Bali is bursting with amazing places to visit and explore, so to help inspire your Bali itinerary and to ensure you don’t miss out on the best things to do and and see, I’ve put together this epic guide of all the best places to visit in Bali.
This guide will explore the best places to visit all over the island alongside some top things to do there, it’ll also showcase the best places to visit in Bali for couples, families and on your honeymoon, so keep reading to find out more!
Kuta is known as the party capital of Bali and it’s very very westernized.
When I first visited years ago, there was no beach shopping mall with designer stores, a range of fabulous beachfront restaurants, no no, and when I visited in 2019, I was actually shocked by just how “not Bali” that Kuta is!
But saying that, if you’re craving something more Americanized, or you want to go clubbing, then Kuta is a good place to be.
Seminyak is one of the great places to visit in Bali for couples.
Seminkyak for me has a little more class and sophistication to it and it’s home to a strip of the best beach bars and restaurants in Bali.
It’s probably one of my favourite places in Bali to visit. Seminyak has all you need and it caters wonderfully for vegans!
Read: Romantic Things To Do In Bali
I love Uluwatu for many reasons and it’s one of the great places to visit in Bali, especially if you want epic sunsets.
I still haven’t found a sunset that beat the one I experienced at Uluwatu Temple. Uluwatu is located south of Bali island, so you’ll either need to hire a driver, or ride a moped to visit.
Take a tour of the best spots in Uluwatu with this all-inclusive tour!
Balangan is a region of Bali located south west and it’s home to some of the bluest waters on Bali island. Because you will notice, Bali doesn’t really have “pretty” waters or beaches, compared to say the Philippines, or even the Gili Islands and other areas of Indonesia, but Balangan beach is beautiful and it offers great surf.
A beautiful seaside village/fishing town of Bali, Jimbaran offers tranquil beaches which are perfect for sunbathing. There aren't any waves here (at least when I visited) so it was perfect for swimming too.
Buleleng is the area in north Bali that is home to some of the best waterfalls in Bali (which you can read all about here). The capital of the area Singaraja is a great base for some unique airbnbs (I can suggest sunset sala for the most epic accommodation among rice paddies).
Book your all-inclusive Bali Waterfalls tour here!
Sidemen is one of those rare, almost undiscovered places to visit in Bali. It holds the most beautiful rice paddies in all of Bali, and I think it’s way better than Ubud. The accommodation options are filled with beautiful hotels that are settled among the paddies and it’s just a dream.
Gianyar is a great place to visit in Bali that’s close to Ubud, so it doesn’t take much effort to get there.
It’s also got some great waterfalls and Bali zoo.
You can take a mud bath with the elephants & this tour is a pretty good option.
The Amlapura region is one of the less discovered areas of Bali and therefore one of the best places to visit in Bali if you’re looking for something different!
It’s also super easy to get too from Ubud and Canggu.
Sanur is located on the east coast of Bali and it’s one of the most popular places to visit in Bali for families. This is thanks to the family friendly resorts, the great beaches and the popular water sports activities.
Lempuyang is a region which has grown in popularity over recent years due to the beautiful “Bali Gates of Heaven '', an iconic photo spot that when taken at the right time of day, gives you a backdrop of Mount Agung. When I first visited Bali, this wasn’t even on the radar of things to do, now it’s too popular!
Amed is an area located on the north east coast of Bali and it’s actually a brilliant area for diving. It’s a great place to learn how to dive thanks to the coral and it’s also got some beautiful beaches. Another great place to visit in Bali for families.
So I’ve listed Mount Batur as one of the best places to visit in Bali, because you can visit and not hike it! Most people do a sunrise hike, which is honestly one of the best things to do in Bali, it’s amazing!
Book your all-inclusive Mount Batur Tour with hot springs right here.
Jatiluwih is one of the places in Bali that’s up and coming. As more and more people flock to the rice terraces of Ubud, others are seeking some solace in new ones. Well Jatiluwih has that for you. It’s actually a UNESCO heritage site too and it looks pretty beautiful.
Munduk is one of my favourite places to visit in Bali if you’re looking for a cooler climate. Bali can get scorching hot, but if you head to Munduk, it’s a little colder, and in the evenings, you may even find you need a jacket.
Again, when I first visited Bali years ago, trips to local island Nusa Penida, weren’t really a thing.
But in recent years tourism to Penida has soared, which has thankfully resulted in them fixing the roads (they are beyond dangerous!).
You get a short boat ride from Bali (usually Sanur port) and you can spend the day or even a couple of days on Nusa Penida.
There’s so much to see and do on these beautiful islands. It’s totally different from Bali.
Ps, you can do an Instagram tour of Penida in a day that will take you to ALL the best spots! Book it here.
Another one of the “nusa” islands is Lembongan, and it’s even closer by boat.
Lembongan is the perfect place if you want to do snorkelling on beautiful blue, clear waters (The type of waters that Bali doesn’t really have!) Nusa Lembongan is up and coming too, but it’s worth a day trip!
Book your Nusa Lembogan Instagram Tour to get al the best photos spots right here.
Nusa Dua is located in the south east of Bali, but it's’ the home of watersports in Bali. The beaches are beautifully sandy with blue waters and it’s the cheapest place to get your jet skis and have fun in the water. There are a line of great restaurants in the area too, although they’re a little pricey, as it’s targeted towards couples and families. But still one of the great places to visit in Bali!
Ubud is certainly one of the more touristy areas in Bali, and it’s no surprise why, it’s home to some great sights!
As well as many of the most stunning Airbnbs available anywhere on the island.
You can easily spend a few days relaxing here. Ubud is really famous for it’s yoga retreats and natural beauty. Think of the movie “Eat, Pray, Love”.
Make the most of your time in Ubud with a tour.
Canggu is like the western corner of Bali. All the locals call it white city, or something similar, I can’t remember what she told me. But basically it’s very well developed, there are lots of amazing cafes (it’s a vegans dream), great spas and it’s got a good beach for surfing.
Other places to visit in Bali
The West Bali National Park is famous for it’s deer! Yup, no one knows how or why they are there, but it’s been said that they crossed over from nearby Java island. (Which you can see from this area of Bali- epic views). We never visited, as we kind of ran out of time, but it’s another spot when we can visit Bali when we return (which I have no doubts we will one day!).
So there are 3 areas that aren’t on Bali's main island, but are actually part of Bali and that’s Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan. You can only access Nusa Ceningan via a yellow bridge on Lembongan. We didn’t visit as we were on the island for a day trip, but it’s quite quiet, with beautiful beaches and a few great beach clubs, so worth staying if you’ve got the time.
So there you go, 22 awesome places to visit in Bali! None of these places should be missed and it’s super easy to get around Bali, so you’ll have no trouble finding them. Actually, you can read my guide on getting around Bali for some inspiration!
I hope you’ve found this post useful and hopefully it’s inspired you to visit some lesser known areas of Bali too.
If you want to venture a little further afield from Bali, then you can take a tour to the EPIC Mount Bromo on the island of Java and the equally epic Mount Ijen (Which can be seen from Bali on a clear day).
This tour takes you on a 3 days adventure of these two spots, and is a perfect alternative if you don't want to organize a trip to Java island yourself.
Happy travels!
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