2018 Bali + Lembongan Island Trip: 5 Days 4 Nights Free Travel, Exhaustively Organized Practical Guide: Food, Fun, Transportation, Accommodation

1. Introduction

2. Introduction to Lembongan Island

3. Pre-trip Preparation

3.1 Transportation

3.2 Accommodation

3.3 Clothing

3.4 Expenses

4. Visa

5. Day 1 Itinerary

6. Day 2 Itinerary

7. Day 3 Itinerary

8. Day 4 Itinerary

9. Day 5 Itinerary

10. Summary

This Bali trip was in mid-December 2018, but I'm writing this travelogue in October 2020. Although two years have passed, I'll try to share all the details with you as much as possible.

Back then, we had been married less than a year and didn't have a baby yet, so we had plenty of time and freedom. Whenever we had a travel idea, we'd just go for it, only needing to do some simple planning. Now that we have a baby, it's completely different. Every trip requires extensive research on the destination and careful review of the chosen hotels.

Introduction to Lembongan Island:

Lembongan Island (Nusa Lembongan) is a small island southeast of Bali, Indonesia. The island's main industries are tourism and seaweed farming. Although it receives a large number of tourists every year, it hasn't been overdeveloped and commercialized like Bali. The island still preserves relatively pristine natural scenery, with coconut groves everywhere and turquoise waters. There are about 3,000 permanent residents living on the island, living in harmony, and the slow-paced life allows everyone to enjoy this secluded environment.

Pre-trip Preparation:

The main purpose of this trip was to visit Lembongan Island. The reason was that I had a 5-day holiday, so I could visit both Lembongan and Bali. And it's visa-free, which saves the cost and time of applying for a visa.

Lembongan Island isn't an absolutely popular travel destination, but it's not niche, secret, or off-the-beaten-path either. You can find plenty of travel introductions on various travel platforms, and many guides are very detailed.

Personally, I think a well-planned itinerary can save more time, allowing you to fully enjoy each trip. We planned to go directly to Lembongan Island upon arriving in Bali without stopping.

The pier to Lembongan Island is some distance from Bali's international airport. I don't recommend using local public transportation, including taxis, to avoid being overcharged on fares.

We booked a round-trip car + boat transfer on a travel platform in advance. The price was reasonable, and they had Chinese-speaking customer service, making communication very convenient. We only needed to provide our names, number of people, and flight arrival time. Then the customer service told us the pick-up point, time, and vehicle information.

We live in Bangkok, and there are multiple flights to Bali every day. We chose a morning flight, which was slightly more expensive, with a flight time of about 4 hours.

After arriving in Bali, we still needed to take a car to the pier, about 40 minutes.

The sea journey was by speedboat, about 30 minutes.

After landing on the island, a car picked us up and took us directly to the hotel. The return trip was the same.

So booking on the travel platform was really convenient.

Oh, by the way, our transportation on the island for those two days was a motorcycle rented from the hotel owner. The rental fee was $7 per day. You must wear a helmet and not speed. Safety first!!!

The hotel booked on the travel platform was quite nice, with relatively new facilities and a small swimming pool. It was close to the beach, about a 3-minute walk. The service was excellent, and the staff were very friendly.

Since we went in December, which is peak season, the price was higher than usual but still reasonable—less than 600 RMB per night, including breakfast for two. The usual price is about 300 RMB per night.

Breakfast wasn't a buffet; only fixed set meals were available. It was acceptable if you're not too picky. Drinks included coffee, tea, and juice. The coffee was locally produced in Bali and had a unique taste. Later, when we returned to Bali, we bought some as gifts for friends.

Another advantage of traveling in Southeast Asia is that you don't have to worry about the weather when packing clothes because it's summer all year round. Even if the temperature drops a bit, it's not cold. So, men can get by with shorts and T-shirts. Women should take lots of photos during trips, so they should bring more beautiful clothes.

Also, there are many mosquitoes and insects on the island, and they can be quite venomous. It's best to bring a long-sleeved shirt and long pants to avoid adverse reactions from bites.

Earlier, I was bitten by a small black fly (sandfly) on Koh Samet in Thailand, which caused an allergic reaction. My entire forearm swelled up, and it took about a month to improve. After that, I often developed hives, mainly on both sides of my ribs, which lasted about half a year before fully recovering.

Bangkok – Bali (round trip): about 700 RMB per person

Bali – Lembongan Island (round trip car + boat transfer): 150 RMB per person

Local transportation on Lembongan Island (motorcycle): $7 per day, about 45 RMB

Accommodation on Lembongan Island (Natural Villas): less than 600 RMB per night (two nights total)

Dining on Lembongan Island (lunch + dinner): about $50 per day for two people

Accommodation in Bali (Grand Hyatt Bali): 1,400 RMB per night, including breakfast for two (two nights total)

Local transportation in Bali: private car charter, $50 per car per day, limited to 8 hours, no distance limit.

Dining in Bali: Since we finished breakfast at the hotel almost at noon, we only had dinner. We ate at the hotel's restaurant, and dinner for two was about $120. We ordered some alcoholic drinks, so the price was slightly higher.

These are the main travel expenses for the 5-day, 4-night trip to Lembongan + Bali (including tips). The total for two people was less than 10,000 RMB. We also bought quite a few small gifts for friends locally, but I don't remember the exact amount.

We chose a morning flight from Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport direct to Bali, about 4 hours, arriving in Bali around 1 PM. After landing, we followed the signs to the visa-free channel. The queue wasn't long, and the process was fast; we waited about 20 minutes. We just handed our passports and boarding passes to the immigration officer—very simple.

We had about an hour before the pick-up time, so we had time to grab a simple lunch at a restaurant near the airport. Then we went to the pick-up point to wait for the driver.

The driver arrived promptly and was very helpful. After confirming our passenger information, he proactively loaded our luggage. We thought he might pick up other passengers elsewhere, but it turned out to be just the two of us.

After about 40 minutes, we arrived at the pier parking lot. It was another 5-minute walk to the pier. The driver still helped us with our luggage, took us to the pier, and even briefed the pier staff thoroughly. Big thumbs up for the driver!

At the pier, we waited about 20 minutes for all passengers to arrive. During this time, the pier staff reconfirmed each passenger's personal information and the hotel on Lembongan Island, then gave each of us a sticker with the hotel name, so the pick-up staff on the island could find us easily.

All passengers arrived, and we set off! Then came the speedboat show! Although the wind and waves weren't huge, it was still very bumpy. As for the scenery… well, nothing much, just seawater constantly splashing onto our faces.

30 minutes later, as the engine sound gradually faded, the view of Lembongan Island became clearer. After a long day of travel, we finally arrived, and seeing this scenery immediately lifted our spirits.

As the speedboat approached the beach, the drivers on the pier were already holding up hotel signs. We got off, grabbed our luggage, followed the driver, and within 10 minutes we were at the hotel. The hotel staff were already waiting for us at the entrance.

First came a warm greeting: "How are you? Where are you from? You must be tired from the journey," etc. Then they helped us with our luggage.

After confirming our names and check-in dates, they recorded our passport information. Then they briefly introduced the hotel's facilities, services, and breakfast times.

This hotel was overall quite good, both in facilities and service, as well as location. It was a 2-3 minute walk to the beach. The only thing I didn't like was the outdoor bathroom and toilet. Actually, we booked this hotel originally because it seemed special. But after experiencing it, we found it very inconvenient, mainly because of the many mosquitoes and insects. Especially at night, going to the toilet required great courage. If you're afraid of insects, never book a hotel with outdoor bathrooms and toilets. Never!

Since we had woken up very early and been traveling for so long, we were exhausted, so we rested in the room for a while.

Around 5 PM, when the sun wasn't so strong, we took a walk on the beach and then had a simple dinner at a nearby restaurant.

We ordered a pizza, a salad, and two cocktails. After the meal fee, service charge, and tax, it was about $40.

The next morning at breakfast, we asked the hotel staff about snorkeling. It turned out that this staff member's uncle (we didn't know if it was uncle or uncle-in-law) had a wooden fishing boat and could take us out to sea. He also introduced the places we could visit. The cost was $40 for half a day, three spots + snorkeling. This price was really a good deal. So we immediately booked the trip after breakfast.

Before we even finished breakfast, the captain had already arrived at the hotel to wait for us. That was fast, haha...

After boarding, the captain didn't hand out life jackets. It was a bit cloudy when we set off, and the waves were quite large. The small boat rocked up and down, left and right. At that moment, I was scared stiff, tightly gripping the handrails.

The old captain was very enthusiastic. He first took us to see 'Devil's Tears' from a different perspective on the sea. Then we continued towards the first snorkeling spot.

We arrived, and the boat stopped.

The first snorkeling spot was a small island south of Lembongan called Ceningan Island.

The old captain gave each of us a mask and told us we could jump in. Simple and straightforward communication—I liked it.

The depth was only about 3–5 meters, and the water was crystal clear. We could clearly see the coral and sea cucumbers below. Then the old captain took out some bread and told us to feed the fish. As soon as the bread hit the water, a swarm of fish rushed over, scaring me so much that I let go. Although the fish were only a bit bigger than the palm of a hand, having dozens of them swimming around me was a bit unsettling. Occasionally, larger fish would swim by, about the size of an adult's body.

After playing for nearly an hour, we got a bit tired. We got back on the boat, and the old captain took us to the next snorkeling spot. The difference here was that we could see clownfish.

The last spot was a mangrove forest tour in the northeastern part of Lembongan. Since the water in the mangroves was shallow, we switched to a small boat, and the captain used a long bamboo pole to push the boat forward.

The mangrove area was large, but the actual tour only took about half an hour. Along the way, the captain introduced some unique plants there.

I think the captain was a foodie like me. While rowing, he suddenly jumped to the shore, crouched down, and pressed both hands on the ground. We wondered what was going on, and then he caught a crab, quite a big one. He grinned and told us he'd have seafood for dinner tonight. Haha... quite humorous.

After the mangrove tour, the trip ended, and the old captain took us back to the hotel. The whole trip took about 3.5 hours, basically circling Lembongan and Ceningan Islands entirely.

Back at the hotel, we first washed off the seawater, rested a bit, and had a simple lunch. Then we started our afternoon itinerary.

For the afternoon, we used a motorcycle for transportation, rented from the hotel staff. Usually, hotels offer motorcycle rental services and strictly require wearing helmets—a very good practice.

We picked a motorcycle that looked the best and headed to Devil's Tears. We had already seen it from the sea in the morning, but honestly, the angle wasn't great. So we wanted to check it out on land.

We roughly knew the location and headed in that direction. Since Lembongan is small, we couldn't get lost. Devil's Tears is the most famous spot on Lembongan and a must-visit for tourists. There are many signposts on the island, so it's easy to find.

P.S. I've read news reports that every year a few tourists accidentally fall down at Devil's Tears. Sigh, probably not good.

After hanging around for a while and taking some photos, we left. But we didn't have any other spots to see, so we simply decided to ride around the island. And I must say, we gained a lot along the way. We saw the locals' seaweed farms and even went to Ceningan Island for a spin.

In the morning, we circled the islands by sea; in the afternoon, we circled them by motorcycle. Not bad, not bad!

Back at the hotel, we rested a bit and then went to the same restaurant as the previous night for dinner.

Day 2 finally ended. We were exhausted like dogs. Showered, and went to bed early. Good night.

Finally, it was time to leave Lembongan Island.

We had no plans for sightseeing on the island today. After breakfast, we packed our luggage. With the help of the hotel staff, the pick-up driver arrived on time, and we aimed to leave the island before noon.

I suggest that when traveling to Lembongan, don't book a day tour unless your overall itinerary is very tight. The reason is that making a round trip in one day is too exhausting, and you can't fully enjoy the relaxing slow pace.

Also, don't just stay one night, because you arrive around noon and leave around noon, leaving insufficient time to explore the island's attractions. Honestly, that's even worse than a day trip.

It's best to stay two nights on the island. That way, you have ample time to visit multiple spots and also find a small bar on Mushroom Beach, sit facing the sea, have a drink, and truly enjoy this secluded environment.

Boarding the departing speedboat, the engine sound grew louder, and as the buildings on the shore faded away, I suddenly felt a bit reluctant. It wasn't that I loved this place so much, but rather that I didn't want to face the end of a trip, nor did I want to return to the daily life and work. Is this a form of escape from reality?

Back in Bali, the pick-up driver was already waiting for us at the pier. We grabbed our luggage, got in the car, and started our Bali trip.

The hotels from the previous nights were small private ones, and although the facilities and service were good, they were still dozens of streets away from a five-star international brand hotel.

After a 40-minute drive, we finally arrived at Grand Hyatt Bali. The hotel is located in the Nusa Dua area of Bali, considered an affluent district. There are many five-star hotels, shopping malls, and restaurants nearby, making it very convenient.

As soon as we arrived at the hotel, the sea breeze greeted us, followed by a warm welcome from the concierge. The bright and spacious lobby directly overlooked the beach and sea, instantly lifting our spirits.

We had no plans for the day. After checking in, we planned to rest in the room for a while, since we hadn't slept well at the previous hotel on Lembongan.

While lounging on the sofa and scrolling through my Moments, I saw that a good friend was also vacationing in Bali. After chatting, we found out we were staying at the same hotel—what a coincidence!

We immediately arranged a drinking party! Since everyone planned to just hang around the hotel, we found a restaurant on-site for some light food, mainly to drink! Drink! Drink! Haha...

So we chatted and drank until 2 AM...

Even though we had partied until late, I was still fairly clear-headed and didn't have a hangover the next morning. After breakfast, we went sightseeing.

We booked a private car charter online in advance. The driver could communicate in English, was very helpful, and proactively warned us about tourist traps at certain spots.

Bali is actually quite large. To avoid wasting unnecessary time on the road, we focused our day's itinerary around Ubud.

First, we went to Ubud Palace.

Ubud Palace is the residence of the Sukawati royal family, built in the 16th century. It's open to visitors from 09:00 to 17:00, with no entrance fee.

The palace is small; if you just take a few photos, you can finish in about 10 minutes. There's nothing particularly special or Instagrammable about it. Before we went, we had read some travel guides online, many of which mentioned that Ubud Palace isn't a must-visit. We went just to join the crowd.

Tip: Ubud Palace has no entrance fee.

Next was Ubud Market, located across the street to the left of Ubud Palace, about a 2-minute walk. Compared to the palace, the market is much more popular with tourists. It sells a dazzling array of goods, including many local handicrafts. It's a great place to find souvenirs to bring home.

Almost all shop owners can speak simple Chinese and can instantly tell if we are Chinese. They warmly invite tourists into their shops. If a tourist shows interest in an item, the owner proactively lowers the price a bit to appear sincere, while secretly laughing inside.

These are common tricks around tourist attractions. Although the owner lowers the price, you should still have a price in mind and offer something even lower. Then every owner will have the same reaction: they pretend to be angry and fierce, saying their products are of the highest quality and their prices are the cheapest on the street. Your offered price doesn't match the product's value and insults their goods.

Many Chinese tourists get scared when the owners get angry and end up buying. At that point, the trap is already set. Cash in hand, goods delivered. The moment the owner receives the money, their face changes from cloudy to sunny, beaming with genuine happiness, completely unable to hide the joy of having successfully "killed a pig" (scammed a customer).

However, the owners also have their unlucky moments, like when they met me. My wife fell in love with two handwoven bamboo bags. The owner thought she had the upper hand and said the total was $120, and proactively offered a discount to $115. Then I said it was too expensive and offered $35 total. The owner's volume instantly doubled, and she began her act. First, she put on a displeased face and said $100, no lower.

We decisively walked towards the door, intending to look for the same bags at other shops. At that moment, the owner continued to put on a sour face, telling us that no other shop on the street would offer this price. We checked out other shops, but the same bags had quality issues. Eventually, we returned to the original shop. When she saw us come back, she immediately put on a sour face again, but she's a businessperson, not an actor, so she couldn't hide it completely.

In the next few rounds of bargaining, I continued to be thick-skinned, grinding away, flattering the owner while sending some compliments. The owner seemed to have never encountered such an experience in her sales history. She began to buckle, perhaps because her bag of tricks was limited and she didn't know what to do next.

Finally, we reached a deal at $45. The moment she received the money, the owner finally showed a genuine smile, but couldn't hide her disappointment at failing to "kill the pig."

We used the same shameless approach at a few more shops and successfully bought some handmade items we liked.

Next stop: Ubud Rice Terraces. A purely outdoor attraction, paired with the famous Instagram-worthy giant swing, has become a must-visit for countless young men and women. In reality, it's just a large expanse of rice terraces with nothing special. Luckily, it had just rained, so it wasn't too hot, or else we would have died halfway.

When the driver dropped us off at the parking lot, he pointed the direction to the terraces and said we could go on our own. After the tour, we would return to the same spot.

We followed the slippery steps, step by step into the terraces. The muddy paths made every step an imprint. Finally, we reached a relatively central spot, but after looking around, we still thought the view from above was more beautiful. Anyway, since we had come this far, we had to finish what we started, even if it was tough.

Tip: Friends visiting Ubud Rice Terraces should wear long pants and long sleeves, as there are many plants and insects around. Be sure to prepare for bites.

Ubud Rice Terraces also has no entrance fee. The giant swing costs $7 upwards, with varying prices at different stalls; bargaining is possible.

Our last stop was Tirta Empul Temple.

Approximately 90% of Indonesia's population is Muslim, but in Bali, almost everyone practices Hinduism. Tirta Empul is one of the most famous temples locally, with a history of over 1,000 years, and a popular tourist attraction. Unlike other spots, there is no noisy commotion here. Every visitor comes with reverence, and the tranquil atmosphere makes this ancient temple even more sacred.

For centuries, spring water has continuously surged from underground to the surface. The brick walls are covered in moss, exuding a sense of history, as if conveying its mysterious experiences.

Following the signs, we arrived at a large pool. The water was crystal clear, revealing many springs at the bottom continuously bubbling up. There were many koi fish in the pool, and stalls on the shore sold fish food at low prices.

Entrance fee: 15,000 Indonesian Rupiah (about 7 RMB).

Tip: Tirta Empul Temple is a very sacred place with dress code requirements for visitors. The upper body must not bare shoulders, and must not be too revealing; the lower body must cover the knees. Sarongs are available for free at the entrance; you must wear one before entering. After the visit, return the sarong.

I highly recommend Tirta Empul Temple.

Today's itinerary finally ended. Although it wasn't a full-day schedule, I still felt quite tired. Maybe the party from the previous night was a bit too wild. On the way back to the hotel, I even dozed off a little. By then, my appetite had greatly diminished, and I had no desire to visit any Instagram-famous restaurants. Actually, I wasn't interested in local cuisine either.

Later, we got some KFC near the hotel. I personally liked the taste here. I'm not sure if it's due to religious dietary culture, but the fried chicken was delicious and very well-seasoned.

Today's schedule is completely over!

The trip was basically coming to an end. Today we were going back to Bangkok to return to the daily grind.

We took a bit longer at breakfast this morning because we had no sightseeing plans, so we could enjoy a leisurely meal at the hotel. Looking at the beach outside the window and reflecting on the past few days, I concluded: happy times are truly short.

No matter how much we hated to leave, we still had to face the daily urban life.

What we didn't want to leave was the freedom from work worries. But what we had to face was life—to strive and work hard for a better quality of life. Ironically, we work like crazy just to exchange it for moments of peace and quiet. Why not just find a quiet village to settle down in and solve everything? Why bother with all the fuss? Who can answer this seemingly simple yet complex question???

With lazy steps, we returned to the room to pack. We had an afternoon flight direct to Bangkok, so we needed to check out before noon and start our return journey.

After a 4-hour flight, we finally returned to Bangkok. Although this isn't the place where I was born and raised, its inclusiveness gives us a strong sense of belonging. Maybe that's one of the reasons many people love Thailand.

The moment the plane touched down, our 5-day, 4-night Bali trip came to an end.

Five days and four nights were not a lot of time, but everything went smoothly. We did everything we wanted to do, visited all the places we planned to visit, and had no regrets.

Personally, I'm not a fan of Balinese cuisine. To put it bluntly, I'm not used to it. I've seen many online guides mentioning the same thing. After all, food is a matter of personal taste.

Regarding the itinerary, I suggest preparing in advance, reading more guides to avoid traps and detours. There are countless travelogues and guides about Bali online, each with its own strengths, offering different perspectives on travel information and itineraries.

Lembongan Island: Probably won't go again, as I don't have much attachment to it. Also, now we have a baby, so trips that involve too much travel hassle aren't suitable.

Bali: The chance of going again is slim. If I do go, I'd find a nice hotel and just focus on relaxing there. But since we live in Thailand, we can easily fulfill that kind of resort vacation here.

Finally, I still recommend that if you plan to go to Bali, you should arrange some time to visit Lembongan Island. The seawater is very clear, and it truly is a paradise.