Best Things to Do in Bali: Top 10 Destinations You’ll Love

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Top 10 Bali Destinations

No two of the top 10 lists for Bali and Indonesia will or should be the same. There is no shortage of things to do on the island of Bali, with or without kids. We didn’t plan to do much. I wanted to hang out around the pool, do some yoga, and eat delicious, healthy food. But Bali’s energy took hold, and we wanted to immerse ourselves in the culture. I wouldn’t have believed you if you had told me I would go to Bali. There are so many things to see and do that it should be on your list of places to visit while stationed in Asia.

Table of Contents

1. Top 10 Bali Destinations
2. Top 10: Bali, Indonesia
3. 1. In Bali, hire a car for the day
4. 2. Spend a Few Days in Ubud
5. 3. Hike Bali’s Kintamani Volcano
6. 4. Lake Batur
7. 5. Cat Poop Coffee in Bali
8. 6. Hang Out in the Sacred Monkey Forest
9. 7. Take in Tanah Lot Temple at Sunset
10. 8. Eat at Fat Chow’s
11. 9. Experience Ulun Dani Temple
12. 10. Trek Through the Bali Rice Terraces

Top 10: Bali Indonesia

A Shortlist of fun activities on the island

You can snorkel, ride a horse, elephant, or scooter. You can get a daily massage, shop, hike, or drink until you drop. Or you can walk on the ocean floor or skip the waves on a surfboard, paddle board, or speedboat. Or you could do absolutely nothing at all by the pool, the bar, or the beach.

Hire a Car for the Day

One of the most cost-effective and efficient purchases we made on our recent trip to Bali was to hire a driver. I originally purchased the service via Viator for $79.00 per day. I had planned to just chill the rest of the time, but having access to a car and driver changed all that. We had access to his services for up to 12 hours. The fee also included WI-FI, unlimited gas, and bottled water.

We had the same driver for two days through a company. We paid him directly on the third day—the best day. He arrived with a cooler full of beer and promised to show us HIS island. He took us to a few places off the beaten path. It’s a top 10 Bali, Indonesia, excursion.

Where to Find the Best Beaches in Bali, Indonesia

Spend a Few Days in Ubud

Ubud is the spiritual center of Bali. Ubud’s name means medicine in Balinese and refers to the healing power of Ubud’s sacred grounds. Beji simply means Springwater,” located on the valley slope opposite the hotel. Most people only visit Ubud for a few hours, but I feel that’s a HUGE mistake. It takes a day or two to understand and benefit from the energy that that place has. It isn’t called Bali’s spiritual center for nothing. There are tons of delicious restaurants, temples, yoga, and spirituality centers, as well as dense jungles and rice terraces.

20 Quirky, Beautiful, and Unexpected Things I Learned in Bali

Hike Bali’s Kintamani Volcano

One of the most memorable experiences in Bali is hiking Mount Batur before sunrise. Most tours begin around 2 a.m., with guides leading small groups up dark volcanic trails beneath a sky full of stars. The hike feels manageable for most people, though the loose gravel near the summit can get slippery. By sunrise, the views open across Lake Batur, nearby villages, and mist drifting between the mountains. The cool air and the first light across the volcano make the early wake-up worth it.

Lake Batur

Lake Batur sits at the base of Mount Batur inside a massive volcanic caldera in northern Bali. The lake adds a calm contrast to the black lava fields and rugged volcanic landscape around it. Small fishing villages line the shoreline, and the early morning fog often drifts across the water as the sun rises behind the mountains. Many sunrise hikes overlook the lake from above, which is part of what makes the climb feel so memorable.

Cat Poop Coffee Lumbung Sari House of Luwak Coffee

A plantation tour wasn’t originally on my top 10 Bali list. But our driver suggested it would be the best way to try the famous coffee and a ton of other coffees and teas for free. We walked through a small plantation where they grew mangos, durian fruit, coffee, and many other spices and fruits used to make coffee. We learned about coffee production and met the animal famous for putting Kopi Luwak on the map. In the end, we tasted all the teas and coffees above and a few new ones, and we were given the opportunity to purchase them.

Kopi Luwak is made with the coffee beans that are ingested by the palm civet and defecated. The beans are gathered up, processed, thoroughly cleaned, and roasted. Something chemical happens that makes the beans one of the most highly prized coffees in the world.

You may also be interested in the 20 Things I Learned in Bali, Indonesia.

Hang Out in the Sacred Monkey Forest

Neither of us is ever interested in having the local wildlife on our backs, but we have no problem watching other people risk life and limb. But you can’t visit Bali for the first time without seeing the monkeys in the Sacred Monkey Forest. (click for video.) They are pretty tame (compared to the ones at Uluwatu). They will snatch up your bananas or your bag if they smell bananas. Otherwise, they aren’t really interested in the humans who walk around trying to take pictures of them. I had more than a few turns away from my camera, letting me know who was in charge.

Take in Tanah Lot Temple at Sunset

This temple was high on my list because of its dramatic location on the sea. We waited in a very long line, thinking we were waiting to visit the temple. The line, however, was to get yet another blessing with rice on your forehead and a chance to climb a few steps that were blocked off. The top 10 views of the Bali temple are from either side (or by sea, if you’re lucky). Skip the line unless you are interested in being blessed and cleansed. Wear sturdy shoes and arrive shortly before sunset for the best experience. The temples at Uluwatu and Besakih are also beautiful.

Eat at Fat Chow’s

Balinese food is delicious. We ate lots of satays, marinated, skewered, and grilled meats served with spicy sauces. We ate yummy Nasi Goreng, steamed rice stir-fried with scrambled eggs, diced beef, strips of chicken, shrimp, anchovies, lamb, crab, green peas, onions, shallots, and a blend of sweet soy sauce, or kecap manis, and hot chili sauce. But we loved Fat Chows after stumbling on it by accident. Fat Chows was down a side street, opposite a wall of street tags. Ultimately, it became our favorite restaurant while we were in Kuta—we ate there three times.

Bali Fusion Food 

Fat Chows has a delicious assortment of Asian fusion tapas (spiced ramen-wrapped shrimp and meats wrapped in banana leaves, omg) as well as entrees and delicious cocktails. Honestly, if I could only eat one burger for the rest of my life, it would probably be the one I ate at Fat Chows. The bread was toasted perfectly, the toppings were savory and delicious, and the burger was grilled to perfection. I won’t forget it anytime soon.

Take a look at My Favorite Foods and Drinks Across Asia for some more food porn and inspiration for wherever you live now.

Experience Ulun Danu Beratan Temple

One of the top 10 Bali activities is visiting the temples. They are gorgeous. And Ulun Dani Beratan Temple is no exception– it is a whole experience I have to go back to again. It sits on the edge of Lake Batur and always seems shrouded in mist. For the more adventurous, rent a speedboat tour on the lake for a different perspective.

Trek Through the Bali Rice Terraces

I had initially planned to trek through the Tegallalang Rice Terraces. It rained, and it was extremely muddy to get down to it. Our driver suggested we go to Jatiluwih instead, and I’m glad he did. Any rice terrace in Bali is beautiful, but there were fewer people at Jatiluwih, and we actually even got a chance to watch the backbreaking work in action. It was so beautiful that even a little rain and, you guessed it, a little mud couldn’t spoil the experience.

There are a lot of places we should visit while stationed in Asia. Bali is just one of the places I’d recommend.

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