About 6 months ago, I decided to follow my dream and go live in Bali. I’ve always been called to Asia, and this magical island really stood out for me. A travel guide on the « island of Gods » was then long overdue.
To create it, I combined some of my favorite places as well as some of the most iconic sites of the island. If you are called to visiting Bali, I think this might be the right article for you.
First, a few words on Bali
Bali is one of the 17000 or so islands of Indonesia and the only Hindu-majority province of the country.
A lot of religious ceremonies are held across the island and you can find numerous temples in most of the places there.
You can often witness local people going to the temple in the traditional outfit, singing and playing music as they pray.
Balinese people speak both balinese and Indonesian.
Most of Indonesian people speak two languages as there are different dialects on almost each island, so they need a common national language to understand each other, which is known as Indonesian language.
Balinese people are some of the most open-hearted people I’ve ever met and you can feel this warm welcome and joy all across the island. It is a real pleasure to be in their presence, connect with them and learn more about their culture.
Called the « island of gods », Bali is one of the energy centers of the Earth and is considered to be the location of our planet's Kundalini Energy. This energy is thought to purify the Earth and to balance and align body, mind, and spirit, through the cleansing and rejuvenation of our own soul.
Ubud
Ubud is the spiritual and cultural center of Bali and is home to many great restaurants, meditation centers and beautiful temples. Located in the lush jungle of the island and among the rice fields, a visit of Ubud and its surroundings is definitely a must. Here is a list of some of the most iconic places in and around of Ubud :
Tirta Empul is one of the most famous temples of the area, located about 30mn north of the city center, it is located on a holy spring and mostly famous for its water ceremonies. Visiting the temple, you can wear a traditional sarong and bathe in the holy water to cleanse yourself and your energy.
As this temple can be quite crowded, I would recommend you to arrive either in the morning or late afternoon to get the best experience. The visit doesn’t take long (1h maximum, maybe 1h30 if you decide to go for the water purification option), so you can easily combine it with other activities around. You will need a traditional sarong (long piece of cloth that you wear as a bottom) to enter most of the temples in Bali, but it is usually given at the entrance of the temples for free and the entrance fee is usually around 50K per person.
Tegallalang, the rice fields in terrace, is one of the most important natural sites of Bali. The site is absolutely stunning, the entry is about 50K per person and you can definitely spend some time there. You can choose to follow the hiking trail or just choose to make your own way along the rice fields.
There are many different cafés there where you can stop for a drink, rest and admire the view. You can also choose to engage in other activities such as the swings or ziplines. I strongly advise you to go there either early morning or late afternoon as it can get really hot during the day and you’re going up and down a lot when walking in the rice fields. If you have time for only one visit in Ubud, this is the place to go.
Ubud is known as the spiritual and cultural center of Bali and many retreat centers and yoga studios have opened there. Yoga Barn is one of the most iconic places in Ubud to practice yoga, meditation or try out of their amazing classes and workshops, all designed to connect to yourself and your body. Whether you are a newbie or a seasoned practitioner, going for a class there is definitely an amazing experience. They also have a really good café where you can eat one of their delicious and healthy meals or just enjoy a cup of tea or home-brewed kombucha.
The gastronomy scene in Ubud is one of the most diverse and high quality in Bali. You can find anything you want from the local food in warungs (local familial shops or restaurants), to amazing vegan restaurants, great international food, and some of the most high end restaurants of the island.
For the local food, I really recommend you to try Warung Gauri, located near the city centre, in a very calm street amidst the rice fields. The food is very good and the place is really beautiful. I recommend you to either book or arrive very early (around 6pm) if you want to go for dinner there, because it’s quite often full.
One of the mosh high end restaurants that you can find in Bali is Locavore. If you want to treat yourself to a unique and luxurious experience, it’s definitely the place for you. Classified amongst the top 10 best restaurants in Ubud, Locavore is an experience in itself. Their concept is to cook only local ingredients, no dairy and as little animal protein as possible, as they believe that this is the future of the food industry and sustainability. They actually grow a lot of the food that they cook in their restaurant and most of the other ingredients are from Indonesia. The design of the place is splendid, very modern, nested in the lush Balinese nature and they take you on a real journey with 20 courses where you discover some of the most refined and original food I've ever tried. You will need to make a reservation if you want to go to dinner there.
One of the other most preferred activities in Bali is to get a massage. Most of the massages are quite cheap here, so many tourists enjoy getting several ones during their trip. The traditional balinese massage technique is a combination of soft and gentle strokes, acupressure, skin rolling and essential oil application. I’ve tried quite a few places around Ubud and I think they most of them are very good, but my favorite one is Synergy Massage. Located in a quiet street near the city centre, I find their therapists and the service really amazing. If you want to try a massage while in Ubud, I would really recommend this place.
The Monkey Forest is one of the most famous places in Ubud and is located right in the city. One of the things that I love about Ubud is that even if the city centre can be really busy, there is nature everywhere. Monkey Forest is like a big park with very lush nature, in which you walk around and observe the monkeys who live there. They are totally free and you can see from very up close. It is however recommend to keep a bit of a distance with them, nor have any food on you or open your bag because they would not hesitate to steal from you or jump on you. They are not agressive at all, but rather they can be big ruckuses. It’s a very nice walk and it’s really fun to observe the monkeys and see how they interact with each other. There is have a small café as well as a temple, where you can sometimes witness religious ceremonies. If you have time during your visit of Ubud, it’s definitely a place to consider as well.
Sebatu and Candi Tebing Gunung Kawi are two temples are located in the north of Ubud and only a few minutes from one another. Sebatu temple conveys a very serene atmosphere, as most temples do in Bali, and walking around the place is a wonderful experience. There are a lot of ponds there where the emblematic koi fish are swimming, which display beautiful water sceneries. Candi Tebing temple, known as The Valley of Balinese Kings, dates back from the 11th century and is one of the most ancient places of worship of the island. The temple is pretty big and nestled in the characteristic lush jungle of Bali, which makes it one of the most beautiful places of cult to visit.
Around Ubud and in Bali in general, there are a lot of splendid waterfalls that you can visit and swim in. If most of them are very touristic and quite crowded, Uma Anyar Waterfall is in a more remote location and much less crowded than the more famous ones. You can choose to go with a guide or on your own and the entrance fee is somewhere around 20K. You can swim in this waterfall, so take your swimsuit and towel with you ! If you do decide to go for a swim, you will need one of the guides there to show you where you can go because the stream can be strong on certain days. You will have to park your car or motorbike and go there on foot but the path is really easy. When you reach the waterfall, the steps can be a bit slippery because of the water, so just be mindful of that.
Mount Batur is one of the many volcanoes of Indonesia and is a sacred site in Bali. There are many tours organized to visit this Balinese gem and most of the them start very early morning (around 4-5am) to see the sunrise when you reach the top. The hiking trail takes about 3h to complete and is a bit challenging, so I would say you have to be at least a bit sporty or in good physical condition to complete it.
After the hike, you can go relax in one of the many natural hot springs around the volcano and enjoy wonderful views at the same time. I tried the Bali volcano natural hot spring swimming pool and I would recommend it if you want somewhere more quiet and where the locals actually go to. The facilities are quite basic, but the pool is very nice and the view is stunning. If you don’t want to go for the hike, Mount Batur is still a very beautiful site to visit and an iconic one in Bali. You can, for example, decide to go for lunch in one of the many restaurants offering a magnificent view on the lake and volcano and enjoy a relaxing hot spring bath afterwards.
The distance between the restaurant and hot springs can be a bit long, so it’s better either to go by motorbike or book a driver for the day.
The Art Market in Ubud features a lot of clothes, handmade bags, jewelry, small kitchenware and other art pieces. It’s definitely a place to go to if you want to do some shopping or buy souvenirs from Bali. In the market, you will have to bargain what you buy, the vendors are kind of expecting you to as well and as everything in Bali, they do it with a warm smile. The items that you will get are usually of a nice quality, of course it’s different than the store-bought ones, so when you buy clothes for example, check out that there are no holes in them or that they are not damaged in any way. The entrance of the market is located on the left side of the Ubud Palace and is in a small street going up with stores and restaurants in solid construction on the right side.
Orange Walk is the walk that I like to recommend as the first one to do when you arrive in Ubud. This walk is accessible right from the city centre and leads you directly to the rice fields. The walk takes about 30mn-1h and you can even stop in one of the many warungs there to quench your thirst and admire the stunning view. There are many entrances possible and one is actually through the art market, which I think is the easiest one. You can do a loop to come back through there as well. The walk is very easy and super quiet and is a very nice way to discover and enjoy the magnificent and lush nature of the island.
If you’re looking for a hotel in Ubud, I could recommend Umala at Bisma. Located in a quiet street and super close to the city centre, you can walk around the city super easily from there. There are many restaurants right next door and it’s super close to the Monkey Forest, which meanders that sometimes you can even see monkeys from your hotel room or on your terrace. Be careful not to let too many things outside ;). The rooms are clean and spacious, the breakfast is really nice, they also have a pool and the staff is super friendly. It’s a really nice place to stay to discover Ubud and its surroundings, while still being in a more quiet environment, which you might need after a day of visiting.
Ubud is definitely a must in your tour of Bali and if you don’t have much time, you can spend 3 days there, otherwise a week can be really nice, so you can take your time and enjoy the incredible energy that you feel there.
Lovina and North Bali
Lovina is located on the North of the island, by the sea and is much less touristic than the southern cities of Ubud, Canggu and Uluwatu. It is mostly famous for its dolphin and snorkeling tours, but it also offers a lot of other activities. North Bali offers some of the most spectacular views and natural sites of the island and if you decide to spend some time there, I would recommend you to rent a motorbike, as you will discover some of the best landscapes that way.
The dolphin and snorkeling tours, usually start very early morning (around 6am), to enjoy the sunrise as you embark on a small fishing boat to go swim with the dolphins.
You don’t actually swim with them per se, you are in the water next to the boat and you see the dolphins swimming from underwater, which I have to say, is pretty great to experience. However, there is a big downside to this, which is that hundreds of fishing canoes are doing exactly the same thing at the same time in a small area, tracking the dolphins down whenever they are spotted somewhere. Animal wellbeing is not really taken into account here.
Some boats will leave at around 8am, which is already much better since there are far less people at this hour. Nevertheless, the principle stays the same and the dolphins are still chased down. You can choose to go only for the snorkeling tour, which is pretty great. Bali being surrounded by coral reefs, you can see many different colored fish, corals and sometimes even sea turtles.
Snorkeling in Lovina is a pretty great experience and if you go there, I would really encourage you to do it. Many people also go there from Ubud and leave very early in the morning (3-4am) and only spend the morning there, to then go back to Ubud during the afternoon. If you don’t want to stay in Lovina, this can be an option as well.
Another great destination for snorkeling is Menjangan island, located in the North West part of Bali, close to Java. Menjangan island is part of the West Bali National Park Conservation Area and is one of the best spots in the world for snorkeling. The island is about 2h drive from Lovina, so it’s best to leave quite early, as most of the snorkeling tours start at 8am. After the tour, you can either choose to visit the island with a guide or enjoy some lunch at one of the resorts nearby before you head back to Lovina.
Another great place to visit in North Bali is the Brahmavihara Arama buddhist temple. Bali being a predominantly Hindu island, there are not many buddhist temples. This temple is located a bit uphill and offers beautiful scenic views of the sea below, which you can admire while walking in the beautiful and serene gardens. Definitely one of the most beautiful temples of the island. You will also need the traditional sarong to enter the temple, which is furnished at the entrance as well.
Jatiluwih is one of the UNESCO protected natural sites in Bali and is about 1,5h drive from Lovina. The drive there is absolutely beautiful, especially if you choose to go by motorbike, since you will be able to really enjoy the scenery more. From small villages nested in the lush Balinese jungle, to stunning views on the twin lakes near Munduk, you will be able to enjoy some of the most beautiful panoramas of Bali. Jatiluwih is a 600 hectares site, mostly composed of rice fields, small temples and local villages. The parcels are owned by different families who still cultivate them and harvest the rice between 2 and 3 times a year.
There, you will also find many restaurants, hotels and homestays. To walk among the rice fields, you can choose between several hiking trails taking from 1 to 4 hours. This area is usually not too crowded and you can enjoy the peace and quiet of the rice fields, displaying scenic views of the Batukaru mountains in the background. Visiting Bali these are a must, and you can also reach them from Ubud, which takes approximately the same time than from Lovina.
On the road to Jatiluwih coming from Lovina, there is one of the most beautiful Hindu water temples of Bali : Ulun Danu Beratan Temple. Dedicated to the goddess Danu, queen of water, lakes and rivers, the temple sits on the banks of Lake Beratan and offers unique picturesque views of the mountains in the background. This temple is one of the most eminent ones in Bali and is definitely worth a visit. There are a few restaurants and cafés in the temple as well, so you can enjoy a cool drink or a snack there too.
Due to the presence of many volcanoes on the island, you can find many natural hot springs, and Lovina is no exception. If you are there, I would recommend trying the Banjar hot springs, which are only 10km away from Lovina beach, located near the small village of Banjar. Mostly locals go there to bathe and enjoy the naturally hot water thanks to the sulfur, which is believed to have many healing properties and to relax the body. The hot springs are located among lush nature and the complex counts 2 main pools, as well as a temple and a small café. Most enjoyable experience if you are in Lovina !
If you choose to stay in Lovina for a few nights and explore the northern part of the island, I can recommend you the Guesthouse of Betty. It is suitable for 2 people and is extremely well located, not far from the beach. The Guesthouse is beautifully decorated and very well furnished, and Betty is a wonderful host. She can help you rent out a motorbike and organize pretty much everything that you want to do in the area. I highly recommend her place.
A few recommandations for restaurants and cafés in Lovina :
I would recommend Müüa Lovina to enjoy a drink on the beach for the sunset. We stayed a few weeks in Lovina and we went there almost every evening. The view and location are great and the service is really nice. It's more of a place to have a drink rather than have dinner there in my opinion, but they serve food as well.
Akar Café is really close to the beach and offers a wide selection of delicious and healthy vegetarian meals. The small terrace in the back is really nice and you can even see monitor lizards swimming in the small water stream there sometimes.
Buda Bakery & Resto is one of my favorite restaurants in Lovina. They have a good selection of local food as well as international food. They also have a bakery where they make pastries and cakes, which are really delicious. A must try if you go there !
Uluwatu
Uluwatu is a province located on the southern part of the island and is famous for its white sand beaches and is one of the most renowned surf spots in the world.
Uluwatu Temple is built on a cliff overlooking the Indian Ocean. The temple is one of the nine directional temples of the island and hosts one of the most impressive traditional Kecak Fire dance, everyday at 6pm. If you are in Uluwatu, don’t miss the show! The temple itself is very beautiful and offers unique views on the seaside nature of Bali. Beware of the monkeys while you are there, a lot of them have established their home in the temple and they are known to steal from humans who come visit. So, if you go there, be sure to have a closed bag and don’t wear your glasses on your head or teeshirt, because if you do they will most likely steal them from you! Other than that, it is a very nice walk and beautiful place to visit.
Bingin beach is one of the most famous beaches in Uluwatu, but is somehow not overcrowded at all; at least it wasn't when I went there. Like all the other beaches in Uluwatu, it is a bit of a hike to get there as you have to go down from the top of the cliff to access the beach. The walk itself is pretty easy, as you just need to get down the stairs, but with the tropical heat and humidity, it becomes a bit more challenging, especially when you climb back up. The beach itself is very beautiful, with its clear water and white sand, and you can easily spend the day there, just relaxing and enjoying the ocean. Along the beach, there are many cafés and bars, and some of them also provide sun loungers and umbrellas.
One of the places that I enjoyed the most in Uluwatu was Mana. This restaurant & bar offers a beautiful sunset view, whether you decide to enjoy it from the gorgeous pool area, from the bar, or from the restaurant on the first floor of the building. The food and drinks are delicious and the atmosphere is very lounge, very cosy. On some evenings, you can even enjoy a great live jazz music in the restaurant area while watching the sunset and having a delicious dinner.
I didn’t go surfing while I was in Uluwatu, but if you enjoy this water sport, it is definitely the place for you to take your board and ride the waves! As this part of the island is surrounded by cliffs, it is recommended to be an advanced practitioner and to go there with a teacher who knows the coast and will be able to guide you. If you are new to surfing, maybe Canggu will be a better area.
Garuda Wisnu Kencana cultural park (or GWK) hosts the statue of the god Wisnu and bird god Garuda, and is one of the biggest and tallest brass structures of the world. The park around it has been designed to showcase the rich balinese cultural heritage and many traditional shows and exhibitions are displayed every day. With an extra ticket, you can also climb to the top of the statue for a view over the island. If you are traveling with your kids, this is a very nice site to visit, as the park is quite big and they can run around pretty much everywhere, with nice activities for them to enjoy and discover the island.
Some other amazing places to visit in Bali also include Amed and Sidemen, Canggu and other nearby island such as Nusa Penida and Gili Air.
Amed and Sidemen are located on the east side of the island and are most renowned for their proximity with one of the most sacred mountains in Bali, Mount Agung, as well as their lush beautiful landscapes. Sidemen is a bit more inland, while Amed is by the sea and is famous for snorkeling and scuba diving.
Canggu is the place in Bali where most of the expats live and is famous for its numerous clubs, restaurants, beaches and surfing. If you want a more city-like vibe experience while in Bali, Canggu is a definitely a place to visit.
Nusa Penida and Gili Air are some of the most beautiful islands surrounding Bali and you can find boats going back and forth every day. You can choose to stay there for one or more nights or just go for the day. As most of the islands in the area, they are surrounded by beautiful coral reefs, and snorkeling and scuba diving are one of the leading activities there.
As I haven’t been to these places yet, I couldn’t really recommend anything else there, but maybe this will be featured in another travel guide 😉.
If you are still hesitating to come to Bali and are looking to do something different for New Year's Eve this year, I am co-hosting a magical 7 day yoga & meditation retreat in Bali, in the area of Ubud 🌟.
Whether you want to spend time in nature, learn more about the Hindu culture and spirituality or are just called to come to this magical place, this travel guide could help you plan your whole trip or just find a few places during your time in Bali.
Don’t forget to also allow in time to integrate the beautiful energy of the island ☀️
Teri Makasih Bali 🙏
With love,
Elodie