Things to do
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Bali Museum
Four pavilions built in the styles of Balinese palaces and temples hold an ethnographic collection of masks, ritual textiles, krises and painted panels, set around courtyards in central Denpasar. Labels are sparse and a guide is worth arranging at the entrance. It sits beside Puputan Square and the Jagatnatha temple, which makes a short walking circuit in the middle of the city.
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Jimbaran Bay
Seafood warungs line the sand on a calm bay south of the airport, grilling the morning's catch over coconut husks as the sun goes down. Tables are set out on the beach itself and planes pass low overhead on approach. Fishing boats still work the bay at dawn, which is the quietest time to walk it.
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Nusa Penida
Cliffs drop several hundred metres into clear water on the island southeast of Bali, and the viewpoint above Kelingking beach is what pulls day trips across. Fast boats run from Sanur and the crossing is short, though the interior roads are steep, narrow and slow. A single day covers one coast only. Staying a night leaves the western viewpoints far calmer.
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Seminyak Beach
Grey volcanic sand runs for kilometres along Bali's southwest coast here, backed by beach clubs, surf schools and an ocean that rarely sits still. Afternoons bring learner surfers to the shallows and a long sunset crowd to the loungers. Currents are strong and the flagged swimming zones matter. Traffic on the lanes inland is slow, so walking between spots is usually quicker.
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Tanah Lot
A squat shrine sits on a rock offshore on Bali's west coast, cut off by water for much of the day. Low tide opens the causeway and lets visitors walk to the base, though only Balinese Hindus go up to the temple itself. Sunset draws heavy crowds and long queues at the parking gates, so an earlier arrival is calmer.
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Uluwatu Temple
Perched on a limestone cliff at Bali's southern tip, this sea temple looks straight down onto surf breaking far below. Many visitors time the trip for the late afternoon kecak performance in the clifftop amphitheatre, which fills well before it starts. Sarongs and sashes are handed out at the gate. The resident macaques are practised thieves of sunglasses and phones.