There are many places of interest to visit in Bali, known as Island of the Gods and an earthly paradise to which we are sure you will not stop returning if one day you visit it. The Island of Bali with its thousands of temples, its beautiful rice paddies, its wild nature in the form of lakes, waterfalls and volcanoes, its beaches, together with the friendliness of the people and its healthy and rich gastronomy, will make your days fly by .
During our trip to Indonesia in 26 days for free we were 6 days on the island and we did not deceive you when we confess that we were wanting more, so now we return to spend there 40 days in this Bali villa that we have rented with Airbnb . Based on our experience we have made a list of those we believe are the 10 most essential places to visit in Bali. We start!
1. Luhur Uluwatu Temple
The Luhur Uluwatu temple, located on a cliff 75 meters high in the south of the island, is one of the most beautiful and one of the essential places to visit in Bali. Built in the 10th century to scare away evil spirits, it stands out for its location and for the thousands of tourists who approach the sunset to see its 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, for traffic and queuing issues, go with plenty of time before sunset and also take the opportunity to visit some of the best beaches in Bali that are more close as those of Balangan, Padang Padang or Bingin, which although not as paradisiacal as those we usually see on postcards, are worth a visit.
As advice we will tell you that you have to be very careful with the monkeys, keep the small objects well especially the glasses, since as you say goodbye, it is most likely that one of them will throw for them. We tell you from experience. In case of StoleThere are several places that give the monkey food for a tip and he releases them, though, with a bite of memory.
A good option to know the area, if you do not have a car or motorcycle is to book this tour with a guide in Spanish or this car service with driver in which you decide the route.
Luhur Uluwatu Temple
2. Ubud
Ubud, our favorite corner of the Island of the GodsIt 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 points of interest of Bali if you do not do a circular route and prefer to fix your residence only in one place.
There are many things to see in Ubud, with a good mix of the traditional with the modern and that go through the Monkey Forest, the temples, the market, enjoy the hiking trails through rice paddies, the traditional houses, the centers Massage and yoga, art galleries, craft centers and of course, spend hours in its cafes and restaurants full of charm enjoying its delicious cuisine.
A good option to know the history and curiosities of Ubud is to book this visit with a guide in Spanish.
Ubud Market
3. Rice terraces
Rice is the main crop of Bali and is present in most of its cuisine, so rice terraces are something present throughout the island. Located on hillsides, they are one of the idyllic postcards of the Island of the Gods, especially when they are in their maximum splendor, full of water and with an intense green.
Around Ubud there are several very beautiful rice paddy areas, although we would opt for the Tegallalang rice fields, the most beautiful on the island, and those of Jatiluwih surrounded by a great environment, the two best rice paddies in Bali.
Tegallalang rice terraces in Bali
4. Pura Tanah Lot
Tanah Lot, located in the south of the island about an 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 see the sunrise or sunset with the temple in the foreground, the waves breaking 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, from which you cannot visit its interior, you can see it up close when the tide is low accessing the beach, a unique experience that will complement the sunrise or sunset.
If you have not rented a car, car with driver or motorcycle, a good alternative to learn more about the history of Bali and its temples is to book this tour in Spanish that includes the Ulun Danu Batur and Taman Ayun temples, the Bedugul lakes and the rice paddies of Jatiluwih
Pure Tanah Lot
5. Volcanoes
Bali, one of the most essential places to visit in Indonesia, has several volcanoes to be located in the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, an area with great volcanic and seismic activity. The 1717 meter Batur volcano is the highest on the island and the best known 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 of the valley and Lake Batur are incredible and you can also see small smoke coming from the caldera of the volcano.
The difficulty of the climb, between 2 or 3 hours, is medium level, so if you take it easy, we can say that it is accessible to all travelers. This excursion, which is recommended to do it with a guide, can be booked at most Ubud agencies and is usually done before sunrise, so you have to go with flashlights and warm clothes. You can book the tour here in advance.
Another volcano that is worth visiting is the Batran, with a large caldera that contains several lakes in which one of the most beautiful temples in Bali, the Pura Ulun Danu Batran.
The last volcano recommended for a visit is the Agung, of great importance by the Balinese as they consider it the replica of Mount Meru, sacred by the Hindu religion and very famous these days before a possible eruption, which we hope, is only in a scare.
Batur, one of the places to visit in Bali
Recommended travel cardsRemember that in order not to pay commissions and always have the current change we recommend you use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot.
You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.
6. Pura Besakih, one of the places to visit in Bali
Located at the foot of Mount Agung and closed these days by a possible eruption of the Agung volcano, it is the most important temple and one of the essential places to visit in Bali. Considered the most sacred and recognized temple as the mother temple of all the others, it is a huge complex formed by 22 temples. Its most prominent temple is the Penataran Agung, built on 7 levels of terraces that represent the layers of the universe, in which only the followers of this religion can climb its grand staircase.
It is not necessary to hire a guide to visit it and it is not advisable to buy souvenirs from children, since we will be giving parents a reason to keep them there and not at school. We recommend you to travel to Bali always responsibly and leaving only our tracks on the ground.
The mother temple is located an hour and a half from Ubud and a good option to learn more about Hinduism and Balinese traditions is to book this guided tour in Spanish that includes Pura Besakih.
Pure Besakih
7. Waterfalls
Bali, located in Southeast Asia, has its rainy season or monsoon from the end of October until April, although they are not as strong as in other countries, that large amount of water makes it a paradise full of vegetation, rivers and lakes. In addition, there are several Bali waterfalls recommended:
- The Git Git waterfall, the highest on the island, easily accessible and perfect for a swim.
- The Sekumpul waterfall, located in northern Bali and one of the most impressive in Bali, which can only be accessed by motorcycle.
- The Goa Batu waterfall, located near the Git Git and which to get there you have to walk a good stretch along a path through the jungle, although the effort is worth it and we will see many locals bathing.
- The Aling Aling waterfall, one of the best known of the island where you can jump from its top.
- The Nung Nung waterfall, with a large waterfall and where you can bathe in addition to having easy access.
Git Git waterfall
8. Ulun Danu Temple
The Ulun Danu Temple is one of our favorites and other places of interest what to visit in Bali more beautiful. The temple stands out for its location, on the shore of Lake Bratan, being dedicated to the goddess of water.
Located at about 1200 meters of altitude, its image reflected in the lake formed in the caldera of a crater, surrounded by mountains of lush vegetation, is one of the most famous of the Island of Bali. The visit to the temple can coincide, as happened to us, with a large number of Balinese peasants who pilgrimage to the temple to make their offering and ask for water for their crops.
Ulun Danu Temple
Our recommended hotel in Bali
After our experience, we advise you to stay in Ubud or the surrounding area and tour the island by car or motorcycle. Our hotel, the first time we were, was the Bebek Tepi Sawah Restaurant & Villas, a bit far from the center of Ubud, but with free transfer service to the city. It has an outdoor pool, spa, restaurant, free Wi-Fi and Balinese-style rooms.
If you are going to be many days, as will be our case on this second visit to the island, the best option is to rent a villa in Bali with Airbnb.
9. Other Temples of Bali
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 pure, it is important to choose which one to visit, to know the most important. We, in addition to the aforementioned, leave you this list of those we believe you cannot miss, according to our order of preference:
- Gunung kawi: temple very different from the others in Bali where the candis carved into the rock stand out. It also stands out for its surroundings next to a river surrounded by rice paddies.
- Tirta Empul: temple located next to a spring of sacred water in which the Balinese bathe because they have healing properties.
- Taman Ayun: in this cigar you cannot enter although its views from the outside with its pagodas of different heights are spectacular.
- Pure Lempuyang, a temple located more than 1000 meters above the sea on Mount Lempuyang, is one of the most photogenic Bali temples.
- Tirta Gangga: temple known as the Water Palace, stands out for its fountain, its statues and its main pool where you can walk above the stones.
- Goa Gajah: temple known as the Elephant Cave stands out for the elephant-shaped carving of the entrance.
- Goa Lawah: amazing temple for its cave full of bats, which they say protects Bali from evil spirits.
Gunung Kawi Temple
10. Beaches of Bali
The Island of Bali with hundreds of kilometers of coastline has many beaches of fine sand and turquoise waters, perhaps not as paradisiacal as those we usually see in travel catalogs, but interesting enough to propose a visit or several.
One of the most famous is the beach of Kuta, with many surfers among its waves and a lively nightlife. Another of the best known is Jimbaran Beach, located near Denpasar Airport and much quieter than Kuta. Nusa Dua, Sanur Beach and Seminyak, are other recommended, besides having a more atmosphere luxurious, with expensive hotels and resorts on foot of its beautiful beaches.
If you have more days you can go to other less known as Padang beach, famous for its great waves or Tulamben beach, perfect for snorkeling and diving, where you can even see a sunken ship from World War II.
Bali Beaches
10 + 1. Gili Islands
To finish the trip in the best way we recommend taking a trip to the Gili Islands, about 2 hours by fast boat from the Serangan port of Bali. In our case, these three small paradise 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 snorkeling and diving, in one of the best seabed 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.
Gili Islands
How to have internet in Bali?If you want to have internet in Bali a good option is to buy one Holafly SIM card, with which you will have internet from the moment you land, several GB of data, keeping your WhatsApp number and support service in Spanish.
You can buy your Holafly prepaid SIM card here with a 5% discount for being our reader.
If you feel like helping us complete the list of the 10 places to visit in Bali, add yours in the comments.
