ITINERARY
Note: Below is my actual trip itinerary - I always suggest any recommended adjustments in the "Things I Would Do Differently" section at the bottom of this post.
Total days off work: Eight (only seven for us since we went the week of July 4th)
Time of year: July (dry season)
Because of the long travel time from Colorado to Bali, we decided to do a 2 night stopover in Beijing on the way back to break up the flight. I was really glad we did this, and we got to see some amazing places in Beijing in the short amount of time we were there.
Day 1 - Travel day
Day 2 - Travel day with long overnight layover (stayed a "night" at a Jakarta airport terminal hotel)
Day 3 - Jimbaran Bay, Bali
Day 4 - Jimbaran Bay, Bali
Day 5 - Jimbaran Bay, Bali
Day 6 - Taxi to Ubud, Bali (1 - 1.5 hour drive)
Day 7 - Ubud, Bali
Day 8 - Ubud, Bali
Day 9 - Ubud, Bali
Day 10 - Taxi from Ubud to Bali Airport (1 - 1.5 hour drive), fly to Beijing, China
Day 11 - Beijing, China
Day 12 - Travel day (flight was later in the day)
STAY
Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay (Jimbaran Bay - Bali, Indonesia) - All rooms at the Four Seasons in Jimbaran Bay are villas with private courtyards and infinity pools. The villas are absolutely stunning inside and out, and many have amazing ocean views. Each villa is equipped with a large netted canopy bed and a huge bathroom complete with an outdoor shower in one of the courtyards. The main courtyard has a covered seating area and another area with pool loungers. Definitely an all-time favorite of mine when it comes to hotel accommodations. We stayed for three nights at the start of our trip, and did a whole lot of nothing. This is a perfect place to check out of real life for a bit - order room service breakfast to your private pool and just lounge! Speaking of breakfast, the room service spread was out of this world. We went big every morning (we still talk about the chocolate chip pancakes, don't judge us ha), it's vacation after all! The hotel grounds, service, and food were all top notch as well. Yoga classes are offered in a quiet pavilion overlooking the water, and we ended up being the only ones there the morning we went. One downside to this property is the beach. The resort is set on a hill above the beach, which is a short walk from the hotel. I wouldn't call the beach itself overly scenic, and the resort doesn't have an area with loungers on the actual beach (it instead has a lifted garden area above). We were fine to stay at the pool in our villa or on the hotel grounds, but if you are a person that loves beach activities, there are other areas of Bali with better sand and beach areas. Another thing to note is that the property is on the other side of the bay from the island's airport. We could see planes in the distance, but were never affected by the sound.
The Villa:
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The Hotel Grounds:
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Mandapa, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve (Ubud - Bali, Indonesia) - Never have I been this impressed by a hotel lobby. Your check-in process begins on a massive deck overlooking a lush river valley outside of Ubud; rice paddies and a temple are located on site. We booked a room and not a villa at this hotel, which was still very large, but honestly we kind of wish we went with a villa because the property was so special! Our room came with a butler service, and the overall level of service was incredible. I loved the outdoor deck breakfast was served on - so quiet and peaceful and overlooking the valley - and the pool deck was so idyllic. My number one recommendation when staying here? Book a spa appointment!!! We booked a couples massage, which was in a private villa on the river. Treatment rooms for my husband and I were separate, but the villa also had a private deck and hot tub that we were able to enjoy before and after our treatments. This was hands down the best massage and spa experience I have ever had. Literally still dreaming about it to this day...
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Waldorf Astoria Beijing (Beijing, China) - This hotel is a great location and is walking distance to the Forbidden City, Wangfujing Snack Street, and many beautiful historic Hutong neighborhoods. The staff was extremely friendly. Upon check-in, they asked if we planned to visit the Forbidden City, and offered to take care of tickets ahead of time for us, which was a huge help. The language barrier can be difficult in China, but the hotel staff was always willing to provide assistance.
EAT
Kubu Restaurant (Ubud, Bali) - Located in the Mandapa, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Kubu offers candlelit dinners in private bamboo huts along the Ayung River. We had an excellent six-course meal - it is the perfect place for a romantic date night. There are a limited amount of huts, so if you would like to enjoy these, I would recommend making a reservation in advance.
Mudra Café (Ubud, Bali) - A great place to grab breakfast or lunch in downtown Ubud, the smoothie bowls are beautiful and delicious too.
Eat at one of the many warungs in Ubud - A warung is a small family-owned restaurant or café in Bali. My favorite meal in Bali was at a warung that we stumbled upon during a rainstorm, and I can't remember the name. Thankfully, there are many to choose from, and they serve delicious traditional cuisine. Order some of the various noodle dishes and definitely the satay!
Da Dong (Beijing, China) - We couldn't leave Beijing without sampling the Peking Duck, and the famous dish from Da Dong definitely exceeded my expectations. The restaurant also provides English menus, which helped us with ordering - the language barrier can be significant in Beijing.
ADVENTURE
Pura Kehen Temple (Bali) - With so many popular and busy tourist destinations in Bali, I tried to find some options that were a little less trafficked. This temple is about a 45 minute drive from Ubud, and was practically empty. It offers some beautiful examples of Balinese gates without the "Instagram crowds". In order to enter Balinese temples, you will be required to wear a traditional long sarong and clothing that covers your shoulders. Our hotel in Ubud actually provided traditional sarongs and sashes for use during our trip, which was perfect. We combined this stop with Tukad Cepung waterfall (next on the list!). Note: there is an entrance fee to enter.
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Tukad Cepung Waterfall (Bali) - After visiting Pura Kehen temple, we headed to Tukad Cepung (~20 minute drive). From the parking area, it is a short walk/hike to the waterfall, but is steep and slippery in some areas. You will also need to wade through water to get to the waterfall, so make sure you have appropriate clothing and shoes. Bringing water shoes for the last part of the walk would be helpful - the rocks are definitely a bit painful on the feet. The waterfall is unique and hidden in a cave. A handful of people were there, and definitely felt less busy than some of Bali's other sights. From here, it is ~1 hour drive back to Ubud. We booked private transportation/guide through our hotel for this short day trip, which included both stops, lunch, and our entrance fees. Note: there is an entrance fee to enter.
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Rice Terraces (Bali) - There are multiple areas on the island to view Bali's larger rice terraces, and we ended up visiting Tegalalang due to the close proximity to Ubud. It is about 30 minutes from Ubud in a Taxi, and you can ask your taxi driver to wait and take your back after your visit. The terraces are beautiful, but are definitely busy and are surrounded by buildings and restaurants, so it does not feel as remote as you might imagine. Depending on the where the rice is in the growing cycle, the terraces may appear very lush and green, or more brown, like they were when we were there. Regardless, the terrace structure is very impressive and you can walk through some of the hiking trails within the terraces to get different views. Note: there is an entrance fee to enter Tegalalang.
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Campahun Ridge Walk (Ubud, Bali) - A great walking trail close to downtown Ubud that takes you along a ridge and through some beautiful rice paddies. There was a decent amount of people on the trail, but was still quiet and peaceful. The end of the trail leads to some outdoor cafes, and you will then walk back the way you came.
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Hike Mt. Batur (Bali) - Like most, we opted for the sunrise hike, which means you need to leave Ubud around 2:30am. The drive to the trailhead is over an hour, and it took us under 2 hours to hike to the top. We booked a guide through our hotel, which is a popular option, since you need to drive and do the entire hike up in the dark. Flashlights were provided for us. Bring layers as it is chilly in the morning (I wore a lightweight jacket with a hood and a lightweight down vest layered on top). The hike is not overly difficult and is highly trafficked. However, people were fairly spread out on the trail, so we were not bothered by the amount of people on the way up. We had strange weather the day we were there, and when we arrived on top, it was FREEZING. We huddled together in one of the huts until the sun rose, but the cloudy weather basically blocked the usual view. The below picture was all we could see! Kind of a bummer, but we like to hike, and still had a fun time. Not sure I would do it again based on the 2 am wake-up time - I think I may opt for another less visited site if I wanted to do a longer day trip. Note: there is an entrance fee to enter Mt. Batur.
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Ikat Batik (Ubud, Bali) - I love finding great shops to buy goods from local artisans and this store sold the most amazing hand-dyed fabrics - tablecloths, pillows, napkins, scarfs, etc.
The Great Wall (Beijing, China) - We visited the Mutianyu section of The Great Wall as a day trip (about 5.5 hours all in), and booked private transportation through our hotel. Our guide was very personable and also helped us navigate the lines and tickets once we arrived. The drive is ~1.5 hours each way. Once there, you need to pick up your tickets and wait in lines to take chair lifts or gondolas to the top - we opted for the chair lift, and then hiked along the wall on our own for about an hour and a half. It was so humid and hot - bring water and wear good walking shoes!! It is definitely a sight that is not to be missed when in Beijing. It was foggy the day we were there, which impacted the visibility of the wall, but was still spectacular - as I would expect from a World Wonder!
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Visit the Forbidden City and Jingshang Park (Beijing, China) - Go early in the morning to avoid extremely long lines (it will still be busy, but the lines should be better right when it opens - I'd recommend getting in line 15-30 minutes before it opens). Our hotel booked tickets for us online the day before - I would recommend this since they now limit the number of visitors each day. The crowds are pretty incredible - I honestly felt like it actually added to the experience since you are basically moving through this immense historical place in a giant sea of people. Once you have walked from front to back (there are so many side rooms, etc., you can spend as much or as little time as you want inside the walls), you will exit the walls and will see a park with a large hill in front of you - Jingshang Park. Follow the walking trails to the structure at the top of the hill if you would like to see the Forbidden City from above - this was actually my favorite part. There are beautiful historical Hutong neighborhoods in the surrounding areas, and we wandered around these before walking back to our hotel. This part of the city was very walkable. We did this the morning of our 4pm flight home, and had plenty of time to walk around before heading back to the hotel to catch a taxi to the airport.
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PACK
What I packed for carry-on only (carry-on roller suitcase plus a small duffel - see my packing tips and luggage recommendations here):
What I wore on the plane: Sneakers, black jeans, breathable athletic t-shirt, black athletic jacket, lightweight down vest (I get cold on planes, and this packs down great when I don't need it), scarf (one that can double as a shawl on a chilly Ubud night), straw hat
What I packed:
1 pair of comfortable flats that can be dressed up or down
1 pair of flat dressy sandals
2 pairs of casual flat sandals
1 pair of flip flops
3 swimsuits
1 sarong (for swimsuit cover up and to wear in religious sites over leggings)
1 pair of jean shorts
1 pair of leggings/yoga pants
2 athletic tanks
4 sleeveless blouses
1 long sleeve blouse
2 t-shirts
2 casual tanks/camisoles
1 maxi skirt
4 sundresses
3 maxi dresses
1 lightweight cardigan
1 baseball cap
1 compact travel umbrella
1 drawstring bag (used as small backpack while hiking and as a beach/pool bag)
OTHER NOTES
Temple attire in Bali - In order to enter Balinese temples, you will be required to wear a traditional long sarong and clothing that covers your shoulders. Our hotel in Ubud actually provided traditional sarongs and sashes for use during our trip, which was perfect, but you can also bring and wear your own sarongs.
Visa info for China - We ended up getting a standard Tourist Visa (we used a professional service company to get this done) for China since we believe we will return in the next 10 years. But - there are now options to visit China without a Visa if you are on a limited stopover and are able to qualify. There are stipulations involved, but definitely worth looking into for a trip like this.
THINGS I WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY
We stayed at a transit hotel inside the airport terminal on a long layover in Jakarta, and if we did this again, I think I would have just stayed a night at an actual hotel in Jakarta and found time to spend a half day in the city.
In Bali, I wish we would have visited some of the less trafficked rice terraces. I read great things about Jatiluwih Rice Terraces, and although it is a longer drive from Ubud (~1.5 hours), I would do this in place of Tegalalang and/or the Mt. Batur Hike.
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