I just got back from a month in Bali, Indonesia & these are the top adventures I went on!

I’m going to start with my favorite things to do around Ubud, which is the cultural heart of Bali! It is located about an hour North of the airport!

We stayed at the Kayu Lama Villa and it was amazing! Nestled in a secluded rice field about 15 minutes outside of Ubud, it was the perfect spot to hang out and relax when we wanted to get out of the buzzing heart of Bali! The villa offers free shuttle rides into Ubud throughout the day!

Now, here we go!

1. Ubud Sacred Monkey Forest

This place was absolutely amazing! Over 600 monkeys inhabit the area and you can get as close to them as you’d like! They’ll climb all over you and try to take everything you have!

How long do you need here? We spent the whole day just because it was so fun! We left to go get lunch at the “Tropical View Cafe” right outside the park (which was amazing and has happy hour ALL DAY) and then went back in until the park closed! They didn’t even make us pay again, even though we wouldn’t have minded since the entrance fee is only about $5 US!

However, don’t be fooled, these little guys are evil! If you look them in the eye they take it as a sign of aggression and attack you. They steal all your stuff out of your bags and pockets & bite as well. Notice I’m not wearing any jewelry, it’s because they love shiny things & if they want it you better take it off & give it to them or end up with a gnarly bite. But they’re also so freaking cute! If you want them to be super curious about you, where flowy clothes like I did, they kept opening the split in my dress like a curtain to see what was underneath (to their disappointment, it was just my legs), but it was so adorable!

2. Rice Terrace Tegalalang

How long do you need here? We arrived about an hour and a half before sunset and stayed until it was getting dark enough that we figured we should probably start our climb out to avoid falling off one of the muddy cliffs.!

I highly recommend checking the rice terraces out around sunset so you can escape the heat and crowds! The haze and lighting is amazing – ALSO, Bali is extremely hot, especially in the summer months, so I recommend getting one of these hats from the vendors outside, not as the fashion statement, but because being on these rice terraces is like hanging out on the surface of the sun in a snowsuit! Okay, okay, fine! MAYBE it makes for a great photo prop as well! Especially for around $3 US!

3. Waterfall Kanto Lampo

I suggest getting here early in the day or late in the aftternoon, as mid-day this place is popping with tourists trying to get a shot under the heavy falls!

How long do you need here? We spent about 45 minutes here, just because we were waiting our turn to take photos and play in the falls!

The hike to this spot is only about 20 minutes long and includes some steep stairs/hills! It can be done in flip flops!

There’s also a very nice river area with bamboo water spouts coming out of the cliffs! Very Bali-esc!

4. Mason Elephant Sanctuary

This was so awesome! Mason Elephant Sanctuary is the only dedicated elephant rescue park in Bali & spending just one day there will have you loving these big sweethearts to pieces! Always remember to stay away from elephant products like ivory & elephant leather! #savetheelephants

How long do you need here? The park entrance fee covers you for the whole day! We spent about 2 hours since we gave the elephants a bath, watched the show presentation and then fed them! I would say 2 hours is long enough since there is just so much to see in this area!

5. Bali Swing

There are tons of places like this around Bali, but our driver brought us to one on the way to the Tegalalang Rice Fields! They also gave us a giant tea sampler for free and we bought some of the famous cat-poop coffee! If you don’t know what cat-poop coffee is, it is a delicacy in Bali and around the world! Priced at around $15 US a cup, it is the most expensive coffee in the world! These coffee beans have been digested and pooped out by a certain Indonesian cat-like animal called a Luwak! The feces of this cat will be collected, finished and sold as kopi luwak throughout Bali and the world! You can even order it on Amazon!

Most of these places have about 5 different instagramable swings for you to pose on! It’s usually about $15 US for you to try them all! They have workers ready to take lots of photos for you!

How long do you need here? I’d say about an hour just because you have to wait in line for all the swings, but they make the best couple photos!

6. Tukad Cepung Waterfall

This place is home of the famous Bali lightrays!

How long do you need here? The best time to get here is 10 AM, when the light rays are strongest and at just the right angle! Though be ready to wait in a short line for a photo, I’d say plan for about an hour here! The hike to this spot is only about 15 minutes and is very easy! It can be done in flip flops!

Now for the more hipster, urban area of Bali – Canggu! We stayed at The Haven Suites Canggu and it was beautiful!

7. Definitely do some shopping in Canggu, as they have very unique clothes, jewelry, and bags for a third of the price!

8. Be sure to check out the amazing beach clubs, pool bars and nightlife in Canggu and Seminyak (which is about a 20-minute scooter ride south of Canggu!

This Canggu hangout spot is called La Brisa and is an amazing place to chill, eat and drink! There’s some great surf out front and you can see the sunset from here!

This more fancy beach club is called Potato Head Beach Club and is located in Seminyak! They have a beautiful pool with day beds overlooking the way, but you need to get here right when they open to get one!

This is the famous Mrs. Sippy day club where you can jump from their pool cliff jump!

9. Nusa Penida Island

Check this place out for sure, it was one of my favorite things we did in Bali! It is an island off the south-east of Bali and can be traveled to by a quicker hourlong ferry rider! A more in-depth blog on how to do Nusa Penida is coming soon since there are so many iconic spots to check out!

How long do you need here? We spent 2 days here but I’d recommend 3 if you have the time budget for it! We stayed in the famous treehouse overlooking the bay! There are only 3 treehouses at this spot so be sure to book early and be sure to recommend the most iconic treehouse, otherwise, they’ll put you in one of the back two (which are still amazing, but are not THE ONE).

We dove with Manta Rays here which was one of the most amazing experiences of my life!

10. The Gili Islands

These three islands are the party land of Bali and offer some of the most amazing diving in the world! A blog on the complete Gili guide is coming soon, so be on the lookout for that!

How long do you need here? We spent 3 days here and had some of the most amazing diving experiences!

HOWEVER, DO NOT BE FOOLED… Floating above my head was 100000 tourists shoulder to shoulder splashing around frantically, looking like they just fell off the Titanic. We got kicked in the head with fins so many times while diving down (why you need fins on if you’re in a life jacket, I really don’t know). Basically, this is a very cool spot to dive but definitely a victim of over-tourism, so be sure to go with a private boat who will take you out during off-peak hours!

Last but not least – Transporation??

You can rent scooters for about $5 a day, though be warned, while this is extremely fun, the driving laws in Bali are non-existent! And you can get pretty hot waiting in the notorious traffic! I recommend scooters for trips under 30 minutes!

OR, if you’re shooting for a more comfortable ride, you can higher a driver for the day! Usually about $50 US for two people for the whole day! We would group together about 3 or 4 spots we wanted to see, and sometimes the drivers will even stop at quick places along the way that you didn’t know about! They act as tour guides telling you fun facts about the areas you drive through, like explaining the local trades each village uses to make a living.

THE END!

Well, I hope you guys found some great bucket-listers for your next trip to Bali, Indonesia!

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Happy Bali exploring!