Top Ten Things To Do In Bali

 

Humid and hot wind blowing on your face; welcoming temples left to right; vegan smoothie bowls in tropical paradise; gorgeous infinity pools calling your name; nature inviting you to visit the waterfalls, mountains, volcanoes and rice terraces. Does it ring a bell? If not already, welcome to BALI!

Finally, after waiting for a long time, I had the chance to visit the beautiful island of Bali in Indonesia. Home to many Australians and tourists from across the world, Bali is a place that many crave to settle down and call home. And why wouldn’t they? It is the ultimate tropical paradise that offers everything one can desire. Usually people go and stay in Bali for 1-2 months as it is super cheap. However, if you have a 9-5 job like me, you know that it is impossible to tick off everything on your bucket list. I had a tight itinerary which allowed me to experience many locations. I have curated this blog post especially for you so that you can make an informed decision about the top ten things to do in Bali.

1. VISIT A BALI SWING (top ten things to do in Bali)

You have probably seen tons of pictures of the famous swing in Bali.  The main Bali Swing is located in Ubud and costs around $35 USD. I would recommend doing the Bali Active Swing Package as you get to also experience the other scenic and picture-perfect spots in the area.

There is also another swing located at Zen Hideaway, which is an Airbnb hotel in Gianyar, Bali near Ubud. Many people say that it is the prettiest swing in Bali as you swing across the Ayung River. However, this hotel is a tad pricey (average $200-250 USD), but if you want that Instagram worthy shot, then this might be your best bet!

There are also other swings located around Bali which are a lot cheaper. I personally went to the one at Tegallalang Rice Terrace which costed $20 USD. There is also an even cheaper swing located at Wanagiri Hidden Hill (located in Munduk two hours North of Ubud) and there are many cute spots you can take pictures at there for super cheap!

2. VISIT THE TEGALLALANG RICE TERRACE, MONKEY FOREST AND CAMPUHAN RIDGE WALK (top ten things to do in Bali)

These three spots can all be covered in one day and are all super famous in Bali. I would recommend going to the rice terrace at either sunrise or sunset as it is the most beautiful thing ever to witness the rice terrace during the golden hour. The Campuhan Ridge Walk and the Monkey Forest are also located in close vicinity and you should definitely experience them while in Ubud and snap some pictures with the cute monkeys.

3. VISIT THE BALINESE WATERFALLS (top ten things to do in Bali)

Bali is literally a waterfall paradise and even if you had all the time in the world you would not be able to see them all. Since I was short of time and only had a day, I had to pick the waterfalls closest to each other. Here are the ones I visited and the ones that are most popular in Bali: Sekumpul Waterfall, Tukad Cepung Waterfall, NungNung Waterfall, Gitgit Waterfall, Banyumana Waterfall, Tegenungan Waterfall.

4. VISIT THE PURA LEMPUYANG TEMPLE (top ten things to do in Bali)

I don’t even have words to describe how beautiful the Pura Lempuyang temple is. This temple, located in East Bali, is referred to as the ‘Gate of Heaven’ and overlooks Mount Agung. It is super scenic and one of the holiest temples in Bali. I would recommend getting an early start and going there for sunrise as you will least likely find people there and may have the place to yourself to shoot the beautiful sunrise. Also, keep in mind that you have to wear a ‘Sarung’ when going inside the temple as it a ritual and cover your sleeves or they give you a scarf to cover it. If you want striking pictures, wear something that stands out even while you are covering your lower body with a sarung.

Next important thing guys and I cannot stress this enough, LEAVE EARLY! Funny story, my friend and I made a rookie mistake and decided on a whim to go there at 3pm in the afternoon from Seminyak. We looked at the GPS and it said 1.5 hours so we thought there was ample time to get there. However, it was 7pm and we did not make it ☹ I was so sad that I made it my mission to go see it before I went back home. I did not make it there for sunrise but I went there for sunset instead. It is a 2 to 2.5 hour drive from Ubud so to make it for sunset, which was at 6:20pm, I left at 2:30pm. This will give you ample time to hang around take pictures and wait for everyone to leave to take more pictures.

5. HANDARA GOLF AND RESORT BALI GATE (top ten things to do in Bali)

This insta-famous gate is located at the Handara Golf and Resort in Pancasari Village Bedugul in North Bali. It costs around $2 for tourists to take pictures there but is definitely worth it! There are also other scenic spots in the resort if you decide to go inside. I would recommend going here around 8am to 10am as the light is still pretty nice to take pictures.

6. TAKE A DAY TRIP TO NUSA PENIDA ISLAND (top ten things to do in Bali)

The Nusa Penida island has become one of the latest attractions for tourists in Bali as the island has so much to offer including pristine beaches, secret spots and hiking trails. If you truly want to experience all the spots at the island, you will definitely need to spend a night at the island. However, you can cover 3-5 spots easily in one day if you take the first ferry boat out to the island early morning. There are many tour companies that offer day trips to the island. Although if you want to save some money, I would recommend that you take a bike / taxi to the Sanur Harbor, then purchase a round-trip ticket for the ferry to the island, and then rent a car once you get to the island (make sure you arrange the rental before your arrival). You can also rent a bike in the island since its cheaper but you might end up with a broken back and legs. Just kidding! But I will definitely recommend renting a car and not a bike as the roads are super bumpy and undeveloped so it is not worth the pain.

Here are some of the famous spots in the island that you should visit:

• Kelingking Beach – most people just take pictures at the Kelingking point, but if you have the power and strength to hike down to the secret beach, then 100% do it! Mind you the hike is one of the toughest short hikes I have done as the path is rough and the weather doesn’t help either, but it is so worth it!
• Broken Beach
• Angel Billabong
• Crystal Bay Beach – you can try snorkeling on this beach with beautiful fish and corals.

7. HIKE UP THE MOUNT BATUR (top ten things to do in Bali)

Hiking up the Mount Batur and witnessing the sun rise was one of the highlights of my trip to Bali. If you are adventurous and a hiker, then I will highly recommend visiting Mount Batur for sunrise. We left our villa at 2am from Ubud to get to the location and then immediately hiked up to make it to the top for sunrise. The hike is about 2 to 2.5 hours so make sure to take plenty of water and some snacks with you if you are not taking a guided tour. There are also lots of monkeys at the top and you can get pictures with them if you feed them some bananas, but make sure to never keep your food out in the open as they will snatch it and take it away and also don’t ever look a monkey in the eye or they might attack you!

8. VISIT SOME FAMOUS BALINESE TEMPLES (top ten things to do in Bali)

Bali is renowned for its gorgeous temples which have the most striking architecture and are rich in religion and culture. The most famous temples and the ones I went to, other than the Pura Lempuyang temple, were the Ulun Danu Batur temple, Pura Luhur Uluwatu temple and Pura Tanah Lot temple.

Here is a list of other Balinese temples that are also famous tourist attractions and if you have time then you can visit them all.

9. GO FOR A RELAXING SPA, FLOWER BATH AND FLOATING BREAKFAST (top ten things to do in Bali)

There are so many hotels in Bali that offer surreal spa, flower bath and floating breakfast experience. Even if you can’t get pictures at every single spa or hotel, I would recommend picking top 2-3 hotels to soak it all in and check off these experiences from your bucket list. Here are some hotels I would recommend: The Udaya Resorts & Spa, Maya Ubud Resort & Spa, La Joya Resort, Viceroy Bali Resort, and Fivelements.

10. VISIT A FEW BALINESE BEACHES (top ten things to do in Bali)

Bali has so many beautiful beaches everywhere. Just like all the waterfalls and temples, you can never visit them all, but here are some of the beaches that I visited or that are Instagram-worthy and famous and should be on your list of beaches to see in Bali.

• Balangan Beach
• Melasti Beach
• Echo Beach
• Seminyak Beach

And that’s a wrap! These are the top ten things to do in Bali that I highly recommend to experience if you are visiting the island for a short period of time and are confused about what things to prioritize. I hope that you found this blog post helpful. If you have any questions at all, please comment or email me and I will be happy to answer.

I will also be soon writing another post about my favorite restaurants and cafes in Bali, so stay tuned!

Until next time lovelies, xoxo <3