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From the mountain to the sea.

The island · 200 m

Eight places, from the mountains to the sea

Bali is small enough to cross in a morning and varied enough to need a plan. These are the eight areas we build trips around, in the order the water runs, from the cool northern lakes down to the reef. Each says who it suits, what to do, how long to stay and the best time of day.

Munduk 750 mJatiluwih 700 mSidemen 230 mUbud 200 mUluwatu 70 mCanggu 5 mAmed 5 mSanur 3 m

Peaks, at their real heights: Agung 3,031 m, Batukaru 2,276 m, Batur 1,717 m

Coastlines are from Natural Earth (public domain). The contours are a schematic relief, not survey data: only the three volcanoes are at their real heights and places. The rings around the coast are decoration.

  1. Bright green rice terraces and coconut palms above a forested valley near Munduk, under a deep blue sky with towering white clouds.

    Mist, lakes and waterfalls

    Munduk and the northern lakes

    Cool air, three lakes in one old crater, and forest paths to waterfalls.

    Suits Walkers who like forest paths and waterfalls

  2. Contoured bands of bright green rice terraces curving round a hillside at Jatiluwih, with coconut palms among them and forested slopes behind.

    The terraces that carry a World Heritage listing

    Jatiluwih and Tabanan

    Terraces that curve round whole hillsides, and the subak that waters them.

    Suits Walkers: marked trails run from about 1.5 to 8 km

  3. Farm buildings with long thatched-and-tin roofs beside a flooded paddy in the Sidemen valley, with coconut palms, green terraces and heavy evening cloud above, and a stack of white rice sacks by the road.

    The quiet valley under Agung

    Sidemen and East Bali

    A long green valley, hand-woven cloth, and Mount Agung filling the sky.

    Suits Travellers on a second or third visit who want slow

  4. A carved stone gateway at Ubud Palace in orange brick and grey relief, with two small ceremonial umbrellas and green foliage framing it.

    Craft, ceremony and cooler air

    Ubud and the central highlands

    Where Bali's arts have lived longest, among river gorges and rice fields.

    Suits First-timers who want culture before beaches

  5. The sun setting over the Indian Ocean with a path of orange light on the water, and Uluwatu Temple on its sheer cliff at the right edge.

    Cliffs, surf and the sun going down

    Uluwatu and the Bukit

    A limestone peninsula ringed by cliffs and famous surf, and a temple at the edge.

    Suits Surfers, and anyone who likes to watch them

  6. A dark rock with a small white-draped altar on top, standing in the surf on the beach at Canggu under a sky of broken cloud.

    Dark sand, surf and long dinners

    Canggu and Seminyak

    The west coast: surf breaks, dark-sand beaches, rice fields among cafés, and Seminyak's restaurants.

    Suits Surfers, and people learning

  7. Fishing boats at anchor in the bay at Amed, with the cone of Mount Agung rising beyond the shore.

    Black sand and a reef at your feet

    Amed and the north-east coast

    A string of fishing villages where black sand runs into a coral reef.

    Suits Snorkellers and divers

  8. A green-and-white outrigger fishing boat (jukung) lying on the wet sand at low tide at Sanur, its reflection in the shallow water and the sky orange before sunrise.

    Sunrise, a calm lagoon and the harbour

    Sanur

    The east coast: sunrise over water, a reef-calmed lagoon and a path along the beach.

    Suits Families and older travellers, for the calm water and the flat path

Not sure where to start?

Most first trips take in three: a night or two in the highlands, a few days by the sea, and a day somewhere neither. Tell us how long you have and we will suggest the order.

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