There are many places of interest to visit in Bali, known as the Island of the Gods and a paradise on earth that we are sure you won't fail to return to if you visit one day.
With its thousands of temples, beautiful rice paddies, wild nature in the form of lakes, waterfalls and volcanoes as well as endless beaches, the island stands out for the incredible friendliness of the people and its healthy and delicious cuisine, which together will make the days fly by.
Based on the experience of the two times we have travelled to the island, the first time during the trip to Indonesia and the second time for almost two months, after which we wrote this 7 and 10 days Bali route, we have made a list of what we believe are the 10 most essential places to visit in Bali. Let's start!
1. Luhur Uluwatu Temple
Luhur Uluwatu Temple, located on a cliff 75 metres high in the south of the island, is one of the most beautiful and one of the must-see places in Bali. Built in the 10th century to ward off evil spirits, it stands out for its location and for the thousands of tourists who come here at sunset to watch the spectacular sunset over the Indian Ocean.
A little more than two hours drive from Ubud, if you are staying in this town it is advisable, due to traffic and queues, to go with plenty of time before sunset and also take the opportunity to visit some of the best beaches in Bali that are closer such as Balangan, Padang Padang or Bingin, which although they are not as paradisiacal as the ones we usually see on postcards, they are worth a visit.
A word of advice: be very careful with the monkeys, keep your small objects safe, especially your glasses, because if you get lost, one of them is likely to pounce on them. We tell you this from experience. In the event of theft, there are several places that give food to the monkey for a tip and it will let them go, with a bite as a souvenir.
Luhur Uluwatu Temple2. Ubud, one of the places to visit in Bali
Ubud, our favourite corner of the Island of the Gods, was the place we chose to stay during our trip to Bali. Located in the central part of the island, it is the perfect place to visit all the sights of Bali if you don't do a circular route and prefer to take up residence in one place only.
There are many things to see in Ubud, with a good mix of traditional and modern, including the Monkey Forest, the temples, the market, hiking trails through rice paddies, traditional houses, massage and yoga centres, art galleries, handicraft centres and of course, spending hours in its charming cafes and restaurants enjoying its delicious cuisine.
Ubud Market3. Rice terraces
Rice is Bali's main crop and is present in most of its cuisine, so rice terraces are a common sight all over the island. Situated on hillsides, they are one of the idyllic postcard images of the Island of the Gods, especially when they are at their best, full of water and lush green.
Around Ubud there are several beautiful rice paddies, although we'd go for the Tegallalang paddies, the most beautiful on the island, and the Jatiluwih paddies surrounded by a great setting, the two best rice paddies in Bali.
4. Pura Tanah Lot, one of the temples to see in Bali
Tanah Lot, located in the south of the island, one hour from Ubud and built on a rocky islet in the middle of the sea, is another of the best temples to visit in Bali. Arriving at sunrise or sunset to watch the sunrise or sunset with the temple in the foreground, the waves crashing on the rocks and the ocean in the background, is one of the best things to do in Bali.
Dedicated to the god of the sea, this famous Hindu temple, which you can't visit inside, can be seen up close at low tide from the beach, a unique experience that will complement the sunrise or sunset.
Pura Tanah Lot, one of the must-see places in Bali5. Volcanoes
Bali, one of the must-see places to visit in Indonesia, has several volcanoes as it is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area of high volcanic and seismic activity. The 1717-metre Batur volcano is the island's highest and best-known volcano and although it remains active, its last eruption was in 1964. Climbing the crater is one of the best excursions you can do in Bali, its panoramic views at sunrise or sunset over the valley and Lake Batur are incredible and you can also see small fumes coming out of the volcano's caldera.
The difficulty of the climb, which takes between 2 and 3 hours, is medium level, so if you take it easy, we can say that it is accessible to all travellers. This tour, which is recommended with a guide, can be booked at most agencies in Ubud and is usually done before sunrise, so bring a torch and warm clothes.
Another volcano worth visiting is Batran, which has a large caldera containing several lakes and is home to one of Bali's most beautiful temples, Pura Ulun Danu Batran.
The last volcano recommended for a visit is Agung, of great importance for the Balinese as they consider it a replica of Mount Meru, sacred to the Hindu religion and very famous these days in case of a possible eruption, which we hope is just a scare.
6. Pura Besakih, one of the places to visit in Bali
Located at the foot of Mount Agung and closed these days due to a possible eruption of the Agung volcano, it is the most important temple and one of the most important places to visit in Bali. Considered the most sacred temple and recognised as the mother temple of all others, it is a huge complex made up of 22 temples. Its most prominent temple is the Penataran Agung, built on 7 levels of terraces representing the layers of the universe, where only followers of this religion can climb its grand staircase.
It is not necessary to hire a guide to visit it, nor is it advisable to buy souvenirs for children, as we will be giving parents a reason to keep them there and not at school. We recommend that you always travel to Bali in a responsible manner and leave only your footprints on the land.
Pura Besakih, another of the temples to see in Bali7. Waterfalls
Bali, located in Southeast Asia, has its rainy season or monsoon from the end of October to April. Although the rains are not as heavy as in other countries, the large amount of water makes it a paradise full of vegetation, rivers and lakes. In addition, there are several recommended waterfalls in Bali:
Git Git: the highest on the island, easy to access and perfect for swimming.
Sekumpul: located in the north of Bali and one of the most impressive waterfalls in Bali, accessible only by motorbike.
Goa Batu: located close to the Git Git and which you have to walk a long way through the jungle to reach, although it's worth the effort and you'll see many locals bathing.
Aling Aling: one of the best known of the island where you can jump from the top.
Nung Nung: with a large waterfall where you can swim and easy access.
Git Git, one of the waterfalls to see in Bali8. Ulun Danu Temple
The Ulun Danu Temple is one of our favourites and one of the most beautiful places to visit in Bali. The temple stands out for its location, on the shore of Lake Bratan, being dedicated to the goddess of water.
Located at an altitude of 1200 metres, its image reflected in the lake formed in the caldera of a crater, surrounded by mountains with lush vegetation, is one of the most famous on the island of Bali. A visit to the temple can coincide, as it did for us, with a large number of Balinese peasants making pilgrimages to the temple to make their offerings and ask for water for their crops.
9. Other Balinese Temples
The island of Bali has more than 10,000 temples and religion is very important for the Balinese, who are Hindu. With this density of temples or puras, it is important to choose which one to visit in order to see the most important ones. In addition to the aforementioned, we leave you with this list of the ones we think you should not miss, according to our order of preference:
Gunung Kawi: this temple is very different from the others in Bali, where the candis carved into the rock stand out. It also stands out for its setting next to a river surrounded by rice fields.
Tirta Empul: temple located next to a spring of sacred water in which the Balinese bathe because they consider it to have curative properties.
Taman Ayun: this pure temple cannot be entered although the views from the outside with its pagodas of different heights are spectacular.
Pura Lempuyang, a temple located more than 1000 metres above the sea on Mount Lempuyang, is one of the most photogenic temples in Bali.
Tirta Gangga: temple known as the Water Palace, it stands out for its fountain, its statues and its main pool where you can walk over the stones.
Goa Gajah: temple known as the Elephant Cave, it stands out for its elephant-shaped carving at the entrance.
Goa Lawah: surprising temple for its cave full of bats, which is said to protect Bali from evil spirits.
Gunung Kawi, one of the temples to visit in Bali10. Beaches of Bali
The island of Bali, with its hundreds of kilometres of coastline, has many beaches of fine sand and turquoise waters, perhaps not as paradisiacal as the ones we usually see in travel catalogues, but interesting enough to consider a visit or several.
One of the most famous is Kuta Beach, with plenty of surfers in the waves and a lively nightlife. Another popular one is Jimbaran Beach, located near Denpasar airport and much quieter than Kuta. Nusa Dua, Sanur Beach and Seminyak are also recommended, as well as having a more luxurious atmosphere, with expensive hotels and resorts right next to the beautiful beaches. For a comprehensive list of hotels and resorts, you can explore the More Hotels at all-balihotels.net. If you are in the mood for something a bit more quiet and serene, there are other accommodation options on tophotels.com. This gives you the chance to enjoy the more peaceful side of Bali. If you have more days you can go to other lesser-known beaches such as Padang Beach, famous for its big waves, or Tulamben Beach, perfect for snorkelling and diving, where you can even see a sunken ship from World War II. If you're venturing to this part of the island, consider staying at the Aura Guesthouse, which offers a unique blend of comfort and convenience.
Beaches of Bali10+1. Gili Islands
To end the trip in the best way we recommend an excursion to the Gili Islands, about 2 hours by speedboat from Bali's Serangan harbour. In our case, these three small paradisiacal islands(Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air), were the chosen destination in which to spend our last days of the trip relaxing, enjoying its sunsets, its fish and seafood, its beaches and snorkelling and diving, in one of the best sea beds in the world.
And so much so, that this time we will do it again, spending the last 10 days in these incredible 3 pearls of Indonesia and completing the list of the 10 best things to do in the Gili Islands.
