Why Bali is called the Island of the Gods
Among the more than seventeen thousand islands of Indonesia, Bali is a singular place. While most of the country is Muslim, Bali has held on to a distinctive form of Hinduism, known as Agama Hindu Dharma, for over a thousand years. This faith shapes almost everything a visitor sees: the tiered pagoda temples called meru, the daily offerings of flowers and rice placed on the ground at dawn, and the great cycle of ceremonies that mark birth, marriage, cremation and the turning of the Balinese calendar. Locals say there are more temples on Bali than homes, and after a few days on the island the claim feels entirely believable.
Bali is small, roughly the size of a modest European region, yet it packs volcanic peaks, black and white sand beaches, dense jungle, terraced valleys and coral reefs into a compact and endlessly varied landscape. This guide walks through the temples, the rice fields, the cultural heart of Ubud, the beaches and the volcanoes that together make Bali one of the most beloved islands on earth.
The great temples of Bali
No experience captures Bali better than its sea and mountain temples. Tanah Lot, perched on a wave-battered rock just off the western coast, is the most photographed of them all. At high tide it appears to float on the ocean, and at sunset the silhouette of its shrine against a burning sky is unforgettable. Further south, Uluwatu clings to a limestone cliff nearly seventy metres above the Indian Ocean. Come in the late afternoon for the famous Kecak fire dance, in which dozens of men chant in rhythmic chorus while the story of the Ramayana unfolds against the setting sun.
Inland, on the slopes of the sacred Mount Agung, stands Besakih, the mother temple of Bali. This vast complex of more than twenty temples has been a place of worship for over a thousand years and remains the holiest site on the island. In the central highlands, Ulun Danu Beratan rises from the still waters of Lake Beratan, its meru towers mirrored in the surface on a calm morning. Dedicated to the water goddess Dewi Danu, it honours the lake that feeds the irrigation of the surrounding farmland.
Rice terraces and the subak system
The terraced rice fields of Bali are among the most beautiful agricultural landscapes in the world. Near Ubud, the Tegallalang terraces cascade down a steep valley in graceful green curves, easy to reach and glorious in the morning light. For something on a grander scale, travel west to Jatiluwih, whose sweeping terraces were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2012 as part of the cultural landscape of Bali.
What makes these fields extraordinary is not only their beauty but the ancient system that sustains them. Subak is a cooperative water management network run by the farmers themselves, dating back to at least the ninth century. Water is shared through a democratic web of channels, tunnels and temples, guided by the philosophy of Tri Hita Karana, which teaches harmony between people, nature and the divine. UNESCO recognised this living tradition as much as the scenery itself.
- Tegallalang: closest to Ubud, dramatic and accessible
- Jatiluwih: UNESCO listed, vast and peaceful
- Best light: early morning or the golden hour before sunset
Ubud, the cultural heart
If Bali has a soul, it beats in Ubud. Set among forested hills and river gorges, this town has drawn artists, dancers and seekers for a century. At its centre stands the royal palace, Puri Saren Agung, where traditional dance is still performed in the evenings. The nearby market overflows with woodcarving, textiles and offerings, and the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary shelters hundreds of long-tailed macaques among moss-covered temples and towering banyan trees.
Around Ubud you will find silversmiths, painters and the workshops that keep Balinese craft alive. It is the ideal base for exploring the surrounding terraces, waterfalls and temples, and for slowing down to the island's gentler rhythm.
Beaches and the Nusa islands
Bali's coast is as varied as its interior. Seminyak in the south offers wide golden sands, stylish beach clubs and famous sunsets. The Bukit peninsula around Uluwatu hides dramatic coves beneath its cliffs, prized by surfers and swimmers alike. For the most spectacular scenery, board a boat to the neighbouring Nusa islands. On Nusa Penida the Kelingking viewpoint reveals a towering cliff shaped like the head of a tyrannosaur, plunging to a hidden white beach far below — one of the defining images of Indonesia.
Sunrise on Mount Batur and Balinese ceremony
For an unforgettable morning, climb the active volcano Mount Batur, which rises to around 1717 metres in the island's northeast. The pre-dawn trek is not difficult, and reaching the summit as the sun breaks over Lake Batur and distant Mount Agung is a memory that stays with you. Below, the caldera and its lake form one of the island's most striking landscapes.
Throughout your journey you will meet the everyday devotion of the Balinese. Small woven trays called canang sari, filled with flowers, rice and incense, appear on doorsteps, dashboards and shrines each morning as an offering of gratitude. Temple festivals, processions in white and gold, and the sound of the gamelan orchestra are not staged for visitors but woven into daily life. To travel in Bali is to be a respectful guest at a thousand-year conversation between people and their gods.