The Island of the Gods: 101 Things to Do in Bali

Bali is one of those rare places that lives up to every version of itself. The island that poets wrote about, the one on your friends’ Instagram feeds, the spiritual retreat destination, the surf mecca, the rice terrace at golden hour — all of it is real, and all of it exists simultaneously. What makes Bali extraordinary is not any single thing but the density of the extraordinary: ancient Hindu temples rising from the sea, volcano summits above the cloud line, jungled ravines with waterfalls you have to swim to reach, a food scene that has evolved from beachside warungs to world-class restaurants, and a culture so rich, so ceremonially alive, so genuinely present in daily life that it changes the quality of your attention just to be near it.

This guide covers 101 things to do across Bali’s distinct regions — from Ubud’s cultural heartland to the cliff temples of Uluwatu, the surf breaks of Canggu, the dramatic islands of Nusa Penida, and the quieter, less-visited corners of the north and east that most visitors never reach.

Temples & Spiritual Bali

Uluwatu Temple (Pura Luhur Uluwatu) — One of Bali’s six directional sea temples, perched on a sheer 70-metre limestone cliff above the Indian Ocean at the southern tip of the Bukit Peninsula. Arrive in the late afternoon for the sunset Kecak fire dance — a hypnotic performance of chanting, firelight, and the Ramayana epic against the backdrop of the ocean turning gold. One of the most theatrical experiences in Southeast Asia.
Tanah Lot Temple — The most photographed temple in Bali: a sea-stack shrine surrounded by crashing waves at high tide, connected to the shore by a causeway that disappears beneath the sea. Arrive 90 minutes before sunset, when the light transforms the rock and the silhouetted temple into something from a dream. The most iconic Balinese image, and it earns it.
Besakih Mother Temple (Pura Besakih) — The holiest and largest Hindu temple complex in Bali, a series of 23 related temples climbing the southwest slopes of Mount Agung, the island’s highest and most sacred volcano. Active pilgrimages take place here throughout the Balinese calendar. The setting — cloud-swept mountain, incense smoke, thousands of offerings — is of genuine spiritual gravity.
Lempuyang Temple & the Gates of Heaven — The most photographed spot in Bali: the split gates (candi bentar) of Pura Penataran Agung Lempuyang frame a perfect view of Mount Agung reflected in the water below — a composition so potent it has become the defining image of the island. Arrive before 6am for the reflection and the silence.
Tirta Empul Holy Spring Temple — A sacred water temple in the Pakerisan valley, built around a natural spring that Balinese Hindus believe has purifying properties. The purification ritual — stepping through a series of sacred fountains (petirtaan) in traditional dress — is still performed daily by Balinese pilgrims and is open to respectful visitors.
Pura Taman Ayun (Royal Temple), Mengwi — The state temple of the former Mengwi kingdom, surrounded by a wide moat that makes it appear to float above the surrounding rice fields. One of the most architecturally refined temples in Bali, on the UNESCO World Heritage irrigation landscape list. Far quieter than Tanah Lot and more beautiful in the morning light.
Ulun Danu Beratan Temple, Bedugul — A temple complex built on a small island and peninsula at the edge of Lake Beratan in the Bedugul highlands, dedicated to the goddess of water, lakes, and rivers. The mist-shrouded mountain lake and the tiered meru towers rising from the water produce one of Bali’s most ethereal landscapes.
Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave) — A 9th-century rock-cut cave sanctuary in the Bedulu valley near Ubud, with a terrifying carved demon face as its entrance. The interior contains lingas, a Ganesha statue, and the remains of a meditation chamber. The bathing pools in front are fed by ancient stone fountains. Underrated and genuinely old.
Pura Luhur Batukaru — The temple on the southwest slope of Mount Batukaru — Bali’s second-highest peak — set within a cloud-forest clearing of extraordinary atmosphere. One of the island’s six directional temples and arguably its most spiritually charged, approached through primary forest with birdsong and mist. Almost no tourists.
Attend a Balinese Ceremony or Odalan — Bali’s temple festivals (odalan) occur throughout the year in every village and banjar (community). If you encounter a procession — women balancing towering offerings on their heads, gamelan music, incense and frangipani — follow it respectfully. Witnessing a full village ceremony, with its layers of costume, sound, and sacred choreography, is the deepest cultural experience the island offers.

Ubud: The Cultural Heart

Tegallalang Rice Terraces — The UNESCO-listed cascading rice paddies north of Ubud, carved into the hillside over centuries using the subak cooperative irrigation system. Come at 7am before the tourist infrastructure wakes, and walk the lower paths through the terraces themselves rather than watching from the road above.
Ubud Royal Palace (Puri Saren Agung) — The former seat of the Ubud royal family, in the centre of the town, with nightly traditional dance performances in the outer courtyard. The palace itself is beautiful; the Legong and Barong dances performed here are Bali’s most refined performing art forms.
Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary — A jungle temple complex inhabited by over 1,000 long-tailed macaques, with three 14th-century temples deep in the forest and roots of ancient fig trees wrapping the stone. Respect the monkeys (do not feed them, secure your belongings), and allow at least an hour to walk the full trail.
Ubud Art Market (Pasar Seni) — The covered market across from the Royal Palace, selling batik cloth, carved wood, silver jewellery, painted masks, and the full range of Balinese handicrafts. Bargaining is expected; the quality at the back of the market is typically better than what faces the street.
Museum Puri Lukisan — The finest museum of traditional Balinese painting in Ubud, in a garden of pavilions showing the full development of Balinese art from classical wayang to the modernist innovations of Walter Spies and Rudolf Bonnet in the 1930s. A beautiful and illuminating collection.
ARMA (Agung Rai Museum of Art) — A large, beautifully landscaped cultural complex south of central Ubud with an excellent collection of Balinese and Indonesian fine art, a library, gallery spaces, and regular classical dance and gamelan performances. One of the best cultural institutions in Bali.
Campuhan Ridge Walk — A two-kilometre walk along the ridge between two river valleys west of central Ubud, through open grassland and secondary forest with views of the surrounding hills and rice fields. Best done at dawn, before the heat. Completely free, entirely beautiful, and one of the great short walks in Bali.
Balinese Cooking Class, Ubud — Taking a morning cooking class — beginning with a visit to the local market to source ingredients, then cooking four or five traditional dishes (satay, lawar, black rice pudding) in an open-air kitchen — is one of the finest half-days in Bali. The Paon Bali and Taman Sari cooking schools are excellent.
Traditional Healer Visit (Balian), Ubud — Bali has a tradition of medicine men and women (balian) who combine herbalism, spiritual diagnosis, and energy healing. A visit to a reputable balian — with a local guide and genuine respect for the practice — is one of the most culturally specific experiences available in Ubud.
Gamelan & Dance Workshop, Ubud — Several cultural centres in Ubud offer drop-in workshops in gamelan (Balinese bronze percussion orchestra) and traditional dance. Even an hour’s lesson in the complexity of Balinese musical rhythm produces a new understanding of every temple performance you attend afterwards.
Yoga at The Yoga Barn or Radiantly Alive, Ubud — Ubud is one of the world’s great yoga destinations, with a depth and seriousness of practice that goes well beyond the Instagram-friendly cliff-edge classes of the south. The Yoga Barn’s daily schedule ranges from vinyasa to restorative to Tibetan sound healing.
Komaneka Gallery & Galleries of Ubud — The Komaneka at Bisma gallery, Threads of Life (specialist in ritual ikat textiles), and the Seniwati Gallery (dedicated to Balinese women artists) are among Ubud’s finest gallery spaces — each presenting a specific aspect of Balinese artistic tradition with depth and integrity.

Temples, Volcanoes & the Island’s Interior

Mount Batur Sunrise Trek — A predawn climb of 1,717-metre Mount Batur, Bali’s most accessible active volcano, arriving at the caldera rim as the sun rises over Mount Rinjani in Lombok to the east and the vast lake below fills with gold. The climb takes two hours; a guide is required and the experience is reliably extraordinary.
Mount Batur Hot Springs — After the Batur sunrise trek, descend to the natural hot springs on the lake’s edge at Toya Devasya or the local community pools at Batur — the most satisfying post-hike reward in Bali, with the volcano steaming above and the lake shimmering below.
Mount Agung Climb — The more serious and more sacred ascent: Mount Agung (3,142 metres, Bali’s highest peak and a volcano last erupting in 2019) requires a full-night climb with a qualified guide and considerable physical fitness. The summit view at dawn — above the clouds, with Lombok, Java, and the full Bali landscape below — is among the finest in Indonesia.
Kintamani Caldera & Lake Batur View — Even without climbing, the view from the Kintamani rim of the vast volcanic caldera — Lake Batur shimmering in the bowl below, Batur’s cone rising from the lake, and the outer walls of the ancient caldera stretching for kilometres — is one of Bali’s great panoramas. Come early for cloud-free views.
Jatiluwih UNESCO Rice Terraces — Broader and less touristy than Tegallalang, the Jatiluwih terraces in the Tabanan foothills are the most extensive subak rice landscape in Bali — 700 hectares of perfectly maintained emerald terraces on the slopes of Batukaru. Cycling or walking between the paddy paths in the early morning is among the most peaceful Bali experiences.
Sidemen Valley — A long, fertile valley east of Ubud, less visited than almost anywhere in south Bali, with rice terraces, weaving villages, and the unobstructed face of Mount Agung at the valley head. Staying overnight in a village homestay here and walking the rice paths at dawn is the best quiet escape from tourist Bali.
Banjar Hot Springs & Buddhist Temple, North Bali — Natural sulphurous hot springs in the Singaraja foothills, surrounded by jungle and piped into a series of sculptured pools through the mouths of nagas and stone figures. The adjacent Brahma Vihara Arama Buddhist monastery — gold, orange, and peacock-blue on a hilltop above the rice fields — is the only Buddhist monastery in Bali.
Bali Botanic Garden (Kebun Raya Bali), Bedugul — The largest botanical garden in Indonesia, at 1,200 metres altitude in the cool Bedugul highlands, with collections of Balinese and Indonesian highland flora, a cactus house, orchid garden, and rainforest walking trails. Extraordinarily peaceful and largely unvisited by international tourists.

Waterfalls & Natural Wonders

Sekumpul Waterfall, North Bali — The most beautiful waterfall in Bali: a cluster of seven cascades plunging from a cliffside into a jungle valley in the Singaraja highlands, reached by a 45-minute steep descent through rice terraces and bamboo groves. The scale — the tallest fall is over 80 metres — and the jungle setting make it the finest natural spectacle on the island.
Nungnung Waterfall — A single 50-metre plunge in the Badung highlands, approached by a descent of 500 steps through primary forest. The roar of the falls audible long before you see them, and the cool mist in the valley below. One of the most powerful waterfall experiences in Bali.
Tegenungan Waterfall, Ubud — The most accessible waterfall near Ubud, a 15-metre cascade on the Petanu river, with pools for swimming and a café terrace overlooking the gorge. The most visited, but still worthwhile — go before 8am.
Tibumana Waterfall — A hidden gem near Ubud: a twin cascade in a forested ravine, rarely crowded, with a calm swimming pool at the base. The walk from the road is 10 minutes through rice fields and bamboo.
GitGit Waterfall & Twin Lakes, North Bali — A series of jungle waterfalls near Singaraja, including the famous multi-tiered fall and the Twin Lakes of Buyan and Tamblingan — two crater lakes in the caldera of an ancient volcano, surrounded by rainforest and reached by canoe or hiking trail.
Leke Leke Waterfall, Ubud — One of Bali’s most photogenic hidden waterfalls, tucked in a bamboo-lined gorge, reached by crossing a bamboo bridge. The emerald pool, the bamboo, and the single cascade produce a scene of considerable beauty that most visitors to Ubud miss entirely.

Beaches: South Bali

Kelingking Beach, Nusa Penida — The most dramatic beach in the Bali archipelago: a T-Rex-shaped limestone headland falling 300 metres to a crescent of white sand lapped by turquoise water, accessible only by a near-vertical path. Even if you don’t descend, the view from the cliff is one of the finest in Southeast Asia.
Padang Padang Beach, Uluwatu — A small, sheltered cove on the Bukit Peninsula, reached through a narrow rock crevice, with clean white sand, clear water, and excellent left-hand surf breaking on the reef at the point. The most beautiful small beach on the Bukit — arrive early and stay for the late-afternoon light.
Nyang Nyang Beach, Uluwatu — One of Bali’s last great hidden beaches: a long, deserted strip of white sand on the cliff base of the southern Bukit, reached by a 20-minute descent through a private coconut grove. No facilities, no crowds, and water of extraordinary clarity.
Seminyak Beach & Petitenget — The long, straight beach that runs north from Seminyak through Petitenget and into Canggu: the finest beach sunset in central Bali, with a row of beach clubs, seafood warungs, and open-air bars providing exactly the right accompaniment.
Jimbaran Bay Seafood Dinner — The beach at Jimbaran curves in a gentle arc, and at sunset dozens of seafood restaurants set up tables on the sand. Grilled lobster, prawns, fish, and squid, eaten by torchlight with the waves lapping below and the lights of the Bukit visible across the bay. One of the great Bali evenings.
Pandawa Beach, Bukit Peninsula — A beautiful beach tucked beneath dramatic limestone cliffs on the south coast of the Bukit, with an approach carved directly through the cliff face and enormous stone statues of the Pandawa brothers installed in alcoves. The sand is wide, the water calm, and the setting theatrical.
Bingin & Impossibles, Uluwatu — The series of beaches below the Bukit cliff at Bingin — small, surf-accessed coves with warung-style cafés balanced on the ledges above — have the most concentrated surf-accommodation-sunset culture in Bali. The walk between Bingin, Impossibles, and Padang Padang is the best cliff path on the Bukit.

Surfing & Water Sports

Surf Lessons at Kuta or Seminyak Beach — Kuta Beach has been teaching visitors to surf since the 1970s, and the long, consistent beach break remains the finest beginner surf in Bali. A two-hour lesson with a local instructor is the most universally accessible adventure experience on the island.
Canggu Surf: Echo Beach & Batu Bolong — Canggu’s two main breaks cater to intermediate surfers — Echo Beach has a powerful left-hander; Batu Bolong is a fun and more forgiving wave popular with the surf-school crowd. The Canggu surf scene, with its roadside warungs and barefoot culture, is distinctly its own thing.
Uluwatu Surf: The Racetrack & Temples — The most celebrated surf destination in Bali, with a series of world-class reef breaks — the Racetrack, Outside Corner, Temples, and Padang Padang — producing long, powerful left-handers. For experienced surfers, a session at Uluwatu on a good swell is one of the great waves of the world.
Snorkelling with Manta Rays, Nusa Penida — Manta Point on the southwest coast of Nusa Penida is one of the most reliable manta ray encounter sites in the world, with feeding mantas in shallow water. The adjacent Manta Bay has a near-100% encounter rate in the right conditions. One of the most exhilarating wildlife experiences in Southeast Asia.
Scuba Diving, Tulamben (USAT Liberty Wreck) — The USS Liberty, torpedoed in 1942 and now encrusted with coral and swarming with fish in the shallows off Tulamben on Bali’s northeast coast, is the most accessible wreck dive in the world. Diveable from the beach, it is one of Southeast Asia’s finest dive sites.
Freediving, Amed — The black volcanic sand coast of Amed, with its clear water and abundant reef life, has become one of Southeast Asia’s finest freediving destinations. Several AIDA-certified schools offer courses in a location of great beauty.
White Water Rafting, Ayung River — The Ayung River gorge below Ubud offers grade II–III white water through a 10-kilometre gorge of jungle walls, rice terraces, and carved stone reliefs — the finest rafting scenery in Bali. Most tours include a riverside lunch and hotel transfer.

The Nusa Islands

Nusa Penida: Kelingking, Angel’s Billabong & Broken Beach — A day on Nusa Penida’s west coast, accessible by fast boat from Sanur in 45 minutes, combining the Kelingking headland viewpoint, the natural rock pool of Angel’s Billabong (a swimming pool carved by the sea into a limestone shelf), and the circular arch of Broken Beach — three adjacent natural wonders in a single morning.
Crystal Bay, Nusa Penida — A sheltered bay of extraordinary clarity on Nusa Penida’s northwest coast, with a fringing reef and the best snorkelling on the island. The Mola mola (ocean sunfish) is sometimes encountered here between July and October.
Nusa Lembongan: Mangrove Forest & Dream Beach — Smaller, calmer, and more accessible than Nusa Penida, Lembongan has a circuit of white-sand beaches, a mangrove forest kayak tour, surfing at Shipwrecks, and the famous Devil’s Tear cliff formation. A perfect one-night escape from the Bali mainland.
Sunset from Nusa Ceningan’s Yellow Bridge — The narrow, bright yellow suspension bridge connecting Nusa Lembongan to Nusa Ceningan is one of Bali’s most photographed structures, and the view from it at sunset — the two islands, the mangroves, the Indian Ocean — is one of the archipelago’s finest.

Seminyak, Canggu & the Beach Clubs

Potato Head Beach Club, Seminyak — Bali’s most celebrated beach club: a curved amphitheatre of reclaimed shutters and doors opening to the Indian Ocean, with a pool, a genuine commitment to sustainability, and a food and drinks programme of real quality. The original and still the finest.
Finns Recreation Club & Beach Club, Canggu — Canggu’s most complete entertainment complex: three pools, a surfing wave machine, an outdoor concert venue, a bowling alley, a cinema, and a beach club on Echo Beach. The scale and polish are impressive; the beach club at sunset is a very complete experience.
Sunset at Ku De Ta or Merah Putih, Seminyak — The Seminyak sunset strip — Ku De Ta, Merah Putih, and the beach clubs of Jalan Kayu Aya — is Bali’s most refined sundowner experience: a glass of wine or a cocktail with the horizon turning orange over the Indian Ocean and a consistent procession of extraordinary Balinese sunsets.
Savaya Beach Club, Uluwatu — The most dramatic beach club in Bali, built into the cliff above Bingin with a series of infinity pools cascading towards the ocean 70 metres below and a programme of international DJs on weekend evenings. The setting is genuinely extraordinary.
Canggu Café Culture: Neighbourhood Walk — Canggu’s café scene — speciality coffee, avocado toast, acai bowls, and banana bread in lovingly designed spaces — is one of the finest of any beach town in Southeast Asia. Walk from Batu Bolong through the rice fields to Berawa, stopping at Shelter, Sensorium, and Revolver, and understand why Canggu has become a permanent address for so many people.

Wellness, Healing & Retreat Bali

Balinese Massage — The traditional Balinese massage — a combination of palm and thumb pressure, gentle stretching, and aromatic oils — is the most widely practised form of bodywork on the island and among the finest in the world. A one-hour treatment at a reputable spa in Ubud or Seminyak costs less than a coffee at a London hotel.
Multi-Day Yoga & Wellness Retreat, Ubud — Ubud’s retreat scene — from Fivelements and Komaneka to smaller community-style retreats — offers some of the world’s finest yoga, meditation, sound healing, and Ayurvedic programmes in settings of extraordinary jungle beauty.
Nusantara Healing Spa & Traditional Boreh — The boreh is a traditional Balinese warming spice treatment — a paste of clove, cinnamon, galangal, and rice rubbed into the body and left to heat the skin — originally used by farmers for tired muscles. Find it at a traditional spa rather than the international hotel version for the most authentic experience.
Watukaru Retreat, Tabanan — The foothills of Mount Batukaru, in the quietest rice-farming region of Bali, have become a destination for serious retreat practitioners: Fivelements, Bambu Indah, and the Alaya Retreat offer programmes ranging from Ayurveda to plant medicine to ecological immersion in an area of extraordinary tranquillity.
Sound Healing Ceremony, Ubud — Balinese singing bowl therapy, gong meditation, and sound-bath sessions are available at multiple Ubud venues. The HEALING House and Radiantly Alive both offer group sessions that combine genuine traditional knowledge with accessible modern formats.
Melukat — Balinese Holy Water Purification — With the guidance of a local priest or cultural guide, participating in the Melukat purification ritual at Tirta Empul or a smaller temple spring is one of the most profoundly Balinese experiences available to a visitor. It requires preparation, proper dress, and genuine respect — and gives something real in return.

Food & Drink

Eat Babi Guling (Suckling Pig) — Bali’s most celebrated ceremonial dish: a whole pig stuffed with spices, slow-roasted on a spit until the skin is lacquer-crisp. Ibu Oka near the Ubud Royal Palace and Warung Babi Guling Pak Malen in Seminyak are the most famous addresses. The combination of crispy skin, spiced meat, lawar, and rice is one of the great Balinese eating experiences.
Nasi Campur at a Local Warung — Indonesia’s national eating format: a mound of steamed rice surrounded by small portions of whatever the kitchen has prepared that day — tempeh, tofu, lawar, satay, sayur urab, sambal. At a roadside warung in any Balinese village, this costs less than a dollar and tastes of something irreducibly local.
Seafood at Jimbaran Bay — The cluster of open-air seafood restaurants on Jimbaran Beach, setting up tables in the sand at sunset, is one of Bali’s most reliable pleasures: grilled fish, prawns, and squid from the morning boats, eaten with chilli sauce and lime as the Indian Ocean turns pink.
Locavore & Menus of High Balinese Cuisine, Ubud — Locavore in Ubud — one of Southeast Asia’s finest restaurants — uses only locally sourced Balinese and Indonesian ingredients in a tasting menu format of considerable ambition. The wine programme matches the food; the reservation list is long. Book weeks in advance.
Sate Lilit & Bebek Betutu at a Traditional Feast — Bebek betutu — a whole duck or chicken packed with a paste of galangal, turmeric, chilli, and lemongrass, then slow-cooked in banana leaves for up to 24 hours — is Bali’s most complex ceremonial dish. Find it at the Alami restaurant in Ubud or at a traditional banquet (megibung) in an east Bali village.
Kopi Luwak Coffee Tour, Ubud — Visiting a Balinese coffee plantation that produces kopi luwak (civet coffee) alongside single-origin arabica, robusta, and a range of herbal teas in the Ubud highlands is a pleasant half-morning. The quality of the single-origin Balinese coffee often exceeds the novelty of the civet variety.
Rice Wine (Arak Bali) & Craft Beer Scene, Canggu — Arak Bali is the traditional palm-spirit of the island, usually mixed with honey and coconut water (arak attack). Canggu’s craft beer scene — Nusantara Brewing, Storm Bali — has grown substantially and produces some Southeast Asia’s best local ales. Both are worth exploring.

Art, Craft & Shopping

Ubud Art Walks & Gallery District — The kilometre of galleries north and south of the Ubud Royal Palace represents the most concentrated fine art district in Bali, with paintings ranging from wayang-inspired traditional work to modernist abstraction. Many galleries have artists in residence and will arrange studio visits.
Silver Jewellery Workshop, Celuk — The village of Celuk, south of Ubud, is the traditional centre of Balinese goldsmithing and silversmithing. Visit a working family workshop and — in a half-day class — make a piece of Balinese silver jewellery yourself to take home.
Wood Carving, Mas Village — The village of Mas on the Ubud road is the centre of Balinese wood carving, with workshops producing everything from miniature Ganesha figures to large ceremonial masks. Watch carvers at work in family workshops and buy directly from the source.
Batik & Fabric Shopping, Ubud Market — Bali produces extraordinary hand-drawn and hand-stamped batik cloth, ikat weaving, and songket (gold-threaded ceremonial fabric). The Threads of Life gallery in Ubud and the weaving villages of Sidemen are the best sources of genuine traditional textile work.
Sundays at Seminyak’s Flea Market & Bali’s Design Shops — Seminyak and Canggu have developed one of Southeast Asia’s finest concentrations of homewares, furniture, fashion, and design boutiques: Biasa, Animale, John Hardy (jewellery), and dozens of independent designers work in a design language that is distinctly Bali.
John Hardy Jewellery Workshops, Ubud — The world-famous Balinese jewellery brand has its workshop in the Ubud jungle, where guided tours show the full craft process from recycled silver to finished piece. The jewellery is exceptional; the setting — bamboo workshop architecture, tropical garden — is remarkable.

North & East Bali: The Quieter Island

Amed Fishing Villages & Sunrise Over Agung — The black-sand coast of Amed, with its traditional jukung outrigger boats pulled up above the tideline and the perfect cone of Mount Agung rising above the scene at sunrise, is one of Bali’s most affecting landscapes. The snorkelling from the beach is among the best on the island.
Tirtagangga Water Palace, East Bali — A former royal water garden in the east Bali foothills, with tiered pools, fountains, and ornamental fish ponds on the slopes of Mount Agung. The dawn light on the water and the mountain behind makes it one of Bali’s most tranquil and photogenic early-morning destinations.
Candidasa & the Amuk Bay — A small, largely untouristy coastal town in east Bali, with a quiet lagoon, good diving on the offshore reefs, and the gateway to Padangbai — the main ferry port to Lombok and the Gili Islands.
Trunyan Village, Lake Batur — The most remote of the original Bali Aga villages on the shore of Lake Batur, where the traditional burial practice involves placing the dead in bamboo cages above the ground rather than cremating them. The boat journey across the caldera lake and the ceremony of the site make it one of Bali’s most unusual and sobering cultural experiences.
Lovina Beach & North Coast Dolphin Watching — The north coast town of Lovina, with its dark volcanic sand and gentler, more local vibe than the south, offers early-morning outrigger boat trips to watch the large resident pod of spinner dolphins that feeds in the Bali Sea. One of Bali’s most reliably joyful wildlife encounters.
Munduk Waterfall Trail & Coffee Plantations — The Munduk highland village, surrounded by clove and coffee plantations, waterfalls, and jungle-covered hills, is the finest hiking base in north Bali. The trail connecting Munduk, Git Git, and the twin lakes is an exceptional half-day walk through a landscape of extraordinary variety.
Pemuteran & Biorock Reef Restoration, Northwest Bali — A small beach town near the West Bali National Park, with the world’s largest Biorock reef restoration project — an electrically charged structure growing coral at an accelerated rate. Snorkelling or diving here is both excellent and actively beneficial to the reef ecosystem.

Adventure & the Outdoors

ATV Quad Biking Through Rice Fields, Ubud — A guided quad bike tour through the rice paddies, jungle tracks, and river gorges north of Ubud — muddy, exhilarating, and a completely different perspective of the landscape than any other activity in the area.
Cycling Downhill from Mount Batur — A guided cycle from the Kintamani caldera rim down through villages, rice terraces, and jungle to the coast — 40 kilometres of mostly downhill riding with stops at a traditional healer, a coffee plantation, and a temple. The most comprehensive overview of Balinese rural life available from a bicycle.
Bali Swing, Ubud — The giant swings suspended over the jungle ravines north of Ubud — Tegallalang, Wanagiri, and the original Bali Swing at Bongkasa — offer the sensation of flying over the rice terraces and the gorge below. Kitsch, undeniably, but the view is real.
Paragliding at Timbis, Bukit Peninsula — Tandem paragliding launches from the cliff above the south Bukit, with an experienced pilot, rising on thermals to fly above the Peninsula with the Indian Ocean below and the rice-terrace landscape of Bali spread to the north. One of the finest paragliding views in Asia.
Sunrise Trek to Mount Abang — A quieter, less-crowded alternative to Mount Batur, Mount Abang (2,153 metres) on the eastern rim of the Batur caldera offers superior views of the caldera lake, the neighbouring cones, and the ocean. Almost no organised tours operate here.

Hidden Gems & Unexpected Bali

Marigold Fields of Desa Temega, East Bali — Fields of marigolds grown for temple offerings near Besakih, in full bloom during the months around major Hindu festivals. The combination of deep yellow flowers, terraced hillsides, and the smoke of Agung above makes for one of the most photogenic scenes in the island’s interior.
Pura Kehen, Bangli — A magnificent and rarely visited state temple in the Bangli regency, with a great banyan tree shading the outer courtyard, 11-tiered meru towers, and ancient Chinese porcelain plates embedded in the walls. One of the finest temple experiences in Bali with almost no tourist infrastructure.
West Bali National Park — The only national park in Bali, on the island’s remote west coast, is one of the last habitats of the critically endangered Bali Starling — the island’s only endemic bird. Boat trips to Menjangan Island within the park offer the finest coral wall diving in Bali.
Menjangan Island Diving & Snorkelling — The protected waters around Menjangan Island in West Bali National Park have a near-vertical wall dive of extraordinary quality: visibility of 30–50 metres, abundant soft coral, and the full range of reef fish. One of Indonesia’s finest dive sites and largely unknown outside the diving community.
Tenganan Pegringsingan — Original Balinese Village — One of three surviving Bali Aga (original Balinese) villages, Tenganan maintains customs, calendar, and social structure from before the Hindu Majapahit colonisation of the island. The village produces the only double-ikat textile in Indonesia (geringsing), a process of staggering complexity. Visiting is free; buying directly from the weavers is the most appropriate response.
Pura Dalem Penunggekan, Batuan — A powerful and rarely visited temple in the Batuan village south of Ubud, famous for its extraordinary carvings of demons, witches, and hell scenes on the inner temple walls — Balinese cosmological imagination at its most vivid. The Batuan style of painting, characterised by dense, dark imagery, originated here.
Balinese Shadow Puppet Theatre (Wayang Kulit) — An all-night shadow puppet performance, performed by a dalang (puppet master) who voices all characters, narrates, controls puppets, and conducts the accompanying gamelan orchestra simultaneously. Finding a genuine village performance rather than a tourist show requires local knowledge and a late night — the reward is proportional.
Sunrise at Pura Penulisan, Kintamani — The highest and one of the oldest active temples in Bali, on the rim of the outer Batur caldera, reached by 333 stone steps through forest. At dawn, with the cloud layer below and the first light catching the ancient stone shrines above it, it is one of the most atmospheric sites on the island.
Surfing at Balangan at Low Tide — Balangan, on the Bukit’s west coast, produces a long, fast left-hander at low tide that is one of the most consistent intermediate waves in Bali, in a setting of cliff-backed beach and clear water that is significantly less crowded than the nearby Uluwatu breaks.
Village Ceremony by Invitation — Accept every invitation to a Balinese ceremony that you receive. The full dress (sarong and sash, provided at temple gates), the offerings, the incense, the gamelan, the priests, and the sheer density of meaning in every gesture — attending an odalan or cremation ceremony as a respectful guest, not a spectator, is the most transformative experience Bali offers.
Watch the Rice Fields Fill with Water at Dawn, Ubud — On your last morning, rise before the light and walk to any viewpoint above a rice terrace — Campuhan Ridge, the Tegallalang lower path, the fields above Sidemen — and stand there as the sky lightens. The paddy water begins to reflect the clouds. A duck moves through the flooded field. Somewhere below, a temple bell sounds. A cockerel answers it. The light moves across the terraces in a slow wave, and Bali — ancient, improbable, and strangely, stubbornly beautiful — reveals itself one more time as something that no travel guide has ever quite been able to explain.

Quick Facts for Visitors


Best time to visit	May–September (dry season, lower humidity)
Shoulder season	April and October — fewer crowds, good weather
Wet season	November–March — daily rain, lush landscape, lowest prices
Currency	Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) · 1 USD ≈ 16,000 IDR (2026)
Language	Balinese & Indonesian (English widely spoken in tourist areas)
Getting around	Grab or Gojek ride-hail apps · Scooter hire (licence required) · Private driver for day trips
Religion	Hindu (Bali is the only Hindu-majority island in Indonesia — dress modestly at temples)
Visa	Most nationalities receive Visa on Arrival at Ngurah Rai Airport (30 days, extendable)
Ideal trip length	10–14 days covers south Bali, Ubud, and the Nusa Islands · 3 weeks to include north and east

Bali does not require a plan so much as a willingness to be surprised. The best things here — an unexpected ceremony, a waterfall with no other visitors, a rice field at the exact moment the light is perfect — arrive without an itinerary. Come with time, leave the schedule loose, and the island will take care of the rest.