Bali: a first-timer's guide to the Island of the Gods

Why go

Bali packs an extraordinary variety into an island you can cross in a few hours. You can watch a temple ceremony in the morning, walk through rice terraces at lunchtime and see the sun drop into the Indian Ocean from a cliff top in the evening. The Balinese keep their culture visible everywhere: small woven offerings called canang sari on every step, family temples behind every compound wall and processions that stop traffic on holy days.

Ubud and the centre

Ubud is the cultural heart, a town of galleries, yoga studios, warungs and palaces. Walk the Campuhan Ridge path at dawn, see the long tailed macaques at the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, and watch a Legong or Kecak dance at the palace or a village temple in the evening. Nearby are the Tegallalang rice terraces, the holy spring water temple of Tirta Empul, where Balinese come to purify themselves, and the cave sanctuary of Goa Gajah. Further north, the Jatiluwih rice terraces are part of the UNESCO listed subak irrigation landscape, and the lake temple of Ulun Danu Beratan sits in the cool highlands near Bedugul.

The south coast

Uluwatu, on the Bukit peninsula, has the cliff temple of Pura Luhur Uluwatu, where the Kecak fire dance is performed at sunset, plus beaches tucked below limestone cliffs and world famous surf. Canggu is the young, busy scene of cafés, coworking and beach clubs. Seminyak is polished and fashionable, Kuta and Legian are cheaper and louder, and Sanur and Nusa Dua are calm and family friendly with reef protected water. Tanah Lot, a temple on a sea rock on the west coast, is crowded but beautiful at sunset.

Beyond the usual

The east has the mother temple of Besakih on the slopes of Mount Agung, the water palace of Tirta Gangga and the slow fishing village of Amed, with easy snorkelling and the Liberty wreck at Tulamben. The north coast around Lovina is quiet and black sanded. Off the south east coast, Nusa Penida has the dramatic Kelingking cliff and manta rays, while Nusa Lembongan is gentler. Sunrise treks up Mount Batur are popular, and are best booked with licensed local guides.

Where to eat

Bali's food is reason enough to visit. Try babi guling, suckling pig, at a busy Ubud warung, nasi campur Bali with sate lilit and lawar, and bebek betutu, duck slow cooked in banana leaves. Jimbaran Bay is famous for seafood grilled on the sand at sunset. Ubud and Seminyak have creative restaurants using local ingredients, and Canggu is full of cafés. Our places to visit list names the warungs and restaurants we like.

Practical tips

Bali charges a tourist levy for foreign visitors, paid online through the official Love Bali system or on arrival; check the provincial government site for the current amount and process. Traffic in the south is heavy, so base yourself in two or three areas rather than moving every night. Dress modestly at temples, with a sarong and sash, and never step on offerings. Nyepi, the Balinese day of silence in March, closes the whole island, including the airport, for twenty four hours. Scooter crashes are the most common way visitors get hurt, so ride only if you are experienced, licensed and insured.