Day 1 of 9Arrive in Ubud
A little field guide to

Bali

Friday July 31 to Saturday August 8, 2026   ·   for Dan, Minnie & Chris

Nine days across three coasts of Bali, built for the three of us. About one main thing a day with the afternoons left open, food we will remember, and a few hands-on experiences you can only really have here. Mornings often split, yoga for Minnie and Chris, surf for Dan, then everyone back together.

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The idea

One main thing a day. Each day has a single planned highlight, a cooking class, a farm, a surf, a temple at sunset, and everything around it is open on purpose: the pool, the beach, a long lunch, a nap. Mornings usually split (Minnie and Chris to yoga, Dan to the water) and afternoons and dinners are together. Everything here is a menu, not a schedule. Pick what calls to you.

WeatherPeak dry season. 82 to 88F days, 68 to 75F nights. The best month of the year.
Visae-Visa on Arrival, about 35 USD (IDR 500,000). Apply at the official imigrasi.go.id site before you fly.
PassportValid at least 6 months past arrival.
Getting aroundOne private driver for the trip plus airport runs. Gojek and Grab for short hops.
HealthRepellent for dengue (worse inland by the rice paddies). Bottled water only.
FestivalsNo island-wide festival in our dates (Galungan was June), so nothing shuts down. Small village temple ceremonies run year-round, so we may still pass a real procession by chance.
The key Together Dan, or all Yoga Food Hands-on
Mornings usually split: Minnie and Chris to yoga, Dan to the water. Anything marked Dan, or all is his by default but everyone is welcome to come along.
Leg 1

Ubud

Fri Jul 31 to Mon Aug 3 · 3 nights
Adiwana Bisma, Jl. Bisma. The hands-on leg, tucked between rice fields and the monkey forest. The cooking, the bees, the craft, and the farm all happen here.
Fri, Jul 31Arrive and settle
Travel day. Nothing planned, just land softly.
3:15 pm
Land at DPS, clear the e-visa, meet the driver
Roughly 1.5 hours up to Ubud. At Adiwana Bisma by early evening.
Evening
FoodEasy first dinner near the hotel
Clear Cafe on Jl. Hanoman (a lovely multi-level space with a koi pond) or Watercress. Walkable. Early night.
Sat, Aug 1Bees, then a spice-paste dinner
A fuller day, but easy: one thing in the morning, the pool at midday, cooking in the evening.
Dawn
Dan, or allCampuhan Ridge Walk at sunrise
Free, a few minutes from the hotel. Cool air, soft light, and a near-empty grass ridge before 8 am.
Morning
TogetherHands-onStingless-bee (kele-kele) farm
Meet a beekeeper, watch how they split a hollow-log hive, and taste honey straight from the pots. These tiny stingless bees are unique to the tropics, so it is something none of us can do at home. About half a day. (Or Minnie and Chris flow at the Yoga Barn and Dan goes solo.)
Midday
Pool and rest at Adiwana Bisma
The heat of the day. Do nothing on purpose.
4 to 8 pm
TogetherHands-onFoodPaon Bali cooking class (this is dinner)
Grind fresh bumbu spice paste from scratch in a family compound, cook a full Balinese spread, then eat it together. Want the dawn wet-market tour too? Take the morning session and flip the bees to Sunday.
Sun, Aug 2River in the morning, craft in the afternoon
Dan on the water while the others do yoga, then a hands-on craft together.
Morning
Dan, or allAyung River white-water rafting
Class II to III through a jungle gorge, past waterfalls and carved cliff walls. The put-in is 20 to 30 minutes from Ubud, about a half day door to door.
Morning
YogaThe Yoga Barn
Ubud's iconic studio. Drop-in only, no pre-booking, so arrive about 45 minutes early in high season. Slip in an early Ubud Market browse or the Monkey Forest afterward if you are up.
Afternoon
TogetherHands-onA traditional craft session
Forge your own silver ring in Celuk, or carve wood with a master in Mas village (both easy 2 to 3 hour drop-ins). For serious wheel-throwing, Gaya Ceramic is the real thing, but a single-day slot needs an email ahead.
Evening
FoodA special dinner
Sakti Dining Room at Fivelements (riverside living-foods tasting in Mambal, reserve ahead) for a blowout, or stay central and casual.
Mon, Aug 3Compost on the way south
The transfer day earns its keep. Check out, learn something, then drive to the coast.
Morning
TogetherHands-onKul Kul Farm, permaculture and composting
A living teaching farm by Green School (Sibang), which sits south of Ubud on the way to the Bukit. Public tours run Mondays, plus a hands-on compost workshop and agroforestry. Check out first and bring the bags.
Midday
Continue to Uluwatu
About 1 to 1.5 hours down to Grun Uluwatu. Arrive mid-afternoon.
Sunset
TogetherFoodJimbaran Bay seafood on the sand
Tables set right on the beach, pick your fish, grilled over coconut husk, feet in the sand. Bawang Merah or Menega Cafe. Seated by 5:15 pm for the 6:15 sunset. (Or casual at The Cashew Tree in Bingin.)
A few things you can only do here
Bali is full of crafts and farming you cannot try back home, so we built four into the first leg: keeping stingless bees, cooking with fresh-ground spice paste, a silver or wood craft, and a working permaculture farm. Do them together, or mix and match. Everything after Ubud is beach, surf, and good food.
Leg 2

Uluwatu & the Bukit

Mon Aug 3 to Wed Aug 5 · 2 nights
Grun Uluwatu, Jl. Pura Kulat, Pecatu. Clifftop beaches and surf. Honest note: no farms or craft out here, this leg is all about the coast. Want to fish? A sunrise jukung off Jimbaran (about 20 minutes) slots into a Bukit morning, see the planner.
Tue, Aug 4Surf, a hidden cove, and the fire dance
The one full Bukit day. Morning split, afternoon together, an iconic sunset.
Early AM
Dan, or allSurf lesson at a beginner break
Uluwatu and Padang are advanced reef. A school like Padang Padang Surf Camp shuttles you to a friendly break in the calm morning wind.
Early AM
YogaMorning Light or La Tribu
Open-air shalas near Pecatu with jungle and wave views. Drop-in, about 10 to 15 USD.
Late AM
FoodBrunch at Suka Espresso
The best-known brunch on the Bukit. No reservations, so go early before the queue.
Midday
TogetherSundays Beach Club
A private white-sand cove reached by a cliff cable car, with kayaks, SUPs, and snorkels included. The day pass is redeemable as food and drink, so it doubles as lunch. Reserve a day bed if you want one.
5 to 7 pm
TogetherUluwatu Temple and the Kecak fire dance
A clifftop sea temple, then a 70-man chant-and-fire dance at sunset. Book the 6 pm show 4 to 5 days ahead, it sells out. Arrive by 4:30 pm. Watch the monkeys, they take sunglasses. (Prefer no crowd? Karang Boma cliff at 5:30 pm instead.)
Dinner
FoodMana or The Cave
Mana for a relaxed cliffside table. The Cave (a 22-seat tasting menu inside a lit cavern) for a real blowout, reservation mandatory.
Wed, Aug 5One beach, then move on
Half a day at the coast, then the drive to Canggu.
Morning
TogetherOne beach, matched to the tide
Nyang Nyang for the hike and near-empty sand (about 500 steps down, a real climb back), or Melasti for an actual swim (drivable access, calmer at high tide). Aim for water at mid to high tide.
Midday
Transfer to Canggu
About 1 to 1.5 hours north. Aim to beat the 3 to 7 pm Canggu traffic.
Leg 3

Canggu

Wed Aug 5 to Sat Aug 8 · 3 nights
Zin Canggu Resort & Villas, Jl. Nelayan 78 (res ID 3886). The wind-down leg. Surf at the doorstep, cafes, sunsets, and two of three days with almost no driving.
Wed, Aug 5Land and unwind
Arrival evening. Nothing scheduled but a sunset and a good dinner.
Afternoon
Check in, walk to Batu Bolong and Old Man's
The beach is a 300 to 500 m stroll from the villa.
Sunset
FoodSunset drinks, then Fishbone Local
Drinks at a Batu Bolong beach warung or La Brisa (book a table), then dinner at Fishbone Local, fresh sustainable seafood.
Thu, Aug 6Dawn surf and a coffee tasting
An easy day. One light anchor, lots of open space.
6 to 9 am
Dan, or allSurf Batu Bolong
Bali's classic beginner-to-intermediate longboard wave, right at the villa. Best on a rising to high tide before the wind comes up.
Morning
YogaThe Practice
A bamboo studio in a Batu Bolong rice paddy, four daily drop-in classes, no booking, about 10 USD. A short walk from the villa.
Late AM
TogetherFoodA specialty coffee tasting
A light, together anchor. Canggu is full of serious roasters. A flight and a side-by-side pour-over, then back to the pool.
Sunset
FoodThe Lawn, then The Shady Shack
Easy beachfront cocktails, then a wholefood dinner tucked in the rice fields.
Fri, Aug 7Last full day, sea temple send-off
Keep it loose, then one iconic sunset and the big dinner.
Daytime
Your choice, low mileage
More surf, a spa morning, a bike through the rice fields, or simply the beach. No long drives.
Late PM
TogetherTanah Lot temple at sunset
The iconic sea temple on the rocks, about 45 minutes out. Arrive by 4:30 pm before the crowds build. (Skip it if you would rather not drive.)
Evening
FoodSend-off dinner at Mason
Wood-fired cooking and house-cured meats, the polished Canggu table. Reserve ahead.
Sat, Aug 8Relaxed departure
The flight is 4:30 pm. Do not cut the airport run close in August.
Morning
Dawn beach or surf, breakfast at The Shady Shack, pack
Nothing that involves a drive. Save Tanah Lot and any farm for earlier, not today.
11:30 am
Leave Canggu for DPS
Only 14 km, but 40 to 90 minutes in August traffic. Pre-book the transfer the night before. Be at check-in by 1:30 pm.
Four ways to run it

Pick your pace

The plan above is the balanced version. Here are three other ways to shape the same nine days. Use the planner to mix in anything from the research.

Recommended
The Balanced One
One main thing a day, mornings split, afternoons open.
Intensity
  • The plan exactly as laid out above.
  • Six real anchors across nine days.
  • Ubud 3 nights, Bukit 2, Canggu 3.
Best if you want valuable experiences without a packed schedule.
If Jacco's in town
More Ubud
Trade a Canggu night for a fourth in Ubud.
Intensity
  • Ubud 4 nights, Bukit 2, Canggu 2.
  • Adds a full East Bali ag day (bees, salt, cacao) or a slow extra Ubud day, plus time with Jacco.
  • Note: shortening Zin Canggu (res ID 3886) means changing that booking.
Best if you want to overlap with Jacco and go deeper on the hands-on leg.
High energy
Adventure-forward
Surf every leg, add a volcano sunrise and a dawn fishing trip.
Intensity
  • Adds Mount Batur sunrise trek (Ubud) and a dawn Jimbaran jukung fishing morning (Bukit).
  • Surf all three legs, plus the Nyang Nyang hike; canyoning optional.
  • Fewer lazy afternoons.
Best if you get restless and would rather move than lounge.
Low key
Slow & restorative
Fewer anchors, more spa, yoga, beach, and long dinners.
Intensity
  • One light anchor every other day.
  • Adds a spa afternoon (Udara) and more beach-club and pool time.
  • Keeps only the can't-miss: one cooking class, the fire dance, the sunsets.
Best if this is a recharge, not a mission.
Field Notes: every option, ranked
The full research, sorted best-first by a simple rubric, folded by category, with a picker so the three of you can each choose what you are most keen on and find your overlaps.
Open the planner
Before we go

Booking checklist

What to lock, and when

Book now (weeks ahead, this is peak season)

  • Cooking class (Paon Bali or similar), direct, 1+ week out. paon-bali.com
  • Ceramics: for the real Gaya session, email edu@gayaceramic.com now. Celuk silver or Mas carving can be arranged day-of instead.
  • Stingless-bee keeper: WhatsApp Umah Kele at +62 813 3903 9867 (1 to 2 weeks ahead) for the hands-on session, or book the easier Sangeh farm tour a few days out.
  • Kul Kul Farm, confirm the Monday Aug 3 tour or compost workshop. kulkulfarmbali.com

Book about 4 to 5 days out

  • Uluwatu Kecak fire dance, the 6 pm show, on Klook or Traveloka. It sells out.
  • Bukit surf lesson, Padang Padang Surf Camp. balisurfingcamp.com
  • Sunrise fishing (if you want it), a dawn Jimbaran jukung via GoBoat or Kayumanis, or Sundara's catch-and-cook. Book 3 to 4 days out for a Bukit-leg morning.
  • Sundays Beach Club day bed (optional). sundaysbeachclub.com
  • Reservation dinners: The Cave, Sakti, Mason, a La Brisa sunset table, and a Jimbaran seafood table.

Sort before the flight

  • e-Visa on Arrival for US citizens, about 35 USD (IDR 500,000), via the official evisa.imigrasi.go.id. Apply at least 48 hours before arrival. Passport valid 6 months past arrival.
  • Private driver for the whole trip plus the Jul 31 airport pickup (roughly 50 to 60 USD a day). Confirm the Aug 8 transfer the night before.
  • Travel insurance, plus DEET or picaridin repellent and reef-safe sunscreen.

No booking needed (walk-in)

  • The Yoga Barn (arrive 45 min early), The Practice, Morning Light yoga.
  • Campuhan Ridge Walk, Monkey Forest, Ubud Market, most beaches, Batu Bolong surf, Suka Espresso.
Two things to double-check before relying on them: the restaurant "Tala" on the Uluwatu list did not turn up in any current source, so confirm it still exists and its hours. And Gaya's single-day ceramics slot is not advertised, it needs that email. Everything else here is from sourced, current research.

The shape of it. Ubud carries the learning, the Bukit is two nights of clifftop beaches and the fire dance, and Canggu is three nights of winding down with surf at the door. About one main thing a day, mornings split for yoga and surf, and deliberate empty afternoons so it never feels like a checklist.

Distances in kilometers, temperatures in Fahrenheit, prices approximate at about 16,000 rupiah to the dollar. Built from research, July 2026.