Best of Bali, Indonesia; things to do at least once.

Bali is a well-known Indonesian island rich in culture, tradition and nature sight-seeing. I had a splendid trip to Bali recently in February 2023  and this was my second visit to this sophisticated island. Bali is not alien to most travelers and there are numerous flights available from various destinations. I took the AirAsia flight from Kuala Lumpur to Denpasar Airport. I would not like to essay on the entire journey and minute details as information for Bali and tour agencies are vastly available on the net. However, I will pen down major interesting things to do when you are in Bali and what to expect during your visitation. The best season to visit Bali is from April to October, which are the non-monsoon season.

1. Tirta Empul Temple

As most of us are aware that Bali is famous for its Balinese Hindu temples and this is one of the famous water temples there. This is an unique temple as there is a holy water bathing section for self-cleansing and purification. I was sceptical on trying this ritual but it seemed those who had experienced it had a pleasant time there. The large pond with numerous Koi fishes at the center of the temple ground becomes a photography spot to visitors. This temple takes about 1 hour drive from Kuta town. 

2. Tegalalang Rice Terraces + Luwak coffee tasting.

Eventhough I come from a tropical contry, Malaysia, I personally feel that the rice terraces in Bali are pretty much attractive especially in Ubud area, Bali.  Alas Harum Bali is an one-stop spot for everything one can do with the pretty views of the rice terraces. We spent only about 3 hours there due to time constraint but I would suggest to allocate one full day to experience all the fun-loving activities such as luwak coffee tasting, giant swings, a walk across the rice terraces, swimming at the infinity pool and having a meal at the restaurant facing the paddy fields. Trust me, the photography scene here is definitely Instaworthy. After this, we stopped by at Bebek Joni for lunch with serene views of the paddy field. 

Instagram reel: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Coj2uSgBKbv/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

3. Garuda-Wishnu-Kenchana Cultura Park & Kecak Dance

This is one of my favourite places to visit in Bali, which is located not far from Uluwatu area. There are gigantic statues of the two iconic goddess of Balinese Hindu devotees, Vishnu and Garuda. Visitors also get to see the newly built 122-meter tall GWK statue, which is the tallest in Indonesia. Another must-see activity at this place is the 'Kecak' performance. The repetitive chanting of 'Kecak' whilst narrating the Garuda -Wishnu plot is the highlight of the performance. This performance takes places in the late evening around 6pm at the open auditorium (check the GWK website for the latest timing).

4. Uluwatu

Uluwatu sits in the southern tip of Bali island , looking over the Indian Ocean from several clifftops. It only takes about 30 minutes drive from GWK and Denpasar Airport to Uluwatu. There are many things to see in Uluwatu including the Pura Luhur Temple, panaromic clifftop views and Kecak dance show during sunset. This place can be very crowded and hot during mid-day and therefore I skipped during my recent trip. 

5. Ulun Danu Beratan Temple

Undeniably, this is one of the most picturesique temples in Bali which is dedicated to the Balinese lake goddess, Dewi Danu. This is my favourite temple because of its unique location in the middle of Lake Bratan giving a floating effect with a cool environment due to the higher ground of this area. 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Corrpk7h1pl/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

6. Tanah Lot Temple

Another must see temple in Bali is the Pura Tanah Lot, an ancient Hindu temple located on a large rock (like a tiny island) in Tabanan. I skipped this temple during this trip but all I could recall from my previous visit was the iconic view of the temple from the cliff, the short walk across the shores, towards the temple and partaking in the local Balinese Hindu rituals with the placement of the holy grain of rice (like a bindi) as sign of purification. I have also read reviews about visiting this temple for the beautiful sunset view from the cliff.

7. Legian Street and Hard Rock Cafe Bali

One of the highlights of Bali is its happening night life in Legian street. There is an array of eateries, bars, night-clubs and souvenir shops opened until late night. However, I could clearly see now that the businesess are pretty much affected after the Covid-19 pandemic and several shops had been closed down. My Balinese friend said that the nightlife is now focused in other parts of Bali like Ubud and Seminyak since the reopening of travels with many tourists and content creators prefering other parts of Bali as the mainstay of their visitation. I would also like to recommend a visit to Hard Rock Bali as they host live performances daily with good services and many seatings available. Something that I don't often see in HRC of other countries. 

8. Tranquil villa stay in Ubud

As mentioned earlier, Ubud is home to the beautiful rice terraces. It is worth to stay in a villa atleast for a night or two in between of your trip just to relax, unwind and connect with the greenery of Bali. There are plenty of options to choose, just Google search.  I would like to share my little experience of staying in Black Penny Ubud which costs about MYR 1000 per night (we got a discounted rate as we customized our tour with a friend). The villa is quite spacious equipped with wooden interior, a large private infinity pool with a stunning view of rice terraces and the Ayung river. You can even walk-down the valley to appreciate better.  Make sure you get the right villa for the perfect view. 

9. Handara Gate

This is an iconic traditional Hindu gate which makes your photography in Bali complete. I prefer this place as the crowd during my visit was still acceptable as compared to Pura Lempuyang and there is a staff who promptly aids tourists with the photo-taking including the reflective pictures.

This is gate is located near to the Bedegul temple and Banyumala waterfall, so you can make a quick visit on the way. Surely, Instaworthy. 

10. Banyumala Twin Waterfalls

These spectacular twin waterfalls surrounded by lush greenery and a pool of swimming hole makes it ideal for a perfect rejuvenation spot after the tiresome journey. One can rent a transport or scooter to Munduk area and then further drive about 30 minutes further in from the local sigboard up to the parking area. Later on, you need to hike about 30-45 minutes to reach the waterfalls. The entrace fee to this waterfall is USD2. Definitely, one of the most beautiful sights of Northern Bali. 

11. Pura Lempuyang @ The Gate of Heaven - Not a pleasant experience though. 

This temple is also an extraordinary one because of the gigantic traditional Balinese gate with the view of Mount Agong in the background. This is where the triple sanctrums of the Pura Penataran Agung temple is situated. However, this place is comercialised now with tourist flooding from early hours of the day. Just for a Instagram photo, people queue up to 7-8 hours and the temple authorities refuse to simplify the number of shots per group or individual despite the long queue. The view of Mount Agong is obliterated by the clouds at most of the time. There aren't much shops available beside the temple for you to eat and relax before your number is called. We waited for about 4 hours and left the place because we were rushing for the night flight. If you are in a rush, I would rather asked you to skip this. Alternatively, you can also take pictures of the sanctrums, the back view of the gate (like we did) or at the huge lotus structure at the base of the hill which also has a similar Mt. Agong view. Another option is to make this as an early morning activity with visits to Tirta Ganga on the way back, which is also located in the eastern Bali region.

12. Day trip to Nusa Penida Island

This is an island located near the southeastern side of Bali. There are numerous stunning view points, beaches and rainforest for one to explore in this island. Honestly, the Indian ocean view from the cliffs are breathtaking. We were also lucky enough to spot far from the cliff several Mantarays swimming swiftly. I would actually recommend to stay atleast one night here to be able to visit various sights of the island namely Kelingking Beach view point, Broken Beach, Diamond Beach and Rumah Pohon. Due to time constraint we took a day visit and selected 1 major view point from each of the eastern and western parts of the island respectively.  You can easily take a ferry from Bali (may request your agent to arrange it) or buy it from the jetty at Sanur, Bali (about 10 kilometers from Denpasar).

View points from cliffs at Diamond Beach (left) and Kelingking Beach (right)

These are some of the highlights of the many things I did in Bali. One should also visit the Mount Kintamani viewpoint where you can have lunch with the view of the stunning volcano. I heard now they have built some nice spots for photography too. I hope to repeat my trip to Bali in the future with Seminyak in my itinerary for the water activities. I also love exploring various cafes and bars with a scenic view of the Balinese seashore. Rockbar Bali is tempting. 

If you are hiring a private agent, you can list the places mentioned above with a customized itinerary. You can also rent a private car to further distanced places once in Bali and rent a bike to explore the nearby places like the Legian street. By writing this blog, I was able to understand Bali better besides recollecting the fond memories. Hope you enjoyed reading this blog as much as I did writing it.  

"Before you run out of time"

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