Kuta Travelers Recommend

Three days in Kuta is sufficient to give you a good overview of Bali as a whole. Not only can you experience the ocean, have an outdoor adventure, watch the sun rise from an active volcano, and enjoy a Balinese massage, but you’ll still have enough time left over to explore less-visited areas, from Lempuyang Temple to Sekumpul Waterfall. Here’s how.

Day 1: Beach Sports and Outdoor Adventure

No trip to Bali would be complete without a morning on the beach. Start the day close to home with a surfing lesson on Kuta Beach, or travel south for a range of water sports. Pick from activities such as banana boats, Jet Skis, and parasailing; brave fly boarding on a water-powered jet board; or don a Seawalker helmet to explore the ocean floor. After lunch on the beach, head inland for a classic Bali adventure: white-water rafting down the Ayung River gorge or roaring through forest, jungle, villages, and fields on an ATV. Return to the coast in good time for one of Bali’s famous sunsets. Kuta Beach offers stunning ocean colors, but the island’s waterfront temples are majestic. Head north to Tanah Lot Temple, surrounded by rolling waves, or south to clifftop Uluwatu Temple, where you can watch a traditional kecak performance and dramatic fire dance.

Day 2: Volcanoes, Massage, and Coffee

Leave Kuta long before dawn to scale Mt. Batur, an active volcano, in time for a spectacular sunrise from the viewpoint. On a clear morning, you can see all the way to Mt. Rinjani on the neighboring island of Lombok. Cook eggs and bananas in volcanic steam for breakfast, surrounded by cheeky macaques. Shed the dust and soothe tired muscles in the hot springs that nestle beside Lake Batur, or return to south Bali for a classic Balinese massage in an indulgent spa. Be sure to stop at a coffee plantation along the way back to taste coffee, cacao, and spices as you discover the plant’s journey from bush to brew. Wrap up the day with a sunset dinner, either on an ocean cruise, on Jimbaran Beach, or closer to home on the beachfront in Kuta.

Day 3: Watery Wonders

Use your last day in Bali to get off the beaten track with a trip to less-visited north or east Bali. The seven stunning cascades that form Sekumpul Waterfall make for a dramatic hike, and trips often stop at Bedugul, home to sprawling botanic gardens and the lakeside temple Pura Ulun Danu Bratan. Even if you’ve never scuba dived before, you can experience the underwater world on a discovery dive to the USS Liberty shipwreck, a World War II transport ship that’s now home to a wealth of marine life. Alternatively, head to Bali’s most memorable Instagram spot, the “Gates of Heaven” at Lempuyang Temple, by way of tranquil Tirta Gangga Water Palace. Spend your last night discovering Bali’s nightlife scene. Pop up the road to Seminyak for glitzy beach clubs or party hard on a classic Kuta pub crawl.

Two days in Kuta—the beating heart of Bali’s tourist trade—is enough to get a decent taster of the island’s delights. If you plan ahead, you can explore ocean and jungle, see a fire dance, enjoy a classic Balinese massage, admire an ancient Hindu temple, and watch the sun rise from the top of an active volcano. Read on to find out how.

Day 1: Island Insider

Morning: The Indian Ocean is one of Bali’s great joys, and a surfing lesson on Kuta Beach is the perfect way to start the day. Alternatively, travel down to Tanjung Benoa, where offerings include Jet Skiing, banana boats, parasailing, jet-powered fly boarding, and the Seawalker helmet, which allows even nonswimmers to explore underwater.

Afternoon: Head inland for an adventure through Bali’s timeless rice-field landscapes. Race down the white waters of the Ayung River gorge on an inflatable raft, or roar through jungle, forest, villages, and fields on an ATV. Many tours include a stop at a coffee plantation, where you can learn the fine art of caffeine and sample spices and cacao.

Night: After an early dinner, return to the coast for a classic Bali sunset. Kuta Beach is an easy choice, but Tanah Lot Temple, to the north, offers sculpted beauty. Best of all is clifftop Uluwatu Temple, where sweeping ocean views pair with a mesmerizing kecak performance and a spectacular fire dance.

Day 2: Volcano Views

Morning: Start in the small hours for Mt. Batur, an active volcano in the heart of Bali. Hike by headlamp to the viewpoint, where monkeys and hot coffee await, then watch the rising sun reveal dramatic vistas across the island and beyond. Breakfast on eggs and bananas cooked in volcanic steam.

Afternoon: Recover from the climb in true Balinese style. Soak tired muscles and inhale lakeside views in the hot springs below Mt. Batur, or return to south Bali for an indulgent spa, where the trained hands of a Balinese massage therapist will ease the aches away and prepare you for the night ahead.

Night: Mark your last night on Bali with a dinner to remember. Set out on the ocean in time for sunset and feast on international fare as the coast glides by. Alternatively, unwind with a simple dinner on the beach. The seaside resort of Jimbaran is a classic choice for seafood, such as Indonesia’s signature ikan bakar (grilled fish).

Bali’s best-known tourist destination, bustling, vibrant Kuta sprawls along the island’s west coast, paralleling the broad expanse of Kuta Beach, a mecca for surfers since the early ‘70s. With a day in Kuta, you can experience the ocean, get out into the countryside, and soak up a gorgeous sunset, perhaps with a fire dance. Here’s how.

Morning: Balinese Beaches

Start the day by hitting one of Bali’s celebrated beaches. Learn the art of riding the waves on Kuta Beach itself: Modern foam surfboards are wide, stable, soft, and tailor-made for beginners. Or head down to Tanjung Benoa, Bali’s water-sports capital, to try your hand at ocean favorites from banana boats and Jet Skis to parasailing. Two signature Bali delights will be new to most. Try the Seawalker experience, where you stroll along the bottom of the sea breathing piped air through a helmet, or fly boarding, where you soar above the ocean on a jet-powered board.

Afternoon: Adrenaline Adventures

Say goodbye to the ocean and head inland for an adrenaline-filled afternoon in the rice fields, rivers, and jungles around Ubud. Take your pick between two classic Bali adventures: an ATV ride or white-water rafting. Thrill on the bumps, chill in the waterfalls, and soak up the timeless beauty as you raft the Ayung River gorge. Or race on a 4-wheel-drive vehicle through streams, bamboo forest, rice paddies, and villages. If time permits, make a stop at a coffee plantation to learn how coffee turns from a berry to a brew and taste coffee, cacao, and spices.

Night: Sunset in Bali

You’d be remiss to stay on Bali’s west coast without soaking up one of the island’s thermonuclear sunsets. The sun sinks into the ocean off Kuta Beach in a blaze of glory, but it’s worth seeking out a more spectacular location. The black lava towers of Tanah Lot Temple, a sea temple around 13 miles (21 kilometers) north of Kuta, make a classic choice. Alternatively, head farther south to clifftop Uluwatu Temple and pair the sunset with a traditional kecak performance and fire dance. Wrap up the night with Indonesian favorites such as nasi goreng (fried rice), satay, and ice-cold Bintang beer.