Planning Your Bali Holiday

When planning your next holiday, the sheer amount of different factors involved can overwhelm most people. You have to think about tickets, places, accommodation, sights, money and much more, leading to a great deal of confusion on your part. The best thing to do here is to break things down and create a flowing plan which will allow you to decide upon all facets of your holiday without the headache.

Based on the title of this article, i think it's safe of me to conclude that you have chosen to visit Bali for your next holiday. The first thing you need to consider here is what time of year you want to visit. As with most popular tourist destinations and sights, they can get a bit busier during the school holidays, so maybe choosing to go outside of these dates could be beneficial. Different towns in Bali also offer you varying experiences and opportunities.

Larger towns such as Seminyak and Kuta present a sprawling night life and ample shopping opportunities, plus Kuta is renowned for its great surfing conditions. The inland town of Ubud is considered to be the arts and craft centre of Bali, and offers a rich baptism in traditional Balinese culture. If you're looking to get more involved in the rural side of Balinese culture, then a small town such as Canggu is perfect for you.

When choosing accommodation it seems easy to just head towards a hotel. Well, one of the fantastic things about Bali is that sprawled across the country are numerous Luxury Bali Villas. Offering a richer and more traditional Balinese experience, villas represent a very real and noticeable trend away from hotels in recent years. More secluded than hotels, Bali villas offer five star comfort while providing spacious living conditions. Whether travelling with a group of friends, your partner or your family, Luxury Bali Villas offer the utmost experience of Balinese culture that you could attain in such an area.

Beyond these simple decisions involves the implementation of your plan, however it is always good to have a rough idea of what you want out of your Bali holiday. No matter what aspects you choose to reap form your holiday, you are guaranteed to have a great time in the cultural wonderland of Bali.

Top 10 Things to Do in Bali - Start Planning Your Holiday!

There are so many things to do in Bali, so to make it somewhat easier for you to plan your trip we have made a top 10 list. These are the things that you should do during your holiday on this wonderful island.

Number 1: Head to the beach

Bali is an island of beaches. So one of the things to in Bali is to at least spend a day or two at the beach. Learn to surf at Kuta beach or chill out on the other popular beaches such as Seminyak, Legian and Sanur.

If you prefer more quiet beaches then Padang Padang, Balangan, Dreamland or Lovina is a better option. For die hard surfers check out Uluwatu beach too.

Number 2: Admire the rice fields

If you travel to Bali it will be impossible not to spot them: the amazing rice fields and terraces that just seem to go on and on. If you want to see more of this amazing man made landscape you should plan a day trip to Jatiluih in Central Bali. A roadtrip past Rendang and Sideman in East Bali takes you along beautiful rice fields too.

But if you don't feel like driving around then you can head to Ubud and do a rice field walking tour or head to Tegallalang just north of Ubud where you can find the rice field terraces that are included in the Unesco World Heritage site.

Number 3: Relax at a spa

Visiting one of the many spas is probably one of the relaxing things to do in Bali. Choose between the different types of spas, from very modern and stylish to traditional or ones that are set along a river gorge or in the rice fields.

Enough choice for any kind of traveler...

Number 4: Watch a performance

When the evening sets in its worth to go to one of the many Bali dance performances in Ubud. Everywhere in the village there are performances such as Wayang Kulit (shadow puppet), Legong dance (classical traditional dance), Kecak (trance dance) etc.

Tickets are sold throughout the day until several minutes before the performance starts and they only cost around Rp 50.000.

If you are staying in the south part of the island you can watch the kecak fire dance at the Uluwatu temple. One of the best settings to watch this dramatic performance.

Number 5: Learn at one of the many Bali courses

Instead of admiring the different types of Bali arts, you can actually learn to make them yourself. Most big Bali hotels and everywhere around Ubud offer all kinds of courses such as woodcarving, painting, dance, cooking etc.

If you prefer something such as yoga, meditation and other types of health and well being activities there is enough choice on the island as well.

Number 6: Visit amazing temples

Bali is the island of the gods. So not surprisingly there are thousands of temples on the island. Most famous temples among travelers are Tanah Lot, just north of Kuta and the Besakih Temple. This temple is the most important temple for the Balinese and is considered the mother temple.

One of my favorite temple complexes are however Uluwatu Temple set on a dramatic cliff. Other favorites are the ancient temple complexes Gunung Kawi and Goa Gajah near Ubud.

Number 7: Meet the Lovina Dolphins

All the way up north at Lovina Beach you can watch dolphins catch fish every morning. Not only is it a spectacular sight to see large numbers of dolphins jumping out of the water and swimming near your boat, but the morning boat trip is a wonderful experience as well.

You can either arrange a boat once you arrive in Lovina or if you are not planning to stay there, other villages offer one day tours going to Lovina as well. Expect to wake up early for this!

Number 8: See Bali a different way

A great thing about Bali is that everywhere you go there is something nice to see. So what better way to do this then on a bike. Especially in Ubud there are many bike tour companies that take you through villages, pass rice fields and along the smaller trails.

It's a great way to see Bali up close. And the best thing is that you don't have to be an athlete to join. All ages are welcome so don't hesitate to put this on your things to do in Bali list!

Number 9: Check out the underwater world

If you are planning to visit Bali a little bit longer and you love to dive or snorkel then you should definitely go to Menjangan island, North-West Bali.

The coral and the large number of fish here are amazing. We have snorkeled in Amed, Lovina, Candidasa and Padangbai and from our experience Menjangan Island is definitely the best site for snorkeling and scuba diving in Bali.

Number 10: Hike through the mountains

The last activity of my 'Top 10 Things to do in Bali-list' is for the active among us: hiking. The mountains and volcano's on Bali island offer great opportunities for this. You can either choose for the toughest hike up Gunung Agung Mountain or the less difficult up Gunung Batur.

At Lake Bratan and surroundings lakes there are trails through agricultural land and rainforests that take you to refreshing waterfalls as well. There are nice Bali accmmodation options in Munduk.

If you happen to be in East Bali then the trails around Candidasa and Tirta Gangga are also wonderful, as they take you along the rice fields.

I hope I have been some help if you are working on your list of things to do in Bali. Have a great holiday