Must-see attractions in Bali

  • Agung Rai Museum of Art

    Agung Rai Museum of Art

    Ubud

    If you only visit one museum in Ubud, make it this one. Founder Agung Rai built his fortune selling Balinese artwork to foreigners in the 1970s, and…

  • High-angle view of Sekumpul waterfall.

    Sekumpul Waterfall

    Singaraja

    Sitting 18km southeast of Singaraja, some six or seven separate waterfalls – all fed by upland streams – pour up to 80m over cliffs in a verdant bamboo…

  • Exterior of Pura Besakih, the black temple.

    Pura Besakih

    East Bali

    Perched nearly 1000m up the side of Gunung Agung, this is Bali's most important Hindu temple. The site encompasses 23 separate but related temples, with…

  • Gate in Pura Luhur Uluwatu temple on Bali, Indonesia

    Pura Luhur Ulu Watu

    Bukit Peninsula

    This important temple is perched precipitously on the southwestern tip of the peninsula, atop sheer cliffs that drop straight into the ceaseless surf…

  • Neka Art Museum

    Neka Art Museum

    Ubud

    Offering an excellent introduction to Balinese art, the top-notch collection is displayed in a series of pavilions and halls. Don't miss the multiroom…

  • The great temple of Mengwi, Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

    Pura Taman Ayun

    West Bali

    Don't miss one of the top temples on Bali, a serene place of enveloping calm. The huge royal water temple of Pura Taman Ayun, surrounded by a wide,…

  • Ceiling painting, Taman Kertha Gosa, Klungkung

    Puri Agung Semarapura

    East Bali

    Built when the Dewa Agung dynasty moved here in 1710, this palace compound was laid out as a large square, believed to be in the form of a mandala, with…

  • Fresh yellow tail fishes at fish market in Bali

    Jimbaran Fish Market

    Bukit Peninsula

    A popular morning stop on a Bukit peninsula amble, this fish market is smelly, lively and frenetic – watch where you step. Brightly painted boats bob…

  • Playing at sunset

    Jimbaran Beach

    Bukit Peninsula

    One of Bali’s best beaches, Jimbaran’s 4km-long arc of sand is mostly clean and there is no shortage of places to get a snack, drink or seafood dinner, or…

  • Bali, Kuta Beach

    Kuta Beach

    Kuta & Legian

    Tourism in Bali began here and is there any question why? Low-key hawkers will sell you soft drinks and beer, snacks and other treats, and you can rent…

  • Museum Le Mayeur

    Sanur

    Artist Adrien-Jean Le Mayeur de Merpres (1880–1958) arrived in Bali in 1932, and married the beautiful Legong dancer Ni Polok three years later, when she…

  • Pantai Seminyak

    Seminyak

    A lounger and an ice-cold Bintang on the beach at sunset is simply magical. A good stretch can be found near Pura Petitenget, and it tends to be less…

  • Pura Kehen

    East Bali

    The state temple of the Bangli kingdom, Pura Kehen is a miniature version of Pura Besakih, Bali's most important temple. It's terraced up the hillside,…

  • Pasifika Museum

    Nusa Dua

    When groups from nearby resorts aren’t around, you’ll probably have this large museum to yourself. A collection of art from Pacific Ocean cultures spans…

  • Setia Darma House of Mask and Puppets

    Ubud Region

    This is one of the best museums in the Ubud area, home to more than 7000 ceremonial masks and puppets from Bali, other parts of Indonesia, Asia and beyond…

  • Pura Dalem Penetaran Ped

    Nusa Penida

    The important temple of Pura Dalem Penetaran Ped is near the beach at Ped, 3.5km east of Toyapakeh. It houses a shrine for the demon Jero Gede Macaling…

  • Pura Lempuyang

    East Bali

    One of the holiest temple complexes on the island (it and Pura Besakih are the most important in east Bali), this group of seven temples has a spectacular…

  • Pantai Batu Bolong

    Canggu

    The beach at Batu Bolong is the most popular in the Canggu area. There's almost always a good mix of locals, expats and visitors hanging out in the cafes,…

  • Beachfront Walk

    Sanur

    Sanur’s beachfront walk was the first in Bali and has been delighting locals and visitors alike from day one. More than 4km long, it curves past resorts,…

  • Indonesia, Bali, Tirta Gangga, Taman Tirta Gangga

    Taman Tirta Gangga

    East Bali

    This 1.2-hectare water palace serves as a fascinating reminder of the old Bali. Built for the last raja of Karangasem in 1946, it was almost fully…

  • Bajra Sandhi Monument

    Denpasar

    The centrepiece to a popular park, this huge monument is as big as its name. Inside the vaguely Borobudur-like structure are dioramas tracing Bali’s…

  • Stone sculpture, Museum Negeri Propinsi Bali.

    Museum Negeri Propinsi Bali

    Denpasar

    Think of this as the British Museum or the Smithsonian of Balinese culture. It's all here, but unlike those world-class institutions, you have to work at…

  • Gunung Kawi.

    Gunung Kawi

    Ubud Region

    One of Bali's oldest and most important monuments, this river-valley complex consists of 10 huge candi (shrines) cut out of rock faces. Each is believed…

  • Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary

    Ubud Monkey Forest

    Ubud

    This cool and dense swath of jungle officially houses three holy temples. The sanctuary is inhabited by a band of over 600 grey-haired and greedy long…

  • The Sacred Cattle Egrets (Bubulcus Ibis) Of Petulu Come To Roost And Nest In The Trees Each Night, Ubud, Bali. (Photo By: Education Images/UIG via Getty Images)

    Petulu

    Ubud

    Every evening beginning after 5pm, up to 20,000 big herons fly in to Petulu, a village about 2.5km north of Jl Raya Ubud, squabbling over the prime…

  • Pura Rambut Siwi

    West Bali

    Picturesquely situated on a clifftop overlooking a long, wide stretch of black-sand beach, this superb temple shaded by flowering frangipani trees is one…

  • Joshua District

    West Bali

    Set amid rice fields near the iconic temple of Tanah Lot, Joshua District is a creative complex – coffee shop, gallery, fashion concept store and a number…

  • Pura Taman Saraswati

    Pura Taman Saraswati

    Ubud

    Waters from the temple at the rear of this site feed the pond in the front, which overflows with pretty lotus blossoms. There are carvings that honour…

  • Pura Maduwe Karang

    North Bali

    One of the most intriguing temples in north Bali, Pura Maduwe Karang is particularly notable for its sculptured panels, including the famous stone-carved…

  • Kertha Gosa

    East Bali

    This open-sided pavilion in the northeastern corner of Puri Agung Semarapura was effectively the supreme court of the Klungkung kingdom, where disputes…

  • Pemuteran Beach

    North Bali

    The grey-brown sand is a little thin and definitely not powdery but you can't beat the setting. The blue waters and surrounding green hills make for a…

  • Bali Sea Turtle Society

    Kuta & Legian

    The Bali Sea Turtle Society is a conservation group working to protect olive ridley turtles. It's one of the more responsible turtle hatcheries in Bali,…

  • Taman Festival Bali

    Sanur

    One of the more unusual Bali attractions, Taman Festival Bali is an abandoned theme park about a 20-minute drive north of Sanur. Some say that the 8…

  • Green Bowl Beach

    Bukit Peninsula

    One of the Bukit's southern-facing cove beaches, Green Bowl is reached by a pretty and strenuous walk down 300 concrete steps that begin near the Pura…

  • Bale Kambang

    East Bali

    Located within the palace compound, the ceiling of this beautiful floating bale (open-sided pavilion) showcases rows of paintings dealing with various…

  • Labuan Sait Beach

    Bukit Peninsula

    Slight in size but not in perfection, this little cove is near the main Ulu Watu road where a stream flows into the sea. Parking is easy and it is a short…

  • BIASA ArtSpace

    Seminyak

    Founded in 2005, BIASA ArtSpace showcases the work of up-and-coming Indonesian and international artists. The gallery has a line-up of rotating…

  • Pantai Berawa

    Canggu

    Greyish Berawa Beach ('Brawa Beach' on many signs) has a plethora of trendy and popular beach cafes and bars. The grey volcanic sand here slopes steeply…

  • Blue Lagoon Beach

    Padangbai

    On the far side of Padangbai's eastern headland, about a 500m walk from the town centre, is this small sandy beach. It has a couple of warungs and gentle,…

  • Balangan Beach

    Bukit Peninsula

    A long, low strand at the base of rocky cliffs. It's covered with palm trees and fronted by a ribbon of near-white sand, picturesquely dotted with sun…

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