10 day roundtrip itinerary to Bali & Nusa Penida for adventurous (vegan) food lovers on a budget

For all adventurous (vegan) food lovers on a budget: I’ve made a 100% sponsor free 10 day roundtrip itinerary for Bali & Nusa Penida. Route, accommodations, prices and reviews included (pictures in photo album). I just want to share my honest experience! :) 

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DAY 1

After arriving in Denpasar, I took a taxi straight to the harbour of Sanur for 175.000 rph to take a boat to Nusa Penida. Because it was already late in the afternoon, there was a limited choice of boats. I got a bit scammed and took the S’Gening boat including taxi drive to my hostel on Nusa Penida for 800.000 rph (return ticket).

I rented a scooter for two days for 140.000 rph in total at Warung Coconut. BUT I strongly advise to book a taxi or tour by car, since the roads on Nusa Penida are very - VERY - bad. I was already warned by other backpackers for bumpy roads but stubborn me gave it a try though and fell of the scooter three times - auch!

Accom: Nuansa Penida Hostel

• Price: 170.000 rph incl. breakfast (coffee/tea, fresh fruit, fried banana and banana pancakes) and welcome drink
• Review: very clean and cosy ambience, nice hot shower, good aircon, good wifi, friendly staff

Dinner: The Krusty Krab Penida $

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DAY 2

Broken Beach & Angel’s Billabong

• Entrance: 5.000 rph parking fee

Kelingking Beach

• Entrance: 6.000 rph parking fee

Seganing Waterfall

• Entrance: 5.000 rph parking fee
• Warning: very steep and dangerous climb! Not really worth the view. Don’t go there on the middle of the day since it’s way too hot - I almost fainted and there was nobody around. If you really want to go there, go at least together with someone else and bring tons of water with you

Peguyangan Waterfall

• Entrance: 5.000 rph parking fee plus 10.000 rph for mandatory sarong
• Review: nice cliff view but it’s not possible to see the waterfall from the front

Accom: Restu Guest House

• Price: 200.000 rph incl. breakfast (choose between omelette or banana pancakes with coffee/tea)
• Review: clean private room, very friendly and welcoming owners, good aircon, average clean bathroom, cold shower, no wifi, location is hard to find

Dinner: they cooked me a fresh meal on site for 50.000 rph

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DAY 3

Thousand Island viewpoint

I decided to skip this spot as soon as I reached a sandy road and fell off my scooter a third time.

Lunch: Espresso Penida (!) $

Accom: Full Moon Bungalows

• Price: 125.000 rph
• Review: cosy private bungalow, clean bathroom, cold shower, wifi technical failure, bad isolation so aircon is less effective

Dinner: The Gallery $

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DAY 4

I took the boat back to Sanur and from there an online taxi for 57.000 rph to my hostel. From my hostel, I rented a scooter for 50.000 rph per day.

Breakfast: Revolver Espresso (!) $$

Mangrove Forest Management Center

• Entrance: 200.000 rph
• Review: great view to the Mandara Toll Road but way too overpriced. Not worth it!

Waterblow on Peninsula Island

• Entrance: free
• Review: peaceful park with great ocean view
• Warning: online taxi (Grab) drop off is allowed (100.000 rph from my hostel) but online taxi pick up is forbidden in this area and there are only blue taxis. Expect to pay twice the amount on your way back (they asked 250.000 rph but I beat it down to 150.000 rph)

Accom: The Eco-Living Hostel

• Price: 62.500 rph incl. breakfast (very basic: coffee/tea and bread with jam and butter)
• Review: clean room, less clean but hot shower, good wifi, free locker, free coffee/tea all day, towel hire for 20.000 rph, friendly staff, water bottle refill system and no wifi during the day - which I think is a pro ;)

Dinner: Earth Cafe (vegan walhalla!) $$

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DAY 5

Breakfast: In de Bowl (!) $

Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park

• Entrance: 145.000 rph plus 20.000 rph bus ticket and 2.000 rph (?) parking fee
• Review: half of the park was closed due to an event which made it overpriced. The bus to the statue is not worth the view

Uluwatu Temple

• Entrance: 30.000 rph plus 1.000 rph parking fee
• Review: great cliff view and wild monkeys, very touristic
• Warning: wear long trousers if you don’t want to wear a sarong

Accom: The Eco-Living Hostel

Dinner: Paperboy, Kuta (!) $

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DAY 6

Breakfast: Holland Bakery $

Big Garden Corner

• Entrance: 75.000 rph incl. fresh juice of choice
• Review: good spot for cute pictures

Hidden Canyon Beji Guwang

• Entrance: 130.000 rph incl. bottle of water, tour guide, locker, towel, shower and wifi
• Review: definitely a must visit! The tour guide knows the perfect picture spots and makes great pictures of you
• Warning: swimming is required and you really need the tour guide to assist you on your way into the canyon

Kanto Lampo Waterfall

• Entrance: 15.000 rph plus 5.000  rph (?) parking fee
• Warning: you have to go into the water until your knees to see the waterfall from the front

Yeh Labuh Waterfall

• Entrance: free!
• Review: pretty ambitious climb to the upper waterfall but definitely worth it
• Warning: a bit hidden. I got lost on my way to the waterfall but a friendly Indo young men showed me the way by joining me on his own scooter :)

Accom: Sleepy Croc

• Price: 100.000 rph
• Review: very clean and cosy ambience, hot shower, good wifi, free locker, good aircon

Dinner: The Hungry Crocodile $

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DAY 7

Breakfast: Loaf Cafe $

Lotus Lagoon

• Entrance: free
• Review: not too special but you pass by anyway

Taman Soekasada Ujung Water Palace

• Entrance: 50.000 rph plus 5.000 rph (?) parking entrance
• Review: don’t miss this gorgeous spot!

Taman Tirtagangga

• Entrance: 30.000 rph
• Review: a bit disappointing after the previous spot

Lempuyang Luhur Temple

• Entrance: donation plus 10.000 rph for mandatory sarong
• Review: highly - literally - recommended! Professional photographers take a picture of you with special mirror effect for free
• Warning: you have to stand in a long queue for a picture. Patience required ;)

Accom: Oceana Prada Hostel

• Price: 150.000 rph incl. welcome drink
• Review: clean and cosy ambience, free locker, good wifi, average aircon, nice hot shower, water bottle refill system

Dinner: Dread Light Healthfood & Bar (!) $

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DAY 8

Breakfast: Tropikal Cafe (!) $

Tukad Cepung Waterfall

• Entrance: 15.000 rph
• Review: hidden waterfall in a canyon which is almost as impressive as the hidden canyon I mentioned before
• Warning: short bumpy road and you have to walk through low water

Tegalalang Rice Terrace

• Entrance: free!
• Review: very touristic street with awesome view and a lot of selfie points

Late lunch: By Cafe (vegan walhalla!) $$

Accom: Batur Vulcanoe Guest House

• Price: incl. breakfast and welcome drink
• Review: great vulcanoe view, big natural hot tub, clean room, average clean bathroom, good wifi but not in room, friendly staff, matrasses in dorm room straight on the ground, dangerous bumpy road to location

Additional option: book a vulcanoe trekking tour. You’ll leave at 3.30 am in the morning to climb up the vulcanoe during sunrise and boil eggs for breakfast in the evaporation of the vulcanoe. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to do this because there’s a minimum of two persons required for a booking and I was just by myself. I spoke with a couple though that just came back from the tour and they were enthusiastic about it!

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DAY 9

Batur Natural Hot Spring

• Entrance: 200.000 rph incl. towel and locker
• Review: best lake view and perfect spot for special effect pictures

Pura Ulun Danu Beratan

• Entrance: 50.000 rph
• Review: nice lake view, very touristic

Bali Botanic Garden

• Entrance: 3.000 rph parking fee
• Review: not so much interesting to see but a good place to hide if you want a break from people

Accom: Pelangi Homestay

• Price: 165.000 rph incl. breakfast (nasi goreng and coffee/tea)
• Review: old and basic, average cleanliness, poor shower, no wifi, no toilet paper, noisy mosque nearby, cracking bed. Not recommended and overpriced

Dinner: I couldn’t find a decent restaurant nearby so I just ate some crisps from the supermarket

I actually didn’t like Bedugul at all, except for the temple in the lake. So my advice is to go straight to Ubud after visiting the temple (so skip the botanic garden, waterfall and monkey forest) and stay the night at Puri Garden: I‘ve heard good stories about this hostel from other backpackers. There’s also a wide choice of good and healthy cafes in Ubud. You can go to the Ubud Monkey Forest the next day in stead of the Sengeh Monkey Forest.

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DAY 10

Leke Leke Waterfall

• Entrance: there was nobody at the ticket office
• Review: beautiful waterfall and opportunity to take a jungle swing picture (25.000 rph)

Sangeh Monkey Forest

• Entrance: 15.000 rph
• Review: quiet and not touristic

Coffee break: Revive (!) $$

Campuhan Ridge Walk

• Entrance: free
• Review: a must-do!

Late lunch: Yellow Flower Cafe (!) $

Goa Gajah Cave

I skipped it because I wasn’t that interested in it anymore.

Accom: The Eco-Living Hostel

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HIDDEN COSTS

Food & drinks, accommodation, transport and fuel are very cheap. There are some unexpected costs though that might make your trip more expensive than expected. Almost all main visitor attractions ask for an entrance and parking fee. Also expect to pay a lot for bottles of water, since it’s super hot during the day - stay well hydrated! - and you can’t drink water from the tap. If you drive a scooter and you get an accident, you’re fucked since you have no insurance at all. Cash is the best way to pay; some venues accept credit cards but ask for a 3% fee.

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HOW TO SURVIVE A SCOOTER RIDE

Riding a scooter gives you maximum freedom but is life risking too! Nusa Penida is a quiet island but the roads are terrible. The roads in Bali are in good condition but the traffic is very busy and chaotic, especially in Denpasar. My advice:

• Drive slow!
• Always keep driving to the left side of the road
• Pay 100% attention non-stop to the road and the vehicles in front of you, behind you and next to you
• Wear your helmet - not only for safety but also to avoid fines
• Avoid sand, stones and bumpy roads
• In Bali, honking is a language. You’re impatient? Honk. You’re mad at someone? Honk. You’re greeting a tourist? Honk. You’re passing someone? Honk. You’re turning? Honk. The traffic light turns green? Honk. You just randomly feel like honking? Honk as much as you want. There’s only one rule: don’t let honking vehicles give you a rushed feeling
• Don’t stress about an empty fuel tank. Petrol is sold everywhere
• In case of a flat tire, just go to a mechanic. A whole new tire (both inner tube and rubber tyre) cost me 220.000 rph - yes, I have an evil eye on me...

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INDONESIAN PEOPLE

My experience with Indonesian people is very good. In my opinion, they are very welcoming, respectful and helpful and they like tourists - especially small blonde girls like me. Even though their English is generally very basic, Indonesians like talking to tourists and they are truly interested in you as a person and your background. If you show interest in them too and ask questions back, they are very open about their private life and culture. Locals greet you with ‘hallo!’ when you pass by and frequently asked questions are: ‘where are you from?’ and ‘where are you going?’. After a while, I found it pretty exhausting to answer the same questions all the time. When you look a bit lost, people are happy to show you the way or send you in the right direction. Sometimes they can be a bit too much though. When you just stop on the side of the road to check the map on your phone, they think you’re lost so they immediately try to poke their nose in it, even if you exactly know where to go. But you can’t really blame them for their good intention.