How to spend 2 weeks in Bali: itinerary and guide

I don’t know about you but this pandemic has me planning and longing for a time when we can travel again. I mean in reality, it wasn’t uncommon for me to make itineraries and plans for trips we had no intention on taking in the near future (I’ve been planning a trip to Peru for about 5 years now).

All that being said, as you sit at home (likely) scouring the internet for ideas and destinations to plan, I’m sure Bali has made it onto your list. This Southeast Asian country is absolutely stunning. As my first Asian trip (and so far only) Bali was a great place to get my feet wet and get a taste for Asia, I definitely want to go back as soon as I can!

How to get to Bali

The longest flight I had ever done before this trip was to Europe at about 9 hours. From Toronto there were no direct flights into Bali which worked out for the best because I don’t think I could have done that trip straight anyways.

Instead, I choose to do a layover in Hong Kong. It was only 24 hours but it was the perfect amount of time to rest, get my bearings, a shower, a tiny bit of exploring before hopping on another long flight. I would highly recommend doing something similar, especially if you are traveling with children.

The airport you want to fly into in Indonesia is Denpasar. It’s a large enough airport that takes international flights and is located closest to the Kuta region on the island.

Canguu | Day 1-4

Canguu is best known for its beaches and surfing. The area in Bali is slightly off the beaten path as far as tourists go but it’s still a pretty busy place. There are also lots of amazing places to stay in the area. Of course, you can’t forget the restaurants either. Some of my favourite meals were in Canguu.

Looking back I feel like we wasted our time here a little bit. We booked a place that was kind of like a surf camp but as a hostel. While the accommodations were fine, we just didn’t fit in having never actually surfed before. No one would talk to us and everyone was in bed by like 8pm and up at 5am, it was really quite awful.

Seminyak and Kuta | Day 4-7

Seminyak and Kuta are located right next to each other (a 10 minute drive between the two). They have very different vibes to them though. Kuta is similar to Canguu, also known as a surfers paradise. Seminyak is much more commercial but laid back at the same time.

We stayed in Seminyak during our visit and loved it. We spent two days walking up and down the beachy themed streets picking up some really cool souvenirs on the way.

We decided to break the bank a little one night by treating ourselves to a wonderfully delicious meal at Potato Head Beach Club. We dressed up a bit more than usual and had one of the best meals here (and drinks). I would highly recommend visiting for dinner and watching the sunset over the ocean. It’s breathtaking (and great for a photo-op!).

Gili Trawangan | Day 7 – 10

Technically speaking this tiny island isn’t actually in Bali but located right near it. Honestly if you’re making the trek you must add Gili Trawangan to your itinerary. This tiny bit of paradise is a 2 hour boat ride from Bali.

When you finally get there you’re greeted with the most amazing water, serene beach and motor-less island. That’s right, there isn’t one car on the island everything is brought around by donkeys and buggies.

The main street of the island runs for about 500 meters along the shorefront. There are restaurants, diving schools, hostels and hotels. While you could stay busy in the main part of the island I would definitely recommend renting a bike and touring around. The entire island took us about 2 hours to bike around.

Ubud | Day 10 – 14

I’ve saved the best for last, truly. Ubud is one of, if not the most incredible place I’ve visited so far. I loved absolutely everything about this city. We stayed in a lovely hotel right near the Monkey Forest with breakfast served to our veranda everyday.

Ubud itself is lovely. There is enough going on to keep you busy but it’s also super laid back. Steps from the main streets are endless lush rice fields. All you have to do is find a restaurant with a view of the fields and you’ll have the best meal of your trip.

There are two touristy things to do in Ubud (I mean there are more but these are my suggestions): visit the Monkey Forest and Wayan (from Eat, Pray, Love). When visiting the Monkey Forest DO NOT bring food in with you. There are signs everywhere and the people we saw who ignored the signs were mauled by monkeys, one girl even got bitten by one.

The natural healer from Eat, Pray, Love is of course a real person, after all the book was a memoir. While I will say it seems as if she’s slightly lost her touch given the hoards of tourists she sees every day, it was still a really cool thing to do. Her reading of my palm was somewhat accurate (of past relationships) and now years later I wish I could remember what she said about my future!

I would also strongly suggest visiting the Yoga Barn. It’s the most popular yoga sanctuary on the island and for good reason. Many of the classes are done outdoors or in their treehouse and it’s an incredible experience to flow through poses listening to the trees and the monkeys.

How to get around Bali

One thing I really struggled with in my research was figuring out how to actually get around. I had read some pretty scary stories about people taking fake taxis so I wanted to make sure I was extra prepared.

Upon arriving my accommodations in Canguu actually provided a pickup service. I would highly recommend looking for a hotel or place to stay that offers this because the last thing I wanted to try and figure out after a 6 hour+ flight is how to get to where I’m going (especially in a place where I did not even remotely speak the language).

Once in Bali, we took private cars or taxis everywhere we needed to go. The best thing about Southeast Asia is that you can get around for so much cheaper than you could in Europe or North America. If you do take a taxi be sure to look for the Blue Bird brand.

That being said, it’s a place I absolutely would go back to if I ever return to Bali, I would just do it differently. The beaches themselves were stunning and you could rent a bike or scooter and zip around the rice fields of the area.

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