Holidays in Bali & Ubud

Destination information

Bali
Bali is a spiritual place. In villages all over the island, plaited baskets filled with flowers and herbs are placed on pavements, on the prows of fishing boats and in markets - part of the island's indigenous culture that fills everywhere with beauty. There are over 10,000 temples, and in the tiny village of Ubud, traditional dances are staged nightly in streets thronging with arts and crafts galleries. Wood carvings, silverware and paintings are all popular. Visit the ancient settlement of Kintamani, perched on the rim of a vast crater overlooking Lake Batur, the largest in Bali. The beach resorts of the south have wonderful white sands and a laid-back, tropical ambience. A day trip can have you snorkelling or diving in clear waters over colourful coral, and for the adventurous there are water sports including some great surfing. You can sample some great Balinese food, and the nightlife at Kuta is great fun.
Ubud
Museum Rudana offers an outstanding collection of paintings in the classical Ubud and Batuan styles as well as Indonesian fine arts. There’s also Museum Puri Lukisan, which translated means ‘Palace of Paintings’. On a hill top in nearby Tampaksiring Village is the Presidential Palace – a stunning complex divided into 5 buildings spanning a fissure in the hills and connected by a 40 kilometre long bridge. Other unmissable sights include the Monkey Forest, home to more than 200 long-tailed Macaque monkeys. There are also 3 holy temples within its boundaries with a well paved walkway to help you navigate and plenty of shade from the trees above! Ubud is perhaps most famous for its beautiful rice fields. Hire a bicycle and explore some of the villages around Ubud such as Pejeng, Tegallalang and Campuhan, stopping en-route to admire iconic scenes of rice paddies overlooking beautiful hills and rivers.

Eats & drinks

You'll find restaurants serving all kinds of international cuisine in Bali, including Thai, Indonesian and East Javanese. The seafood is particularly good: lobster here is so inexpensive, you could probably afford to eat it every day if you wished! A Balinese favourite is suckling pig, and Bali's curries use exotic ingredients such as banana flowers and palm hearts. Glass noodles with vegetables is a tasty classic.

Sightseeing ideas

Culture

A famously friendly country, Bali has been a Hindu island since the 14th Century and has some beautiful shrines and temples to visit, including Besakih, the country's biggest temple. In Ubud you can watch a traditional Barong dance performance, which narrates a fight between good and evil, and you'll find exquisite gold and silver jewellery in Celuk. Balinese batiks make beautiful souvenirs to take home.

Stunning Scenery

Much of Bali is so beautiful, it looks like a film set. Inland are verdant rice terraces, hidden volcanoes and forested hills. In the tropical forests, wild deer roam among wild orchids and tall pine trees, and there are huge, mysterious caves to visit. Endless sandy beaches line many of the island's shores, including the famous white sands of Kuta and the peaceful lagoon beach at exclusive Nusa Dua.

Beach Life

In Bali, idyllic palm-fringed beaches are the norm. The clear, warm water is great for swimming and snorkelling. Take a day trip to the island of Nusa Penida, where the startlingly clear waters allow you to snorkel or dive, seeing colourful coral and marine life such as giant clams. Water sports are popular, including surfing, particularly on the south and west coasts of the island, at Uluwatu and Padang Padang.

Spas and Well-being

Bali is a spa hotspot, and in between all those beach trips and tours, you can replenish yourself in the wonderfully sumptuous hotel spas. Treatments include relaxing massages, rejuvenating facials, invigorating body scrubs and stimulating wraps. Try a Balinese Boreh (a ground spice exfoliation), a Bali coffee scrub, a traditional Balinese massage using local herbs, and a relaxing flower-filled bath.

Honeymoons

The spiritual atmosphere of mist-shrouded temples, the tropical flowers that grow everywhere, the white sand beaches and calmly lapping waves... Bali was made for romance, so where better to spend your honeymoon? Have Balinese musicians serenade you after the ceremony, enjoy special candlelit dinners on the beach, and spend a couple of hours with a spa treatment specially designed for two.

Events calendar

Important Dates

Jan - Galungan

Feb - Chinese New Year

Mar - Hai Nyepi (Day of Silence and Hindu New Year)

May - Hari Raya Waisak

Aug - Indonesia Independence Day and Galungan

Oct - Hari Raya Idul Fitri

Postcards from... Top ideas from our travel experts

• Top Villa Holidays

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