Day-by-day routes from our team in Selat, each with 2 to 3 nights in East Bali.
Updated November 2026
These plans pair Ubud with East Bali, because the drive between them is about 90 minutes and the two areas feel very different. Our home, Camaya, in Selat near Sidemen, is about 2 hours from the airport. Move base no more than every 2 to 3 nights, because Bali’s roads are slow.
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Five, seven or ten days can all work, if you limit how often you move. Ten days lets you add the beaches of the south coast. Lonely Planet suggests two weeks as an ideal first trip (Lonely Planet).
We built all three plans the same way: Ubud for temples, rice terraces and food, then a stay with us in East Bali for quiet valleys, Mount Agung views and the big sights of the east, such as Tirta Gangga and Lempuyang. We live and work here, so the East Bali days are the ones we tell our own guests about.
Drives in Bali take longer than the map suggests. Lonely Planet warns that “it’s easy to underestimate distances in Bali” and that traffic jams are common in the south and centre of the island (Lonely Planet). The US CDC also advises travelling in daylight in rural areas (CDC), so plan transfers for the morning or early afternoon.
| Route | Drive time | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Airport to Ubud | About 1 to 1.5 hours, often longer in afternoon traffic | VisitUbud |
| Ubud to Camaya | About 90 minutes | Camaya |
| Camaya to Sidemen | About 20 minutes | Camaya |
| Camaya to Tukad Cepung Waterfall | About 35 minutes | Camaya |
| Camaya to Tirta Gangga | About 40 minutes | Camaya |
| Camaya to Amed | About 75 minutes | Camaya |
| Camaya to Lempuyang Temple | About 75 minutes | Camaya |
| Camaya to the airport | About 2 hours | Camaya |
| Airport to Uluwatu | About 45 to 90 minutes | Bali VIP Journey |
Camaya tip: Check-out is at 12 PM and the drive to the airport takes about 2 hours, so an afternoon or evening flight fits best on your last day. Allow extra time for traffic and ceremonies on the road.
This 5-day plan uses two bases, Ubud and East Bali, with one move between them.
Best for: a short first trip, or a few days added to a work trip. You get Ubud’s culture and East Bali’s countryside with only one move.
Day 1: Arrive and head to Ubud Land at Ngurah Rai airport and drive to Ubud, about 1 to 1.5 hours (VisitUbud). Keep the first evening easy: a walk and an early dinner.
Day 2: Ubud Go early to the Tegallalang rice terraces, about 10 km north of Ubud (Wikipedia). In the afternoon, visit the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary in town. Its own guidelines ask visitors not to feed or touch the monkeys and to keep loose items and food packed away (Monkey Forest Ubud).
Day 3: Ubud to East Bali Drive about 90 minutes to Camaya in Selat. Check-in is from 3 PM. Book the sauna and cold plunge, which is free for our guests with at least 60 minutes’ notice, then have dinner at Camaya Terrace.
Day 4: A full day in East Bali Choose one:
Day 5: Sunrise and departure Join our guide for the Sunda Hill sunrise walk, about 2 hours in total. Have breakfast, check out by 12 PM and drive about 2 hours to the airport.
If you would rather stay in one place, you can skip Ubud and stay 4 nights with us. The airport is about 2 hours away, and Ubud is close enough for a long day trip.
This 7-day plan still uses two bases, with more free time in each.
Best for: first-timers and couples who want time to rest between outings. Three nights in each place means no day is spent only in the car.
Day 1: Arrive and head to Ubud Drive from the airport to Ubud, about 1 to 1.5 hours (VisitUbud).
Day 2: Rice terraces and the Monkey Forest Morning at the Tegallalang rice terraces (Wikipedia). Afternoon at the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary (Monkey Forest Ubud).
Day 3: Water temple and a slow afternoon Visit Tirta Empul, a water temple near Tampaksiring founded around a holy spring in 962 AD, where Balinese Hindus come for ritual purification (Wikipedia). Dress modestly and follow the temple’s rules if you join the bathing. Keep the afternoon free.
Day 4: Ubud to East Bali Drive about 90 minutes to Camaya. Check in from 3 PM, then try the sauna and cold plunge before dinner at Camaya Terrace.
Day 5: Rice fields and silver Morning: our 2-hour guided walk through the rice fields around Camaya, returning through the village. Afternoon: make your own silver rings with Agung Silver in Sidemen, a short drive away. Read more in our Sidemen guide.
Day 6: The big sights of the east Full-day tour to Tirta Gangga (about 40 minutes) and Lempuyang Temple (about 75 minutes). Lempuyang’s “Gates of Heaven” photo spot can have queues of several hours (news.com.au), so ask us about the best time to go. In the evening, book a private dinner in our hilltop bamboo pod.
Day 7: Floating breakfast and departure Start with a floating breakfast in your house’s heated jacuzzi (in Sayang’s small private dipping pool; not offered in Nirvana). Check out by 12 PM. The airport is about 2 hours away.
Camaya tip: Swap Day 6 for Amed if you would rather be in the water. Amed is about 75 minutes from Camaya, and at Jemeluk Bay you can snorkel straight from the beach (BaliGenie).
This 10-day plan adds a third base on the south coast for beaches and sunsets.
Best for: a first big trip or a honeymoon. Three bases, three nights each, and a calm last stop before the flight home.
Day 1: Arrive and head to the south coast Drive to Uluwatu on the Bukit Peninsula, about 45 to 90 minutes from the airport (Bali VIP Journey). Rest.
Day 2: Beaches A slow beach day. Swim only in designated areas and follow the lifeguards’ flags, as the CDC advises (CDC). Currents change, so ask locally each day.
Day 3: Uluwatu Temple and the Kecak dance Uluwatu Temple stands on a cliff about 70 metres above the sea (Wikipedia). The Kecak fire dance is performed in the amphitheatre every evening around sunset (Uluwatu Temple). Arrive early for a seat.
Evening walk in town.
Day 5: Rice terraces and the Monkey Forest Tegallalang in the morning (Wikipedia), the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary in the afternoon (Monkey Forest Ubud).
Day 6: Tirta Empul and a free afternoon Tirta Empul water temple (Wikipedia), then rest.
Day 7: Ubud to East Bali About 90 minutes to Camaya. Check in from 3 PM, sauna and cold plunge, dinner at Camaya Terrace.
Day 8: Sunrise, rice fields and Sidemen Sunda Hill sunrise walk with our guide (about 2 hours), breakfast, then an afternoon in Sidemen: the Agung Silver ring workshop or a walk through the terraces. See our Sidemen guide.
Day 9: East Bali day trip or rafting Choose a full-day tour to Tirta Gangga and Lempuyang, a half day at Tukad Cepung Waterfall (about 35 minutes away), or white water rafting on the Telaga Waja river (about 4 hours in total, suitable for beginners, with transport, equipment and lunch included). End with a couples massage.
Day 10: Departure Breakfast, check out by 12 PM and drive about 2 hours to the airport.
Prefer to finish on the beach? We can arrange the transfer.
All drive times are from Camaya. We arrange each of these as a tour. Prices are for 1 to 4 people, include 21% tax and service, and do not include entrance fees.
| Day trip | Drive from Camaya | Our tour price | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sidemen village and terraces | 20 minutes | Not a tour; we can book a driver | See our Sidemen guide |
| Tukad Cepung Waterfall | 35 minutes | IDR 475,000 | Half or full day |
| Tirta Gangga water palace | 40 minutes | IDR 475,000 | Pools, fountains and stone carvings |
| Besakih Temple | IDR 475,000 | The largest temple complex on Bali, on Mount Agung | |
| Taman Ujung water palace | IDR 475,000 | Former palace of the Karangasem region | |
| Lempuyang Temple | 75 minutes | IDR 725,000 (full day) | Expect queues at the Gates of Heaven |
| Amed | 75 minutes | Transfer IDR 700,000 | Snorkelling from the beach at Jemeluk Bay |
| Mount Batur sunrise trek | IDR 1,700,000 for 1 person, IDR 2,600,000 for 4 | Starts in the early hours; guide and entrance included | |
| White water rafting, Telaga Waja river | IDR 600,000 per person | About 4 hours in total, lunch included |
Prices in IDR, including tax and service.
For more on each place, see our East Bali guide.
Bali’s rainy season usually runs from November to April, with January and February the wettest months in Karangasem, the regency Camaya is in (Wikipedia: Karangasem Regency). In the Sidemen valley, mornings tend to be clearer and mist often arrives in the afternoon (Discover Bali).
So in the wet months, put walks, temples and sunrise trips in the morning and keep afternoons for the spa, a flower bath or a long lunch. Our rainy season guide has more detail.
Book a private driver for each transfer and for day trips. Every stay at Camaya includes one scooter, but if you are not an experienced rider, take a car: the CDC advises travellers to avoid motorbikes and notes that many crashes are caused by inexperienced riders (CDC).
Our transfer and driver prices, including 21% tax and service:
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Airport to or from Camaya | IDR 700,000 |
| Ubud centre to or from Camaya | IDR 450,000 |
| North Ubud or Tegallalang to or from Camaya | IDR 600,000 |
| Seminyak or Kuta to or from Camaya | IDR 600,000 |
| Uluwatu or Nusa Dua to or from Camaya | IDR 700,000 |
| Sanur to or from Camaya | IDR 450,000 |
| Amed to or from Camaya | IDR 700,000 |
| Half-day driver (5 hours) | IDR 600,000 |
| Full-day driver (9 hours) | IDR 1,000,000 |
Prices in IDR, including tax and service.
For Ubud and the south coast, our where to stay in Bali guide compares the areas honestly.
For East Bali, Camaya has seven open-air bamboo houses and one Balinese cottage in Padangaji, Selat, East Bali. Breakfast and free Wi-Fi are included. Most of our guests are couples, and guests must be 12 or older.
Please know before you book: our houses have no air conditioning. They have fans and mosquito nets over every bed, and nights in the valley are cool. Because the houses are open to nature, you may meet insects, geckos and sometimes snakes; our geckos, bugs and snakes guide explains what to expect.
You can, but you will spend much of the day in the car. Camaya is about 90 minutes from Ubud, and Lempuyang and Amed are each about another 75 minutes from us. Staying in the east for a few nights cuts the driving.
Either works. Finishing in East Bali keeps your last drive to about 2 hours to the airport. Finishing on the beach gives you a lazy last few days; we can arrange the transfer from Camaya.
Plan outdoor trips for the morning. From November to April, afternoon rain and mist are common, and mornings are usually clearer. Month-by-month figures are in our Bali rainy season guide.
About 2 hours from Ngurah Rai airport and about 90 minutes from Ubud. Sidemen is 20 minutes from Camaya.
A driver is the easiest way to make the transfers and the East Bali day trips. We can book a driver for guests: a half day (5 hours) is IDR 600,000 and a full day (9 hours) is IDR 1,000,000, both incl. tax and service. Every stay at Camaya also includes one scooter, if you are an experienced rider.
Yes. If you would rather stay in one place, you can base yourself with us. The airport is about 2 hours away, and Ubud is close enough for a long day trip (about 90 minutes each way).