My wife and I are planning a trip for the end of June/early July. We'll have about 8 days on the ground. We'd like to spend most of our time doing outdoor activities and things where we'll have great opportunities for photos - rice paddies, other natural wonders, temples, etc., and also have lots of good local food (we don't really like to go to restaurants geared towards tourists).

As this will be our first trip to Indonesia (although we've traveled a bit in SE Asia including 3 trips to Vietnam, various places in Thailand, and Sing.), we don't want to race through and pack our itinerary too full - plus, I gather that getting around usually takes more time than people expect - and we like to have some down time (usually by the pool or something similar) in the afternoon. I'm sure there will be other trips to Indonesia, so we don't feel like we need to see everything on one trip.

We are considering either spending all 8 days in Bali - 2 nights at a resort in Ubud, then the rest at a less expensive hotel in the Ubud area or maybe elsewhere on the island, but no beach stay - we're not big beach people) which will give us lots of time to explore the island in detail; or maybe 4 nights in Bali and then 4 in Yogya or somewhere with proximity to Borobudur and maybe other sites in east Java.

I'd be curious to hear feedback.... thanks!

As I read your post, before I got to the part where you said, "We are considering either spending all 8 days in Bali..." I was thinking they should spend all 8 days in Bali. It would, I think, maximize the time you have because the island is relatively small and Ubud & environs easy & quick from & to the airport, no travel time to speak of and an area I've loved staying in 3 times.

You might consider a villa in, for instance, Penestanan, many walking distance from town but relatively quiet, out in the rice and nature.

I should mention that the little house I rented twice and, I suspect, many of the villas come with a cook/housekeeper at very modest rates, a wonderful thing.

With just 8 days, choose either Bali or Java. That really isn't enough time for both, IMO.

I agree that you would do well to consider one or the other. If you haven't already seen it, you might find some useful information in the report of my time in the area, which included 13 nights on Java and 9 nights on Bali:
https://www.fodors.com/community/asi...a-and-bali.cfm

I stayed at Sri Ratih in Ubud (technically part of Penestanan) and liked it. Excellent value and quite a good on-site restaurant. You probably will find all you need around Ubud.

Old school recipes at Murnis Warung exceeded expectations.

I think you could easily fill up 8 days in Bali, though 5 Bali/3 Java would make sense to me too, but I would choose either Central Java (Yogyakarta + Borobudur or East Java (Bromo, Ijen, Malang). You don't have time for Bali, East Java and Central Java. If you decide to include Java, then try to fly in or out of Yogya or Surabaya instead of eating up time with a round trip from Bali.

In 2018 the Islamic holidays following Ramadan will take place roughly from June 14-24. Avoid Java during this period.

Airbnb has opened up a universe of inexpensive villas all over Bali, but you have to understand clearly the location and perquisites included as these vary widely.

I especially like the Munduk area, north or Ubud, and Sideman to the east. Keep an eye on the status of Mt. Agung for the latter, though.

Thanks everyone for your replies.

We will be landing on June 28th and leaving July 7th out of SIN, so leaving Indonesia on the 6th, so hopefully we'll avoid all Ramadan related issues.

Based on the replies, our desire to see the place in enough time to see it in some detail and not feel rushed, we've decided to stay the entire time in Bali.

Let the research begin!

OK - now that we've determined that we'll be staying in Bali for the duration, does it make sense to stay in Ubud the entire time as a home base and make day trips to various sights around the island? For instance, how long does it take to get from the Ubud area to say Pulau Menjangan for snorkeling? Or would it be better to stay relocate to each region we want to see? While this may save on driving time, it adds to check-in/out and packing/unpacking time.

I wouldn't want to re-locate to each region. I usually recommend that people choose two bases - this cuts down on driving time, but doesn't take up too much time changing accommodations.

I don't know the answer to your question about drive time firm Ubud to Pulau Menjangan, but watch for a response from marmot.

If you want to explore northwest and/or northeast Bali, then I would suggest that you stay in the area, rather than trying to commute from Ubud.

Ubud refers to both the town itself and the surrounding countryside, so distances are relative to your starting point. From Ubud central to the northwest corner of Bali is about a 3.5 to 4.0 hour drive. If you intend to dive or snorkel off Menjangan figure 5 to 6 hours door to door from Ubud. This is "commutable" from Ubud -- and the dive operators will arrange transport for you -- but it makes for a very long day.

There are plenty of places to stay in the area along the coast between Pemuteran and Bali Barat National Park. The Menjangan reefs are a short boat ride from the coast of the National Park.

I'd say the same thing about the Munduk, Amed and the Sidemen areas: Day trips are doable, but I think you'd have a better experience if you stayed locally. It just depends on your tolerance for car time.

If you decide to stay in another area, don't consider the drives to & from as wasted time. I stayed in Amed for a couple of nights, just to see another corner of the island and the best part for me was the communities I passed through and interesting opportunities for stops. Spice farms, coffee growers, over a mountain with a completely different climate. I had a taxi driver that I used for the duration of the weeks I was there so it was very companionable, too, in that regard.

So I am considering splitting our time between staying in the Ubud area and the Lovina area.

I figure that while we are staying in Lovina, we'll have access to the north-west, like snorkeling in Menjangan (it seems like a one hour drive from Lovina to the Menjangan area), and also be central to a day hike on Gulung Batur or one of the other volcanoes that are not currently erupting.

From the Ubud area, we'll have decent access to Ubud and areas south although I don't know how much of the south we actually want to experience as we're not big beach people or partyers. I haven't yet read up on what else there is to do in the south so I'm still quite ignorant of that area, but whatever there is, it doesn't seem that bad of a trip from Ubud. We'd also seem to be in proximity of some of the areas east of Ubud.

Does this sound ok?

I like the concept of a north Bali base, but I don't particularly like the way that the Lovina/Singaraja area has developed. The area around Pemuteran and the National Park is a better choice. Either way, the north coast beaches are not especially appealing. If you'd like a rain forest-y mountain experience near Menjangan, look at Munduk.

You might also consider choosing Amed instead of Menjangan. The snorkeling is pretty good and you'd be close to Batur, Sidemen, Besakih and the cultural attractions of east Bali. Of course the disposition of Mt. Agung is going to be a factor in your decision. Right now, it's a great time for Amed.

Note, Amed refers to both the village of Amed and the surrounding area. There are many charming small resorts, guesthouses and airbnbs along the coast.

I like the beaches along the west coast from Petitenget to Canggu communities Batu Bolong and Pererenan. They're big wave beaches with a casual and cheerful surfer culture. If this appeals to you spend the night. If you make it a day trip from Ubud you'll get the worst of both worlds.

The sea temples of Tanah Lot and Ulu Watu are quite popular especially at sunset. You can access Tanah Lot from Ubud or from Batu Bolong. Ulu Watu is a long trip from anywhere so I would give it a miss unless you're staying in the Bukit area.

Thanks marmot - I appreciate your thoughts. One of the reasons for choosing Lovina is the Damai resort. In addition to the resort and rooms looking gorgeous, it seems like there are lots of amazing yet less touristed sites nearby. The fact that it is not on the beach is not a deterrent for us as we probably wouldn't be spending any time on it anyway. Although it would be nice if it was close to a town where we could interact with real life (not resort life) like markets, local food stalls/warungs, etc. I hadn't read about what has been happening with Lovina's development.

I am a little concerned planning on spending a decent amount of time, or making a base in east Bali because of Mt. Agung - unlike typhoons or other natural disasters, volcanoes aren't very predictable - although it seems like the Indonesian authorities are at the top of the field of doing so. My wife and I like to have a decent framework when traveling to a place where we haven't been, and it makes me nervous that we might have to potentially reschedule a large portion of our trip at the last minute.

Again, thanks so much for your input!

I haven't been to the Damai. It's due north of Munduk, and there's plenty of beautiful scenery in the area. The downward slope toward the sea is more arid.

For access to traditional Balinese arts and culture, I'd give East Bali the edge over North Bali because the north coast has been heavily influenced by Javanese migration. Having said that, once you get away from the southern beach communities, you'll find traditional Balinese villages with warungs (food stalls), markets and temples everywhere you go.

If you look at a map of Bali, you'll see that 80% of the island is north of Ubud, so there's a lot of territory to explore.

Right now Mt Agung is quiet, and every day life in east Bali is returning to normal. Can't foresee the situation six months from now, but my observation after living in Indonesia for over 20 years is that what is predicted rarely occurs, but something else unexpected often does.

OK - so all of our plans are set except for our hotel in Ubud. We are planning 3 nights for the Ubud area. My question is where to stay. We are not big shoppers (we probably won't even wind up buying anything) but we also don't want to stay in the resort the entire time. So we are debating staying in the town of Ubud itself, or a resort in Sayan. The Komaneka at Bisma looks ideal, but we're too late and it's booked for the rooms we'd want.

If we stay in a resort in Sayan, how difficult/time consuming is it to get into town? It seems that all the resorts have shuttles, but none say how often they leave and how long it takes.

How much of what there is to see in Ubud is in the town itself, versus the surrounding area? Yes, we'd like to see a show at the Palace, but we'd also like to explore the terraced rice fields and natural sites, which I gather we would need a car/driver to get to (is that correct?). So, would it matter if we stayed in the town or just outside of it, like Sayan?

If it helps, our typical daily schedule is to wake up relatively early - see sights and eat local food during the day... get back to the hotel around 4 or 5PM for about an hour or two relaxing/pool time, then go back out for local food for dinner... we're usually not too keen on eating in the resort (except breakfast usually for convenience)

I hope I'm making my question clear... I feel like I'm rambling... sorry for that!

Ubud has a number of interesting museums with lovely gardens, a palace, the monkey forest ... and the Campuhan Ridge Walk (through various rice terraces with volcanoes on the horizon) is just one walk that begins in Ubud. So you are correct that SOME terraced rice fields and natural sites would require a car & driver, but certainly NOT all.

My experience is that I spend equal time in Ubud town and outside of town. Ubud is hilly and fairly spread out so even if you're staying in the Bisma area you're likely to get a car after dinner in Ubud central.

Transport is readily available at about IDR50,000 to 100,000 to Ubud from the surrounding areas. Cars arranged through resorts are often more expensive. It's about 20 minutes from the Sayan resorts to Ubud central, maybe 30 if the resort is further out or located at the end of a bumpy road. You can check Google Maps for travel time.

All the resorts have shuttles to town, though schedules vary considerably. Grabbing local transport is a lot more convenient. Once you find a driver that you like you can contact him by text or WhatsApp to make future arrangements.

I'd also look at Uma Ubud which is walkable to Ubud central (though down and uphill) and still has a countryside feeling.

Thank you both for your insights... we decided to stay at the Uma Ubud - it looks really nice, and we like that it seems like a nice quiet oasis, but is still walkable into town.