The diamond-shaped island of Bali, nestled within the Indonesian archipelago, is one of those rare, perfect, holiday destinations that offers something for everyone. Few places on earth celebrate life with such vitality. An ever-prevailing sense of harmony is combined with history, myth, hospitality, active spiritual practice and natural splendour. From the moment you arrive, an intense concentration of colour, sights, smells, sounds and tastes will assail you with the same force as the humid tropical air. Known as the ‘Island of the Gods’ and the ‘Enchanted Isle’, the beauty of the Balinese landscape is legendary. Six Herculean volcanoes stand sentry across the island’s central belt of thick tropical jungle; sacred springs, volcanic lakes, elongated river gorges and plummeting falls shed life-giving water onto fertile plains. Hand-carved rice terraces stair-step through sharp edges of emerald plantings and mirror-like watery surfaces. A diverse flora and fauna flourishes within the primeval rainforests; endless sand beaches fringe the serrated coastline, and the encompassing ocean spawns a magnificent ecosystem flourishing with the greatest marine biodiversity on the globe. Bali blends its beautiful nature, exotic ancient history, palaces, temples, and sweet-scented Hindu festivals with world-class architecture, internationally-acclaimed restaurants and a vibrant nightlife. Where else on this planet could you find sapphire-tinged flower offerings to the gods placed within the nooks and crannies of five-star resorts?

The island is alight with traditions and famous for its gorgeous arts, which are inseparable from the cultural and religious life of the communities; whether dance, music, drama, paintings or carvings, art in every form is the masterpiece of the highly-valued Balinese culture. You will not fail to notice the intricately carved doorways, stone statues and wood sculptures, the time-honoured architecture of the temples and houses, the fabulous paintings, masks, textiles and ornate silver jewellery. Balinese cultural performances are visual, entertaining and exciting. Borne out of sacred rituals, they are accompanied by the shimmering, jangling, clashing, syncopated sounds of ethnic gamelan music. 

Renowned for being home to some of the most stylish and sophisticated hotels, villas, and private residences in the world, Bali can rival anywhere in terms of unique and sumptuous accommodation, and has gained prestigious international awards for the top-class architecture of its splendid resorts and exclusive hideaways. The elegant interiors of these properties showcase classic Indonesian antiques, together with the contemporary furnishings and funky accessories that represent the creative collaboration of prima donna designers and skilled Balinese craftsmen. Chic clubs, swanky restaurants, delectable delicatessens, graceful galleries, cool spas, bohemian boutiques, glam homeware stores and a carefree sense of luxury abound within the trendy tourist areas.

The compact size of the island means that all of its scenery is easily accessible through day trips. Activities abound from surfing, golfing and diving, to adventure tours, theme parks, shopping and fine dining. 

BE captivated, entranced, and enchanted... Come and let one of the most tranquil and transforming places on this earth work its magic on you.

LOCATIONS

Amed

Amed is the collective name given to a string of villages stretching along Bali’s east coast. The dramatic coastline winds around steep headlands and sheltered coves strewn with traditional jukung fishing boats. Resting in the shadow of the mighty volcano, Gunung Agung, this laid-back area boasts some of the best coral reefs and dives site on the island, all of which are habitat to numerous underwater species. Meanwhile, black tip reef sharks, dolphins and whales bask in the nearby waters. If you are not into diving and snorkelling, Amed is a great start-point for trekking up the slopes of Gunung Seraya to some of the rarely visited villages. Alternatively, you can just chill out and relax with a book. Check out some of the rustic beach cafés such as Restaurant Gede at Lipah Beach and Sunrise at Jemeluk, where you can relish fresh fish galore!

Bedugul

The market town of Bedugul is renowned for its fruit and vegetables. It rests alongside the shores of the picturesque Lake Bratan with its mystical tiered temple, which appears to float on the surface of the water. The recreation park on the southern shores of the lake offers parasailing, speedboat rental, jet skiing and water skiing. There is also a spectacular golf course located in this area, the Bali Handara Kosaido Country Club, voted one of the world’s fifty most beautiful golf courses. Nearby are the peaceful Lakes Buyan and Tamblingan, slightly off the beaten track and less frequently visited, these lakes present a real flavour of the undisturbed, rural Bali. For a close to nature experience, you can trek through the tropical, almost primeval, rainforest that borders the lakes. Hidden temples lie in clearings within the trees, revered places where the Balinese pay homage to their gods. The area is abundant in bird life and popular with birdwatchers.

Bukit Peninsula

The Bukit Peninsula is the lemon-shaped limestone plateau at the southernmost extremity of the island. ‘Bukit’ is the Indonesian word for hill and the panorama from this elevation is awesome. It is in this area that a number of the more affluent members of the surfing fraternity have chosen to build their homes, ensuring that early each morning a quick glance from the bedroom window will ascertain the best waves and the destination of the day. This beautiful stretch of coast boasts some of the most idyllic beaches in Bali, hidden white sandy coves that are great for both surfers and non-surfers alike.
Check out Balangan, fringed by cliffs and clear water. Relatively quiet, there are only a few warung (cafés) and no hawkers.  The water here is great for surfing and is safe for swimming as the waves break over the reef a couple of hundred metres from the shore.
Just around the corner is Dreamland, boasting a panoramic vista that takes in every other beach on this coastline, stretching all the way down to Uluwatu.  Beautiful, with white sand, cliffs and a river estuary, this chic beach destination throngs with beautiful people, and is usually fairly busy with tourists and hawkers. The warung owners will rent you a sunbed and umbrella and serve you with food and refreshments. It is a great beach for surfing and playing in the surf, as it offers a sand-bottom break, but there is a strong rip current.
Bingin Beach is close to Dreamland but offers a very different atmosphere. Natural and quiet, with white sand punctuated by rock pools at low tide, there are no hawkers and few people. The waves are perfect for surfing, often forming pristine tubes. The water is also fairly safe for swimming but beware of the side-sweeping current.
The neighbouring surf reef known as ‘Impossibles’ is acclaimed as one of the top 10 surf breaks in the world. The beach is white sand beneath towering cliffs. At low tide this is a great location for a seaside stroll, but at high tide the beach disappears. When the waves are calm and the tide is full, turtles and dugong (sea cows) can be seen swimming in the crystal waters close to the shore. 
Padang Padang is another delightful beach with few warungs and hawkers. It is nestled into a pocket of lava-rocks, and accessed via a cave crevice. This small cove offers world-class waves and is also safe for swimming and snorkelling as long as you stay close to the shore.  

Candidasa

Candidasa, in East Bali’s royal regency of Karangasem, is a quiet seaside destination and a great base from which to visit ancient kingdoms and mystical water palaces, climb mighty volcanoes or dive into an exotic underwater world. 
The neighbouring village of Tenganan is a unique 700-year-old walled community hidden within the hills. One of Bali’s original pre-Hindu settlements and a stronghold of native traditions, the residents practise a time-honoured lifestyle based around ritual and ceremony. Visitors are welcomed during daylight hours, with many of the houses also functioning as shops and workshops where expert craftsmen and women perform their centuries’ old skills.
The best beach in the area is Pasir Putih, a white sand crescent-shaped beach bordered by coconut groves. If you visit this quiet beach, you will feel that you have stepped back in time to Bali as it was in the 1970s. A few small bamboo and thatch warungs serve food and cold drinks. 

Canggu

The fishing village of Canggu is located within the beautiful agricultural belt between Kuta and Tanah Lot, an area that is home to some of the most luxurious private residences on the island. Bordered by rugged surf beaches and bounded by emerald rice fields, the peaceful vista is enhanced on clear days by the magical sight of the mountains in the early mornings and evenings.
Check out The Beach House at Echo Beach. This bar and restaurant offers an extensive drink list, spectacular seafood, friendly staff and great sunsets! Live music, complemented by a seafood barbeque on Sunday evenings, attracts a bohemian crowd.

Denpasar

Denpasar is Bali’s bustling capital city, it doesn’t attract a huge number of tourists, but it is a great place for a daytrip. If you are prepared to be a little bit adventurous and brave the crowded streets and traffic you will discover some gems in the heart of the city, together with some unique shopping experiences, markets, temples, and the Bali Museum.
Pasar Badung is the city’s vibrant and chaotic central market; it is the largest and oldest market in Bali, where the local people do their shopping, with each its three floors dedicated to different products.
Kumbasari Market is just across the river from Pasar Badung. This is another rabbit warren of small shops specialising in handicrafts, souvenirs, artefacts, clothes, fabrics, gold work and other art market goods.
Jl Sulawesi is Denpasar’s textile street, devoted to cloth of all descriptions. You’ll be spoilt for choice, with a plethora of shops piled high with a complete jumble of hundreds of rolls of materials. From traditional ikat, to beautiful sarongs and a rainbow of lace, together with silks, Indian sari fabrics, satins, batiks, chiffons, crepes and cottons. Once you’ve chosen your fabric, you can employ a local tailor to copy or create garments and soft furnishings.
Jl Hasanudin is the locale for Bali’s gold shops. Some offer wholesale prices competitive with Hong Kong and Singapore. As is the case throughout Indonesia, you buy gold jewellery by weight, and you can have 18 – 24 carat gold articles custom made for about half the price of what you might expect to pay in the West.

Jimbaran

The magnificent crescent bay of Jimbaran curves for five kilometres. The beach is unspoilt and tranquil, the sand soft and golden, and the calm water a safe haven for swimming. The area is famous for its fresh fish and every morning at dawn, the fishermen return to the shore in their gaily painted vessels to trade their marine harvest at the bustling Kedonganan fish market. At sunset the beach becomes the scene of a daily ritual as hundreds of visitors take their ringside seats in the plethora of seafood warung; these simple beachside cafes run virtually the length of the bay and serve up the catch of the day. Plastic chairs and tables lit by flickering candles spill out on to the sand; the fish is displayed on ice at the back of the cafés, and guests are invited to select the seafood of their choice – mainly red and white snapper, barracuda, giant prawns, squid and lobster. The feast will include a bamboo steamer of rice and the entire fish from head to tail. Juicy pink prawns are served in their shells, together with steamed veggies such as the tasty Balinese water spinach known as ‘kangkung’, delicious homemade sauces, baked potatoes and a simple dessert of fresh pineapple, watermelon and banana.

Ketewel

The traditional village of Ketewel on Bali’s south-east coast is bordered by glittering black sand beaches, terraced rice fields, tobacco plantations, papaya and banana groves, and blessed with spectacular views extending across the ocean towards the beaches of Sanur and Nusa Dua, Lembongan Island and East Bali. Ketewel village is the origin of the famous Legong Bededari Dance, and the neighbouring village of Sawa produced the finest Legong dancers on the island. This peaceful area is now home to some magnificent and exclusive villas.

Kintamani

Kintamani is where Bali’s visitors flock to see one of the island’s most photographed and active volcanoes. The 1717-metre-high Mt Batur and its crescent-shaped lake are set within a gigantic caldera, with a set of puffing volcanic cones – the volatile mass of Mt Batur – budding in the centre. The volcano has erupted more than twenty times during the last two centuries. The lakeside fishing village of Toya Bungkah is the main start point for trekking up Mt Batur. The village has been built alongside some sulphurous hot springs which, fuelled by the volcano, bubble into the lake and provide the perfect remedy for easing the aching limbs of hikers. At Kintamani you can enjoy an Indonesian buffet lunch in one of the many panoramic restaurants that overhang the ancient crater rim, offering spectacular views of the mountain and the lake. 

Kuta

The once sleepy fishing village of Kuta is a jumble of closely-packed pubs, nightclubs, restaurants, souvenir shops, shopping malls, juice bars, money changers, beauty parlours, surf emporiums and second-hand bookstores. The sweeping, sandy Kuta Beach is renowned for its world class surf breaks. The beachfront Discovery Shopping Mall boasts a large department store known as ‘Centro’, together with global lifestyle branded boutiques such as ‘Guess’ and ‘Esprit’.  When the desire to acquire a suntan takes priority over a shopping trip, the brave might opt for some light-hearted haggling on the beach. Sarongs, pineapples, Rolex watches and silver toe-rings are all on offer but be warned… these hawkers drive a hard bargain!

Lovina

Lovina is a long string of coastal villages on Bali’s north coast. For hundreds of years this was the part of the island that was most open to foreign influence as Chinese and Muslim traders brought their products, religion and culture through the neighbouring port of Singaraja. Swimming is safe here, and the area is good for the snorkelling and diving. Every morning at sunrise, the dolphins gather and play in large schools just beyond the coral reefs off the pretty black sand bay. For a nominal fee you can go out in tiny jukung fishing boat and watch these beautiful creatures cavort. 

Nusa Dua

Nusa Dua, with its immaculate white sand beaches, was the location – in the early 1990s – of the most ambitious resort project in Indonesia’s history. Up-market guests come for a hassle-free holiday to this elite tourist enclave of 5-star hotels, conference centres, restaurants, shops, and one of Asia’s top golf courses, the Bali Golf & Country Club, designed by renowned golf course architects Rodney Wright and Robin Nelson of Hawaii.
Also located at Nusa Dua is ‘Bali Collection’, the island’s newest shopping mall. Here you will find Sogo, the best department store in Bali in terms of international branded outlets, which include Calvin Klein Jeans, French Connection, Miss Sixty, lingerie by Under Colors of Benetton, DKNY, Bossini, Royal Doulton, Pierrox, Guy Laroche, Boots, fresh handmade soaps and bath products by Lush, Anna Sui cosmetics, shoes by Andre Valentino, Guess watches, L’Occitane, and much more. Just three kilometers away is Geger Beach, a favourite with Bali’s expats. This quiet and peaceful lagoon is safe for swimming and the best location for kite surfing. If you have lunch at the Nusa Dua Grill, you can chill out all afternoon on a sunlounger under the shade of an umbrella. 

Nusa Lembongan

Nusa Lembongan is a small pear-shaped island located 20 kilometres off Bali's East Coast – just a one-hour cruise by boat from Benoa Harbour.  With a population of just 4000, the unspoilt and relaxed atmosphere of the island has been maintained. It fringed by a beautiful reef, which supports its own eco-system and has been declared a marine park. The crystal clear water makes for excellent diving and snorkelling, and also provides some superb surf breaks. Steeped in tradition, village life on Nusa Lembongan is slow and enchanting; the local people farm seaweed for use in cosmetics, food stabilisers, and medicines.  Despite its tiny size, the island offers lots of activities ranging from fishing, diving and surfing to exploring the mangroves or visiting an underground cave house. There are plenty of small restaurants and water sport facilities.

Sanur

Sanur was Bali’s original tourist enclave. This historical village on the southeast coast is characterised by shady lanes, vine-draped coral walls, sedate leafy compounds, majestic trees and a five-kilometre shoreline within a gentle reef-sheltered lagoon, where swimming is safe. The island’s first simple guest rooms were constructed here in the 1940s, heralding the age of modern tourism. The ambience is mellow, restful and cosmopolitan. Foreign visitors rub shoulders with the locals, chic fashion shops are bordered by traditional markets, and a plethora of hidden temples can be found squeezed in between art galleries and restaurants. Numerous water sports facilities include diving, sailing, kayaking, surfing, water-skiing, snorkelling and windsurfing. Night life is low-key at this family destination.

Seminyak

Trendy Seminyak, located a few kilometers north of Kuta, is Bali’s late-night party land, laying claim to the highest concentration of independent fine-dining restaurants on the island, together with a wide choice of chic cocktail bars, exciting nightclubs, lavish spas, elegant shops, prestigious hotels and private villas. The expansive Seminyak beach with its brown sugar sand and rolling surf is the place where a daily ritual takes place as hundreds of residents and visitors flock to enjoy what will hopefully be another legendary sunset. A playground of the rich, the famous and the bon vivants, the vibrant nightlife and luxurious accommodation of Seminyak draws a sophisticated crowd of ‘beautiful people’.

Tabanan

The Tabanan regency, known as Bali’s ‘rice bowl’, is the most agriculturally productive area in Bali and home to the 2276-metre Mt Batukaru, the island’s second highest peak. This is also the area where you will find the famous sea temple of Tanah Lot. Perched upon a craggy wave-lashed rock just at the edge of the frothing white surf and glistening black shoreline, the temple is probably the most photographed sight in Bali. The best time to visit is in the late afternoon when you can see its splendid profile silhouetted against the setting sun. The neighbouring Nirwana Bali Golf Course was designed by Greg Norman, and voted number 1 golf course in Indonesia.

Tanjung Benoa

The 5-kilometer-long peninsula known as Tanjung Benoa is located adjacent to Nusa Dua and points like a finger towards Benoa Harbour. Once a sleepy backwater of mangrove swamps, coconut palms and white sand beaches, it is now home to luxury hotels, restaurants and watersport facilities, yet it still exudes a natural village atmosphere. The gentle and shallow shoreline on the peninsula’s eastern side is the ideal place to enjoy jet-skiing, banana boat rides, parasailing, scuba diving, snorkelling, water-skiing, glass-bottom boats, reef fishing and trawling. The relatively quiet village of Benoa on the tip is great for relaxing with a drink and watching the fish-drying activities of the villagers, combined with the sights and sounds of the harbour. Nestled within the narrow lanes of the village you will find mosques, a Chinese Buddhist temple, and a traditional open-air market.

Ubud

Ubud is Bali’s centre for fine arts and cultural performances, and the surrounding villages are home to the island’s most accomplished painters, dancers, musicians and carvers. Set in the central foothills, Ubud was originally an important source of medicinal herbs and plants. In fact, the name is derived from the Balinese word for medicine. Ever since the German painter, Walter Spies, settled here in the 1930s, the town has been a haven for both local and European artists and writers, and is now a magnet for art collectors, connoisseurs, mystics, and people who are actively involved in art, anthropology, music, dance, architecture, environmentalism and alternative healing. Ubud offers wonderful shopping, together with luxurious spas and enchanting restaurants nestled in eye-poppingly beautiful locations. The town is encompassed by gorgeous terraced rice fields, traditional villages, art and craft communities, ancient temples, palaces, and dramatic river gorges; its visitors are those in search of culture, nature and inspiration.

Uluwatu

On the extreme southwestern tip of The Bukit lays the world-famous temple of Uluwatu, a deeply revered and holy place. The surreally exotic beach is set in a cave with honey-coloured sand reminiscent of soft sugar. Uluwatu is world famous for waves that can peel perfectly for hundreds of metres over the reef, recommended only for highly accomplished surfers. Swimming here is inadvisable. There are many warungs set upon the cliffs, offering great views for watching the surfers and the legendary sunsets. Pura Luhur Uluwatu, the 11th century temple is balanced on the very edge of a narrow rocky cape, overhanging perpendicular cliffs seventy metres above the crashing breakers of the Indian Ocean. Its grey volcanic stone, glowing with the radiant colours of the setting sun, will leave you with a lasting and haunting memory of spiritual Bali.