Bali in 3 days

The world's most-loved digital-nomad island - if you know which side to stay on. Best time to visit: April-October (dry season). Average daily budget: $40 to $90 USD.

Land, settle in Canggu

Morning: Land at DPS. Pre-book a transfer (250,000 IDR), taxi mafia at the airport.

Afternoon: Drop bags. Scooter rental, sunset walk on Berawa beach.

Evening: Warung dinner at Warung Bu Mi. Early bed, surf at sunrise tomorrow.

Eat: Nasi campur at any roadside warung, 25,000 IDR ($1.60) and life-changing.

Surf + Canggu cafés

Morning: Surf lesson at Old Man's break (350,000 IDR for 2 hours).

Afternoon: Smoothie bowl at Crate. Coworking at Outpost or Tropical Nomad.

Evening: Sunset at La Brisa beach club. Live music at Old Man's.

Eat: Babi guling (suckling pig) at Ibu Oka in Ubud, Anthony Bourdain's pick.

Tanah Lot + last Canggu day

Morning: Slow morning. Yoga at Samadi or Serenity.

Afternoon: Scooter to Tanah Lot temple at sunset (45 min).

Evening: Dinner at Mason. Cocktails at La Favela.

Eat: Smoothie bowl at Crate Café in Canggu, the OG nomad breakfast.

Hidden gems

Sidemen Valley - Ubud 20 years ago, no tourists.
Amed for diving on a budget.
Munduk waterfalls in the highlands.
Warung Bu Mi in Ubud - best $2 nasi campur on the island.
Nyang Nyang beach, Uluwatu's secret 200-step descent, almost always empty.
Bias Tugel beach near Padang Bai, 5-min walk, white sand, snorkelling.
Tibumana waterfall, quieter than Tegenungan, easier path, jungle pool.

Getting around

Rent a scooter ($5/day) - but only if you're confident. Wear a real helmet, get an International Driving Permit (police checks happen), and never ride without travel insurance. Otherwise, GoJek and Grab cars are cheap and air-conditioned, but banned in some areas (Ubud centre, Canggu's main strips) due to local taxi mafias. Drivers can be hired by the day for $40-50. Don't try to drive Canggu → Ubud during rush hour (5-7pm) unless you enjoy 90-minute crawls.

Safety

Bali is generally very safe. The biggest risks are scooter accidents (wear a helmet, get travel insurance, Bali is the world's #1 travel-insurance claim destination), stomach bugs in the first week (drink only sealed water and ice from cafés, not warungs), and Bali belly. Solo travel is extremely common here, solo female travellers report Bali as one of Asia's easiest destinations. Watch for monkey theft at Uluwatu temple and sacred sites.

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