The Best Bali Day Trips to Take | International Traveller

From tangled jungle waterfalls and jaw-dropping volcano views to islands lapped by turquoise waters, these are the best day trips to take in Bali.

Beyond the world-class dining, spa retreats and beach clubs, the real magic in Bali often lies just a short journey from the hotel gates. It’s tempting to spend days languishing by the pool, but venturing out shifts the pace entirely and reveals a deeper side to the island. Day trips add texture, contrast and a sense of discovery to a stay that might otherwise unfold entirely in resort comfort.

Sidemen Valley

A verdant landscape of tiered rice paddies, hidden villages and river-fed farm plots, Sidemen Valley unfolds beneath the watch of Mount Agung – where ancient irrigation channels have sustained life here for generations.

This is Bali as it once was. There are no neon-lit bars here – beyond a scattering of warungs and homestays, you’ll barely see another traveller. Women in sarongs sashay slowly along narrow roads, chickens scratch at the roadside and farmers pause to offer easy smiles from weathered faces as they tend their crops. It’s a journey into Bali’s rich culture and traditional way of life.

Best reached by private car – it takes about 90 minutes from the main tourist hubs – Sidemen rewards those who lean into its slower rhythm.

Samanvaya Boutique Resort can arrange curated day experiences, making it easy to explore the area with local insight on a two-hour trek through Sidemen Valley. Or set out with a guide on scooter, winding through backroads to discover hidden waterfalls and sweeping valley views.

Tukad Cepung Waterfall is a popular option in the wider region, known for its dramatic light-filled cave setting, but for a secret find, venture to Jagasatru Waterfall, where you’ll likely have the place to yourself. The descent is steep down concrete stairs and if you plan to swim prepare for some serious rock hopping: wear sturdy shoes and pack mozzie repellent and swimmers.

For lunch, you can book ahead at Samanvaya’s award-winning garden restaurant, Asri Dining. With a farm-to-table philosophy, many of the ingredients come from the valley or the hotel’s own garden. Keep things local at one of the valley’s much-loved warungs. Sleeping Gajah Kitchen has gorgeous river views or hit your guide up for their go-to spot for authentic Balinese cuisine.

Mount Batur

The glow of individual lights snake up the mountain like a luminous serpent in motion. These are the head torches of hundreds of keen adventurers making their way to the summit of Mount Batur, an active volcano, to welcome a new day.

Located in northeastern Bali, a 2am wake-up call is part of the ritual if you want to watch the sun push through the clouds like a giant mandarin. It’s a quietly moving moment as daylight breaks, igniting the sky from below. The air is cool and misty, and there’s a shared camaraderie among climbers, sipping sweet tea from a ramshackle warung as the villages below in the valley slowly reveal themselves.

A reasonable level of fitness and good walking shoes are essential – the climb is steep with uneven ground in sections. Bring water; it’s thirsty work on the way up. Your guide will provide your torches.

Nusa Lembongan

Long loved by surfers and dive enthusiasts, Nusa Lembongan has undergone a quiet glow-up over the past decade. Easily reached by daily ferries from Sanur Harbour – book with Setia Fast Ferries – this compact island is easy to explore. You’ll disembark on the beach via a small tender, so expect to get your feet wet.

Clear turquoise waters and a laid-back rhythm set the tone, with days shaped by reef breaks, snorkelling spots and slow wandering. For a guided tour, book with Made Lembongan Transport, who have experienced guides that know the island well.

Take a dip at Coconut Beach – a short walk from the main arrival point – but be mindful of strong currents. You can hire a surfboard here (cash only, around A$15) or beginners can book a lesson with Lembongan Surf Lesson instructors.

For something unforgettable, organise a small group boat trip with Captain Yin-Yang for a drift-snorkel or head to nearby Nusa Penida – if you’re lucky, manta rays may join you in an underwater waltz. Local knowledge is key here, so trust your captain to adapt the route for the best possible experience. Snorkelling equipment is included with the tour.

Food is fresh and easy, with a growing collection of restaurants. Aussie-owned Dusk at Lago, perched above Coconut Beach with views over Playgrounds surf break, pairs elevated dining with a sandy-feet vibe – ideal for a long lunch.

For a slower pace, book ahead at Spring, where treatments come with ocean breezes and sweeping blue views.

Pack swimmers, sunscreen and Indonesian rupiah for local operators.

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Tegalalang Rice Terraces

Imagine vivid green rice paddies cascading like giant steps into the valley. In places, water from the ancient Subak irrigation system pools in shades of milky coffee. Coconut palms reach for the sky, their fronds arching like oversized parasols.

This is Tegalalang Rice Terraces – a UNESCO-listed landscape just 20 minutes north of Ubud and one of Bali’s most photographed (and busiest) sights. A Gojek or Grab ride will get you there, though a private driver makes for a far more comfortable day of it.

Arrive early – before 9am – or late afternoon to sidestep the crowds. Entry is via small cash donations (around A$2) to local landowners at various access points, so carry small Indonesian Rupiah. Don’t rely on flip flops – the paths can be muddy and slippery.

Tanah Lot Temple

Silhouetted against a burnished orange sunset, the jagged outline of Tanah Lot Temple rises from a coral outcrop, waves flinging white foam at its stony base. On Bali’s west coast, it’s about an hour from major tourist hubs by private car or ride-share (Grab or Gojek).

Sunset is the most atmospheric and busiest time to visit; mornings are quieter. This 16th-century Hindu temple is a cultural icon and one of seven sea temples. You can cross at low tide, but the inner sanctuary is off-limits and modest dress is expected (cover your arms and legs) even when in the vicinity of the temple. On a romantic trip? Local legend warns unmarried couples who visit together are destined to part soon after.

Head to de Jukung Resto & Bar for a sunset cocktail perched above the cliffs or lean all the way in and stay for the cultural Kecak Fire Dance. It’s loud, hypnotic and a little chaotic – in the best way – where chanting voices, flickering fire and ancient stories collide into something you won’t forget in a hurry.

After youth-led protests in 2025, this year Nepal elected a 35-year-old former rapper as Prime Minister. In a country where tourism is its biggest industry, what’s next for travellers?

In 1986, Nepal changed its clock. It had used India Standard Time since 1920 so, to differentiate, it wound its clock 15 minutes ahead of, not behind, its big-brother neighbour. Boss move. “Nepal is strongly opposed to the idea that our identity is connected to India,” says Community Homestay Network (CHN) guide Bikal Khanal.

Tharu dance is traditionally set to hand drums. (Credit: Kate Lewis)

Today, Nepal is the only independent country with a 45-minute deviation to universal time; an oddity that’s become a symbol of national pride. The quirk is nearly as endearing as Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan airport where carved varnished wood and shiny red bricks rule. One sign points to a ‘Travelator’ and another to a ‘Grievance Handling Desk’ while visas are noisily stamped at customs for US dollars, cash only. When am I?

Spot the endemic Nepal gray langur. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

The 15 or 45 minute anomaly sees me tap out completely on timezone calculations. Why bend my brain calculating if it’s quarter to or quarter past elsewhere when I’m in the honking here and now of Kathmandu where the air is high-altitude crisp, the prayer flags flutter and the street dogs howl?

How tourism is changing in Nepal

Bardiya National Park is rich with wildlife. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

India is not the only association many Nepalis would like to shake. With eight of the world’s 10 tallest mountains, including Mount Everest and Annapurna, Nepal has long attracted mountaineers and trekkers, and expedition numbers are continuing to rise.

Tourism is one of the country’s biggest sources of foreign currency, so this growth is not negative, per se. But according to Ang Tshering Lama, who co-founded Phaplu Mountain Bike Club, being reduced to a mere trekking destination is limiting.

“Trekking is just one layer of our identity,” says Ang. “When it becomes the dominant narrative, it limits how we’re seen and how we see ourselves.” Nepal’s recent success, however, in diverting trekkers to less-trafficked areas such as Manaslu mofuntain, where visitor numbers rose by 117 per cent last year, offers hope that tourism can diversify even more radically.

Local men in Bhada village. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

The founder of CHN, Shiva Dhakal, wants that change. “The whole idea of the Community Homestay Network is to promote experiences outside of trekking,” he says. “Community tourism changes lives and helps kids stay home instead of coming to the city or migrating to the Middle East.”

Ang grew up seeing people leave, “not because they wanted to but because there weren’t enough opportunities to stay”, he states. Yet from remote villages to living traditions; food, art, music and emerging subcultures, “there’s so much that’s not being seen.”

CHN is opening some of those doors. It doesn’t own, or fund, any homes. Rather, it promotes homestays to travellers on a single, slick platform, while fostering entrepreneurship in places where women, marginalised castes, Indigenous people and the youth stand to benefit the most.

A new generation demanding more

Dalla Town Hall, where volunteers discuss anti-poaching tactics. (Credit: Bheem Thapa)

The future prospects of next-gen Nepalis can no longer be ignored. On a Kathmandu tour with 33-year-old guide Monica K.C, we pass buildings torched in the September 2025 ‘Gen Z protests’, including the Supreme Court and Parliament House. Seventy-two people died. “They were anti-corruption protests,” says Monica. “Politicians’ children are living a lavish life but the airports are crowded with youngsters leaving to find work.”

We stop in ‘little Tibet’ at the wondrous sixth-century Boudha Stupa. “The wheel of life is Buddhism in a nutshell,” says Monica. “Things such as hate, ignorance and anger keep you rotating around the wheel, so you must follow the principles of Buddhism to detach. If you can’t, there’s no nirvana for you.”

Boudha Stupa's prayer wheels — Boudha Stupa’s prayer wheels are used to recite Buddhist prayers. (Credit: Kate Lewis)

In a sun-drenched twist to the usual temple visit, we ascend the stupa’s sloping plinth and roam its whitewashed dome. Tendrils of diaphanous prayer flags stream from a steeple-like structure where the Buddha’s unblinking eyes stare out. No nirvana for you…

bouda stupa prayer flags — Tibetan-style prayer flags embellish the whitewashed dome of Bouda Stupa, a Buddhist temple. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)

The dome is delightfully free of guard rails or chiding from security. There is, however, a stern ‘No TikTok’ sign, perhaps in response to the youth’s newly flexed power. The booted-out Prime Minister, K.P. Sharma Oli, was replaced in a resounding election victory in March by 35-year-old Balendra Shah of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) – a former rapper and mayor of Kathmandu. The RSP’s manifesto indicates tourism is a priority, and that Nepal’s cultural identity in areas such as gastronomy will be strengthened.

Boudha Stupa vendors — Vibrant souvenir shops and cafes around Boudha Stupa. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)

A more confronting stop awaits at Pashupatinath Temple. Today is Bala Chaturdashi, a Hindu festival where thousands of devotees gather to honour their dead ancestors. Vendors hauling foam mattresses do a lucrative trade as people set up for a night of vigil. This includes burning the bodies of recently deceased relatives on bamboo pyres in the Bagmati River, which flows into the sacred Ganges.

A woman at annual Hindu festival Bala Chaturdashi, in Kathmandu. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)

Wrapped in a shroud, the bodies are positioned with their heads facing north to the Himalayas where Lord Shiva resides. They’re covered with flowers and straw and set alight by male family members.

Hours later, the ashes are swept into the river where devotees will take a holy dip the next day. As much as Monica assures us it’s not voyeuristic to watch, I struggle to do so. “Here you see the reality of life because everyone ends up there,” she says, gesturing to the river.

Life unfiltered in the Terai region

tharu woman — Tharu woman and master weaver Parbati Chaudhary in Bhada Village. (Credit: Bheem Thapa)

The reality of life needs processing time, which the western Terai region delivers in spades. The Terai is largely separated from India by the Karnali River and Bardiya National Park, where elephants, rhinos and the elusive Bengal tiger roam.

Once a nomadic tribe, the Indigenous Tharu people are now the largest ethnic group here. “They didn’t know their daily life was interesting for international travellers but they’re starting to understand now,” says CHN founder Shiva.

Take a Jeep safari through Bardiya National Park. (Credit: Bheem Thapa)

We fly Buddha Air to Dhangadhi airport and drive five hours to stay in Tharu homes. The journey to Bhada village is a blur of roadside fruit stalls, traffic-stopping sacred cows and fields sown with wheat, rice, mustard, spinach, cauliflower and potatoes. Nepal’s agriculture feeds only Nepal.

Marigolds are an important part of Hindu rituals. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

“The only thing we export is young people,” says our guide Bikal. As the light dims and we plunge evermore rural, mysterious mounds of compacted hay – some house-sized – loom like the creatures from Where The Wild Things Are. Even our trusty driver gets flummoxed by a dirt road that abruptly ends and we find ourselves hurtling across a paddock.

On arrival, some are ferried to mud-walled cottages greened by gourd creepers, with thatched roofs and rustic-chic mosquito nets. Myself and two others are ushered to the home of corner store owner, mechanic and mushroom farmer Man Kumar Chilaruwa and his wife Rajkumari.

community homestay entrance — A warm welcome at a community homestay. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

They escort us to a bunker-esque back building with steel doors and a folding security gate, behind which is gleaming linoleum, dolphin-printed tiles and a shower cavity that must be gingerly stepped through to reach the toilet.

The ceiling lights emit a rainbow of colours (the bathroom light gets stuck in, frankly, a quite frightening red). We’re nevertheless touched that our hosts invested in all this bling when the average salary is around $275 a month.

In the coming days, we participate in Tharu traditions such as making moonshine, dancing, weaving straw handicrafts and gold-panning. We’re fed well with staples of rice, mustard greens, lentil pancakes, daal, curried chicken and tomato chutney served on antibacterial saal leaves.

food at community homestay — Dig in. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)

Sonara community homestay president Indradevi Tharu tells us river snails are often served, and the boiled and pickled flesh of rats hunted in the rice fields. “Perhaps next time?” we say and all have a laugh.

The power of community homestays

community homestay owners in Nepal — Barda community homestay owners Parbati Chaudhary and Ram Krishni Devi Chaudhary. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

Immersing Western visitors in foreign cultural practices is not new. But with the Tharu, I never get that uneasy sensation that I’m being performed for. Despite being the only tourists, there’s no ‘othering’; just warm, composed and ultra-dignified welcomes. Like we’ve always been here.

“I love to have travellers in my village so I can see the world,” says local woman Parbati Chaudhary. “Why would I travel the world when the world comes to me?”

The graceful acceptance the Tharu offer, as well as the slow pace, works miracles on my frazzled nervous system. One day I even take a nap on a vacant homestay bed.

Sonara community room — An authentic stay in the Sonara community. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)

Roosters strut and goats bray as we sit on the ground in al fresco kitchens, rolling rice flour into cylinders steamed to make dhikri (dumplings). When water is needed, we fetch it using a hand-operated pump as a family of ducks strolls by, side-eying us like curious neighbours.

Animal lovers will delight in Tharu villages. Kind and resourceful inventions are everywhere, such as snacking stations where two posts lean together, with leafy boughs dangling on rope for baby goats to forage from.

CHN’s CEO, Aayusha Prasain, nods knowingly when one in our group says she cried when she left her host, Shayam Chaudhary, in Bhada. Shayam’s 17-year-old son, Prashant, had translated, which deepened the connection.

“Community tourism turns travel into a relationship, not a transaction,” says Aayusha. “It places decision-making power in the hands of local communities, especially women and youth.” Since 2018, CHN has hosted more than 4000 travellers from 52 countries in 408 households, and estimates women’s participation has increased by 381 per cent.

In the Bardiya community, where vexing human-animal conflict has been a balancing act for decades due to elephants raiding crops, long-time homestay operator Salik Ram Chaudhary says young people keep the older ones on their toes.

“We can’t keep homestays stagnant,” he says. “We have to upgrade our service and redefine our product or young people won’t see it as an attractive business. If we can keep evolving with this travelling trend we’re confident the youths will stay and continue it.”

Back in Kathmandu, Monica explains that after the deaths of young protestors in September, a determination had spread to not let their sacrifice be in vain. “We want to keep holding the government accountable,” she says. “We don’t know what situation we’re facing, but we’re ready to face it.”

Interested in Nepal but prefer to experience it in total comfort? Read our guide to luxury travel in Nepal.

The best day trips from Bali

From tangled jungle waterfalls and jaw-dropping volcano views to islands lapped by turquoise waters, these are the best day trips to take in Bali.

Sidemen Valley

Mount Batur

Nusa Lembongan

Tegalalang Rice Terraces

Tanah Lot Temple

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