See The World In My Eyes - Travel Blog

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9 Days of Driving around Bali Island

SeeTheWorldInMyEyes - 9 Days of Driving around Bali IslandDriving by scooter around the island of Bali was definitely one of the best things I did while travelling around the world. It was not only a great and fun way to escape the crowds of the tourist area by Kuta, but the scooter also allowed me to explore independently the real beauty of Bali with all its many beaches, temples and green landscapes. Luckily the roads were usually quite empty, making the ride very enjoyable and easy, even for not very experienced drivers.

It is still good to keep a few things in mind and in order to help you plan better your own scooter drive, you will find all the details of my trip on this page. The image above shows the summary of all 9 days of driving with the highlighted towns where I spent the night, while the maps and texts below give a detailed summary of each individual day with a link to the corresponding diary page. Please note that the mentioned times are theoretical. In reality it took me all day to finish each distance because of all the many extended photo breaks.

Enjoy your ride!

General tips:

  • Shop around in Kuta to find the best deal for a scooter rental and see what is included
  • Get a discount for long-term rental, ideally open-ended if you decide to stay longer in one place
  • Only rent automatic scooters to have your full attention on the road
  • Bring your international drivers license
  • Don’t drive without helmet
  • Make sure you are comfortable to drive on the left side of the road
  • Always drive slowly and passive
  • Beware of overtaking vehicles
  • Bring warm clothes and a wind breaker for the mountains
  • Always make sure that the tank is always full. There are almost no gas stations on the island and gas is sold sparsely sometimes by locals in old liter bottles by the road.
  • Use your horn to notify others of your presence 

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Individual Days of Driving by Scooter around Bali

Day 1 – Kuta via Balangan Beach to Pura Luhur Uluwatu

Drive: Navigating the one way streets and dealing with the traffic in Kuta was a bit of a challenge and the turnoff towards the airport seemed a bit tricky, but driving on Bukit Peninsula was straight forward.

  • Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes return
  • Distance: 62 km or 38 miles return
  • Balangan Beach: A quite nice, empty white sand beach with a small temple and some wooden restaurants right at the sand.
  • Pura Luhur Uluwatu: An unimpressive temple that had a great cliff top location and was frequent by lots of monkeys and tourists alike.

Tip: Make this a full day trip, spend time at the beach, explore Bukit Peninsula and be by the cliffs and the temple in the evening to watch the sun set. Also grab a stick to fend off the aggressive monkeys and make sure the light of the scooter works for the ride back. 

Photos and more about Day 1: Balangan Beach and Uluwatu Temple

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Day 2 – Kuta via Pura Tanah Lot Rock Temple to Balian Beach

Drive: Finding a gas station and navigating Kuta was the biggest challenge. The rest of the drive was on the main roads only and the many signs pointing towards Pura Tanah Lot were very helpful.

  • Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes
  • Distance: 65 km or 40 miles
  • Pura Tanah Lot: A great rock temple, surrounded by the sea. The temple itself was off-limits, but the location was great and well worth a visit, despite the many tourists.
  • Balian Beach: Wide black sand beach that was very popular with surfers. Affordable accommodation and a nice night market at the main road were available.

Tip: Try to time your visit to Pura Tanah Lot with the tide, low tide if you want to cross over to get your blessing, high tide for less tourists and better photos of the temple surrounded by water. While driving, take the time to leave the main road every once in a while and explore little side roads to see some rural life, green fields and small temples. 

Photos and more about Day 2: Off to Pura Tana Lot and Balian Beach

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Day 3 – Balian Beach via Pura Luhur Batukaru to Munduk

Drive: Backtracking the main road was uninspiring, but driving up into the forest towards Pura Luhur Batikaru was great. The roads were small, empty and enjoyable to drive on. The drive down into the huge foggy volcano crater to Pura Ulun Danu Bratan was really freezing cold on the scooter. But the last part to Munduk, on top of the old volcano rim was one of the best rides on all of Bali.

  • Time: 2 hours
  • Distance: 88 km or 55 miles
  • Pura Luhur Batikaru: A really great mossy temple that was set in dense forest, at the slopes of volcano Gunung Batukatru. It consisted of wooden pagodas with tiered straw roofs and was well off the tourist path.
  • Jatiluwih Rice Terraces: Not as impressive as the rice terraces in Nepal or even the Philippines, but nevertheless a very nice area to drive through and a great spot for lunch.
  • Pura Ulun Danu Bratan: Bali’s beautiful signature temple with a tall tiered roof, set inside the lake of Danu Bratan. The temple complex was quite extensive and a nice ceremony was happening at my time of visit.

Tip: Don’t backtrack all the way to Tabanan and rather take the first turn off on a small road through the fields towards Pura Luhur Batikaru. Take enough time to fully explore both temple complexes. Bring your warm sweater and rain jacket for this area and don’t spend the night in Candikuning, Munduk is a much nicer place. 

Photos and more about Day 3: Luhur Batikaru and the Lake Temple

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Day 4 – Munduk via Danau Tamblingan to Lovina Beach

Drive: The drive on the rim road was so great, that I had to do it again today. Finding the way down to Danau Tamblingan was easy and the road down to the coast straight forward. In fact, it was a very short day on the scooter, allowing me to spend some time on the beach, and finding the correct intersection for Lovina Beach or Kalibukbuk was the only challenge of the day.

  • Time: 1 hour
  • Distance: 50 km or 31 miles
  • Danau Tamblingan: The smallest of the three volcanic lakes came with a lovely local village, a sunken temple inside the lake and a hiking trail to reach the other lakes.
  • Lovina Beach: Pleasant beach town with lot’s of tourist facilities, but not actually many visitors. The beach was grey and empty and the restaurant and local food choices were plentiful.

Tip: Have a tea in one of the small places on top of the rim road and enjoy the views. The area round Munduk is beautiful and hiking to coffee plantations, villages or waterfalls is possible. Lovina has so many guesthouses that shopping around pays off and it was possible to get a room for 50% of the original asking price.

Photos and more about Day 4: Lovina Beach and the Volcanic Lakes

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Day 5 – Lovina Beach via Pura Ulun Danu Batur to Toya Bungkah

Drive: Driving along the coast was quick and easy, but once turned inland again, the conditions changed. The road was winding its way up again to higher altitudes and leading through some beautiful scenery. Driving down towards the big crater and seeing all the volcano cones was simply stunning and the drive inside the crater felt quite surreal, because the road was going up and down, left and right, though a moon like desert landscape of black volcanic rocks.

  • Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Distance: 72 km or 45 miles
  • Pura Maduwe Karang: Beautiful stone carved temple with many statues sightly beyond the intersection leading inland towards Gunung Batur.
  • Pura Ulun Danu Batur: UNESCO enlisted temple complex of the supreme water temple of Bali, set to overlook the big volcano crater and and volcano Gunung Batur.
  • Toya Bungkah: Small village by the lake with very few guesthouses and no real restaurant to have dinner. Also the aggressive locals trying to sell hiking tours up the volcano seemed quite a nuisance.

Tip: When driving out of the Lovina area, turn left towards the sea and find a little fish market with food stalls for lunch. Don’t miss Pura Maduwe Karang, just beyond the intersection inland and don’t be impressed by the pushy locals in the volcano area. When they ask for money to watch your scooter and follow you around to sell tours, just completely ignore them. 

Photos and more about Day 5: UNESCO Temple at an Active Volcano

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Day 6 – Toya Bungkah via Mother Temple Pura Besakih to Amed

Drive: After leaving the big crater, the road was once more following the old volcano rim upwards and providing great views over the crater valley, the lake and the active volcano Gunung Batur. Finding the Mother Temple of Pura Besakih was easy enough, but coming down to the area of Amlapura was tricky as street signs seemed space or non-existent.

  • Time: 2 hours
  • Distance: 86 km or 54 miles
  • Mother Temple Pura Besakih: Set on the slopes of volcano Gunung Agung, this holiest temple on Bali turned out to be a complete tourist trap and many visitors simply avoided the hustle that was connected with this extensive complex.
  • Amed: Beautiful fishing village with a black beach and many small-scale restaurants plus guesthouse. Bali’s tallest volcano Gunung Agung made for a picturesque backdrop when walking on the beach.

Tip: Bring your own sarong when visiting the Mother Temple Pura Besakih and ignore all the many people trying to sell you parking tickets by driving all the way to the temple entrance. Watch out for street signs around Amlapura, it’s easy to get lost in that area.

Photos and more about Day 6: Gunung Agung and Bali Hustle Temple

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Day 7 – Amed via winding Coastal Road to Padangbai

Drive: From Amed the road was snaking through little villages until a place called Aas. After that the drive went up and down through untouched nature, providing one of best driving experienced and best views on Bali. Finding Candidasa by the waterfront was easy and so was Padangbai on the other side of the bay.

  • Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Distance: 54 km or 33 miles
  • Candidasa: A former beach town that made a convenient lunch stop with local market and eateries right by the shore.
  • Padangbai: Known as the main port of Bali to catch the big ferry to Lombok, Padangbai was a surprisingly nice place to stay with guesthouse options, restaurants and a great local market with cheap warungs. There was also a small beach in town and two very nice beaches a short drive away.

Tip: Since the road is going low at the beaches and high at the protruding areas, make sure to take the time for stopping at the high points and enjoying the great views of the beaches, villages and volcano Gunung Agung in the back.

Photos and more about Day 7: Driving by Cliffs and Beaches on Bali

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Day 8 – Padangbai via Blue Lagoon to Ubud

Drive: The Blue Lagoon Beach could be reached within a 5 minute ride, while the second beach on the other end of town was a little bit further away.The ride along the wide highway towards Ubud was extremely quick, but the least inspiring of the whole island.

  • Time: 45 minutes
  • Distance: 35 km or 22 miles
  • Blue Lagoon Beach: A very close ride from Padangbai lay this small white sand cove, overlooked by a restaurant and bar with reclining chairs.
  • Ubud: This family friendly tourist town, called itself the cultural capital of Bali, with lot’s arts and craft stores to buy souvenirs.

Tip: Go to the beaches by Padangbai early in the morning as you have them to yourself and can fully enjoy the sun. Both beaches are covered in shade by the afternoon. Instead of the tourist restaurants try the great food of the many local warungs in Ubud.

Photos and more about Day 8: Blue Lagoon Beach to Touristic Ubud

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Day 9 – Ubud via Sanur and Nusa Dua on Bukit Peninsula to Kuta

Drive: Driving on the main road while avoiding getting into Denpasar was relatively easy and unspectacular. The wide empty roads of Nusa Dua were easy to navigate and provided some insight into a very different side of Bali compared to the local experiences previously.

  • Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Distance: 68 km or 42 miles
  • Sanur: Surprisingly low-key beach town that was famous for its expat retiree population. It came with a long stretch of sand and many beach front restaurants.
  • Nusa Dua: Resort Town and gated community that looked a bit like a fancy Disneyland with palm tree-lined streets, expensive hotels, golf courses, museums, theaters and white sand beaches.

Tip: Sanur makes a great stop for lunch along the way and is also perfect for staying overnight as an alternative to busy Kuta. Make sure to check out the colorful fishing boats on the beach.Have a look at the beaches in Nusa Dua, they are publicly accessible.

Photos and more about Day 9: Nusa Dua Beaches and last Bali Drive

Would you consider driving a few days around Bali by Scooter as well?

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Photo Essays about the Drive around Bali

Exploring Bali’s Landscapes by Scooter

Exploring Bali's Landscapes by Scooter

Driving Conditions on Bali
Crater Rim drive by Munduk
Big Crater ride by Gunung Batur
Winding Coastal Road by Amed

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The Temples and Ceremonies of Bali

Temples and Ceremonies of BaliPhysical Appearance
Split Stone Entrance Gates
Balinese Temples in actual Use
Different Temple Locations on Bali

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Bali, Volcanoes and colorful Beaches

Bali Volcanoes and Colorful BeachesVolcanic Influences
Big Volcanoes of Bali
Differently colored Beaches
Black and White Sand Locations

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Comments

  1. I think you are VERY brave. I went to Bali just two months ago with my husband and our married friends. All of us live in Taiwan and between the four of us we own three scooters and use them as our main mode of transportation. We were planning on scooting around Bali too but once we got there are saw the traffic and one lane roads full of impatient drivers, we opted to use hired taxis. I think in general if you time things right the traffic is not too bad but in Ubud, a drive that normally takes 10 minutes took 40 in the bumper to bumper traffic with cars doing some pretty dangerous things [at least if you are sharing the road with one on a scooter]. I do agree that driving around the island is the absolute best way to see everything!!
    Jacqueline recently posted…the best of southeast asiaMy Profile

    Reply

    • Thank you Jacqueline, but actually I don’t think that I am a particularly brave person. The bumper to bumper traffic really only happened in the Kuta area and only at certain times from my experience. The one way streets in that area really were annoying and it can take quite a while to find your way around. But once you do and once you leave the busy area, the rest of the island is a whole different story and most of the roads were really empty. So there was certainly no great braveness needed to see the beauty of Bali on a scooter… :)

      Reply

    • Thank you very much SJ, I really hope that the information will be useful for someone who would like to drive around Bali as well! The third day was indeed my first real highlight since it provided the biggest change in scenery, but in retrospect I really loved all the driving days that were away from the busy Kuta and Ubud areas… :)

      Reply

    • Thank you very much Emma! You should definitely go and visit Bali, it’s such a beautiful island and driving around by scooter is well worth it… :)

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    • Thank you Angelica, I would definitely recommend that you visit Bali! It’s actually fine to explore the island on a two wheeler since you not only have the fresh air in your face, but on a scooter you are also blending in nicely and getting a more local experience… :)

      Reply

  5. This is a very useful guide for anybody visiting Bali. I hope to make it there one day, and follow your footsteps :). It would be difficult to choose just one drive. They all seem pretty awesome. I guess I would time my visit to Pura Tanah Lot with high tide (your photo of the temple is great; and I am blessed anyway, so I’d go for a great shot and less tourists). Coastal drive from Amed to Padangbai looks incredible too. But from your time estimations, it seems like one doesn’t make any speed – over an hour to make 54 km (this doesn’t include any photo breaks, does it?!).
    frankaboutcroatia recently posted…Zuljana Peljesac – a wonderful discoveryMy Profile

    Reply

    • Thanks a lot Frank, I really hope that the information will be beneficial for someone wanting to see a bit more of Bali than the usual spots. The driving times and distances are just taken from google, in reality I stopped the scooter so many times to take photos of temples beaches and landscapes that I couldn’t even give any good estimate. But the Padangbai area definitely made for a scenic scooter drive, the high tide really was the better option for Pura Tanah Lot and it certainly is great to hear that you are blessed already… :)

      Reply

    • It’s great to hear that you love scooters so much Margherita! They really were the best way to get around on Bali and they provided a fantastic local experience. So definitely visit this beautiful island and I am sure the drive will make your Bali experience a perfect holiday for you… :)

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    • Of course Noel, I am happy to know that my drive on Bali is helpful to you! If you have any specific questions for your next trip, don’t hesitate to ask me… :)

      Reply

  9. Dennis this is an amazing guide and so helpful with all your tips. I’m sure it took you a long time to put together but so many people will appreciate it. I have really enjoyed all your Bali posts. We are supposed to be heading there in August (which I already shared with you) but are still a bit uncertain if we can make that a reality. I’m keeping my fingers crossed and planning diligently. If we do make it this year or even if another year, I know that I’ll reference your posts on more than one occasion so thanks!
    Daidri | Thee Getaway Gal recently posted…Yosemite National Park: Picturesque WaterfallsMy Profile

    Reply

    • Thank you so much Daidri, it’s great to hear that you found my tips helpful and it’s even better that you liked all my Bali posts! I really enjoyed this beautiful island a lot and the drive on the scooter become one the highlights of my entire world trip. Hopefully it will work out that you can visit Bali as well and when you do, make sure to contact me if you have any questions… :)

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    • Thanks a lot Lauren, it would definitely be great if my drive on Bali would be helpful to others. By the way, this was means plotted out when I started to drive, so this rather represents a re-tracing of where I ended up on the scooter… :)

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    • Agreed Adelina, driving around on a scooter definitely is a great way to see Bali! Thanks for saving it, I am sure it will come in handy when you make it to Bali and if you still have questions, just send me a message… :)

      Reply

  12. I agree with another person’s comments that this might not be for everyone. I love traveling and exploring, but my dad lives in Bali and I’ve seen through my visits and heard through his stories of the dangerous driving habits there. I love how you laid out specific plans and stops, but I would add that this is not always safe since the driving there can be a bit crazy.
    Jenna recently posted…Last-Minute Mother’s Day Gift GuideMy Profile

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    • You are definitely right Jenna, driving on a scooter might not be something that everyone likes to do. I personally didn’t feel that it was particularly dangerous to drive on Bali and most of the roads were actually surprisingly empty. But I have to admit that I made an effort of trying to ride on back-roads whenever possible and I would definitely recommend that to everyone else as well, not only for safety, but also for the better views of the landscapes… :)

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    • Thanks a lot Britany! I am sure you will make it to Bali one day and I would be very delighted if my drive on the scooter could actually help you with your trip as well… :)

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    • Me too Elena, of the scooter travel I mean! Unforunately I haven’t been to Santorini, but at least it seems we both have a new destination to live out our scooter travel passion… :)

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    • Thanks a lot Eileen, I am glad to hear that you liked the itinerary of my little drive on Bali! It definitely wasn’t a difficult things to cruise around on a scooter, so you can and should definitely do it… :)

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    • Thanks a lot Andrew! It’s great to hear that you also drove around Bali. Covering so much ground in two days seems almost like a shame since there is so much to see on Bali, but at least you got to experience this beautiful island on a scooter as well… :)

      Reply

      • Time wasn’t on my side plus I’m a bit of a speed demon on those 100cc mopeds haha! Next time for sure. And then Java. Was definitely a highlight of my trip. Thanks again for the details! All the best!

        Reply

  18. Hi Dennis, what a fantastic blog you have written about your trip. I am actually heading off tomorrow to Bali and I am thinking I will do the same tour as you have mapped out.

    I am worried about getting lost so I was thinking I would get data on my phone and map the journey out on the maps app on my iphone – I am a little bit slow with tech – I was wondering if you knew the best way to upload routes on to an iphone (I have tried googling it but couldn’t find any answers!) – or if you have a better suggestion to help me from getting lost?

    Really appreciate your time! Cheers Aaron

    Reply

    • Hi Aron,
      It’s great to hear that you are also planning on driving around Bali with a Scooter! I am sure you will have a great time and to be honest with you, I wouldn’t worry too much about getting lost. There are very few streets on Bali and all I had with me were the maps in the Lonely Planet book which I bought second hand in Kuta. Other than that, just learn a few local words so you can ask for directions if needed, but if you say the name of a temple or a beach for example, everyone should point you in the right direction anyway… :)
      Have fun and enjoy your trip!
      Cheers

      Reply

      • Hi Dennis, thanks for the tips (no issues at all getting lost) – I just got back from Bali – had a great time – it was so good to have your itinerary as a rough guide! I really appreciate you doing it!
        All the best – Aaron

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        • Thank you so much for the feedback Aaron! I am really happy to learn that you had a good time driving around Bali and that my little itinerary came in handy is even better. All the best to you as well… :)

          Reply

    • Thank you Rina! It really was a great experience to drive around Bali by scooter, especially for the views. And even if it seems far, with a little bit of rest in-between and some yummy food, the back will be happy as well at the end of the day… :)

      Reply

  20. Great trip notes! Definitely something I am considering doing but probably wont have enough time to do the whole loop as I would like add in some diving in Tulamben and Lembongan. Was it easy enough to find fuel stops during the trip? Did you already have accommodation booked or you just made it up as you went along? What bag did you use/would you recommend on a the trip like this? I was thinking of using a carry on size wheeled backpack but am worried it will be too uncomfortable on the bike and for exploring on foot at bike stops. My normal trips dont usually involve a lot of destinations so Im not that keen on buying a backpack specifically for this trip.

    Reply

    • Hi Cindy, it’S great to heat that you also want to drive around Bali! I personally just used a daypack that I stuffed between my legs and the handle bar on the scooter. Take as little as possible with you, but bring a windbreaker and a warm sweater for the mountains. Otherwise don’t worry too much. Gas is sold in bottles along the roads by locals, but I would recommend to never drive it empty since there are some stretches without roadside stalls. Always keep it on the full end and you will be perfectly fine. Enjoy your trip… :)

      Reply

  21. Hi Dennis,

    Thank you so much for sharing your itinerary! I’m actually in Canggu right now, planning on doing a similar trip via padang bai and amed. However, I’ll only have 4 1/2 days, as I need to be in Ubud by Sunday evening. I am still trying to decide whether it is better to rent a scooter in and start the loop from Denpasar or Ubud. I also had originally planned to drive the counterclockwise- any suggestions or opinions? Thank you so much!

    Reply

    • Wow, you are going every year to Bali and are driving around. That is really great, Rolf! The drive with the scooter really was the highlight of my visit to Indonesia. Enjoy it again and again for as well, especially those great landscapes… :)

      Reply

  23. Hi Dennis,
    Me n my husband wanted to go from seminyak to pemuteran by bike, we read so many scary feedbacks that we almost dropped the bike trip and decided to go by cab. Then we came across your blog and changed our mind. Thank u for sharing your experience. It was awesome to see the 3 lakes and explore the villages in between. U r right, there is so much to see on the way which wasnt possible by cab. We were not stopped by any police in between. We did not see anyone driving bad or any accidents. Roads were very smooth throughout. We had a lovely bike trip, thanks to u!

    Reply

    • Thanks a lot for the great feedback Pooja! I am very glad to hear that your drive around Bali was a great experience. I really enjoyed that trip as well and would do it again in a second. It is such a beautiful island and it is surely best enjoyed on a scooter or a bike. Wonderful that you had such a good time! Cheers… :)

      Reply

  24. Really great post and useful infos!
    I was wondering, do you think is a good idea making the trip to Pura Ulun Danu from Seminyak and return on the same day? I think a 2 way trip means something like more than 100 km, just wondering if a bike can take that :)

    Reply

    • Thanks a lot Luca! I am really glad that you enjoyed reading the post about driving around Bali. Is it possible to go all the distance to Pura Ulun Danu Bratan and then back to Seminyak? It might be, but I personally would advise against it. On the one hand the landscape on Bali really is something to enjoy (as are the many temples along the way) and on the other, you also don’t want to feel rushed when you are there. In my case there was a procession going on at the temple when I visited and it was actually really nice to just spend some time and watch. It might be a shame to miss all of that…

      Reply

  25. Hi, how do you get your accommodation in Bali for the whole trip? Do you book before you travel or you just look at the place when you get there? Thanks.

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    • Hi Lara, great to hear that you are also considering do drive around Bali. Finding accommodation was not a problem and with a scooter you have the advantage that you can easily check out different places and get better prices. Sometimes even mentioning that I would drive around to look at other places to sleep, gave me a discount on the room prices. So if you are not pressed for time, just find something along the way. The added advantage is that everyday you can decide how far you want to go… Enjoy your drive on Bali… :)

      Reply

  26. Visiting Bali by motorcycle is the best way to see the island,I am doing this already for several years and still enjoy it. I also made a trip by scoter Bali-Lombok-Sumbawa-Flores, taking 4 ferries an unbelievable trip and so easy to ride. Everywhere gasoline available and many nice B & B. on our way. Doing this be aware to own your international driving lic. and papers of the scooter of motorcycle.

    Reply

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