10 Days Bali Adventure & Island Hopping Holiday
Ten days moving through three distinct sides of Bali: surf and nightlife in Canggu, temples and rice terraces around Ubud, and a genuine island-hopping stretch out toward Lombok’s Gili Islands.
Trip Highlights
- Beachfront stay in Canggu with a surf lesson at one of Bali’s most established surf towns
- Tanah Lot and Taman Ayun, two of Bali’s most recognised temples, in a single day
- Tegenungan Waterfall and the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary in Ubud
- A Balinese cooking class, including making Canang Sari flower offerings
- Tegalalang rice terraces and a volcano-view lunch overlooking Mount Batur at Kintamani
- Two nights on Gili Trawangan and Gili Meno, with snorkelling among coral reefs and sea turtles
- A bicycle exploration of Gili Trawangan, a car-free island
Overview
This itinerary is built in three blocks rather than one long stay.
The first three nights sit in Canggu, Bali’s surf-and-yoga town on the southwest coast, with beach time, a temple day, and a surf lesson right where you’re staying.
From there, the trip moves inland and slightly north to Ubud, Bali’s cultural centre, for three nights built around waterfalls, cooking, rice terraces, and a volcano viewpoint.
The final stretch is the most physically involved part of the trip.
Gili Trawangan and Gili Meno aren’t part of Bali itself; they’re a separate island group off the coast of Lombok, reached by a genuine half-day transfer involving a drive and a boat crossing.
That transfer is built into this itinerary as its own day rather than glossed over, and the payoff is two days on islands with no cars, some of Bali’s best snorkelling, and a noticeably slower pace than anywhere else on the trip.
Worth knowing going in: this itinerary asks more of a traveller on transfer days than a single-resort Bali holiday would.
Anyone prone to seasickness or short on patience for port logistics should weigh that against the appeal of the Gilis before booking.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Canggu
On arrival at Denpasar Airport, your Petnah Africa Tours representative meets you and transfers you to Regent Bali Canggu, a beachfront resort a short walk from Batu Bolong Beach. The resort is arranged around garden courtyards inspired by traditional Balinese villages, with nine swimming pools across the property and villas available with private pools.
Nothing is scheduled for the rest of the day. Settle in, spend time by the pool or on the beach, and enjoy a rooftop dinner in the evening.
Accommodation: Regent Bali Canggu
Meals: Dinner
Day 2: Temple Visits
After breakfast, a full day covers two of Bali’s most recognised temples.
The first stop is Taman Ayun, built in the 17th century as a family temple for the Mengwi royal family, known for its garden setting and fish-filled ponds.
From there, the day continues to Tanah Lot, a 16th-century sea temple set on a rock formation just offshore, one of the most photographed sites on the island and a place that still holds real spiritual weight for the local community rather than existing purely as a photo stop.
In the evening, watch the sunset from one of Canggu’s beaches before an optional night out in the area, which has a genuine nightlife scene if that’s what you’re after.
Accommodation: Regent Bali Canggu
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Day 3: Surfing in Canggu
After breakfast, a surf lesson at one of Canggu’s beach breaks, right where you’re staying rather than requiring a transfer elsewhere on the island.
Instructors cover the basics for first-timers, while more experienced surfers are free to paddle out further and put in more time in the water.
The rest of the day is unstructured. Use the rooftop pool, take a walk along the beach, or simply rest before an evening watching the sunset with a drink in hand.
Accommodation: Regent Bali Canggu
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Day 4: To Ubud, via Tegenungan Waterfall
After breakfast, check out of Regent Bali Canggu and head toward Ubud.
On the way, stop at Tegenungan Waterfall, one of the more accessible and well-known waterfalls near Ubud, worth the short walk down to the viewing area.
Check into Kaamala Resort & Spa, set on Ubud’s central Bisma Street, a short walk from the Monkey Forest and overlooking the jungle valley around the Tukad Wos River.
In the afternoon, a guided walk through town covers local sights and a chance to try some of Ubud’s well-known food stalls. In the evening, take in some of Ubud’s live music venues.
Accommodation: Kaamala Resort & Spa
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Day 5: Cooking Class and Monkey Forest
The day starts with a visit to a local market to see the fresh ingredients that go into Balinese cooking, followed by a hands-on class covering some of Bali’s signature dishes, along with a lesson in making Canang Sari, the daily flower offerings placed throughout the island as part of Balinese Hindu practice.
Enjoy the dishes you’ve made for lunch.
In the afternoon, visit the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, home to several hundred Balinese long-tailed macaques and a set of ancient temples within the forest grounds.
Keep bags, phones, and sunglasses secured and out of easy reach.
These macaques are well known for taking anything left within grabbing distance.
Accommodation: Kaamala Resort & Spa
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Day 6: Rice Terraces and Volcano Viewpoint
After breakfast, a walk through the Tegalalang rice terraces, one of the more scenic and photographed landscapes near Ubud, with a chance to learn how central rice cultivation is to Balinese agricultural life.
In the afternoon, continue to Kintamani for lunch overlooking Mount Batur, an active volcano and one of the better viewpoints on the island.
Return to Ubud in the evening for dinner and an overnight stay.
Accommodation: Kaamala Resort & Spa
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Day 7: Transfer to Gili Trawangan
This is a transit day, and it’s worth planning your expectations around that rather than a full day of sightseeing.
After breakfast, check out of Kaamala Resort & Spa and transfer by road to Padang Bai, the main departure point for boats to the Gili Islands, roughly 1.5 to 2 hours from Ubud depending on traffic.
From there, a fast boat crosses to Gili Trawangan, typically another 1.5 to 2 hours depending on sea conditions.
Gili Trawangan and its neighbouring islands sit off the coast of Lombok rather than being part of Bali itself, which is part of what makes them feel like a genuine shift in pace once you arrive; there are no cars or motorbikes on the island, and transport is by foot, bicycle, or horse-drawn cart.
Settle into your accommodation in the evening.
Accommodation: Gili Trawangan (accommodation to be confirmed with Petnah at booking)
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Day 8: Island Hopping to Gili Meno
After breakfast, a full day on the water, moving between Gili Trawangan and Gili Meno by boat to reach some of the better snorkelling spots in the area.
Expect coral reefs, a good range of tropical fish, sea turtles, and reasonable odds of spotting a reef shark in the right conditions.
Enjoy a beachfront lunch on Gili Meno, then return to Gili Trawangan in the evening for a sunset drink at one of the island’s beach bars.
Accommodation: Gili Trawangan
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Day 9: Bicycle Exploration of Gili Trawangan
With no motorised transport on the island, cycling is the best way to see Gili Trawangan properly.
Spend the day exploring the island’s coastline and interior at your own pace, with a short trek up to the island’s viewpoint for one of the better outlooks in the Gilis.
In the evening, a farewell dinner marks the close of the trip’s active portion.
Accommodation: Gili Trawangan
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Day 10: Transfer to Bali and Departure
This is another day built around real transit time rather than a relaxed morning, so it’s worth setting expectations accordingly.
Fast boats back to Bali run in the morning only, so an early start from Gili Trawangan is needed to make the crossing back to Padang Bai, followed by the drive to Denpasar Airport for your departure flight.
Depending on your flight time, your Petnah representative will confirm the exact boat and transfer schedule in advance.
Meals: Breakfast
What’s Included
- Accommodation
- Guides
- Meals on a full board basis
- Additional services
- Transport, including the Padang Bai to Gili Trawangan boat transfers
What’s Not Included
- International flights
- Travel insurance
- Optional activities
- Any form of personal expenditure
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why does this itinerary need a full day just for a boat transfer?
Gili Trawangan and Gili Meno aren’t part of Bali.
They’re off Lombok, and the realistic door-to-door transfer time from Ubud, including the drive to Padang Bai and the boat crossing, runs 3 to 4.5 hours each way depending on sea conditions.
Treating that as a half-day add-on rather than its own day tends to leave travellers rushed or missing the last boat of the day.
2. Is the fast boat crossing rough?
It can be. The Lombok Strait sees real currents, and sea conditions vary by day and season.
Travellers prone to seasickness should consider motion sickness medication ahead of time and ask Petnah about which fast boat operator runs the more stable, larger vessels.
3. Do we need surfing experience for the Canggu lesson?
No. Instructors work with complete beginners, though anyone with existing experience is free to go further out and surf independently rather than stay in the lesson group.
4. Is the Ubud Monkey Forest safe with young children?
The macaques are generally not aggressive if left alone, but they’re confident around people and known for grabbing food, phones, and sunglasses. Keep valuables zipped away and don’t offer food directly from your hand.
5. What’s the best time of year for this itinerary?
Bali’s dry season, roughly April to October, gives the most reliable conditions for both the temple and rice terrace days and the boat crossings to the Gilis.
The wet season, November to March, brings more rain and can occasionally disrupt fast boat schedules in rougher weather.
Ready to start planning? Send an inquiry through our contact page or WhatsApp us on +256 705 161344.
