World's Best Places to Visit - Bali Island, Indonesia
Bali’s history is as colorful as its culture and landscape—a vivid tapestry of absorbing, adopting, and adapting.
At the end of the last Ice Age, rising sea levels formed the string of islands that is modern day Indonesia. At many times, the islands of Java and Bali were connected, so it makes sense that humans have inhabited Bali just as long as Java. However, while the oldest human remains found on Java date to about 1.7 million years old, the oldest evidence of human occupation on Bali comes from stone tools found in Trunyan village that date to about 202,000 years old.
During the 16th century, European traders began arriving on Bali, the first of which was a Portuguese expedition. Over the years various Balinese kings allowed the Europeans to set up trading posts on the island, and they often formed alliances with different powers to assist them against invasions from neighbouring islands. After one such invasion by Lombok in the 17th century, Bali was split into nine different kingdoms.
In 1846 the Dutch started a series of military attacks on Bali and neighbouring Lombok that would last for decades. Although the Dutch had the upper hand, the Balinese proudly refused to surrender and instead marched directly into battle knowing that death was imminent, or committed ritual suicide called ‘puputan’. At the end of it all over 4,000 Balinese died including entire royal families in one go.
The Dutch ruled Bali for the next century, eventually introducing tourism and marketing the island as a mystical and exotic destination, which still resonates today. In 1942 the Japanese invaded the island and occupied it until the end of WWII in 1945. Just days after the Japanese surrender, Sukarno declared Indonesian independence.
Top sights
Seminyak
Seminyak is a mixed tourist residential area on the west coast of Bali in Indonesia, just north of Kuta and Legian. Originally a separate township, this is now another suburb of Kuta. This area is very popular with resident expatriates and land and accommodation prices are amongst the highest in Bali. Plenty of luxury spas and hotels abound. Owing to its high density of high-end shopping, combined with the clustering of many fine eating establishments, it has rapidly become one of the most well-known tourist areas on the island. In addition to a few commercial strips with popular and lively restaurants, bars, villas, and good crafts/furniture shops, there are a few notable establishments: Ku Dé Ta, which is a bar/restaurant with a cult following based on its beach side/semi-resort atmosphere that has earned it the title of number one party spot in various magazines, and Oberoi, which is an expensive hotel with a worldwide reputation. Jalan Raya Seminyak, runs parallel with the beach, bisecting the district and acts as its main road artery.
Mount Batur
Mount Batur is an active volcano located at the center of two concentric calderas north west of Mount Agung on the island of Bali, Indonesia. The south east side of the larger 10×13 km caldera contains a caldera lake. The inner 7.5-kilometer-wide caldera, which was formed during emplacement of the Bali ignimbrite, has been dated at about 23,670 and 28,500 years ago. The first documented eruption was in 1804 and the most recent was in 2000.Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary
Mandala Suci Wenara Wana, or well known as Ubud Monkey Forest, is the sanctuary and natural habitat of the Balinese long-tailed Monkey, scientific name Macaca fascicularis. It is located at Padangtegal Ubud, Bali. About 1049 monkeys live in this sanctuary. They are divided into 6 groups, namely in front of main temple group, forest conservation group, central point group, eastern group, Michelin group, and cemeteries group. We also divide the monkeys by age: 63 adult male, 34 Sub-adult male, 219 Adult female, 29 Sub-adult female, 167 juveniles 1, 118 juveniles 2, 63 Infant old and 56 infant. Sacred Monkey Forest Ubud is a famous tourist attraction in Ubud. In every month around 10.000 - 15.000 visitors come to Monkey Forest Ubud. The Monkey Forest Ubud has 186 species of plants and trees in 12,5 hectares of forest. The Monkey Forest Ubud has 3 temples, namely Dalem Agung Padangtegal Temple, Holy Spring Temple and Prajapati Temple. The forest is owned by the Padangtegal community and is managed by Mandala Suci Wenara Wana Management. The purpose of the management is to keep sacred the place and promote the Monkey Forest Ubud as an international tourist destination.Mount Agung
Mount Agung is an active volcano in Bali, Indonesia, southeast of Mount Batur volcano, also in Bali. It is the highest point on Bali, and dominates the surrounding area, influencing the climate, especially rainfall patterns. From a distance, the mountain appears to be perfectly conical. From the peak of the mountain, it is possible to see the peak of Mount Rinjani on the nearby island of Lombok, to the east, although both mountains are frequently covered in clouds. Agung is a stratovolcano, with a large and deep crater. Its most recent eruptions occurred from 2017–2019.Gitgit Waterfall
Gitgit Waterfall is a waterfall on Bali, Indonesia. It is located on the north of the Southeast Asian island between the old island capital of Singaraja and the inland village of Munduk. The waterfall is a popular tourist destination in Bali, known for its height and the surrounding attractive foliage and natural swimming pools, accessible by a rocky walking trail. The falls are located in Gitgit Village in the Sukasada District, around 10 kilometres from Singaraja, 26 kilometres from Munduk and 83 kilometres from Denpasar's Ngurah Rai International Airport.West Bali National Park
West Bali National Park is a national park located in Buleleng Regency, Bali, Indonesia. The park covers around 190 square kilometres, of which are 158 square kilometres land and the remainder is sea. This is approximately 3% of Bali's total land area. To the north, it includes a 1,000-metre long beach, reef and islets. A seaport at Gilimanuk is west of the park, and the village of Goris is to the east. The National Park can be reached by roads from Gilimanuk and Singaraja, or by using ferries from Ketapang, East Java. There are several habitats in the national park, a savanna, mangroves, montane and mixed-monsoon forests, and coral islands. The center of the park is dominated by remnants of four volcanic mountains from Pleistocene era, with Gunung Patas at 1,412 metres its highest elevation.Jalan Nusa Dua
Nusa Dua is often thought of as the luxurious side of Bali, filled with high end resorts,beautiful beaches, and next level dining. But little did you know that there’s actually so much more to do there around this incredible family-friendly beach town; from cute cafes, to culturally enriching museums, exciting water activities and hidden gems like an underwater restaurant and abandoned plane, the opportunities are endless!
Bukit Peninsula
The Bukit Peninsula is at the southern end of the island of Bali, Indonesia. It is traditionally considered to be the entire area south of Jimbaran beach. Unlike the bulk of Bali, it features a dry, arid and stony landscape. It is administered under Kuta South District. Bukit means 'hill' in Indonesian. The Indonesian government has encouraged the development of the area — instead of more fertile land — for large upmarket tourist facilities. It is a popular destination for surfers, particularly at Uluwatu. The Pura Luhur Uluwatu Temple is on the peninsula. This area has undergone large scale investment and growth during the early 2000s, partially owing to its proximity to the Ngurah Rai International Airport and the stunning ocean views from its cliff tops. In 2006 a new golf course started construction. Bukit now hosts international hotels.Dreamland Beach
Dreamland Beach is a beach located on the Bukit peninsula, on the island of Bali, Indonesia. The beach provides basic accommodation and cafes for surfers and day-trippers. It is also renowned for its dangerous shorebreak. Dreamland Beach is the site of the failed Pecatu Graha development, planned by Tommy Suharto, the youngest son of the former president Suharto. As of 2008 this is an active building site with all the previous Warongs having been levelled for a hotel complex.Kuta Beach
Some of the best things to do Kuta can be found on the beach. A favourite surfing coast since the 1970s, you’ll find a 2.5-km-long coastline that curves north from Ngurah Rai International Airport in Tuban. The beach is rather popular for sunbathing, so head there the early mornings to claim a spot on the sand. Surfers should be able to enjoy the best waves in Kuta during the dry season (April–August).Bali Zoo
Bali's first and only zoological park is a wondrous place where you can learn the behavior of over 500 rare and exotic animals in a lush, tropical environment. A park where you can participate in fascinating animal adventure activities, some of which are unique experiences of their kind in Indonesia.Lake Tamblingan
Lake Tamblingan is a caldera lake located in Buleleng Regency, Bali. The lake is located at the foot of Mount Lesung in Munduk administrative village, Banjar subdistrict, Buleleng Regency, Bali, Indonesia. The lake is one of the three lakes that formed inside an ancient caldera, the other lakes to the east of Lake Tamblingan are Lake Buyan and Lake Bratan. Tamblingan lake is a pristine lake surrounded with dense rainforest and archaeological remnants of the 10th-century Tamblingan civilization. The lake and the surrounding settlements is designated as a spiritual tourism area protected from modern development by the government.Tegenungan Waterfall
Tegenungan Waterfall is a waterfall in Bali, Indonesia. It is located at the Tegenungan Kemenuh village, in Gianyar, North from the capital Denpasar and close to the artist village of Ubud. The waterfall is isolated but has become a popular tourist attraction. It is one of the few waterfalls in Bali that is not situated in highlands or mountainous territory. The amount and clarity of the water at the site depends on rainfall but it contains green surroundings with fresh water that can be swum in. The waterfall includes varying highs that can be climbed after the descent down stairs to reach it. This attraction also features a viewing point to the jungle and waterfall at the main entrance.Pandawa Beach
Pandawa beach is located at Badung - South Kuta tourist region and one of the many beaches in Bali. In the past, this beach is well known to be one of the regions secret beaches because of the location behind a mountainous area that secluded its location to the unknown. Pandawa beach is surrounded by two cliffs with one of them, carved into the cliff face the statues of the Pandavas and the Kunti goddess. The six statues from top to bottom are Kunti, Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva. The beach is well known as a tourist attraction and its water sport use but it is also known as a seaweed algaculture farm. It has a shallow long beach face that is suitable for farming seaweed by the locals. Water sports are also a favorite pass time for tourist at the beach. Surfing is not ideal at the beach although many other sports are known to be favored like beach volley, jet skiing, and paragliding from Timbis cliff to the beach. Production houses and film studios often use the beach for filming TV serials and film for TV or FTV's.Nungnung Waterfall
Nungnung is one of the best waterfalls near Ubud, and easily accessible from the major tourist hubs in Bali via scooter or car. We combined our visit with a trip to Lake Lake Waterfall and it was around an hours drive from Ubud centre.
To rent a scooter in Bali is around 60,000 IDR per day. The roads in Bali are, for the most part, in excellent condition. And if you are confident on a bike, this is the cheapest way to get around.
Alternatively, you can use a local driver or Grab Taxi. The latter tends to be the cheaper option if you plan on going from A to B. However, if you want a driver for the entire day, you can arrange with a local transport company.
Once you arrive at the parking
area of the falls, you’ll need to purchase your ticket at the desk
before commencing the climb down. It’s one of the more challenging
waterfall hikes in Bali, and you’ll have to get down 500 or so steps to
reach the falls.
Museum Puri Lukisan
The Puri Lukisan Ratna Wartha Museum is the oldest art museum in Bali which specialize in modern traditional Balinese paintings and wood carvings. The museum is located in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia. It is home to the finest collection of modern traditional Balinese painting and wood carving on the island, spanning from the pre-Independence war to the post-Independence war era. The collection includes important examples of all of the artistic styles in Bali including the Sanur, Batuan, Ubud, Young Artist and Keliki schools.Bali Bird Park
Bali Bird Park, is a tourist attraction in Bali, Indonesia. It is located at the Gianyar Regency and has an area of 2,000 square metres. The Bird Park houses more than 1.000 birds representing more than 250 species in an enclosed aviary.Padang Padang Beach
Padang Beach or popularly known as Taplau is a beach located in the city of Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. This beach is located in a dense urban area in the District of West Padang, and extends from Purus to Batang Arau estuary. The beach is approximately 23 km from Minangkabau International Airport or 30 minutes by car.Balangan Beach
Balangan Beach is one of Bali’s most scenic spots, featuring a gorgeous half-kilometre stretch of golden sand between vegetated limestone cliffs. Locally referred to as Pantai Balangan, there’s a reef just off the coast that creates one of the longest left-hander breaks on the island.
This surfing paradise attracts wave riders from around the world, who enjoy most of the south-western Bukit coastline, together with Balangan’s sister breaks of Dreamland, Impossibles, Padang Padang, Suluban and Uluwatu further south.
Amed Beach
Amed Beach in Bali is most likely already on your travel itinerary if you're a keen diver. The island’s eastern shoreline is an underwater playground, with Amed Beach attracting the larger crowd of divers, compared to Tulamben, another dive site located 25 km to the north. Amed Beach in Bali was once best known for its traditional salt farming.
Soon after its beautiful underwater trove was unveiled, with a historical shipwreck adding to its natural features, Amed Beach became a favourite among divers, particularly Jemeluk Bay. Ask for Amed Beach in Bali and you’d be directed to any strip along this coast that spans 7 different seaside villages: Amed, Jemeluk, Bunutan, Lipah, Selang, Banyuning and Aas. All are fishing villages, so you'll often see traditional jukung outriggers lining the coast.
Jimbaran Beach
Some of the best things to do in Jimbaran encompass the beautiful limestone cliff-fringed coastlines that are home to some of Bali’s best surf spots and reef breaks. These beaches, some considerably far-flung with rugged terrains, continuously lure in wave riders and travellers with a penchant for adventure.
The south-western coastline of Jimbaran (and further south to the Bukit area of Pecatu, Ungasan and Kutuh) is also home to ancient sea temples and magnificent landmarks, with the most notable ones being the picturesque clifftop Uluwatu Temple and the Garuda Wisnu Kencana cultural park. Check out this guide on places to see when you’re in and around the Jimbaran and peninsula region of Bali.
Danau Buyan
Northwest of Danau Bratan are two less-visited lakes, Danau Buyan and Danau Tamblingan, where some excellent guided hikes are on offer. The Munduk road on the hill above the lakes has sweeping views. There are several tiny villages along the shores of both lakes that reward those who take the time to explore. You'll leave crowded Bali behind and enjoy a tropical hike in nature, with few of the hassles so prevalent elsewhere.Danau Batur
The little villages around Danau Batur have a crisp lakeside setting and views up to the surrounding peaks. There's a lot of fish farming, and the air is pungent with the smell of onions from the myriad tiny vegetable farms. Don't miss the trip along the east coast to Trunyan.
Jalan Legian
Legian Road or Jalan Legian is the main street that runs north-south from Kuta to Seminyak on the island of Bali in Indonesia. Legian Road contains a variety of shops, bars, hotels and dance clubs. Its proximity to the beach and its prominent night life make it host to thousands of tourists. Legian is well known for shopping and partying, with many areas offering traditional market shopping where shop owners are amenable to haggling and usually give shoppers an initial inflated price. Legian is one of the cheaper locations after dark and the road will begin to get busy at 11pm, peaking in traffic around 1 or 2 in the morning before easing down again around 4:30am. With such a cluster of hotels, shops and bars around Legian, the street can experience intense amounts of traffic. It can take up to 10 or 15 minutes to move forward 1 mile during some rush hours.Campuhan Ridge Walk
The Campuhan Ridge Walk is arguably the best known Ubud trek and with good reason. The sparse crowds and the aesthetically rich vistas remind one of why people from around the world come to Bali. The trail starts at the historical origin of Ubud, the confluence (or Campuhan) of the Wos Rivers.Batu Bolong Beach
Batu Bolong is one of, if not the easiest waves on the island. The sand bank directly to the front produces a slow mellow wave and a channel to paddle out in which is ideal for long boarders and novice surfers. On any given day when the swell isn’t huge, you’ll see dozens of surfers out there. Check out Paris in the parking lot and he’ll hook you up with a surfboard from his rental stand for an easy 50k a day. He’ll even wax it too. If it’s your first day, just ask him to find you someone to teach you for an hour.Serangan Island
Serangan is a small island located 500 m south of Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia. The island has a length of 2.9 km and a width of 1 km. Serangan is administratively part of the city of Denpasar, Bali. This island is known principally for its turtles and one of Bali 's six most sacred temples Pura Dalem Sakenan. It is connected with Bali by a road bridge.Penglipuran Village
Penglipuran Village is one of the traditional villages located in Bangli Regency, Bali Province, Indonesia. Penglipuran village is famous as one of the tourist destinations in Bali because of its society who still preserve their traditional culture in their daily lives. The architecture of buildings and land processing still follows the concept of Tri Hita Karana, the philosophy of Balinese society regarding the balance of relations between God, humans and their environment. Penglipuran Village succeeded in building tourism that benefited all of their communities without losing their culture and traditions. In 1995, Penglipuran Village also received a Kalpataru award from the Indonesian Government for its efforts to protect the Bamboo Forest in their local ecosystem.Museum Pasifika Bali
Museum Pasifika is an art museum in Bali, Indonesia. It presents the Asian Pacific’s variety of cultural artefacts. The museum was founded in 2006 by Moetaryanto P and Philippe Augier. The museum's collection includes more than 600 artworks by 200 artists from 25 countries. The museum has a number of galleries: Room I: Indonesian Artists Room II: Italian Artists in Indonesia Room III: Dutch Artists in Indonesia Room IV: French Artists in Indonesia Room V: Indo-European Artists in Indonesia Room VI: Temporary Exhibition Room VII: Artists on Indochina Peninsula: Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia Room VIII: Artists on Polynesia and Tahiti Room IX: Premier Art of Vanuatu and the Pacific Islands Paintings of Aloi Pilioko and Nicolai Michoutouchkine Room X: Tapa of Oceania and Pacific Room XI: Asia: Several artworks on Japan, China, Thailand, Malaysia, and Myanmar and the Philippines .Green Bowl Beach
The Green Bowl Beach in Bali is popular as one of the topmost surf spots on the island. This secret gem on the southern coastline of Bali attracts lovers and surfers to its noiseless and glamorous shores. Just a brief distance over from ‘Melasti’, ‘Green Bowl Beach’ comes in at an in-depth second within the best island beaches. Green bowl beach island is amongst the highest ‘Uluwatu’ beaches and with its caved ending and sparkling waters, making for a perfect place to loosen up for the day. If you are wondering how it got its name, Green Bowl or a bowl of green is because of the color and curvature of the beach. The other explanation is the flooding of small beaches that occur during the high tides making it look like a filled bowl. The steep climb to the beach makes an adventurous peregrination to the beach which is also why you will find a lesser crowd here.Bali Treetop Adventure Park
Legian Beach
Legian Beach jammed in the middle of Kuta and Seminyak. Legian Beach is nowhere near as packed as Kuta Beach resulting in quieter ambience from the busy traffic noise and less hawkers. Here it’s perfect to stroll along the beach, feel the sand between your toes and let the water wash it away.Double Six Beach
Double Six Beach is a 500-metre stretch of sand that’s part of Seminyak Beach. The beach connects the northernmost strip of Legian (called Blue Ocean Beach) and southernmost beachfront of Seminyak. Running parallel to the beach is a section of Jalan Double Six which is lined with hip bars and restaurants.
Double Six Beach is open to the public, and you can simply walk down to the beach if you’re staying at one of Legian’s resorts or hotels. Right on the beachfront you’ll find restaurants offering all-day dining. The real crowds come at sunset, with the likes of La Plancha Bali spreading colourful parasols, beach bags and even mini tables on the sand. You won’t find any exclusively LGBT-friendly beaches in Bali, but Double Six is especially popular among gay travellers and locals.
Canggu Beach
This guide to the best things to do in Canggu includes some of Bali’s most iconic landmarks that are found along the southwestern coast. The main hub of Canggu is Echo Beach, where you can enjoy great surfing, a wonderful sunset dining scene, and plenty of family-friendly activities.
Enjoy horse riding along Canggu’s exotic black-sand coasts, spend the day at a waterpark, or take up a cooking class with a renowned local chef.Mount Batur Sunrise Trekking
Bali is an island full of adventure and one of those adventures starts bright and early. We’ve traveled to Bali multiple times and both agree no other morning was as epic as the one where we went on a Mount Batur trekking tour for sunrise. Most things to do in bali start after sunrise so we promise this is the only one that requires such an early wake-up call.
Trust us sunrise at Mount Batur is worth it. If you can’t make it there early enough for sunrise the Mount Batur hike is still a must even in the afternoon. Bali is full of volcanos but Mount Batur is the most active volcano in Bali. We’ve put together everything you need to know about trekking Mount Batur.
Suluban Beach
Suluban Beach, also known as Blue Point Uluwatu and Pantai Suluban, is a spectacular beach that can be found in the Bukit Peninsula in South Bali.
Suluban Beach is world-renowned for its left-hand point break that is very popular among surfers, but there are plenty more fantastic things to do at Pantai Suluban other than surfing!
Nyang Nyang Beach
Compared to other surf spots on the island, Nyang Nyang Beach may be considered less than perfect. That being said, it is one of the least disturbed beaches on the island and offers some of the most beautiful coastlines in Bali. A steep 600 step climb, up and down from the beach, deters some tourists from visiting and ensures a smaller crowd, even when conditions are perfect. Low tide exposes a long strip of the reef for tide-pooling, swimming, and exploring. Higher tides with modest swell offer a shifty, quick, steep, and fun right-hander that breaks over a shallow-ish reef. Keep your eyes peeled for half-buried shipwrecks that provide respite for exhausted surfers after hours of paddling and kilometres of trekking. For the quiet and secluded beach you’ve been searching for, Nyang Nyang offers seclusion and quiet that most.Menjangan Island
Menjangan Island is a little piece of secluded, uninhabited paradise, located just a few miles from the coast of Bali.
The island gets its name from the Javanese word for 'deer', thanks to
an incredible natural phenomenon whereby flocks of the rare wild Javan
rusa deer swim to the island every spring some of them travelling an
incredible 2 kilometres to get there!
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