Food safety
Only drink bottled water, avoid fresh fruit / veggies, and eat at credible places to avoid Bali belly or similar.
Bali
Overview
Banyuwangi
Make 2 days for this if you can.
Usually about a 2-4 hour drive to northwest Bali, a 1 hour ferry, then a 30 minute drive to Banyuwangi.
Easily my favorite hike ever.
Cash
Around 90% of what
I remember paying for was cash only.
Always be liquid.
Driver
Try to get one for your time there.
It is cheap and can likely be done through your accommodation.
Local hosts
Folks are well-connected and can often be middlemen for tourist services.
Let me know if you need activities or drivers booked; my host was extremely connected.
Scooters
Bring your IDP if you have one.
Renting scooters is common and a nice way to get around.
Things to do
Mount Batur
Popular Bali night hike.
Bring a headlight.
Pura Tirta Empul
Touristy but worth it.
Holy spring water ritual purification area; rent proper clothing for a small fee.
Insane koi fish pond.
Tegallalang Rice Terrace
Tegallalang, Subak Pulagan, and Mancingan are the options I had noted.
Mancingan is the one I walked around; open and full of friendly folks.
Penglipuran Village
Lots of local homes turned shops.
Small village to walk around, explore, and consume at.
Coffee plantations
Must-go stop with beautiful areas, free tours, and tastings.
I went to Cantik Agriculture Luwak Coffee, but many follow a similar mold.
Yeh Bulan Waterfall
Beautiful, swimmable, and has an easy safe hike through jungle.
West coast beaches
Lots of places to stop and chill.
If we had another day, that is likely how we would have spent it.
Finn's Beach Club
Dubbed one of the best clubs in the world.
Drinks, open areas, food courts, and beach access.
Canggu Beach
Did not go, but heard it was a great place to relax.
Food
Finn's
Covered above as a beach club / food court / drinks stop.
Dijumah Cafe
Recommended by my first host near Bangli.
Off-grid but trustworthy with lots of good options.
Rustica Cucina Italiana
Good Italian food.
Food search
Nothing else spectacular from what we had, but it is not hard to research and find good spots.
Where to stay
Airbnb
Almost always the move: super cheap, good amenities, lots of space, and the host can often serve as a liaison for the trip.
Ubud
Tourist village area near a lot of local attractions on the north / central part of the island.
Same idea as Ubud, but closer to the beach and farther from more of the local attractions.
My friends claimed they liked this area more; I'm indifferent.
Lots of relatively modern places to eat, shop, and walk around.
Transport
Scooters
Fun, cheap, and not too difficult to drive.
Around $5/day and gas is pennies on the dollar.
Airport car
Cheapest path is probably arranging a car through whoever you are staying with.
If not, Grab is fine.
Grab
Cheap and straightforward; I love Grab bike.
Driver
Also fruitful to look into getting your own driver.
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