The article will be quite long! Only recommending interesting attractions, activities, and accommodations. Our group of 5 spent 9 days and 8 nights exploring Kuala Lumpur, Indonesian volcanoes, and Bali, averaging $800 per person. The entire itinerary is seamless, with no backtracking – truly fantastic!
Day 1: Early morning flight from Guangzhou ✈️ Kuala Lumpur. Arrived around 5 a.m., smoothly went through immigration after pre-arranging visas. Highly recommend taking the airport shuttle into the city [Thumbs Up]. It’s only around 10 RMB per person, and their buses are extremely comfortable. You can catch up on sleep on the way – so comfortable that you won’t mind a little longer ride! Take a taxi to the hotel 🏨 after arriving at KL Center and start exploring Kuala Lumpur.
Day 2: Continue exploring Kuala Lumpur.
Day 3: Morning flight from Kuala Lumpur ✈️ Surabaya. Pre-arranged airport pickup by Submarine Lombok. Once landed, a dedicated driver took us to Submarine Lombok for a meal. Afterward, the guide for the volcano tour picked us up and took us to the accommodation at the foot of Mount Bromo [You can check the guide recommendation earlier; we booked a 3D2N tour for both volcanoes].
Day 4: Started climbing by jeep at 2 a.m. Reached the summit around 10 a.m., back to the accommodation for breakfast, then headed towards Ijen.
Day 5: Departed at midnight to climb Ijen, finished around 9 a.m. Then, the guide took us to the southern dream pier to catch a boat to Bali. The boat ticket is around 10 RMB, and the journey is about an hour. After disembarking, took a taxi to the hotel in Lovina, ready for dolphin watching the next day. [To get a taxi to Lovina, inquire with the local drivers; it’s around $30 for a 4-seater, and for dolphin watching, negotiate with the boatmen at Lovina. It’s around $10 per person. If you want to swim with the dolphins, it’s around $18 per person].
Day 6: Morning dolphin watching, then pre-booked a 10-hour private car (7 seats, around $60) to take us to Ubud. Explore Ubud on our own, and in the evening, the driver took us to a hotel near Sanur Harbor.
Day 7: Nusa Penida Island West Tour + Snorkeling Day Trip. For 5 people, it’s better to charter a boat for snorkeling, around $70 per person.
Day 8: Pre-booked a 10-hour private car (7 seats, around $50), directly from Sanur to Uluwatu. Pandawa Beach is a must-visit; the cliff road is picturesque! After taking photos, go to Timbis Base for paragliding. The scenery here is the most beautiful! (Book online for around $55, includes 15 minutes + GoPro, make a reservation for 2 p.m.). Then continue to Sunday Beach Club [Thumbs Up] [Thumbs Up], it’s really amazing! Fun and relaxing, we stayed for 4 hours and felt it was too short. You can plan a whole day! Walk in without reservation!
Day 9: Booked a night flight, so you can sleep in naturally at the hotel during the day, then check out, take a taxi to the Kuta area for a massage, do some shopping, and then head to the airport!
This is roughly the itinerary! Below are hotel recommendations!
Average budget $15 per person
- Lovina Padmasari Resort. This hotel surprised us! Around $20 per person, including breakfast! Booked a garden family room, very nice, spacious room for just over $60 for four people! There is a beach and a swimming pool at the hotel, the whole style is very high-end! The hotel breakfast is rich and plentiful! Delicious and Instagrammable! There are many restaurants within 1 km near the hotel, but it’s not cost-effective; European and American prices [Sigh] dddd, better off eating at the hotel [Disappointed].
- Le Grande Bali. Who knows! Booked a 150 square meter suite for over $100, two bedrooms and a living room. The hotel is in a large hotel complex with security at the entrance, giving a five-star hotel feeling! The highlight is that after finishing Sunday Club, it takes less than 20 minutes to get there at night, and the next day to Kuta is only 40 minutes away. Taxis are also convenient! There are no convenience stores nearby, so you can buy snacks and drinks in advance! The hotel breakfast is $7 per person, but it’s really worth it, open until 11 a.m., can be considered lunch, and it’s a buffet with a wide variety! And it tastes good! Here, I experienced what a first-class hotel in Bali is like!
- Sanur Agung Suite. This place is around $10 per person, not luxurious, but clean, spacious, and tidy. The toilet is clean and large! The main reason for staying here is convenience to Nusa Penida Island; it’s a 7-minute walk from the hotel to the pier, so no need to get up early – very nice! There’s a KFC nearby, and there are also many eateries on the way to the pier!
- EC’s KLCC. This is our homestay in Kuala Lumpur, a two-bedroom, one living room, about a 20-minute walk from the Petronas Twin Towers. Generally, we use Grab for transportation, and the location is good for going anywhere! And there’s an infinity pool on the 48th floor! The photos are excellent!
For hotel bookings, you can compare several apps! Images are at the end!
