Stand at the water's edge at Tanah Lot as the tide comes in and the temple's silhouette separates from the shore, and you have the image most travellers carry home from Bali. Inland, the tiered black-thatched roofs of a meru rise above a village courtyard, and somewhere a gamelan orchestra is rehearsing for a ceremony that has been held in the same place for generations.
Bali suits travellers who want Hindu temple architecture, terraced rice landscapes and volcanic mountains in the same trip, and who are willing to dress properly, slow down and watch how ceremonies unfold rather than tick off sights. It also suits beach-goers, though the safest swimming is not always where the crowds are.
This guide covers the temples, landscapes, monuments and experiences named in the source material, with practical notes on what to combine and when to go.
Top things to do in Bali
1. Pura Luhur Uluwatu (Uluwatu Temple)
One of the nine directional temples (kayangan jagat) that are positioned at strategic points across Bali to protect the island and its inhabitants. It sits at the southern tip of Bali, on high cliff ground above the Indian Ocean, which is why it is both easily accessed and very popular.
Because it is a directional temple, it belongs to the same group as Besakih and Tanah Lot, so it rewards attention to the temple layout: the jaba (outer courtyard), jaba tengah (middle courtyard) and jeroan (inner courtyard). Dress with a sarong and sash, which are available for rental at the large temples that attract many tourists.
2. Tanah Lot
Tanah Lot is one of the nine directional temples and, like Uluwatu, is easily accessed and hence very popular. It sits at the water's edge, which is characteristic of the directional temples, most of which are on rugged high ground or at the water's edge.
Pair it with the other water-edge temple experiences rather than trying to see every directional temple in one day. Non-Hindu visitors are nearly always allowed into the jaba, the outer courtyard, so plan on seeing that part even if the inner courtyards are closed to you.
3. Besakih
For the Balinese, the "mother temple" of Besakih on the slopes of Mount Agung is the most important of all the temples and sits above the nine directional temples. Mount Agung dominates the landscape of East Bali.
Note that Mount Agung erupted at the end of 2018 and as of August 2019 was still erupting, with a 4 km radius prohibited safety zone from the crater rim, so check conditions before planning anything on the mountain itself. Dress in a sarong and sash, and expect the inner courtyard (jeroan) to be open to properly dressed visitors only at some times, depending on the temple and the ceremonies being performed.
4. Ubud
The upland town of Ubud in Greater Denpasar is considered Bali's cultural centre and the artistic capital of the island, with several museums and a variety of informal workshops and retail outlets. Ubud's museums showcase the works of local artists, both living and dead, as well as works by foreign artists who have a strong affinity to Bali or have made the island their permanent home.
Base yourself here if art is the point of your trip. The terraced rice paddies north of Ubud are among the especially beautiful examples of this landscape, so combine a museum morning with a walk through the paddies in the centre of the island.
5. Terraced rice paddies north of Ubud and around Tirta Gangga
Rice paddies are the dominant agricultural feature of Bali away from the coast, and in some areas they take the form of dramatic sculpted terraces that use every available acre for cultivation. Especially beautiful examples are found in the centre of the island north of Ubud and in east Bali around Tirta Gangga.
There are a number of rice field tours available, and these can involve staying at a resort in one of these areas. Elsewhere on the island, gently rolling rice fields make for pleasing rural scenery, so you do not need to travel far to see working farmland.
6. Mount Batur
All of Bali's mountains are volcanoes, some long dormant and some still active. Mount Batur is much more active than Agung, permanently smouldering and periodically producing a large bang and plumes of ashy smoke as pressure is released from within.
Taking only 2 hours to climb, Batur is one of the most accessible active volcanoes in the whole of Indonesia. Combine it with the hot springs at Toya Bungkah on the shores of Lake Batur, high in the north eastern mountains.
7. Air Banjar hot springs
There are several hot springs to be discovered in Bali. One of them, on the north coast of the island near Lovina, is Air Banjar, where stone mouth carvings allow hot water to pass between the pools, which are set in lush gardens.
This is a good pairing with the north coast, where virtually all beaches are especially safe for swimming. At all times obey local swimming safety markers.
8. Toya Bungkah hot springs
Another good choice among Bali's hot springs is at Toya Bungkah on the shores of Lake Batur, high in the north eastern mountains. It sits naturally alongside a Mount Batur climb.
Because it is high in the mountains, treat it as a cooler-weather stop rather than a beach day, and build it into a north eastern loop rather than a southern beach itinerary.
9. Wayang Kulit (shadow puppetry)
The Balinese art of shadow puppetry, known as Wayang Kulit, is worth checking out during a visit to the island. It is one part of the highly developed Balinese arts tradition, which also includes traditional and modern dance, sculpture, painting, leather, metalworking and music.
Watch for performances in temple courtyards: the jaba tengah usually contains a large pavilion called a wantilan, which is used for special dance performances, and the jaba is where some celebratory dance performances take place.
10. Bali Bomb Memorial, Jalan Legian, Kuta
A sad reminder of the modern world, the Bali Bomb Memorial on Jalan Legian in Kuta commemorates the 202 victims of the first Bali Bomb attack in October 2002. The site of the former Sari Club, obliterated in one of the blasts, lies adjacent to the monument and has not been redeveloped.
Visit quietly and treat the adjacent site with respect. It is a short, sober stop rather than a full afternoon.
11. Puputan monuments in Klungkung and Denpasar
There are several monuments commemorating the puputan, the suicidal fight to the death of the Balinese against the Dutch colonialists in the early 20th century. The two most famous are in the town centre of Klungkung in East Bali and in Puputan Park, Denpasar.
Pair the Klungkung monument with other East Bali stops such as Besakih and the terraced paddies around Tirta Gangga, and the Denpasar monument with a day in the capital.
12. Jimbaran Bay
Most of Bali's coastline is fringed by beaches, with the exceptions being areas of mangrove forest in the southeast and parts of the Bukit Peninsula where high cliffs drop straight to the Indian Ocean. Black sand is the norm given the island's volcanic nature, but some southern beaches have fine-grained white sand.
Beaches especially safe for swimming include Jimbaran Bay and virtually all of the north coast. At all times obey local swimming safety markers, as far too many visitors drown each year after ignoring them.
13. North coast beaches
Virtually all of the north coast is especially safe for swimming, which makes it a sensible choice if swimming matters more to you than the southern beach scene. It also puts you within reach of Air Banjar near Lovina.
Bali's popular southern beaches are sometimes not the cleanest you will find, particularly during the height of the wet season in December and January, when heavy rains wash agricultural runoff and garbage onto the beaches. The north coast avoids much of that timing problem.
14. Goa Lawah
Goa Lawah is one of the nine directional temples, the group that makes up the largest and most prominent temples in Bali, positioned at strategic points across the island to protect it and its inhabitants from dark forces. Like the others in the group, it sits on rugged high ground or at the water's edge.
If you are working through the directional temples, group Goa Lawah with Pura Lempuyang Luhur, Pura Luhur Batukaru, Pura Masceti, Pura Pasar Agung, Pura Ulun Danu Batur and Pura Ulun Danu Bratan rather than scattering them across separate days.
15. Pura Ulun Danu Batur and Pura Ulun Danu Bratan
These two are among the remaining directional temples, alongside Goa Lawah, Pura Lempuyang Luhur, Pura Luhur Batukaru, Pura Masceti and Pura Pasar Agung. All of them are on either rugged high ground or at the water's edge.
Because two temples are rarely the same and local geography has a fundamental effect on design, allow time to look at the differences rather than treating them as interchangeable. Remember the general structure: three courtyards, the jaba, jaba tengah and jeroan, with the entrance always on the kelod axis point facing away from Mount Agung.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start in Ubud, Bali's cultural centre and artistic capital, and look through one or two of its museums, which show the work of local artists and of foreign artists who have made the island their home. Then walk the terraced rice paddies north of Ubud, the dominant agricultural landscape of the island's interior.
Afternoon: Head south to Pura Luhur Uluwatu at the southern tip of Bali, one of the nine directional temples and the most easily accessed of the cliff-top group. Dress in a sarong and sash, which you can rent at the large temples that attract many tourists, and see as much of the jaba, jaba tengah and jeroan as the temple allows that day.
Evening: Finish at Tanah Lot, the other easily accessed directional temple, at the water's edge. If your timing allows, look for a Wayang Kulit shadow puppet performance, or a dance performance in a temple's wantilan pavilion or jaba courtyard.
Frequently asked questions
What should I wear to enter a temple in Bali?
To enter any temple you must be appropriately dressed with a sarong and sash. These are always available for rental at the large temples which attract a lot of tourists, usually included if you are paying to enter and otherwise a few thousand rupiah per set, but it is better to buy one of each when you arrive and use them throughout your visit.
Can non-Hindu visitors go inside Bali's temples?
Non-Hindu tourists are nearly always allowed to visit the jaba, the outer courtyard. Sometimes properly dressed visitors will be allowed into the jeroan, the inner sacred area, and at other times not; it depends on the individual temple and the ceremonies that have been or are about to be performed.
Which beaches in Bali are safe for swimming?
Beaches especially safe for swimming include Jimbaran Bay and virtually all of the north coast. At all times obey local swimming safety markers, as far too many visitors to Bali drown each year after ignoring them. Note also that the popular southern beaches are sometimes not the cleanest, particularly during the height of the wet season in December and January.
Is it safe to climb Mount Agung?
Mount Agung erupted at the end of 2018 and as of August 2019 was still erupting, so there is a 4 km radius prohibited safety zone from the crater rim. Mount Batur, by contrast, takes only 2 hours to climb and is one of the most accessible active volcanoes in Indonesia, though it permanently smoulders and periodically produces a large bang and plumes of ashy smoke.
Decide whether your trip is about temples, terraces or volcanoes, then build the days around the places above and start planning.