10 of the Best Areas to Visit in Bali

Sanur sits on Bali's east coast, which makes it one of the best spots on the island for sunrise. Most of the south is facing west and chasing sunsets, so Sanur gets overlooked. That's actually part of its appeal.

The beachfront boardwalk is one of the most genuinely local stretches of coast you'll find near Bali's main tourist corridor. On Sunday mornings, people spread out along the sand for picnics and barbecues. The rest of the week, it's quiet. There are beachfront cafes and warungs (local restaurants) along the boardwalk if you want to stay for a meal without venturing far.

Sanur's central location also makes it a practical base. Ubud is about 40 minutes away, and it's a natural jumping-off point for day trips to the east of Bali or a fast boat to Nusa Penida.

Pemuteran is a small fishing village on Bali's northwest coast, and it is genuinely remote by Bali standards. The bay is calm, the reefs are healthy, and you're a long way from the beach clubs and tourist buses of the south.

The main draw is Menjangan Island, located just offshore within Bali Barat National Park. The diving and snorkelling here is some of the best in all of Bali. Wall dives, clear water, and marine life that hasn't been picked over. The name Menjangan means "deer" in Bahasa Indonesia, and you'll likely spot them wandering the island's shoreline between dives.

Pemuteran is also home to the Biorock Project, one of the largest coral reef restoration initiatives in the world, where you can sponsor a coral structure and watch it grow over time. Our tours include visiting the Biorock Project and learning about what great work they do.

Amed isn't a single town, it's a string of fishing villages running about 10 kilometres along Bali's east coast. The pace is slow, the black sand beaches are quiet, and the main activity is getting in the water.

The diving around Amed is excellent, and about 30 minutes away by road is Tulamben, site of the USS Liberty shipwreck. It's considered one of the most accessible wreck dives in the world. The bow sits in shallow water, so beginners can do this dive too. If you've never tried scuba diving and want a legitimate first-dive experience, this is one of the best places in Southeast Asia to start.

Nusa Dua is Bali's luxury resort enclave -- manicured, calm, and very different from the rest of the island. If you've spent a week bouncing between Canggu, Ubud, and Uluwatu and need to decompress, this is where you come to do it.

The beaches here are some of the most consistently swimmable on the island (calmer water than the surf beaches further west), and the resort strip has reliable infrastructure if you're travelling with people who need comfort as a baseline. Nightly cultural performances are sometimes held at the larger resorts. These are a more packaged experience of Balinese culture, but still worth seeing.

Kintamani sits in Bali's volcanic highlands and offers a completely different landscape from the south -- cooler air, sweeping views of Mount Agung and Mount Batur, and a pace of life that hasn't been touched much by tourism.

The most popular activity here is hiking Mount Batur for sunrise. The active volcano sits beside Batur Lake, surrounded by high crater walls, and the views from the summit at dawn are legitimately spectacular. You don't need to be a serious hiker. It's a 2-hour climb and guides are available.

Beyond the hike, the local villages around Kintamani are worth exploring for a sense of daily life in highland Bali, well away from the resorts and western-owned restaurants of the south.

Uluwatu sits on Bali's southern Bukit Peninsula, and it has some of the best surf beaches in the world. Padang Padang, Bingin, Dreamland, and Balangan are all world-class breaks, and even if you're not a surfer, these beaches are worth the trip for the scenery alone. Dramatic white-sand coves accessed by steep staircases cut into limestone cliffs.

After the beach, head up to one of the clifftop warungs or surf bars for Indonesian food and cold Bintangs with the ocean below you.

Two things not to miss in Uluwatu: Pura Luhur Uluwatu temple, which is home to a large population of monkeys notorious for stealing sunglasses and thongs (genuinely: keep your belongings close), and the Kecak fire dance performance held at the temple at 6pm daily. Set on a clifftop stage at sunset, it's one of the most memorable things you can do in Bali.

Seminyak is one of the most visited areas in Bali, particularly popular with domestic travellers from Jakarta and Surabaya, as well as expats who rent private villas a few minutes back from the beach.

The beaches here (Seminyak Beach, Petitenget Beach, Double Six Beach) are excellent. La Plancha, right on the sand, is famous for its colourful umbrellas and has become one of Bali's most reliable sunset spots. The nightlife is busy: La Favela and Motel Mexicola are both solid options if you want something livelier than a warung dinner.

Seminyak works well as a complement to the quieter parts of the island. A couple of nights here after a week in Ubud or the east coast is a good way to end a trip before heading home.

Still working out when to go? Check out Best Time to Visit Bali

Nusa Penida is a separate island southeast of Bali, reached by a 45-minute fast boat from Sanur or Padang Bai. It's become one of Indonesia's most photographed destinations. Specifically Kelingking Beach, a 200-metre cliff overlooking a T-Rex shaped bay. The view from the top is as good as it looks in photos.

Most people do Nusa Penida as a single day trip from Bali, covering the main viewpoints by scooter or private driver. There are no beach clubs or high-end restaurants here. The island is raw and occasionally rough but that's exactly what makes it worth the trip. The snorkelling around Nusa Penida (Crystal Bay, Manta Point) is also some of the best in Bali.

For the full shot list, see our guide to the 10 Most Instagrammable Places in Bali.

Ubud is the cultural heart of Bali, and it earns that reputation. The air is cooler than the coast, the food scene is exceptional, and the surrounding jungle and rice terraces give the whole place a completely different feel from the beach areas further south.

It's a place people consistently underestimate how much time they'll want. Day-trippers end up staying a week. Ubud's wellness culture is serious. The Yoga Barn is one of Southeast Asia's most respected yoga centres, and the number of plant-based and organic restaurants here is genuinely impressive. For the full breakdown on where to eat, see our Bali food guide covering Ubud, Canggu, and near the airport.

Just north of Ubud, the Tegallalang Rice Terraces are one of the most recognisable landscapes in all of Bali. You can sip coffee looking out over the terraces from above, or push further and try the zip line or jungle swings built along the ridge. Come early to avoid the crowds.

On our Bali Classic 12-Day Tour, we visit the Monkey Forest Temple in Ubud (This is home to over 1,000 monkeys) and the Tegallalang Rice Terraces on day 9.

Canggu has grown from a small surf break into the most talked-about neighbourhood in Bali, and it's not hard to see why. The food is excellent - some of the best cafes on the island are here (Milk & Madu, Crate Cafe, Copenhagen Canggu) the surf is consistent, and the energy is exactly what most young travellers are looking for: relaxed enough to feel like a holiday, busy enough to feel like something is always happening.

It's also become the co-working hub of Southeast Asia for a reason. The combination of fast WiFi, good coffee, and affordable living has made it a long-term base for digital nomads from all over the world. For vegan and vegetarian travellers, The Shady Shack's no-meat menu is genuinely one of the best meals you'll eat on the island.

The beach club scene here is its own thing: La Brisa, The Lawn, and Finns Beach Club down at Berawa Beach are all worth an afternoon. For the full food rundown, head to our Canggu and Ubud eating guide.

Our Bali Classic 12-Day Tour starts in Canggu, with accommodation walking distance from the beach and the main strip.