Indonesia | Aug 2024 |
Here is a suggested itinerary if you are looking for an action-packed day trip out of the main tourist area of Bali, a route that hits most of the best sights of the southern peninsula. I did this trip in segments, on different days, but you could do it one day. Did this route with a passenger on a rental Yamaha Aerox 155 (the same bike I had rented in April-May and rode from Bali to Flores and back).
Seminyak > Uluwatu
Uluwatu (Temple and Beach) is about 75 minutes from Seminyak (my regular perch). Uluwatu Temple locale is a must-see, with stunning cliff views and a "wild" Macaque community with their own dedicated swimming pool. These buggers pretty much run the show there, and like the Sacred Monkey Forest in Ubud, the local apes of Uluawatu are expert smash-and-grab thieves, preying on many an unsuspecting tourist; I saw a French backpacker melt down when a monkey snatched her iPhone (and then proceeded to "use" it - monkey see, monkey do). The video below gives a snippet of some of the action there.
Five minutes down the road, Uluwatu Beach is also spectacular and well worth a visit, a great place to chill at a cliffside bar and watch the surfers in action in an incredible setting.
On the way to Uluwatu, you may want to stop in at Padang Beach - it is also world-class.
Uluwatu > Pandawa Beach
30 minutes or so down the road from Uluwatu, Pandawa Beach is also a must-do for selfie addicts, a spectacular road cleaved out of the limestone rock down to a nook of a beach. There's not alot at the beach, but it's worth checking out.
Pandawa Beach > Sanur via Nusa Dua
If you wanted to check out Nusa Dua, you can drive through this luxury zone of Bali, with some public beach access along the way. From there you ride on to Sanur and experience the slower-paced alternate to "the dark-side" to the west. On the way to Sanur you could stop in at Seragan, aka "Turtle Island", where you can see some superb surfing close to the beach, and/ or visit the turtle hatchery.
Sanur Beach is a great place to grab lunch or an avo drink, then head back through the local alleys of Denspasar to the Kuta~Changgu side.
Tanah Lot
Though this is a different direction from the south Bali route described above, you would also want to visit Tanah Lot, perhaps on another day. It's one of the most legendary temples in Bali and worth the trip, about 40 minutes up the road from Seminyak through some of the last remaining rice paddies in that area (see it while you can!). Saw a sea snake at Tanah Lot - really made it worth the trip.
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