Bali is home to many unique and magical experiences.
It is a place that welcomes all kinds of travelers—whether a backpacker, digital nomad, expat, or influencer, Bali sparks a light in many who cross its path. Its beauty, accessibility, and safety, makes it an easy place to settle into, while its diverse nature and environment make it a place perfect for an adventurous vacation. For us, Bali is now a place we also call home, and holds a very special place in our hearts.
Top Places To Visit In Bali
- Canggu
- Uluwatu
- Ubud
- Nusa Penida
- Nusa Lembongan
- Lovina
- Sideman
- Amed
Canggu
What was once only rice field terraces, has now transformed into a busy, western-inspired digital nomad, influencers, and wellness hub.
Canggu is a central place in Bali where you are sure to find endless cafes, gyms, wellness studios, health foods, surf spots, and boutique stores. It is where we spent the most time during our travels, but would only recommend it for those who are looking to settle down for a bit and find a community somewhere close by as we did for over three months. Its location makes accessing all of the other parts of Bali a lot easier, though it is also home to the most hectic traffic in all of the island.
Ariel view from where we stayed in Cemagi near Canggu.
We stayed about 20 minutes outside of Canggu in a community of creators, where we co-worked, went to the gym, visited cafes and restaurants as part of group activities, and occasionally took group trips to places like Uluwatu and Ubud. It was an unforgettable experience where we made life long friends, and officially launched our blog! Overall, Canggu is the perfect mix of chaos and perfection, all in one.
Uluwatu
Dreamland Beach, Uluwatu.
Uluwatu is considered the surfing destination of Bali, offering a cleaner and clearer ocean, incredible waves, and a really laid back, surfer town vibe.
Similar to Canggu, Uluwatu is highly developed compared to other parts of Bali and is home to a mix of expats, investors, surfers, digital nomads, and influencers. We visited a few times during our stay in Bali and found it to be a great place to enjoy a variety of beaches, swim in beautiful waters, and experience some of the island’s most scenic sunsets. We also enjoyed being able to have access to a variety of local and western cuisine, all close to the main attractions.
Uluwatu is also known for its nightlife, concerts, and beach clubs . Although we didn’t explore that aspect, we know many who visit and love the area for those reasons. We love Uluwatu and would have made it our first option for a long term stay had we not found the community home we stayed near Canggu first.
Ubud
Tegallalang Rice Terrace, Ubud.
Ubud – The spiritual hub of Bali as pictured in parts of the movie Eat, Pray, Love.
It is not only known for its focus on wellness, spirituality, and yoga, but also its breathtaking landscapes, rice fields, and famous Monkey Forest. It is one of Bali’s most visited and well-developed areas, offering a very distinct vibe from other parts of the island. We enjoyed walking around the town surrounded by boutique stores, visiting temples, going to cafes overlooking rice fields, and taking yoga classes.
Like most of Bali, we rented a scooter to get around, but note that traffic can also be quite chaotic. Ubud is also a great location to take day trips to places such as the iconic water temple Tirta Empul, famous waterfalls such as Tegenungan, and the sunrise hike to Mt. Batur. It’s a beautiful unique location in Bali and deserves a spot in your itinerary.
Nusa Penida
Kelingking View, Nusa Penida.
Nusa Penida is a place visited by many touring Bali because of two of its iconic locations, Kelingking beach and Manta Ray Point.
The first, Kelingking beach, which we found to be Bali’s most tourist-packed and Instagrammed location we visited. It is as beautiful as pictured and worth the visit, however, very overwhelming due to the large crowds and amount of content creators rushing to get photos and videos. It is best to visit early in the morning for a more wholesome experience with less crowds.
The second, Manta Ray Point or Manta Ray Bay, both places offer diving and snorkeling where you can swim with enormous manta rays. Unfortunately, when we visited Nusa Penida, day trips to the snorkeling points were closed due to the weather. However, many travelers say that this is an unbelievable experience and is a must if you want a once in a lifetime opportunity to swim with these beautiful sea creatures. While most tours still offer trips to Manta Bay, it is recommended to visit Manta Point for a better chance of spotting the manta rays due to recent changes in feeding patters.
Though there are other parts of the island to explore, we found these two options to be the most popular during our visit and are offered as a day tour from Kuta, Canggu, or Uluwatu.
Nusa Lembongan
Mushroom Bay Beach, Nusa Lembongan.
Nusa Lembongan is a beautiful island famous for its peaceful waters, seaweed farms, and iconic yellow bridge that connects it to Nusa Ceningan, the smallest Nusa island.
There are many beaches around the island to explore and cliffs for adventurous jumps. Devil’s tear is a famous attraction that brings in many tourists, it is a location where the waves splash onto the cliff creating a geyser like effect and depending on the tide it is possible to jump off this cliff.
We found Nusa Lembongan to be an island for a peaceful getaway, perfect for enjoying long days on the beach, surfing, water activities, yoga classes, and eating at delicious beachfront restaurants. We enjoyed hopping on the scooter and beach hopping around the island the most because it allowed us to see practically everything. If you are visiting Bali and want a quieter, yet beautiful location to visit, we recommend adding this to your itinerary.
Lovina
Lovina Dolphin Tour.
Lovina – The home of Bali’s famous dolphin tour.
Located in the north of the island, it is quite a drive from most of the centered locations but well worth the trip. Many tours start at 2:00 a.m., picking you up from your hotel in Ubud or Canggu for the sunrise tour at 7:00am. We chose to drive the day before and spend the night in Lovina instead, as we prefer taking our time to get somewhere rather than rushing.
The main town of Lovina is small and mostly locals, but has enough restaurants and shops along the beach for an enjoyable experience, in case you decide to spend a day before or after your tour. As for the dolphin tour, we opted to go after the sunrise rush at 9:00 am instead. It was an incredible experience, we saw so many dolphins and got in the water for a closer view. It was truly magical and a bucket list moment crossed off our list.
*Disclaimer: Please read more about this activity before visiting. While it is beautiful to see these creatures in their natural habitat, it is important to recognize that tours like these can cause stress on the animals. If you choose to do it, we advise selecting a reputable company/captain and a less crowded time.
Sideman
Sideman.
Sideman is known for its lush green rice fields and stunning morning views of the famous Mt. Agung.
Although we visited during the rainy season and unfortunately missed the mountain views, we did get to spend time overlooking rice fields and enjoying the relaxed and laid back environment. It was the least touristy part of Bali we explored, which made it a nice change of pace from what we were used to in Canggu.
Sideman is also well known for its traditional silver jewelry making classes, which was the primary reason for our visit. We loved our experience making and engraving our rings. The process, which takes about an hour involves weighing, melting, shaping, personalizing, and polishing the silver. Kevyn, our friend Vlad, and I ended up creating a total of four rings and a bracelet, including some engraved with “The Traveler In Us”. There are a few silver making studios available in town, but we opted to go with: Sidemen Silver Class because it was well known location highly recommended by friends. This experience was the highlight of our time in Sideman and one of our favorite activities overall in Bali.
Amed
Pantai Jemeluk, Amed.
Amed is a less developed part of Bali, known for its scuba diving, snorkeling, and free-diving activities.
It’s the perfect destination for a quiet, secluded getaway that still offers enough development for travelers. We chose to end our time in Bali by spending a few days enjoying its serene and relaxed environment, which included beautiful beaches and stunning views of Mt. Agung.
Kelvyn had been looking forward to finally getting his scuba diving certification during our visit but couldn’t due to a last-minute ear infection. Instead, we spent time with friends, visited the Lahangan Sweet viewpoint in the morning, restaurant-hopped, and played a lot of card games. We also spent time at a local beach, Pantai Jemeluk, where Kelvyn flew the drone, and I snorkeled in the calm clear waters filled with coral and vibrant fish. Overall, Amed was much calmer than most parts of Bali and served as a perfect place to unwind and escape the crowds before heading home.
Want to visit other parts of Indonesia? Click here to check out our itinerary for the Gili Islands in Lombok, Indonesia!
We LOVED Bali …
Sunset on a cliff in Uluwatu.
We highly recommend Bali to anyone considering a trip to Southeast Asia.
It is an incredibly diverse and affordable destination, perfect for both traveling through and settling in. If your time is limited and you want to visit the most popular spots, we suggest focusing on Canggu, Ubud, Uluwatu, and Nusa Penida. For those seeking quieter escapes Nusa Lembongan, Sideman, and Amed are excellent additions to your itinerary. And if you have extra time, Lovina is the perfect way to round off your trip. No matter where you go on the island, be prepared for vibrant culture, delicious food, breathtaking views, and a lot of traffic. Did we mention Bali also has the most incredible sunsets? Make sure to catch a few while you are there.
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Disclaimer: All the information shared is based on our research and experiences. Please note that we are not travel consultants, tour guides, or financial advisors and are not held liable for any misinformation. We give suggestions, but advise each person to do their own research and make the decision that best suits them. This blog posts also contains affiliate links, by using the links we provide you are helping us at no additional cost to you. Photos on this page belong strictly to The Traveler In Us and are not allowed to be saved or used for any reason unless granted permission so by the owners.
