Bali

The plane descends through thick cloud and then — there it is. Terraced green hillsides falling to a coastline fringed with palm trees, and a smudge of incense smoke rising from a ceremony you can’t yet see but can somehow already feel. I’ve landed in Bali more times than I can count, and that first lungful of warm, fragrant Balinese air still stops me cold. It smells like frangipani, clove smoke, and something indefinable — the air of a place that has been sacred for a thousand years and knows it.

What surprised me on my first visit was how complete Bali feels. This isn’t a beach destination that happens to have temples, or a cultural destination that happens to have surf — it’s all of it, simultaneously, in a density you don’t find anywhere else in Southeast Asia. You can watch the sun set behind Tanah Lot temple from a clifftop bar, eat the best suckling pig of your life an hour later, fall asleep to gamelan music drifting from a village ceremony, and the next morning be standing in a rice terrace so green it almost hurts. The pace the island sets for you is simultaneously busy and profoundly calm.

I’ve come back for the south — Seminyak’s restaurants and beach clubs, Uluwatu’s limestone cliffs and surf breaks that seem designed specifically for watching people do extraordinary things on waves. I’ve come back for the north, for the black sand beaches and the quiet temples around Lovina. But mostly I keep coming back for Ubud, because Bali’s cultural heart never stops having things to teach me. A cooking class in a family compound. A healer in a village. A shadow puppet performance that starts at midnight and runs until dawn.

The Balinese Hindu culture that underpins all of this is genuine and alive. Daily offerings of flowers and rice appear on every doorstep, every shop counter, every street corner. Temple ceremonies happen constantly — some villages have 80 temple days a year. You will walk into one by accident, and if you do, stay a few minutes. Watch. The Balinese do not perform their spirituality for tourists. They simply practice it, right alongside you.

Why Bali belongs on your itinerary

Bali is the kind of place travel writers have been effusive about for so long that it’s tempting to be contrarian. Don’t be. The clichés exist because the reality keeps delivering. The rice terraces genuinely are that beautiful. The temple ceremonies genuinely are that moving. The sunsets at Uluwatu genuinely do turn the Indian Ocean into liquid gold behind a silhouetted cliff temple while a Kecak chorus fills the air. Some places earn their reputation honestly, and Bali is one of them.

What Bali does better than almost anywhere in Southeast Asia is give every type of traveler exactly what they came for, without compromise. The surfer at Canggu never has to set foot in a spa. The wellness retreat guest in Ubud never needs to see a beach club. The family at Waterbom and the honeymooners in private pool villas and the solo backpacker in a Kuta dormitory are all having the Bali they came for, simultaneously. The island is large enough and varied enough to hold all of them.

The creative energy here is also something else entirely. Bali has attracted artists, writers, musicians, and dancers from around the world for nearly a century, and the local art tradition — painting, woodcarving, silverwork, textiles, dance, music — is world-class and deeply alive. Shopping in Ubud is genuinely dangerous for the wallet because the quality is extraordinary and the prices are, by Western standards, almost absurdly low. A hand-carved Ganesh figure. A batik sarong made in a family workshop. A painting in the style the Ubud School of Art has been developing since Walter Spies arrived in 1927. All of it authentic, all of it beautiful.

What should you do in Bali?

Uluwatu Temple and Kecak Fire Dance — Perched on a 70-meter limestone cliff above the Indian Ocean, Pura Luhur Uluwatu is one of Bali’s six directional temples. The sunset Kecak performance in the clifftop amphitheater runs nightly from around 6pm — 100 men create the entire musical score with layered chanting. Temple entry Rp50,000, Kecak performance Rp100,000. Arrive 45 minutes early for a good seat. Watch your belongings — the resident macaques are skilled thieves.

Tegallalang Rice Terraces — The most photographed terraces in Bali sit just north of Ubud and deliver the goods even at their busiest. The working subak irrigation system that maintains them is UNESCO-recognized and over a thousand years old. Arrive at 7am before the tourist swings appear or the heat builds. Free to walk the lower paths; Rp15,000 for some elevated viewpoint sections.

Tanah Lot Sea Temple — This offshore sea temple appears to float above the Indian Ocean at high tide and is perhaps the single most recognizable image in Bali. The sunset views are extraordinary — go at low tide to walk out to the rocks below the temple. Entry Rp60,000. Arrive at 5pm for sunset, or early morning when the light is equally beautiful and you’ll be largely alone.

Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, Ubud — 700 Balinese long-tailed macaques living in 12 hectares of ancient forest with three temple complexes at the heart of Ubud. The monkeys are bold and entertaining — don’t wear dangling jewelry, keep bags zipped, and leave bananas elsewhere. Entry Rp80,000. Genuinely enchanting in early morning when forest mist is still low.

Padang Padang Beach and Uluwatu Surf — The Bukit Peninsula’s limestone cliffs hide a series of world-class surf breaks accessible via steep stairs. Padang Padang is accessible through a cave cleft in the cliff — the beach itself is small and perfect. Bingin and Impossibles offer some of the best left-hand reef breaks in Asia. If you don’t surf, watching from the clifftop warungs is entertainment enough.

Tirta Empul Holy Spring Temple — Balinese Hindus queue to undertake ritual purification in the spring-fed pools of this 10th-century temple near Tampaksiring. Visitors can participate (sarong required, provided at the gate). The springs are genuinely cold and genuinely sacred. Early morning is best. Entry Rp50,000.

Seminyak and Canggu Sunset — The strip of beach bars from Seminyak north to Canggu is Bali’s answer to Miami Beach, Balinese style. Ku De Ta, Potato Head, and La Plancha have been pulling sunset crowds for years. The sunsets here are genuinely outstanding — the Indian Ocean horizon with nothing but water between you and East Africa. Come at 5:30pm, find a beach bean bag, and stay until the stars appear.

Besakih Mother Temple — The largest and holiest temple complex in Bali sits on the slopes of Mount Agung at 1,000 meters — 23 separate temples spread up the volcanic hillside. Entry Rp15,000 plus mandatory sarong and sash. Go on a clear day for the Agung backdrop. A legitimate temple guide (around Rp150,000) adds considerable depth to the visit.

Where should you eat in Bali?

• Babi Guling at Ibu Oka, Ubud — The most famous babi guling warung in Bali has been serving spiced suckling pig since before tourists discovered it. The pork is rubbed with turmeric, ginger, lemongrass, and chili, then roasted over coconut husk fire. Arrive before noon — it sells out. Rp60,000-80,000 (USD 4-5).

• Nasi campur at a morning warung — The Balinese breakfast of champions: steamed rice surrounded by spiced meats, vegetables, satay, sambal, and crispy shallots. At a roadside warung, this costs Rp20,000-30,000 (USD 1.50-2). This is how most of the island eats every morning.

• Locavore, Ubud — The best restaurant in Indonesia several years running. Eight-course tasting menu using entirely Indonesian and Balinese ingredients. Book weeks ahead. Around USD 80 per person without wine. Worth every cent.

• Warung Sulawesi, Seminyak — A tiny local institution serving genuine Balinese and Indonesian food to a mix of locals and in-the-know visitors. The grilled fish and the lawar (Balinese minced meat and coconut dish) are exceptional. Rp50,000-80,000 per person.

• Pepes ikan at a local market — Fish or chicken wrapped in banana leaf with spices and grilled over charcoal. Every market has a version. Rp15,000-25,000. The banana leaf infuses the protein with a gentle grassiness that nothing else replicates.

• Satay Lelanjaran — Minced pork or duck satay on lemongrass stalk skewers, unique to Bali. Find it at Ubud Market stalls in the morning or at babi guling warungs as a side dish. The combination of spiced minced meat and lemongrass char is addictive.

• Bubur injin for breakfast — Black rice pudding with palm sugar and fresh coconut cream, served warm. Every guesthouse offering breakfast will have it. Deeply satisfying in a way that only proper rice porridge can be.

• Kerobokan restaurant row — Jalan Petitenget in Seminyak and Kerobokan has the most sophisticated dining scene between Singapore and Sydney. Merah Putih, Sarong, Mejekawi — all worth a splurge at Rp300,000-600,000 per person.

Where should you stay in Bali?

Budget (Rp150,000-400,000 / USD 10-27): Kuta and Legian have Bali’s densest concentration of budget guesthouses and hostels. Poppies Lane 1 and 2 in Kuta are legendary backpacker territory. In Ubud, small family-run losmen guesthouses scattered through the rice terraces go for Rp200,000-350,000 with breakfast. Canggu has excellent surfer hostels from Rp150,000 per dorm bed.

Mid-Range (Rp600,000-2,000,000 / USD 40-135): This is where Bali really shines. Private pool villas with breakfast in Seminyak or Canggu for USD 80-120 per night are genuinely common. Ubud has boutique rice-paddy-view properties with a pool for Rp700,000-1,200,000 that would cost USD 400+ anywhere in Europe. The Layar in Seminyak and Bisma Eight in Ubud represent the best of this category.

Luxury (USD 200-500+): Four Seasons Sayan in Ubud is the most magical hotel I’ve ever stayed in — it sits in a rice paddy valley above the Ayung River with rooms that seem to grow out of the jungle. Amandari and Amanusa represent the Aman brand at its refined peak. The Mulia in Nusa Dua offers genuine five-star beach resort experience at prices well below comparable Maldives properties.

When is the best time to visit Bali?

April through October is Bali’s dry season — the months when the rice terraces are greenest, the temples are sunlit, and the surf is most consistent on the south and west coasts. July and August are peak season with corresponding price increases and crowds, especially in Ubud and Seminyak. May, June, and September hit the sweet spot: dry season conditions, significantly fewer tourists, and more favorable prices across the board.

November through March brings the wet season — daily afternoon downpours, muggier heat, and surf switching to the east coast. Mornings remain gorgeous, cultural events continue year-round, and accommodation prices drop significantly. If your budget is tight and your schedule flexible, the wet season in Bali is not the hardship it might sound.

Bali repays multiple visits and rewards those who return to the same areas rather than rushing every region in one trip. A week in Ubud, a week on the Bukit Peninsula, a few days in Canggu — each area has enough depth to justify its own dedicated trip. Start in the south, stay longer than planned, and begin saving for the return before your plane has even left Indonesian airspace.

Visit our planning guide for help building a Bali itinerary, or browse all Indonesia destinations to plan a fuller Indonesian journey.