Where to go in Bali

Ubud is the cultural heart of Bali, with many museums, galleries, and shops where local artisans and craftspeople sell beautiful handmade items, stone and wood carvings, jewelry, and clothing. There are cafes for enjoying the delicious strong Balinese coffee and the unique Kopi Luwak, an Indonesian coffee produced with beans digested from the cat-like civet animal. This town is one of the best places to catch a traditional Balinese dance, a mesmerizing ritual accompanied by Gamelan music. It’s also where you’ll find the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary with more than a thousand entertaining Balinese long-tailed monkeys roaming around the paths, temples, and banyan trees.

Located in northern Bali with many passing through on their way to West Bali National Park, there are plenty of reasons to stick around Munduk. Here you’ll see a different side of Bali that’s incredibly lush, with many lakes, rice terraces, and waterfalls. It’s a place for waterfall hopping with some of the best in Bali, including a hike that showcases four of them, including Labuhan Kebo, with a pool at the bottom for swimming or wading, depending on the season. The Twin Lakes viewpoint, where monkeys are often roaming about, is a must with its magnificent view of Tambingan and Buyan lakes.

On an island jam-packed with breathtaking beaches, Seminyak offers some of the very best and it’s just a 30-minute drive from the Denpasar airport. Visitors can enjoy smooth stretches of white sands that stretch for five miles between Canggu and Tuban, along with many upscale resorts, trendy bars, fine dining restaurants, buzzing clubs, chic shops, and world-class spas. It tends to be a health-conscious area with many vegetarian and organic cafes, although there are plenty of comfort foods and sweets. Famous for its sunsets, this is also one of the top spots to watch the sun go down on the island too.