Indonesia is an enormous country, with 275 million residents across 17,00 islands. The nation comprises of 38 distinct provinces, each with various distinct histories, traditions and ways of life. One of the most visited of these is Bali - Balinese art, culture and dance is world-famous, while the Balinese language has approximately three million native speakers.
Tourism to the island exploded in the 1970s and 80s and shows no sign of slowing down. As a result, Bali contains a range of possibilities for international travellers, from the high-end resorts at the island’s southern tip to historic temples, secluded mountain villages and pristine beaches. In this guide, we explore three of the most-visited destinations in Bali, as well as recommending alternative destinations for travellers looking to escape the crowds. Read on for essential information before you visit Bali, including where to stay, what to eat, and how to get online and stay connected during your trip.
Where to visit in Bali – 3 of the most-visited destinations in Bali and 3 alternatives
Bali is a relatively compact island, and most of the most popular tourist towns and visitor attractions such as Ubud, Seminyak and Uluwatu are located in and around the capital and largest city, Denpasar. The Eastern half of the island is less densely populated and offers a more secluded alternative.
Ubud
Located just inland of Denpasar city, Ubud is a small town that is often the first port of call for many visitors to Bali. Ubud has seen a sharp rise in tourism since the 1980s due to its active nightlife, bustling arts scene and proximity to some of Bali’s largest visitor attractions including the Ubud Monkey Forest and the 9th century Goa Gajah temple, or ‘Elephant Cave’. More recently, the area has become beloved by digital nomads - tourists who stay for extended periods of time and use the town as a base for working remotely.
Alternative: Sidemen
Away from the bustle of Denpasar and the beach resorts of the south, Sidemen is an idyllic inland collection of villages located in the shadow of Mount Agung. While Sidemen is only an hour or two East of Ubud and Denpasar, its relative seclusion lends it a unique, unexplored character, while the terraced rice fields staggered throughout the region are one of Bali's hidden gems. The eastern coast of the island is generally less frequented by international visitors, despite containing some of Bali’s best landscapes, beaches and villages, including Sidemen. Must-visit sites in Sidemen include the Gembleng Waterfall, the Besakih Temple and the region’s characteristic hillside rice paddies.
Seminyak
Seminyak is Bali's most popular beach resort. A tourist mainstay since the early 1980s, the Seminyak waterfront is lined with restaurants, upscale hotels, hostels, private beach clubs and all-night bars. As a resort town, Seminyak is one of the most heavily-touristed spots in Indonesia. Popular with families, backpackers and solo travelers alike, Seminyak is easily reachable from Denpasar and Bali’s airport, ensuring it stays busy year-round. Some of the most popular nearby sites include Petigenet Temple and Kura Beach, especially during sunset.
Alternative: Canggu
A few kilometers east of Seminyak, Canggu is a beach community that offers the same proximity to Denpasar and sites like the Ubud Monkey Sanctuary, as well as a 10km stretch of pristine beach. Canggu receives significantly fewer annual visitors than Seminyak, and has a generally more relaxed atmosphere. However, the area is currently undergoing a rapid transition into a tourism-focused resort town, with heavy development from local and foreign investors.
Uluwatu
A short drive from Denpasar, Uluwatu is a clifftop village overlooking the Indian Ocean. Its popularity with international visitors began in the 1970s when footage of surfers riding the waves at Uluwatu Beach received worldwide attention. Over the last few years, Uluwatu has grown in fame, and today it’s not just surfers who visit. The active volcano Mount Batur is also nearby. Thrill-seekers can experience this natural wonder up close with a guided tour.
Due to its excellent beaches, stunning clifftop views and historic local sites including the must-see Pura Luhur Uluwatu temple, the village has become a magnet for a wide range of holidaymakers.
Alternative: Padang Padang Beach
While Uluwatu was one of the first beaches in Bali to attract the attention of the international surfing community, the nearby Padang Padang Beach is now renowned as having some of the best and most consistent waves on the island. Jutting into the Indian Ocean, Padang Padang is a small village with a devoted surfing following, friendly atmosphere and less crowds than Uluwatu, especially during the peak season from May to September. It’s not just for surfers either – the village’s sandy beaches and quiet pace of life make it a great option for families too.
Mobile data plans for Bali
10 More Essential Sites in Bali
The most-visited sites in Bali are so for good reason. While it can be rewarding to discover stays and experiences off the beaten track, many of Bali’s most popular attractions are must-sees for any visitor.
Discover the full range of experiences the island has to offer in this quick guide to Bali’s must-visit spots.
1. Kelingking Beach
Kelingking is a familiar view even to people who’ve never been to Bali – the distinctive ‘T-Rex’ rock formation that encircles this idyllic beach is one of the island’s most famous sites, and a constant presence on postcards, tourism brochures and Instagram travel accounts. Despite the fame, Kelinking is still easy to visit, especially in the quieter rainy season between October and May.
2. Nusa Lembongan
From Kelingking, visitors can take a boat ride to the island of Nusa Lembongan. Lembongan’s relative seclusion makes it a great nearby alternative to the beach resorts of Bali’s south coast. Turquoise waters, white sands and coral reefs make Lembongan a renowned scuba spot, though it is also one of the best places to visit in Bali for surfers. The neighboring islands of Nusa Ceningan offers a more secluded alternative.
3. Tanah Lot
Another breathtaking Balinese Temple, The Pura Tanah is a Hindu temple precariously perched on the Tanah Lot rock formation off Bali’s southern coast. At high tide, the temple is cut off from the mainland, and the sight of the Pura Tanah rising from the waves is one of Bali’s most famous views.
4. Jimbaran
Originally a small fishing village, the south coast community of Jimbaran has explanded over the last two decades into one of Bali's biggest party spots and the home of several luxury resorts.
Today, the Jimbaran beachfront is a built-up area, lined with beach bars and multi-storey hotels. Nevertheless, the endless view across the Indian Ocean feels entirely removed from the shoreline infrastructure, while the town's fishing origins are kept alive in the many waterfront seafood restaurants.
Independently-owned villas and retreats
For a real escape, avoid busy populated areas altogether and seek out one of Bali’s many independently-owned retreats, villas and hideaways dotted throughout secluded parts of the Island’s coastlines and mountains
5. Pura Lempuyang
The Pura Lempuyang Temple complex is one of the defining sites in Bali. Together with the Pura Besakih, this is one of the most dramatic and best-known examples of Balinese architecture, and a symbol of the island. The collection of temples lines the sides of the Karangasem Hills, culminating in the Gates of Heaven – a mountaintop structure that is one of the most iconic sites in Indonesia.
The Lempuyang temples are simultaneously some of the holiest and most-visited sites on the island – visitors should plan their visit carefully to ensure they have enough time to fully explore all seven temples.
6. Pura Besakih
Together with Pura Lempuyang, The Pura Besakih is one of the most historically, religiously and culturally important sites in Bali. As the largest Balinese Hindu temple, it welcomes over 100,000 visitors each year, making it one of the most-visited sites in Indonesia. The temple is still in regular use and routinely hosts festivals and services throughout the year. Planning a trip accordingly to coincide with a festival in the Besakih temple is an unforgettable experience.
7. Amlapura
Less than an hour’s drive from Denpasar, in the small city of Amlapura, the Tirta Gangga Water Palace is a former residence of Balinese royalty. Now one of the most popular tourist attractions and best places to visit in Bali, Tirta Gangga is a contemplative network of shrines, towers and walkways built over a vast pool of water. As the former seat of the Balinese royal family, the city of Amlapura is teeming with ornate architecture and former royal buildings. The Ujung Water Palace is one of the largest and most significant examples of 20th-century Balinese architecture and history. Unlike its companion Tirta Gangga, built as a leisurely retreat for the Royal Family, the Ujung Water Palace was a well-used living space for generations of royals and their visitors. The complex is a blend of traditional Balinese and turn-of-the-century European architecture, creating a truly unique effect.
8. Kintamani and Mount Batur
The Kintamani district is home to one of Bali’s most recognizable sights: Gunung Batur. This still-very-much active volcano dominates the skyline of East Bali and attracts crowds of hikers, swimmers and thrill-seekers every year. There’s more to the inland province than just the mountain. The region has a distinct cuisine and culture - plan multiple days in Kintamani to fully explore the district.
9. Jatiluwih Rice Terraces
A UNESCO World Heritage site, the Jatiluwih Rice Terraces are a fascinating example of how a landscape is shaped by human activity, and vice versa. The Terraces are one of Bali's greatest landmarks.
Away from Bali’s coastal resorts, Jatiluwih offers an insight into rural Balinese life – the fields span a vast area of over 200 square miles, though there are no major towns or population centres. Some of the surrounding farmhouses offer overnight accommodation, while the region also encompasses a range of hotels, from luxury villas to backpacker-friendly hostels, creating the perfect area for a hiking holiday or rural retreat.
10. Amed
Bali’s Northeast coast is one of the less-visited regions of this island, though the area in undergoing rapid development as tourism numbers across the island continue to grow. For now, the East Coast remains a relatively secluded, quieter alternative to the buzzing Southwest. Amed is a particularly scenic stretch of waterfront villages on this side of the island, notable for its coral reefs and pitch-black volcanic sands. Visitors to Amed should be aware of the fragility of the local reef and take care not to damage or disturb the local marine environment.
Bali – what to know before you go
Bali is a majority-Hindu Island: 83% of the population identify as Hindu - specifically, Balinese Hinduism, which combines widespread Hindu practice with elements of Balinese folk tradition. As the only majority-Hindu province in a majority-Muslim nation, there are some immediately apparent distinctions in everyday life between Bali and the rest of Indonesia. Balinese cuisine, for example, contains many pork-based dishes such as Babi Guling and Lawar that are not commonly found in the rest of the country.
The prevalence of alcohol in Bali is another example – this is partially due to cultural differences, and partially due to increased tourist numbers and Bali’s growing number of party destinations, especially around the resort areas of Seminyak and Nusa Dua. While alcohol, including Indonesian brands like Bintang, is available in the rest of Indonesia alcohol consumption and sales are generally higher in Bali than in other Indonesian provinces.
When to visit Bali
Bali enjoys a tropical climate that ensures sunshine and warm, swimmable waters all year round. The year is roughly divided into a rainy season from October to April, and a dry season from May to September. The dry season is also the peak time for international arrivals, so travellers looking to avoid the crowds should visit in the rainy season. However, tourist numbers remain high all year.
What languages are spoken in Bali?
There are three main languages spoken in Bali:
Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian) - Indonesia’s official language is the most widely spoken in Bali – Bahasa Indonesia uses the Latin script and is also the language you’ll see on street signs, in supermarkets and more. If you’re planning on staying for longer than a weekend break, learning some basic Bahasa is recommended.
Balinese – Balinese is the native language, distributed around Bali and some of the surrounding islands. It’s still widespread today, though more commonly heard outside of major cities and towns.
English – English is widely spoken and understood in Bali, especially in the more heavily-touristed areas such as Seminyak, Ubud, and Nusa Dua.
How to get around: using an eSIM in Bali
Whether it’s translating a menu, ordering a taxi, or sharing your holiday photos online, a reliable internet connection during your stay in Bali is an indispensable travel companion. The easiest way to stay connected is by using an eSIM for Bali. A Bali eSIM allows you to access mobile data, without paying international roaming charges. You simply download it to your phone, purchase a data roaming plan for Bali and get online immediately. And unlike a local Bali SIM card, there’s no need to remove your current SIM or queue up in line to buy a card: just download the eSIM in seconds and start using it the minute you arrive.
Travelling from Bali to the rest of Indonesia
Bali’s central location within the Indonesian Archipelago also makes it an ideal base for exploring other regions of the country. Popular weekend trips from Bali include the nearby islands of Lombok and Flores, and the Komodo National Park. Fortunately, a BetterRoaming eSIM for Indonesia will ensure you stay connected wherever you are, with an unbeatable mobile network across Bali, the surrounding islands and all of Indonesia. Learn more in our detailed guide to Indonesia.
Going Further? Travelling through Indonesia and Southeast Asia with an eSIM
If your journey is taking you beyond the border of Indonesia, an APAC eSIM ensures you get the same easy mobile connectivity in 13 other countries across the APAC region. By constantly connecting you to the best available local mobile network, an APAC eSIM lets you travel seamlessly through the region without having to change SIM cards or providers at every border.
Mobile data plans for Bali
Visiting Bali with an eSIM in 2024: a summary
An eSIM is a SIM profile you download to your phone. It allows you to use mobile data in other countries without paying international roaming charges
A Bali travel eSIM is easier to use than a local Indonesian SIM card - with no need to swap SIM cards, or lose access to your messages or contacts. It remains valid throughout the whole of Indonesia
Choose between a range of prepaid Bali eSIM plans for every budget and data requirement
A BetterRoaming Bali eSIM is free to install. Just download your free eSIM anytime, then choose and purchase a mobile data plan for Indonesia when you're ready to travel - the plan will activate automatically as soon as you arrive.
Travellers can also download eSIMs for the wider Asia-Pacific region and even the entire world
