Close to the Venue
Nusa Dua is the calm, green corner of the south: walkable promenades, still water and very little traffic. If you only have a spare morning, spend it here.
- Nusa Dua Beach
- Sheltered, shallow and swimmable, with a paved coastal walk running most of its length. Minutes from the resort.
- Water Blow
- A short limestone gorge where the swell channels in and throws spray over the cliff. Best on a windy afternoon, and about ten minutes away.
- Geger Beach
- Quieter than the resort strip, with warungs at the top of the steps and calm water for swimming. Around fifteen minutes by car.
Worth the Drive
Bali rewards an early start: the island is small but the roads are slow, and most of these are far better before the coaches arrive or as the light goes.
- Uluwatu Temple
- A clifftop temple a hundred metres above the ocean, with a Kecak fire dance at sunset. About 40 minutes. Book the dance ahead, and keep an eye on the monkeys, which are practised thieves of sunglasses.
- Tanah Lot
- The sea temple that appears on every postcard of Bali, stranded on its own rock at high tide. Roughly 1.5 hours, and worth timing for sunset.
- Nusa Penida
- Dramatic cliffs and Kelingking's headland, reached by fast boat from Sanur. A long day out, but the most spectacular scenery within reach.
A Day in Ubud
The green heart of the island
An hour and a half inland, Ubud trades the coast for river valleys, rice terraces and the island's oldest arts scene. If you can spare one full day away from Nusa Dua, spend it here, and if you can spare a night, stay over rather than driving back after dark.
- Tegallalang Rice Terraces
- The carved valley just north of town. Go early: the light is better and the coaches have not yet arrived.
- Sacred Monkey Forest
- A temple complex in the middle of town under banyan canopy. Keep sunglasses, water bottles and phones out of sight.
- Campuhan Ridge Walk
- An easy hour along a grass ridge between two rivers. Best at first light or the last hour before sunset.
- Ubud Art Market & Saraswati Temple
- Woodwork, batik and basketry in the market, and a lotus-pond temple a two-minute walk from it.
- Getting there
- About 1.5 hours each way from Nusa Dua, longer in the afternoon. A car with a driver for the day is the sane way to do it.
Eating & Evenings
Seafood on the sand at Jimbaran is the classic Bali dinner and only about twenty minutes from Nusa Dua. For a livelier night, Seminyak and Canggu are the beach-club and restaurant strips, roughly an hour up the coast.
Closer to home, the Bali Collection in Nusa Dua has a cluster of restaurants and cafés within walking distance of the resorts, useful for a relaxed evening between events.
Getting Around
Grab and Gojek work across most of the island and are the simplest way to move around. For a full day out, hiring a car with a driver is usually easier and not much dearer. The hotel can arrange one. Scooters are everywhere, but the traffic is not forgiving if you have not ridden before.
One more thing Bali runs on cash in the smaller places. Withdraw from bank ATMs rather than the standalone ones, and carry small notes for temples and warungs.