The biggest mistake first-timers make in Bali is moving hotels every 2 days. Ubud 2 nights, Canggu 2 nights, Uluwatu 2 nights, Nusa Penida 1 night. You spend 60% of your trip packing, checking in, stuck in traffic with your backpack, and arguing with drivers.

Smart travelers in 2026 do it differently. They base in one place and do day trips. And the best base for day trips in Bali is not Ubud, not Seminyak, not Uluwatu. It is Berawa, Canggu.

Why? Because Berawa is in the exact center of Bali's south. From Aviator Bali Apartment Hotel at Jl. Tegal Sari Gang Kana No.59, Berawa, Canggu, you can reach everywhere with the least traffic.

Here is the complete day trip guide from Berawa that saves you from moving hotels.

DAY TRIP #1: Ubud - The Cultural Heart (1 Hour 15 Mins from Berawa)

Everyone thinks Ubud is far. From Berawa, it is 1 hour 15 mins if you leave at 7 AM before traffic. If you stay in Uluwatu, Ubud is 2.5 hours.

What to do in Ubud as day trip from Berawa:

6:30 AM: Leave Berawa. Use GoCar or private driver (Rp 600k for whole day including car + driver + fuel). We organize this at Aviator Bali daily. Take shortcut via Seseh - Munggu - Mengwi to avoid Canggu - Denpasar traffic. This shortcut saves 30 mins.

8:00 AM: Arrive in Ubud, breakfast at Room4Dessert or Clear Cafe.

8:30 AM - 10:00 AM: Tegallalang Rice Terrace. Go early before crowds and heat. 10 minutes from Ubud center.

10:30 AM - 12:00 PM: Monkey Forest or Saraswati Temple + Ubud Market. Monkey Forest is touristy but fun for first time. Don't bring plastic bag, monkeys grab it.

12:00 PM - 1:30 PM: Lunch at Locavore or Hujan Locale for fancy, or Warung Babi Guling Pak Malen for local.

2:00 PM - 3:30 PM: Tirta Empul Water Temple or Goa Gajah. Tirta Empul is holy spring water temple where you do purification. Very spiritual, less touristy than expected if you go at 2 PM.

4:00 PM: Leave Ubud, back to Berawa by 5:30 PM. Sunset at Berawa Beach (2 mins from Aviator Bali). You get Ubud culture but you sleep in Berawa with pool, kitchen, and no jungle humidity and mosquitoes.

You saw Ubud without moving hotels and without carrying backpack.

DAY TRIP #2: Uluwatu & South Bali - Beaches & Temples (1 Hour from Berawa)

Uluwatu is famous for cliffs, beaches, and Uluwatu Temple with monkeys.

From Berawa, Uluwatu is 1 hour if you take shortcut via Jimbaran - Ungasan. From Ubud, Uluwatu is 2 hours.

Routine:

7:00 AM: Leave Berawa.

8:00 AM: Arrive at Padang Padang Beach or Thomas Beach. Thomas Beach is hidden gem, 200 steps down cliff, white sand, turquoise water, almost no people at 8 AM. Much better than crowded Padang Padang.

10:00 AM: Single Fin or Sunday Beach Club for coffee with cliff view.

11:30 AM: Uluwatu Temple. Go before 12 PM to avoid heat. Watch monkeys but hold your glasses and phone tight, monkeys steal.

1:00 PM: Lunch at Drifter or The Loft Uluwatu.

2:30 PM: Leave Uluwatu, back to Berawa by 3:30 PM. Work or gym at Bambu Fitness (2 mins from Aviator Bali).

5:30 PM: Sunset at Berawa Beach, not Uluwatu. Why? Uluwatu sunset is crowded and you have to drive back in dark with crazy traffic. Berawa sunset is 2 mins from your apartment, safe, and you can walk home.

DAY TRIP #3: Waterfalls - Sekumpul & Banyumala (1.5 Hours from Berawa)

North Bali waterfalls are stunning but far. But doable as day trip if you base in Berawa and leave early.

5:30 AM: Leave Berawa. Yes early, but worth it. Private driver Rp 700k whole day.

7:30 AM: Arrive at Banyumala Twin Waterfall. Most beautiful waterfall in Bali. 20 minutes trek down, you get twin waterfalls with natural pool. At 7:30 AM, you are alone. At 10 AM, 100 tourists arrive.

9:30 AM: Sekumpul Waterfall, 15 mins from Banyumala. Biggest waterfall in Bali.

11:30 AM: Lunch at local warung with view of lake.

1:00 PM: Ulun Danu Beratan Lake Temple on the way back. Iconic temple on lake.

3:30 PM: Back in Berawa. Pool time at Aviator Bali.

If you stayed in Ubud, waterfalls are closer (1 hour), but you lose beach and gyms. If you base in Berawa, you can do waterfalls as day trip and still have beach lifestyle daily.

DAY TRIP #4: Nusa Penida - The Instagram Island (Day Trip is Enough)

Nusa Penida is overrated for staying overnight. It has no good infrastructure, no ATMs, bad roads, and power cuts. Day trip is enough.

5:00 AM: Leave Berawa to Sanur Port (45 mins). Fast boat to Nusa Penida (45 mins).

7:00 AM: Arrive Nusa Penida. Rent scooter or car there.

7:30 AM - 12:00 PM: Kelingking Beach, Diamond Beach, Broken Beach. Go early before 1000 tourists arrive at 10 AM from other boats.

12:30 PM: Lunch.

2:00 PM: Boat back to Sanur, back to Berawa by 4 PM.

You saw Nusa Penida without staying overnight in a bad hotel with no AC.

DAY TRIP #5: Sidemen & East Bali - The Real Bali No Tourists Know (1.5 Hours from Berawa)

This is hidden gem for long-stay people in Berawa. Sidemen is like Ubud 20 years ago. Rice terraces, Mount Agung view, no tourists.

6:00 AM: Leave Berawa.

7:30 AM: Arrive Sidemen. Trek 2 hours through rice terraces with local guide (Rp 150k).

10:00 AM: Visit Tirta Gangga Water Palace.

11:30 AM: Lunch at Samanvaya with Agung view.

1:30 PM: Back to Berawa by 3 PM.

WHY BERAWA IS THE BEST BASE FOR ALL DAY TRIPS

Geography.

If you stay in Ubud, every beach day trip is 2-2.5 hours one way.

If you stay in Uluwatu, every Ubud/waterfall trip is 2-2.5 hours one way.

If you stay in Berawa, you are in the middle:

• Ubud: 1h15m
• Uluwatu: 1h
• Sanur Port (to Nusa Penida): 45m
• Airport: 25 mins via shortcut (3 mins from Aviator Bali to shortcut)
• Waterfalls: 1.5h
• Sidemen: 1.5h
• 
  

You save 1-2 hours per day trip. Over 5 day trips, you save 10 hours. That is a whole extra day in Bali.

And because you stay in an apartment hotel like Aviator Bali with kitchen, workspace, pool, and daily housekeeping, you have a real base to come home to. You don't live out of backpack. You have your clothes in wardrobe, your food in fridge, your work setup, and your scooter parked securely.

You leave at 6 AM for day trip, you come home at 5 PM to your own apartment, you cook dinner, you sleep in your own bed. No packing, no checking in, no new hotel with bad WiFi.

That is how smart travelers do Bali in 2026. One base in Berawa, day trips everywhere.

Aviator Bali - Apartment Hotel, Berawa, Canggu
Jl. Tegal Sari Gang Kana No.59, Berawa, Canggu, Bali 80363
Your base camp for all of Bali. Private driver, scooter rental, day trip planning on WhatsApp 24 hours. Daily, Weekly, Monthly.
Book direct on aviatorbali.com for best rate