If You've Never Considered Travelling To Bali, These 19 Spots Might Change Your Mind

Surrounded by rice paddies and green palm trees, Ubud is Bali’s beating heart. Simultaneously loud and crowded yet lush and serene, it has world-class restaurants and cafes (especially for vegans) while retaining its vibrant, cultural charm. This magic arts town is a magnet for healers, seekers, yogis and tourists with a reputation for stealing hearts — and extending stays.

One thing Australia can't lay claim to is volcanoes, so spend a sunrise hiking Mount Batur, followed by an exploration of the surrounding crater lake — which makes for spectacular vistas. And if you're serious about trekking, consider taking on the island's highest peak — the mighty Mount Agung.

Bali is a world leader in sustainable bamboo architecture and there's nowhere better to experience it than with a stay at Green Village. Located outside Ubud, it was developed by the same team as the Green School; a world-renowned jungle campus of unique bamboo pavilions showcasing ethical design and alternative schooling principles. Green Village is a living community, but you can book a few nights to stay in and live out your "lost boys" fantasy.

Australia has incredible tropical islands like The Whitsundays — but they're not exactly known for being affordable. Nusa Penida is a low-cost 45-minute fast ferry from Sanur on Bali’s east coast and serves up postcard-perfect white sands and electric blue waters. The largest and most rugged of the three Nusa islands, Penida's dramatic cliff formations make for spectacular beach adventures. Tick swimming with manta rays off the bucket list at Crystal Bay, a huge draw of the island.

Accessible by yellow bridge from the main port on Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Ceningan is the smallest and sleepiest of the three Nusa islands. Besides being wallet-friendly, there's a rustic island vibe where it's impossible to imagine doing anything other than swimming, sipping coconuts and eating cheap, tasty food — the holy trinity.

Canggu is cool, but it's also teeming with Aussie-run cafes, restaurants and bars — not exactly ideal if that's what you're taking a break from. Enjoy a Balinese village vibe (sans construction noise), without skimping on your morning flat white, in neighbouring Pererenan. Just 10 to 15 minutes north of Canggu, the beach is exactly the same and it’s surrounded by a green belt full of rice paddies.

It may sound like a Netflix series about the secret lives of sidekicks, but Sidemen is actually peak Bali: Emerald green rice terraces, a towering active volcano backdrop and a Balinese village vibe that's yet to be overcapitalised. The area is relatively untouched despite gaining popularity as the "new Ubud" (although a few luxury hotels have cottoned on) and it's a gorgeous base from which to hike Mount Agung. Get there ASAP — it won't stay off the radar for long.

The coastline in the east offers clear, calm water — making it top-notch for snorkelling and diving. Amed is a popular pit stop, which happens to have a Mount Agung vista smack bang behind it. Sure, black sand can take a bit of adjusting to, but how many beaches do you know where you can explore a submerged shipwreck then surface to views of an active volcano?

Forget a pub crawl, in Bali you chase waterfalls. This beauty is Nungnung waterfall, an hour north of Ubud, yet relatively uncrowded. At most waterfalls in Bali, you'll have to pay a small entrance fee (like $2) and be ok with slippery terrain. Other waterfalls within an hour of Ubud include, Tibumana, Kanto Lampo (terraced down a rock face), Leke Leke, Sumampan and Tukad Cepung (inside a cave!).

Northern Bali is LUSH and worth a stay. Purely from a waterfall perspective, there's everything from the "Niagara" of Bali (Munduk waterfall) to majestic falls like Aling Aling, Git Git, SingSing, Sekumpul and the Banyumala Twin Waterfalls. You'll be loving life, high on tropical jungle air in no time and depending on when you go, you could have one of these killer spots almost to yourself.

Referred to as a hidden gem, Munduk is a bucolic area in Bali's northern countryside. Rolling hills, coffee and clove plantations (wind down your windows on the drive through, it smells amazing), rice fields, dreamy sunsets and a twin set of lakes make this area special — how it's managed to remain secret(ish) to the tourist trade is bananas. Base yourself here to explore all those waterfalls, go on epic treks, visit the northern coastline and coffee plantations, witness Bali's most iconic temple and snap a photo at the Insta-worthy Handara Golf Resort gates.

If you picture rice terraces when you think of Bali, you're probably conjuring Jatiluwih. On your journey to northern Bali, make sure you stop at Bali's largest and most picturesque terraces, covering 600 well-maintained hectares that date back as early as the 9th century. And yep, that's Mount Batur in the background. Pretty incredible.

Bali’s only National Park is five hours from the airport in the north west. The distance is a plus though, considering most tourists file off the plane and head straight to the south and west. This renders Menjangan Island — which has bragging rights to Bali's best snorkelling and diving — as "off the beaten path". Other than famous coral reefs, Menjangan has an additional (and very cute) feature. Menjangan means ‘deer’ in Bahasa — and was named as such after locals spotted wild herds swimming there every spring.

The fishing village of Pemuteran has a solid reputation for diving and snorkelling, but also gives you the rare opportunity to snorkel on a coral reef right off one of northern Bali's many beaches. It's home to the largest Biorock project in the world, thanks to marine conservation.

Dolphins love to hang out in the waters in nearby Lovina, so sightings happen on the reg. And while you can argue that Australia has plenty of dolphin tours on offer, this particular one happens to be located off Bali's northern volcanic coastline with jungle-covered mountains in the background.

Planes usually go to die in designated "plane graveyards", but this completely unmarked Boeing 737 sits in a random private field near the Raya Nusa Dua Selatan Highway. Strangely, no one seems to know how it got there, but a popular rumour is that the owner had plans to convert it into a restaurant and ran out of cash. So they bailed and left it to rust. Oh, and there's a second abandoned plane near Kuta. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Australia has amazing surf, but we don’t really have a cliffside beach club culture to go with it. Whether you want a five-star cliffside resort experience or to head back to your homestay via bougainvillea-strewn back streets, Uluwatu in Bali’s Bukit Peninsula will charm the pants off you. Check out the famous Uluwatu temple with its Balinese Kecak fire dance and nearby beaches like Bingin, Balangan and Padang Padang.

Bali isn’t short on decent surf breaks, and Keramas is world renowned. The bonus? It's off the usual tourist trail on the criminally underrated eastern side of the island with black sand. Check out Hotel Komune Resort and Beach Club, an epic base with health hub, pools, beach club and gardens far from the searing glare of white Bintang singlets in the hot sun. And if it's good enough for Kelly Slater, then it'll no doubt be an amazing experience for the average traveller.

Bali is brimming with temples that take part in Hindu devotional practices. While most tourists will head straight to Pura Tirta Empul near Ubud, make your way to Gunung Kawi Sebatu — a less crowded, beautiful temple for performing a purification ceremony. Dedicated to Hindu god Vishnu, who presides over water and creation, the waters at this temple are considered holy. Not only will you spiritually purify yourself, you’ll get to experience a meaningful Balinese ritual that will stay with you long after you land back on home soil.