist temple, a Protestant church and a Hindu temple, built side by side in the 1990s as a symbol of religious harmony in Indonesia. It is worth a short visit during your stay.

For dinner, Bali Collection, the shopping and dining centre at the heart of Nusa Dua, has restaurants serving Indonesian, Italian, Japanese and Indian food, as well as cafés and shops. Many resorts also have excellent restaurants, and some host Balinese dance performances or beach barbecues in the evening. Vegetarian food is easy to find everywhere in Bali.

If you are travelling with children, ask about the kids' club at your resort; most offer supervised activities such as kite making, crab hunting and Balinese dance lessons.

A few practical tips help you settle in. Buy a SIM card or eSIM at the airport for maps and ride-hailing apps such as Grab and Gojek. Withdraw cash from ATMs inside banks or shopping centres, and change money only at authorised money changers. Drink bottled or filtered water, and use mosquito repellent in the evenings. Rest well: tomorrow is a full day of temples and sunsets.

Included today: meet and greet at Bali airport, private arrival transfer to your hotel in Nusa Dua or Benoa, hotel stay.

Good to know: apply for the e-VOA, complete the arrival card and pay the tourist levy before you fly. Tell us about any special occasion when you book. Read our guide to where to stay in Bali and the Bali visa for Indians.

Today you visit Bali's two most famous sea temples, one rising from the waves on the west coast and the other perched on a clifftop at the southern tip of the island, finishing with the sunset and, if you wish, the Kecak fire dance. After breakfast, your private car and driver collect you from your hotel. Dress in light clothes that cover your shoulders and knees, as you will be visiting holy places, and bring a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and water.

The drive to Tanah Lot takes about one and a half hours, through the busy towns of the south and then through villages and rice fields on the west coast. On the way, your driver may point out the temples, shrines and offerings that are everywhere in Bali. Balinese Hinduism is unique: it blends Hindu beliefs brought from Java with Buddhism and much older local traditions of ancestor worship and nature spirits, and it shapes every part of daily life on the island.

A central idea in Balinese life is Tri Hita Karana, the three causes of well-being: harmony between people and the gods, between people and each other, and between people and nature. You see it everywhere: in the shrines in every home, in the cooperative way villages share water for their rice fields, and in the small offerings of flowers, rice and incense placed on the ground each morning to keep the balance between good and evil spirits.

Tanah Lot stands on a rock just off the shore, and at high tide, the waves surround it completely, so the temple seems to float on the sea. Its name means "land in the sea". It was founded in the 16th century by the priest Dang Hyang Nirartha, and it is one of a chain of sea temples built around the coast to protect the island. At low tide, you can walk across to the foot of the rock, where priests bless visitors with water from a freshwater spring that flows beneath the temple, and press a few grains of rice to your forehead.

The inner temple is reserved for worshippers, but the views from the shore and the clifftops are superb. A short walk along the cliffs brings you to Pura Batu Bolong, a smaller temple built on a natural rock arch over the sea, which is often quieter and wonderful for photographs.

From Tanah Lot, the tour heads south to the Bukit peninsula, a drive of about one and a half hours, with a stop for lunch on the way, at your own cost. Uluwatu Temple stands on the edge of a sheer cliff about 70 metres above the Indian Ocean. It is one of Bali's six most important temples, believed to have been established in the 11th century, and it is said that Dang Hyang Nirartha spent his last days here before attaining spiritual liberation. Paths lead along the clifftops on either side, with breathtaking views over the ocean and the surf breaking far below. Sarongs and sashes are provided at the entrance.

The monkeys of Uluwatu are famous for their mischief. They snatch sunglasses, hats, phones and anything loose, often trading them back for fruit. Keep sunglasses and jewellery in your bag, hold phones firmly and never feed the monkeys.

As the sun goes down, the sky over the ocean turns gold and red, and the temple becomes a silhouette on the cliff. Many visitors stay for the Kecak dance in the open-air amphitheatre on the cliff, at extra cost. Dozens of men sit in circles and chant "cak-cak-cak" in hypnotic rhythms, with no instruments, while dancers act out the story of Rama and Sita from the Ramayana, ending with Hanuman dancing through fire as the last light fades. Indian visitors are often moved to see this familiar story told in such a different way.

The surf breaks below Uluwatu are among the most famous in the world, and on the drive back, you pass the clifftop cafés where surfers gather to watch the waves at sunset.

The two temples are part of the same chain of sea temples, and Balinese Hindus believe that together they help to protect the island's balance. Seeing both in one day, one on a rock in the sea and the other high above it, gives you a real sense of how the Balinese see their island, surrounded and guarded by the ocean.

After the performance, your driver takes you back to Nusa Dua, about 30 to 40 minutes away. If you are hungry, you can stop on the way for a seafood dinner on the sand at Jimbaran Bay.

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

Good to know: cover your shoulders and knees at both temples. Entry tickets, the Kecak dance, lunch and dinner are not included. Keep loose items away from the monkeys. Read our Bali temples guide.

After a full day of sightseeing yesterday, today is easier, with a morning on the water and a free afternoon. After breakfast, your private car takes you the short distance north to Tanjung Benoa, the narrow cape at the northern end of Nusa Dua, only 10 to 15 minutes from most hotels. If you woke early enough, you may already have watched the sunrise over the sea from the beach in front of your hotel.

Tanjung Benoa is the centre of water sports in Bali. A long coral reef offshore breaks the waves of the Indian Ocean, so the water inside is calm, warm and shallow, ideal for all kinds of activities, even for people who are not confident swimmers. The beach is lined with water sports centres, each with its own jetty, changing rooms, showers, lockers and café.

Your package includes a banana boat ride. Wearing life jackets, you sit astride a long inflatable tube, and a speedboat tows you around the bay, bouncing over the waves and swerving from side to side. The ride ends, as tradition demands, with everyone being tipped into the warm, shallow sea. It is pure fun, and suitable for most ages.

If you would like to try more, there are many other activities, paid locally. Parasailing lifts you high above the bay under a colourful parachute, with views across the reef, the resorts and the coastline; couples can fly together in a tandem harness. The sea walker lets you walk on the sea floor among fish and coral, breathing through a helmet supplied with air from the surface, with no swimming or diving skills needed. Jet skis, the flying fish, the donut, wakeboarding and snorkelling trips are also available.

For something gentler, take a glass-bottom boat to Pulau Penyu, or Turtle Island, a short ride across the bay. Through the glass floor, you watch fish and coral on the way, and on the island, a small conservation centre raises sea turtles, from tiny hatchlings to large adults, which you can see up close.

Water sports are best in the morning, when the sea is calmest and the wind is light. All activities depend on weather and sea conditions, and some have age, weight and health limits, so tell us in advance about children or any medical conditions. Bring swimwear, a towel, sunscreen and a change of clothes, and keep your phone in a waterproof pouch.

After the water sports, the rest of the day is yours to enjoy at a slow pace. This is the perfect afternoon for the spa. Nusa Dua's resorts have some of the finest spas in Bali, and a traditional Balinese massage, with long, flowing strokes and warm, fragrant oils, is the perfect way to relax after a morning in the sea. Many spas also offer the lulur, a royal Javanese ritual in which the skin is polished with a paste of turmeric, sandalwood and rice powder, then bathed in yoghurt and flowers, traditionally given to brides before their wedding.

If you would like to explore, Geger Beach, at the southern end of Nusa Dua, is a beautiful, quieter stretch of white sand with a small temple on the headland and a few simple cafés, where seaweed farmers work in the shallows at low tide. Waterblow, nearby, is a rocky point where ocean swells crash through a gap in the limestone and shoot spray high into the air. The beachfront promenade links them all, and it is pleasant to walk in the late afternoon.

In the evening, Bali Collection has restaurants and shops, and many resorts host themed dinners, with Balinese dance and gamelan music. For a special night out, the seafood restaurants on the beach at Jimbaran, 20 minutes away, set their tables on the sand at sunset.

If you have never tried water sports before, Tanjung Benoa is the place to start: the staff are used to beginners, the rides are short and everything happens in calm water close to the beach. Ask our team before you go for current prices, and remember that packages of two or three activities usually cost less than buying each separately.

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

Tomorrow, you leave the coast for the hills of Ubud, so enjoy your last evening by the sea.

Included today: half-day Tanjung Benoa beach tour with banana boat ride on a private basis, 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.

Enjoy a slow last morning by the sea. Rise early for the sunrise over the water, take a final swim in the calm lagoon, or simply linger over breakfast on the terrace. Checkout is usually at 11 AM or noon, so there is time to enjoy the resort before you leave.

After checkout, your private car takes you north to Ubud, a drive of about one and a half hours, depending on traffic. The road leaves the dry limestone of the Bukit behind and crosses the busy plain around Denpasar, Bali's capital, before climbing gently into the green hills of the interior. As you go, the towns give way to villages, and the villages to rice fields and coconut groves.

On the way, your driver can stop at one or two of the places along the route, at no extra cost for the car. Sukawati Art Market, about halfway, is one of the largest craft markets in Bali, with hundreds of stalls selling paintings, carvings, sarongs, baskets, kites and souvenirs at bargain prices, and bargaining is expected. Batuan, nearby, is known for its distinctive style of painting, full of tiny, detailed scenes of village life and mythology, and its old temple has beautifully carved stone gateways.

Ubud lies among the rice terraces and river valleys of central Bali. For centuries, it was a small village known for its healers, and its name comes from ubad, the Balinese word for medicine. In the 1920s and 1930s, European artists such as Walter Spies and Rudolf Bonnet settled here and worked with local painters to develop new styles of Balinese art, and Ubud became famous around the world. Today, it is the island's centre of painting, dance, music and crafts, and a place where many visitors come to rest, reflect and reconnect with nature.

Check in to your hotel and spend the afternoon at leisure. Many Ubud hotels are set on the edges of river valleys or among the rice fields, with pools that look out over the jungle, and the peaceful setting is very different from the resorts of Nusa Dua. Sit on your terrace, listen to the birds and the frogs, and let the day slow down.

Ubud is also a centre of wellness. Yoga studios offer drop-in classes in open-sided pavilions overlooking the rice fields, and traditional healers, the balian, still practise in the surrounding villages, using herbs, massage and prayer. Many spas in Ubud are open until late, so a Balinese massage is a lovely way to end the travel day.

If you are travelling with children, the Sacred Monkey Forest, at the bottom of Monkey Forest Road, is usually a favourite, with hundreds of long-tailed macaques living among mossy temples and giant banyan trees. Visit in the morning or late afternoon, keep belongings close and do not feed the monkeys.

If you would like to see some of Ubud's art, the town has several excellent museums. Puri Lukisan, in the centre of town, was Bali's first art museum, founded in the 1950s, and it displays paintings and carvings from the island's different schools and periods in lovely gardens. The ARMA museum and the Neka Art Museum have fine collections of Balinese and Indonesian painting, and the Blanco Renaissance Museum, the former home of the flamboyant painter Antonio Blanco, sits on a hill above the river.

In the late afternoon, walk into the centre of Ubud. The Ubud Palace, home of the royal family, has elaborately carved gateways and courtyards, and next door, Pura Taman Saraswati, the water temple dedicated to the goddess of learning and the arts, is surrounded by ponds of pink and white lotus flowers. In the evening, traditional dance performances are held at the palace and several temples around the town, such as the Legong, the Barong and the Kecak, accompanied by the gamelan orchestra. Tickets are sold at the entrance or by sellers in the street during the day.

For dinner, Ubud has a wonderful choice of restaurants, from simple warungs to romantic restaurants overlooking the river valleys. Try Balinese specialities such as bebek betutu, duck slow-cooked in spices and banana leaves, or sate lilit, minced fish or chicken grilled on lemongrass sticks. Ubud is also one of the best places in Bali for vegetarian and vegan food, and there are Indian restaurants in and around the town.

Ubud evenings are quiet and peaceful, and most restaurants close by about 10 PM. Have an early night, ready for tomorrow's journey to the volcano at Kintamani.

Included today: private transfer from Nusa Dua or Benoa to your hotel in Ubud, hotel stay, breakfast.

Good to know: optional stops on the way depend on time and traffic; museum and dance tickets are at extra cost. Agree a price before you buy at the markets. Read our Ubud guide.

After breakfast, your private car and driver take you on a full-day journey through the countryside of central Bali, from the craft villages around Ubud to the volcanic highlands of Kintamani. Because the tour is private, you can stop wherever you like for photographs, a coffee or a closer look at something that catches your eye.

The first stops are in the villages around Ubud, each known for a traditional craft. In the batik workshops, artisans draw delicate designs on cotton and silk with hot wax, using a small copper pen called a canting, then dye the cloth in layers of colour; the wax resists the dye, leaving the pattern behind. In Celuk, the silversmiths' village, craftsmen work at low benches, shaping fine silver wire and tiny granules into rings, pendants and earrings. In Mas, the woodcarvers create figures, masks and panels inspired by Hindu mythology and the natural world.

You are welcome to watch the craftspeople at work and ask questions, and each workshop has a showroom. There is no obligation to buy, but prices are often good, and a piece of batik or silver bought directly from the village makes a meaningful souvenir.

From the villages, the road climbs steadily north through rice terraces and forests. If you would like a short stop on the way, the Tegalalang rice terraces, where green steps of rice curve around a steep valley, and Tirta Empul, a 10th-century water temple where Balinese Hindus bathe under spouts of holy spring water to purify themselves, lie on or near the road. Both are optional and depend on time.

As the road climbs higher, the air becomes cool and fresh, and the landscape changes to coffee bushes, orange groves and vegetable fields. You may spot the fluffy, fox-like Kintamani dogs, a breed found only in this part of Bali and recognised by Indonesia's kennel club, guarding the roadside farms. At about 1,500 metres above sea level, you reach the rim of a vast ancient caldera.

The view is spectacular. Below you lies the caldera, and in its centre rises Mount Batur, an active volcano about 1,700 metres high, its slopes covered with black lava from eruptions in the 20th century. Beside it lies the blue crescent of Lake Batur, the largest lake in Bali. The whole landscape is part of the Batur UNESCO Global Geopark.

The volcano has shaped the lives of the people who live here. In 1917, a violent eruption destroyed many villages and the great temple that once stood at the foot of the volcano, but the lava stopped at the temple gate, which the villagers took as a sign. When another eruption in 1926 buried the old temple completely, the villagers rebuilt Pura Ulun Danu Batur on the rim of the caldera, where it stands today, with tall, many-tiered shrines rising against the sky. It is one of the most important temples in Bali, dedicated to the goddess of the lake, who is believed to provide the water for the island's rice fields.

Restaurants along the rim serve buffet lunches with views over the volcano and the lake, at your own cost, and the mornings are usually clearest. Bring a light jacket, as it can be cool and breezy at this height.

On the way back, you stop at a coffee plantation, where you can see coffee, cocoa, vanilla, cloves and cinnamon growing, and taste local coffees and herbal teas. Kopi luwak, made from beans eaten by civets, is often offered, but much of it comes from caged animals, so we suggest trying the other varieties instead.

If you are feeling adventurous, the Mount Batur sunrise trek starts in the dark, around 2 or 3 AM, and climbs for about two hours with a local guide to reach the crater rim at dawn, with breakfast cooked on volcanic steam. It can be added on another day, at extra cost.

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

Back in Ubud, an evening dance performance at the palace or a temple nearby is a wonderful way to round off the day, and tickets can be bought on the spot.

As you drive back, keep an eye out for village ceremonies. Each Balinese temple celebrates its anniversary, or odalan, every 210 days in the Balinese calendar, so on almost any day, you may pass processions of villagers in white and gold, carrying towering offerings of fruit, cakes and flowers on their heads, accompanied by gamelan music.

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, 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 green calm of Ubud. If you wake early, take a walk before breakfast, when the mist still lies in the valleys and the farmers are already working in the rice fields. The Campuhan Ridge Walk, a gentle paved path along a grassy ridge between two jungle rivers, starts close to the centre of town and takes about an hour there and back, with lovely views in the soft morning light.

After breakfast, there may be time for a last visit to the Ubud Art Market, which is at its liveliest in the morning, or the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, where long-tailed macaques roam among ancient temples and giant banyan trees. The market is full of souvenirs: sarongs, batik, woven baskets, wind chimes, paintings, carved wooden figures and silver jewellery. Bargaining is expected, so start low and agree on a fair price with a smile.

Checkout is usually at 11 AM or noon. Before you leave, check your room carefully for passports, phones, chargers and anything in the safe. Pack oils, perfumes and liquids in your checked luggage, keep passports, tickets and valuables in your hand baggage, and make sure any wooden souvenirs are clean and free of bark.

Ubud is about one and a half to two hours from the airport, and traffic in the south of Bali can be heavy, especially in the afternoon and in the holiday season. Your private driver collects you at the agreed time, and we recommend leaving Ubud about five hours before your flight, so that you reach the airport at least three hours before departure.

On the way, your driver can stop briefly at a supermarket or a shop for last-minute gifts. Popular choices include Balinese coffee, vanilla, cloves and other spices, palm sugar, handmade soaps and essential oils, and small paintings. Remember that Indian customs has limits on duty-free goods and jewellery, so keep the bills for anything valuable.

At Ngurah Rai International Airport, the international terminal has duty-free shops, restaurants, cafés, lounges and free Wi-Fi. If you have leftover rupiah, you can change it at the airport or keep a little for your next visit. Security and immigration queues can be long in the busy months of July, August, December and January, so do not leave it too late.

Looking back, you have seen two very different sides of Bali in five nights: the calm sea, sunrise beaches and elegant resorts of Nusa Dua, the sea temples of Tanah Lot and Uluwatu, the craft villages and rice terraces of Ubud, and the great volcano at Kintamani. Many couples and families find that this mix of rest and discovery is exactly what they wanted from Bali.

There is still much more to see on a future trip, from the cliffs of Nusa Penida and the Gili Islands to the beach clubs of Seminyak and the quiet north of the island, and Bali combines easily with Singapore or Malaysia for a longer holiday. Whenever you are ready, our team would love to help you plan it.

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

If you have an early flight, ask your hotel the evening before for a breakfast box, and settle your bill in advance to save time in the morning.

Keep your phone charged for your boarding pass and messages home, and if your flight connects through Singapore, Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok, check the connection time and terminal so you are not rushed.

Bali has two seasons, and both are lovely. The dry season, from April to October, brings sunny days and cooler evenings in Ubud, while the green season, from November to March, brings short tropical showers, lush rice fields and fewer crowds outside the Christmas holidays, a good reason to return at a different time of year.

If you have a few spare hours before leaving, a final massage is a lovely way to end the trip; many Ubud spas offer showers so you can freshen up before the journey.

Thank you for travelling with Dreamland Vacations. Our team will stay in touch until you are safely home, and we would love to hear about your favourite moments. 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 honeymoon packages and our Bali travel tips.