Must-see attractions in South Bali & the Islands

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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,…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • Pura Jagatnatha temple.

    Pura Jagatnatha

    Denpasar

    The state temple, built in 1953, is dedicated to the supreme god, Sanghyang Widi. Part of its significance is its statement of monotheism. Although the…

  • Indonesia. Bali. Nusa Lembongan island. Beach of Mushroom Bay.

    Pantai Tanjung Sanghyang

    Nusa Lembongan

    This beautiful bay, unofficially named Mushroom Bay after the mushroom corals offshore, has a crescent of bright white beach. By day, the tranquillity can…

  • Jungutbatu village.

    Jungutbatu Beach

    Nusa Lembongan

    The beach here, a mostly lovely arc of white sand with clear blue water, has views across to Gunung Agung in Bali. The pleasant seawall walkway is ideal…

  • Indonesia, Bali, Sanur, Morning at Sanur beach

    Sanur Beach

    Sanur

    Sanur Beach curves in a southwesterly direction and stretches for more than 5km. It is mostly clean and overall quite serene – much like the town itself…

  • Tegalwangi Beach

    Bukit Peninsula

    Folding around limestone bluffs some 4.5km southwest of Jimbaran, Tegalwangi is the first of cove after cove with patches of beautiful sand all the way…

  • Puputan Square

    Denpasar

    This bit of urban open space commemorates the heroic but suicidal stand of the rajas of Badung against the invading Dutch in 1906. A monument depicts a…

  • Taman Wedhi Budaya

    Denpasar

    This arts centre is a sprawling complex in the eastern part of Denpasar. Its lavish architecture houses an art gallery with an interesting collection…

  • Pura Mas Suka

    Bukit Peninsula

    This diminutive temple (one of seven devoted to the sea gods) is reached by a twisting narrow road through a mostly barren red-rock landscape that changes…

  • Pura Gegar

    Nusa Dua

    Just south of Gegar Beach is a bluff with a good cafe and a path that leads up to Pura Gegar, a compact temple shaded by gnarled old trees. Views are…

  • Impossibles Beach

    Bukit Peninsula

    About 100m west of Jl Pantai Bingin on Jl Melasti, you'll see another turn towards the ocean. Follow this paved road for 700m and look for a scrawled sign…

  • Blue Lagoon

    Nusa Lembongan & Islands

    Surges of stunning turquoise waves tumble into jagged black rock formations at this cliffside cove overlooking the Bandung Strait. Posted signs point to…

  • Pura Maospahit

    Denpasar

    Established in the 14th century, at the time the Majapahit arrived from Java, this temple was damaged in a 1917 earthquake and has been heavily restored…

  • Bali Orchid Garden

    Sanur

    Orchids thrive in Bali's warm weather and rich volcanic soil. At this garden you can see thousands of orchids in a variety of settings. It's 3km north of…

  • Morning Market

    Bukit Peninsula

    This is one of the best markets in Bali for a visit because it’s compact, so you can see a lot without wandering forever. Local chefs swear by the quality…

  • Suluban Beach

    Bukit Peninsula

    While others paddle out to the Ulu Watu surf breaks, you can linger on this strip of sand in an uberdramatic setting: limestone cliffs and caves surround…

  • Grand Bali Beach Hotel

    Sanur

    Built in the Sukarno-era, this vast hotel is now slowly fading away. Local leaders, properly horrified at its outsized bulk, imposed the famous rule that…

  • Pura Puseh

    Nusa Lembongan

    At the north end of town where the island's main road passes, you can ascend a long stone staircase to Pura Puseh, the village temple. It has great views…

  • Bingin Beach

    Bukit Peninsula

    One of Bukit's classic surf breaks, Bingin is also famous as a beach hang-out with spectacular views. You reach the beach down a long set of stairs from…

  • Pura Dalem Ning Lan Taman Beji

    Bukit Peninsula

    Tanjung Benoa's main Hindu temple features a nicely carved triple entrance. It's a short walk from the peninsula's Chinese Buddhist temple and the mosque.

  • Caow Eng Bio

    Bukit Peninsula

    While strolling Tanjung Benoa's narrow lanes, you'll come across the brightly coloured Caow Eng Bio, an ornate Chinese Buddhist temple.

  • Fishing Boats

    Sanur

    Just south of the old Hyatt is a long area where multihued fishing boats are pulled ashore and repaired under the trees.

  • Pura Segara

    Nusa Lembongan

    Pura Segara and its enormous banyan tree are the site of frequent ceremonies.

  • Turtle Tanks

    Sanur

    An engaging display about Bali's endangered sea turtles that usually includes some young hatchlings.

  • Small Temple

    Sanur

    Amid the tourist bustle, this little shrine is shaded by huge trees.

  • Pura Dalem Balangan

    Bukit Peninsula

    This small temple sits at the northern end of Balangan Beach.

  • Bali, Indonesia - January 2019 - Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue towers above the rocky cliffs. Located in Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park it was designed by Nyoman Nuarta and inaugurated in September 2018, 28 years since its inception. Made of brass and copper sheeting and a wingspan of 64m ,the total height of the monument is 121 m (397ft), making it Indonesia's tallest and one of the world's largest.

    Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park

    Bukit Peninsula

    After years of false starts, development of the gigantic Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park is well under way. The centrepiece, completed in August 2018,…

  • Pantai Selegimpak

    Nusa Lembongan

    The long, straight beach is usually lapped by small waves at this remote-feeling spot where, unfortunately, some guesthouses have built seawalls below the…