7 top destinations Bali

Are you looking for top destinations Bali? Bali, the island of the Gods, is a beautiful island in Indonesia; famous for its beautiful views, friendly people and tourism. This post will be sharing with you 7 top destinations Bali, top places to visit in Bali, best things to do in Sanur and surrounding areas.  

This post is all about top destinations Bali.

Arriving in Bali

By Plane:

Most people will be arriving into Bali by air. The main airport is Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar. From the airport, it is fairly easy to get to most areas of Bali. The quicker areas to get to would be Kuta and Seminyak, followed by Jimbaran, Uluwatu, Canggu and Sanur. Ubud and Sidemen would take a little longer to get to, but still not too long (depending on traffic conditions).

I would highly recommend arranging transport through your accommodation provider, as sadly every time I have tried finding transport at the airport, I have always been scammed! They say one price at the kiosk at the airport, but the driver demands more when you arrive and won’t let you out until you pay.

Saying that, when I have arranged a driver through the accommodation, I have never had a problem. Personally, I think this is a more reliable way (and cheaper) to make sure you don’t get scammed.

By Boat:

If you are already in Indonesia and are maybe on another island such as Java, Lombok or the Gili Islands, you may arrive into Bali by boat. If you are taking a ferry, you will typically arrive at either Padang Bai which is on the South East coast, or Serangan which is nearer Kuta. From here, you can then take a taxi/ Grab/ Gojek to your destination on the island.

If you take the ferry from Java to Bali, you may end up at Gilimanuk ferry terminal. This is in the North of the island, so it would be much better for you to explore the beautiful north of Bali before heading south.

7 top destinations Bali:

1. Canggu

If you are looking for western amenities and a hipster vibe then Canggu is the place for you. Canggu is a very popular and busy area of Bali for westerners. There are lots of beachfront bars, healthy cafes, boutiques, and spas, very much catering for the western tourists. It has two main beaches: Echo beach and Canggu beach. Both of these are surfing beaches with strong surf.

Top things to do in Canggu:

1. Go shopping
2. Eat some delicious food in one of the many cafes
3. Go for a spa treatment. My favourite spa in Canggu is Espace (closely followed by AMO spa)  
4. Visit Tanah Lot
5. Grab a drink and watch the sunset over the beach

Places to stay:

In Canggu, I have stayed in two places. The first time I came here, I went to a surf and yoga camp, which was amazing, and currently not operating, but if it does pop back up, I would highly recommend staying there. The place was called Mind Body Soul.

The other times I have stayed in Canggu, I have always stayed at Nari Homestay. It is very close to the centre of Canggu, cheap and the lady who owns it is lovely (which you will also notice from all of the booking.com reviews). The rooms are fairly basic, but if you get one of the rooms in the back of the homestay, there is even a swimming pool.

2. Seminyak

Seminyak is the perfect place for shoppers. There are many different shops ranging from shopping malls like Seminyak village to independent souvenir shops and boutique style shops. Making it a great destination for every kind of shopper.

There is also an array of cafes, restaurants, massage parlours and bars making it a great place for those wanting to spend time wandering around and relaxing. There are also some different beaches you can visit in Seminyak. Double Six beach has golden sands, many restaurants backed onto the beach and opportunities to go surfing. Seminyak beach has a lot of beach clubs and bars and many areas where you can chill on the beach with a beanbag and a cold drink.

Top things to do in Seminyak:

1. Learn to surf
2. Lounge on a beanbag and sip on a coconut
3. Go shopping
4. Try out some of the delicious cafes!

Accommodation:

In Seminyak, I stayed at Downtown Villas. I stayed in this villa, just after the borders opened up after COVID, so the price was reduced a lot, however, now it seems that the accommodation is fairly expensive. The villa was nice, modern with a lot of facilities: kitchen, private pool, sun loungers, dressing area, bath, shower. It is also situated in a good location. It is not in the centre of Seminyak by the beach, but it is very easy to either walk to or get a Grab if you are feeling lazy. The only downside to this villa was that the WIFI wasn’t the strongest, so sometimes I had to use 4G but I enjoyed my stay here.

3. Sanur

Sanur is a quieter area on the coast of Bali. It is an area where you can hire and ride pushbikes (which you definitely can’t do in busy areas like Canggu. It is an area of Bali which is frequented more by mature travellers. However, I enjoyed my time there all the same. It is much quieter than areas like Canggu, Seminyak and Kuta but still has all of the amenities to make life easy.

There are many restaurants, shops (but not so many as in the other areas) and massage parlours.

Sanur is home to some beautiful beaches which are much quieter than the other ones mentioned above. They are all connected by a 3.34 mile path which hugs the shoreline.

Top recommendations for things to do in Sanur:

1. Rent a bike and cycle the 3.34 mile path to beach hop.
2. Head to Mertasari Beach for some delicious local food from the warungs by the car park.
3. If you are a surfer, head to Mertasari Beach to take a boat out to the surf breaks (more for long boards)
4. Visit Koa Shala Spa and take one of their amazing relaxing massages.
5. Do a Yoga class at Koa Shala Spa (the schedule is on their noticeboard or ask the Spa reception for more information).
6. Enjoy a delicious breakfast at Batujimbar Cafe (FYI: the french toast is amazing there!)
7. Have a delicious brunch at Bread Basket Bakery who sell delicious bagels!
8. Take a boat trip to Nusa Penida or Nusa Lembongan and go snorkelling!

Accommodation in Sanur:

During my stay in Sanur, I stayed in one homestay for the whole week and a half. I stayed at Naksa Homestay. It was very comfortable and had very good Wi-Fi. The room was light and roomy with a little fridge and a balcony. The homestay also had a small restaurant (which is also open to the public) which sold cheap and delicious Balinese meals.

If you are looking for a good, low budget option with good Wi-Fi, I would highly recommend Naksa Homestay.

4. Uluwatu

Uluwatu is a beautiful and perhaps less developed area of Bali. Unlike some of the other areas, you will find that Uluwatu is a little more spread out. You will need to either rent a scooter, or hire a driver in order to get around as also Grab and Gojek are not allowed here! (Note: you can get into Uluwatu with Grab and Gojek, but they can’t pick up from here).

Top things to do in Uluwatu:

1. Visit Uluwatu Temple
2. Watch the Uluwatu Sunset Kecak Fire Dance Show  
3. Visit some gorgeous beaches such as Bingin.
4. Eat amazing food from Lakra Restaurant (in Bingin).

Accommodation in Uluwatu:

When I stayed in Uluwatu, I stayed at the Seaglass Villa. It was fantastic. You had your own private villa with a private pool and the whole villa was beautifully decorated. The wi-fi was strong and even though there was no kitchen in the villa, you were able to use a communal one.

5. Jimbaran

Jimbaran is a beautiful fishing village to the south of Kuta. It is famous for its more relaxed vibe, with beaches and seafood grills on the beach. Jimbaran is the perfect place to have a relaxing dinner on the beach with fresh fish, jumbo prawns, lobster and much more fresh seafood. It is a quieter area of Bali which is home to some resorts and big hotel chains as well as simpler guest houses. It is the perfect place for more mature travellers, families and couples.

Top things to do in Jimbaran:

1. Relax on the beaches
2. Eat a grilled seafood dinner on the beach
3. Relax with a wonderful massage!

Accommodation:

In Jimbaran, I stayed at the FOX Hotel. It was ok, the photos online look a lot better than reality, but it was fine for a couple of nights. It is a very big hotel, so don’t expect a more personalised experience like in a guest house, but if you are wanting somewhere to stay which is near the beach, it is an ok option. Could you find better? Probably yes.

6. Ubud

Ubud is the cultural centre of Bali and is a MUST on any person’s Bali bucketlist! There is really something for everyone in Ubud and you could stay for months without discovering everything! (I have stayed 3 months now, and still feel like I have more to see!)

If you are planning on going to Ubud, make sure you check out my post all about things to do in Ubud .

Here are some of my top recommendations for Ubud:

1. The Monkey Forest

2. The Campuhan Ridge Walk

3. The Tegallalang rice fields

4. Take an art or cultural workshop

5. Try downhill cycling

[Related post: 11 authentic cultural experiences in Ubud].

In Ubud, you will also find a wide variety of accommodation on offer; ranging from low cost guest houses to high budget, luxury private villas and resorts.

Here are some of my recommendations:

Low cost:

Umah Dajane Guest house:

This is my GO-TO guest house. I have stayed here several times now and absolutely love it there! It is located in a more local area of Ubud, but still within easy walking distance to the town (it takes around 10-15 minute walk to reach the Yoga Barn (and then through to Hanoman (one of the main streets)), making it very accessible.

The owners are lovely and friendly, always willing to help. The rooms are comfortable and the daily breakfast is delicious!

A higher budget:

Villa Padma, Ubud.

This villa is just North of Jl. Raya Ubud making it an excellent and walkable location to explore the town. The staff at Villa Padma are wonderful and give you a delicious breakfast each day. The villa itself is spacious, with your own private pool and garden. We had a wonderful stay here! The wi-fi was generally good, and if there was a problem, the staff came and fixed it fairly quickly.

7. Sidemen

If within the top destinations Bali, you are looking for peace and serenity, Sidemen should be your go-to place!

Sidemen is a beautiful, quiet village in the East of Bali. It has views over the rice fields and Mount Agung towering over in the distance. Sidemen is where time slows down, there is no rush and you can slow down in nature.

[Related Post: 8 Reasons why YOU must visit Sidemen village Bali!]

Top things to do in Sidemen:

1. Relax and unwind in nature
2. 2.Explore village life by taking a walk through the rice fields

3. Head to Gembleng waterfall and bathe in your own natural infinite pool

4. Experience some delicious food at Asri Dining by Samanvaya.

Accommodation in Sidemen:

Sidemen is well-known for bamboo villas. If you have the funds, this could be the perfect place for you to experience a bamboo villa overlooking a spectacular view.

Another luxury option is Samanvaya which is an all adults resort in Sidemen. The restaurant which I mentioned is connected to this resort and they also have a spa too!

If you are looking for something more budget friendly,  I would highly recommend staying at Amrita Villa Sidemen. They have a villa and an apartment above the Amrita café. I personally stayed here, and had a fantastic stay, and it has been one of the best places I have stayed in Bali! The apartment was huge and had wonderful views in the mornings, especially looking at Mount Agung.

I hope this post has given you some inspiration for your next trip to Bali and has helped you create the perfect itinerary of things to do while you are there and some ideas on accommodation.

I wish you a wonderful stay on the Islands of Gods!

Remember: explore, enjoy and experience!

Love

This post was all about top destinations Bali