Kintamani & Lake Batur

The village of Batur was formerly sited in the Batur crater until a violent eruption of the volcano in 1917 and again in 1926. The village was relocated to the crater rim and the surviving shrine was placed in the new temple Pura Ulun Danu. This temple is of considerable importance and is one of Bali's nine directional temples.

The villages of Batur and Kintamani now adjoin each other. The spectacular views are well worth a visit and for those more energetic, the climb up Gunung Batur is well worth the effort and affords spectacular views of sunrise and sunset from the top.

Bedugul

The mountain village of Bedugul by Lake Bratan is on the main road connecting north and south Bali and is an interesting place to stay for a night or two, especially if you are a golfer as the renowned 18-hole Handara Golf Course is located here.

Again the accommodation runs from basic to first class. At 1500m above sea level it can be chilly at night.

Tulamben

To the north east of Amed lies Tulamben whose claim to fame is the wreck of the USS Liberty, torpedoed off Lombok in WWII and towed to its present site for salvage. Unfortunately the 1963 Mt Agung eruption broke and scattered the hulk but it’s a great snorkeling and diving spot just 30m from the beach and is home to literally hundreds of species of fish.

Try to get there early in the high season or you could be sharing the wreck with up to 200 others. Reasonable accommodation and food.

Candi Dasa

North of Padangbai lies Candidasa. It's a quiet resort area with a beautiful outlook but unfortunately the beach has eroded.

Accommodation is varied and reasonable with plenty of restaurants, a couple of which are outstanding. Everything is to the left or right of the main road with most hotels being beach side.

A pleasant place to stay and explore the area, including the exclusive community of Tenganan.

Tanah Lot

Tanah Lot, one of the most popular places of interest in Bali, is located on the coast of West Bali, at the village of Beraban in the Tabanan Regency.
It is also called Tanah Let which means ancient land and also Tanah Lod, which means the land to the south.

The temple Pura Tanah Lot, simple in its construction, is dramatic in its ocean-front location and is one of the main temples in the worship of Balinese gods.

Tanah Lot has a long history in the world of tourism.
The temple itself is built on a small promontory which is only accessible at low tide.
During high water the rock takes on the appearance of a large boat at sea, such is its shape.

Poisonous snakes live in the nearby caves to 'guard' the temple and contribute to the temple's dangerous reputation.

Sunset is the best time to visit Tanah lot, when the golden red skies frame the temple and waves crash into the rocks.
It is advisable to avoid the tourist crush here as it can be severe.

Tuban

Protected by Kuta reef, this narrow strip offers upmarket beachfront hotels with some excellent restaurants, and is close to Kuta Square for a spot of retail therapy.

This area is currently undergoing a makeover and a program to replace the eroded beach is due to begin soon. Kuta, South and Central Legian encompass the one-way system that extends from The Kuta Beach Hotel to The Legian Beach Hotel on Melasti Street. A broad expanse of beachfronts, this busy tourist area is separated from the beach by Jalan Pantai (Beach Rd) and boasts excellent body surfing, boogie boarding and surfing. There are plenty of noisy bars and backpacker accommodation at the Kuta end with the area getting quieter as it gets towards Melasti Street.

Seminyak

Seminyak runs from the daytime trendy Blue Ocean Boulevard across Double Six Road to the restaurants and bars of Dhyana Pura Street. Tourist accommodation is scarcer than in the previous areas but you'll find good standard hotels, interesting food and sophisticated nightlife, as well as the mega-noisy Club 66.

Like Legian North, the area attracts a cosmopolitan mix and is home to hundreds of expats involved in commerce of one sort or another.

Ubud

The town of Ubud in the central foothills is set among rice paddies and ravines and still retains a relaxed pace and rural charm. Apart from its own attractions it is a good base for exploring some of the most historic sites (the “elephant cave” and 12th century reliefs at Gunung Kawi), trekking, bicycle riding and white water rafting. Ubud is also a town of painters.

Accommodation and dining ranges from basic to world class (Princess Diana stayed here). Good food to suit all pockets.

Nusa Dua

Around 10 km south of the airport lies the international tourist enclave of Nusa Dua (meaning "two islands"). This purpose-built area is well planned and the site of beautiful top class hotels, with private beaches geared to the well-heeled and international conferences.

The enclave is safe and manicured, with international restaurants at international prices. Though a tad sterile for many, Nusa Dua has its adherents and is a perfect place for those unhappy with the hustle and bustle associated with other areas.

Sanur

On the southeast Coast around 25 minutes from the airport is the site of Bali’s first luxury hotel, the multi-storied Grand Bali Beach.

Thankfully a later law prohibiting buildings higher than palm tree level has kept the Bali skyline much as it was before the tourist boom. A white sand beach sheltered by the reef, Sanur probably has the safest swimming on the island and is also good for windsurfing and sailing. You'll also find a wide variety of restaurants in the hotels, good outside eating and several interesting pubs.

Sanur has retained its village atmosphere and tends to attract a more mature clientele and families, with most younger people preferring to stay in Kuta. Oddly enough though, Sanur also hosts the island’s red-light district, hidden in alleyways away from the hotel area!

Sanur can be divided into 4 sub-districts:

1) The Grand Bali Beach Area
2) SINAHU - A classy area with good hotels on the beach, a boardwalk, an art market and good eating.
3) BATUJIMBA - Mainly villas belonging to the Indonesian elite and expatriates.
4) SENAWANG - South from the Bali Hyatt. Home to some pricey restaurants and the seedy red-light district.

Legian

Legian extends from The Legian Beach Hotel to Hotel Jayakarta on what is still known as Rum Jungle Road. All types of accommodation including villas are available, along with some good eating and a few interesting bars, most of which close by midnight. Legian is a quieter area with less traffic than either Kuta Central or Seminyak as it has its own one-way system leading in and out. The Beach hotels are separated from the actual beach by the new village-owned road, which is closed to traffic.

Because of rocketing property values most expatriates have left this area for cheaper rents but you will still see untouristy things like westerners walking dogs and even one with a dog on his motorbike!

Kuta

Kuta has traveled from slave port to stardom. This is where modern tourism in Bali all started and it’s still the most happening place of all.

With the building of the airport in Bali, Kuta became a firmly established part of the “Hippy Trail” and the Balinese responded with smiles, homestays and other simple accommodation, and eateries. From this small sleepy village with a white sand beach and good surf grew the Kuta of today which extends 8-10 km northeast of the airport and includes the villages of Tuban, the three villages of Legian, Seminyak, Basangkasa and now Petitenget, with hotels, resorts and restaurants virtually lining the length of the beach.

It’s been fashionable for many years now to decry Kuta for its brashness, crassness and chaos, but the fact remains that the most cosmopolitan and interesting people are to be found here. Like it or not, this is 21st Century Bali, warts and all, without the sanitisation of the more planned areas.

But even in central Kuta you can find quiet hotels and intimate restaurants, and while the beach may be crowded in pockets, most of it is virtually empty, even in peak season. This is where you will find the widest range of accommodation and the best shopping, from trinkets to well-priced designer wear to elegant homewares and exquisitely crafted furniture.

You'll also find the best variety of eating and nightlife: The beachside Hard Rock Café; the tired 24 hour Mamas; the noisy unsophisticated drinking holes such as Sari Club and Flanagans in Central Kuta; the earsplitting beachside 66 (Double Six) Disco; the trendy bars and restaurants of Seminyak; and the air-conditioned cigar bar of KuDeTa restaurant in Petitenget.

Chaos and traffic notwithstanding, the Kuta area has it all. As the parts that make up the whole have their own distinct characteristics we list them going north/west along the beach from the airport. The divisions are not exact but close enough for our purposes.