Bali island hopping: Ultimate guide

Bali is a tropical paradise surrounded by islands, crystal clear waters and white sandy beaches. Nothing is more enticing than the beautiful beaches, funky cafes, jaw dropping cliffs and green waves of rice terraces found throughout Bali. Scrolling through socials shows countless travellers with 15 second clips of their favourite destinations in Asia. There’s no denying that Bali is one of the best places to visit in South East Asia. Bali will win you over with the delicious local cuisine, the amazing architecture of the Hindu temples, calming culture of the people, and you will want to stay here forever.

The adventure with Contiki begins on the mainland of Bali where we spend the first three days of the tour sipping on sunset cocktails in Seminyak, with a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® cooking class in Ubud and white water rafting, and an epic sunrise over Mt Batur. Free time is filled with delicious local eats from the nearby warungs (restaurants), yoga classes, shopping, spa days and café hopping. After you’ve gotten comfortable and started to relax on your holiday, next up, it’s time to hit the infamous islands. Here’s some insight for the ultimate Bali Island Hopping guide.

Day 1 – Seminyak

It’s all smooth sailing with your trip starting in Seminyak. It’s a short drive from the airport to Seminyak, a popular tourist destination. Known for its incredible shopping with local brands and boutiques, day spas offering packages, restaurants and beach front bars. To kickstart your trip head down to Potato Head Beach Club – one of the most sustainable beach clubs in Bali, and get ready to sip on a delicious cocktail whilst watching your first sunset in Bali. Potato Head Beach Club is known for having amazing pool parties, recycling old goods, and collecting flip flops for huge art installations.

Seminyak is a great spot to do some café hopping, after a slow morning on the beach, it’s time to change locations and head to Ubud to wind down even more.

Day 2 & 3 – Ubud

The food in Bali is mouth-watering, so many fresh new flavours for you to try. Indonesian cuisine combines lots of textures, and flavours. Rice (nasi) being one of the staple foods in Bali, is often partnered with chicken satay (peanut sauce) sticks, stir fried fresh vegetables, boiled or fried eggs, corn fritters and spicy sambal (chilli sauce).

After falling in love with the Balinese people and finding you want to somehow give back, sign up for a cooking class and gain some knowledge on rice cultivation and learn to cook some of the many famous local dishes. This is a great opportunity for a local authentic experience, nothing says new skill activated than learning how to prepare your newest favourite dish. The foods are simple, quick and easy, so you’ll be able to impress your family and friends when you get back home.

Ubud is known as a spiritual centre, so there are plenty of cosy cafes, yoga classes, and temples to explore during the free time. If you’re looking for adventure, try out white water rafting. Guided by local pros you’ll head down rivers and small cascades surrounded by breathtaking scenery, natural waterfalls and lush farmlands. Freshen up with a swim in the river and get ready to inhale a delicious buffet lunch.

Bali is all about the beautiful beachside sunsets, but we can’t forget about those early morning sunrises. We’ve picked the best place for you to see the sunrise on the island. That’s from the peak of Mt Batur. It’s time to challenge yourself on the summit of Mt Batur for an unforgettable sunrise trek. It’s an early morning – but totally worth it. These views are not to be missed. A quick stop for coffee and breakfast with epic island views, stopping at the crater rims and starting your descent. Along the way you’ll see evidence of previous eruptions and where the lava was flowing. This could be a once in a lifetime opportunity for you. Talk about holiday highs, challenge yourself with this volcano trek.

Day 4 to 6 – Gili Trawangan

Wakey wakey, it’s day 4 of the trip and time for us to say goodbye to the good vibes of Ubud and welcome in the sun, sea, and sand. It’s time to go island hopping!

First of all we start with Gili Trawangan as it’s one of the most well-known Gili islands off the coast of Bali. Easily shortened to Gili T, this island is known for its nightlife, surfing, snorkelling and scuba diving. Gili T has some of the best diving destinations in the world. These sites are home to many coral gardens full of different species of marine life, and incredible wreck sites to explore. Around the island there are coral restoration programs happening to rebuild the beautiful underwater world.

Three nights on Gili T is the perfect amount of time to see and do it all. After arriving on the island, it’s time to organise a bicycle for your stay. Although the island is small, having a bicycle makes it quick and easy to race from one side to the other to catch sunsets in the evenings, and beach hop during the day time. One you’re checked in, it’s time for you to grab a cocktail, snap some pics and get ready for a stunning sunset with your new travel buddies.

Time it right and you can try your luck at one of the beginner surf lessons on offer. Find The Bongkas Surf School at the end of the beach, rent boards, book a lesson and head out with some of their amazing instructors. If you’re an experienced surfer, head out to the reef to catch some incredible waves shared with friendly faces from all over.

Day 5 – Gili Meno

Gili Meno is the one of the most underexplored islands of the Gilis. Surrounded by turquoise waters, we’ll head to Gili Meno on a local outrigger boat. Spending a full morning snorkelling over the vibrant corals, amongst huge schools of fish, searching through the nearby wrecks for sea turtles (kura kura).

Gili Meno has some of the whitest sand you will ever see, with crystal clear waters that will take your breath away. You’ll have to pinch yourself this island is so beautiful. This destination is perfect for day trips, but if you want to treat yourself to a detox from society book a night here in one of the simple yet stunning getaways on the beach. Famous for hideaway escapes for couples looking for a romantic getaway.

Day 5 – Gili Air

The snorkelling doesn’t stop, the crystal clear waters around Gili Air are unmissable. Think of the white sandy beaches, and stunning views seen in the movie Cast Away and you’ve stumbled across it here in Gili Air. If you didn’t see a turtle in Gili Meno, you have a second chance here in Gili Air.

Gili Air is like the middle child between the hustle and bustle of Gili T, and Gili Meno. It has the perfect balance. Grab a bean bag, perch up in the sun and enjoying catching up on your favourites reads or podcasts when taking a break from all the water activities that are on offer.

The local warungs (restaurants) prepare mouth-watering included lunches for all the day trips that stop by. Seafood has never been so fresh. A delicious local catch served alongside all your Indonesian favourites.  Extra spicy sambal for me please! Sambal is a yummy chilli sauce made fresh with garlic, ginger, shallots, palm sugar, shrimp paste and lime juice, it’s served with many dishes in Indonesia.

After all the island hopping of day 5, it’s time to head back to Gili T. Followed by a free day on the island, or an optional scuba diving adventure, it’s time to soak in the sun, watch the sunset, and sip of frozen mango daiquiris during some of the island happy hours.

Day 7 & 8 – Sanur

It will be hard to say goodbye to the gorgeous Gilis, but Sanur is just as beautiful. In my opinion Sanur has some of the best beaches in Bali. Sanur having some of the most crystal-clear waters, and shallow lagoons that drop down into the deep blue it’s a swimmers dream to finish the tour here. Sanur has developed into a wonderous small town, eclectic hotels, bustling cafes with barista made coffee, restaurants serving fresh seafood and fusion menus – it’s time to revive from the remote islands of Indonesia before your next adventure begins.

Maybe you’re finishing your holiday here, or your adventure continues further.

If this isn’t enough for you, then I have got more! Check out the Indonesia Island Hopping tour, which includes even more breath-taking experiences on the neighbouring islands surrounded by national parks and marine parks. All things nature and wildlife. Stunning scenery with panoramic views of Flores to see the pink beaches, observe the Komodo dragons gracefully wonder around the island and see some pretty epic one-in-a-lifetime golden sunsets from the overnight cruise.

I have also broken down a few of the most important questions to consider when travelling to Bali and if you need help planning the best time to go to Bali look no further, here are 10 reasons you should visit Bali.

Can you island hop from Bali?

Yes, it is extremely easy to island hop from Bali. Just outside of the capital Denpasar is a small coastal town called Sanur. This is one of the main transport hubs to take the fast boat across to the neighbouring islands.

How do you travel between islands?

Your best option is to go by fast boat, or speed boat. Depending on which island you’re travelling to, travel time is approximately 1.5hrs-2hrs to the nearest islands.

What is the easiest island to get to from Bali?

Gili Trawangan. It’s one of the bigger neighbouring islands, easily accessible and has great infrastructure to accommodate for influxes of tourists. Return fast boat (ferry) passes can be booked. You nominate a return date, which can always be extended through the local offices at the marina.

How many days are enough to explore Bali?

I would suggest a minimum one-week stay to experience all aspects of Bali. There are multiple nearby islands and pockets of beaches hidden all over. Waterfalls, hiking Mt Batur for sunrise, tropical beaches to watch the sunset, surfing lessons, and marine life to explore in the underwater world are all reasons for at least a 7-day stay.

You may want to leave your return flight home open ended as you’re going to want to stay forever.