Why Bali Still Deserves Your Attention
In a world of over-touristed Instagram destinations, Bali has a reputation problem it doesn't entirely deserve. Yes, parts of Seminyak are crowded. Yes, the Tegallalang rice terraces are busy. But Bali is enormous — 5,780 square kilometres — and the majority of it remains genuinely extraordinary: volcanic mountains, Hindu temples, terraced rice paddies, coral reefs, small roads through rice fields that take you to villages where ceremonies still happen daily. Ten days lets you see multiple faces of this remarkable island.
Days 1–3: Ubud — The Cultural Heart of Bali
The Rice Terraces
Ubud sits in the central highlands and is Bali's cultural capital. The Tegallalang Rice Terraces north of town are magnificent — tiered paddies carved into steep hillsides, shimmering green in the morning light. Go before 8am to beat the tourist rush. Entry is around 15,000 IDR (under 1€), but vendors and swing operators will approach constantly — friendly but persistent.
Better, less-visited alternatives: the Jatiluwih Terraces (UNESCO-listed, a longer drive but far less crowded and genuinely vast) or the rice paddies around Tegallalang village itself, accessible on foot before the coaches arrive.
Monkey Forest and Temples
The Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary (entry 80,000 IDR / approx 5€) in the centre of Ubud is home to 700+ Balinese long-tailed macaques and three ancient Hindu temples. Secure all valuables — the monkeys are accomplished thieves. It is simultaneously a serious sacred site and a complete spectacle.
Pura Tirta Empul (Temple of Holy Water, 60,000 IDR), thirty minutes from Ubud, is where Balinese Hindus come to purify themselves in sacred spring water. Visitors can participate in the purification ritual (full body coverage required, sarongs provided). It is one of the most genuine and affecting religious experiences available to travellers in Southeast Asia.
Ubud After Dark
Ubud's evening ritual: watch the Kecak Fire Dance at Pura Dalem Ubud or Pura Ulun Danu Batur — a circle of a hundred bare-chested men chanting 'kecak' rhythmically while performers re-enact scenes from the Hindu Ramayana epic. Entry around 100,000 IDR (6€). Performed at dusk, with the last light fading through the temple palms — genuinely magical.
Days 4–5: Nusa Penida — Dramatic Cliffs and Crystal Water
Take the fast boat from Sanur Beach (45 minutes, around 250,000 IDR return). Nusa Penida is the dramatic island visible from the Bali coast — vertical limestone cliffs, turquoise water, isolated beaches.
Kelingking Beach — the famous T-Rex-shaped cliff — is Bali's most photographed view. The descent to the beach is genuinely steep and requires good footwear, but the turquoise bay below is one of Indonesia's finest.
Angel's Billabong and Broken Beach are ten minutes apart by scooter — a natural infinity pool in the rocks and a circular bay with an arch of stone overhead. Both extraordinary.
For snorkelling: the waters around Crystal Bay host manta rays year-round (best June–October), and the sheer density of marine life in the shallow waters is remarkable.
Days 6–7: Seminyak and Canggu — Beach Life
Return to Bali's south for the beach chapter of your trip. Seminyak is sophisticated beach Bali — boutique hotels, good restaurants, sunset cocktails at La Plancha or Ku De Ta (now Mrs Sippy). The beach itself is wide, the surf is strong, and the sunsets are genuinely excellent.
Canggu, ten minutes north, has become Bali's surf and digital-nomad hub: good coffee, co-working spaces, excellent health food, and the atmospheric Echo Beach with strong left and right breaks. Berawa and Batu Bolong Beach are quieter.
Dinner: Motel Mexicola (Seminyak) for the best cocktails in Bali and exceptional Mexican food; Shelter Restaurant (Canggu) for refined Indonesian cuisine with contemporary technique.
Days 8–9: North Bali — Waterfalls and Volcanic Lakes
Most visitors never leave the south. This is their loss. Drive (or hire a driver) north through the mountains.
Sekumpul Waterfalls, near Singaraja, require a 40-minute guided walk through rice terraces and jungle — seven waterfalls converge into a single gorge. It is the finest waterfall experience in Bali and remains genuinely undervisited. Guide fee plus entry around 200,000 IDR.
Munduk, a mountain village at 1,000 metres altitude, is cool, quiet and surrounded by clove plantations and coffee gardens. Overnight here for a perspective on Bali that most tourists never see.
Pura Ulun Danu Bratan — the beautiful water temple on Lake Bratan, its multi-tiered pagoda appearing to float on the lake. Most photographed at dawn when mist drifts across the water.
Day 10: Uluwatu — Cliff Temples and Farewell Sunset
The Uluwatu Temple perches on a sheer 70-metre cliff at the tip of Bali's southern peninsula. The Kecak Dance performance here at sunset (150,000 IDR), with the Indian Ocean visible behind the stage as the sky turns orange and pink, is one of Bali's defining experiences. Arrive an hour early for the best viewpoint.
Dinner at Single Fin (Uluwatu): a terrace restaurant and bar directly above a legendary surf break, with panoramic sunset views and a long cocktail list. The perfect final Bali evening.
