At the heart of sleepy lakeside Bedugul, amid Bali’s cool central highlands, is Bali Botanic Garden, an underrated Bali attraction. Plant-lovers enjoy forest walks and gardens full of orchids and Balinese plants, while families and adventure-seekers gravitate to the park for the zipline and rope adventures at Bali Treetop Adventure Park.
Set in the hills west of Lovina, Banjar Hot Springs (Air Panas Banjar) are among Bali’s most beautiful. Dragon-head fountains feed three tiered pools that are surrounded by tropical forest and palms. Guests also have the use of lockers, changing rooms, a restaurant, and a simple spa.
A mangrove-clad islet in Komodo National Park, Kalong Island (Pulau Kalong) is formally known as Koaba Island. But everyone apart from mapmakers calls it Kalong Island (Bat Island) because of its star attraction: a colony of flying foxes, which clouds the sky at sunset as the bats take wing for nearby Flores in search of food.
The second largest island in Komodo National Park, Rinca Island (Pulau Rinca) is home to more Komodo dragons than Komodo Island—not to mention deer, wild boar, and monkeys. In addition to short and extended dragon-spotting hikes—including an elevated walkway—it offers white sand beaches, a café, souvenir stalls, and the Niang Komodo Museum.
Part museum, part gallery, part cultural space, Agung Rai Museum of Art (ARMA) is the liveliest and most diverse of Ubud’s big three art galleries. Set in a vibrant garden, rooms of note include owner Agung Rai’s modern Balinese art collection and works by German artist Walter Spies and Dutch painter Rudolf Bonnet.
Set in between Borobudur and Mendut Temple, Pawon Temple (Candi Pawon) is a small temple with a pyramidal roof, similar in style to Mendut Temple. Some believe it was the resting place of the Sailendra king Indra; others argue that it served as a ritual gate to Borobudur. Reliefs suggest it was devoted to Kubera, the god of wealth.
Once the epicenter of a powerful Balinese kingdom, Tampak Siring is known today for its scenic rice terrace landscapes and two religious temples (pura): Tirta Empul and Gunung Kawi. Most visitors to Tampak Siring are drawn by the sacred spring of Tirta Empul or the 11th-century rock-cut shrines at Gunung Kawi.
One of a raft of markets with good food offerings around Ubud, Gianyar Night Market (Pasar Senggol Gianyar) attracts the dinner crowd with reasonable prices, an authentic feel, and delicious food. The market serves up a wealth of Balinese and Indonesian fare, including spit-roasted suckling pig (babi guling), banana fritters, and jellied ice.
One of Ubud’s big three art galleries, Museum Puri Lukisan sits slap-bang in the heart of downtown Ubud. Collections cover not only Balinese paintings and drawings but also wood carvings and work by foreign artists. The Puri Lukisan gallery is also Ubud’s oldest art museum, founded in 1956 by a foundation established in 1936.
The lush grounds of Taman Sari, occasionally known as the Water Castle, are a fraction of what they once were when this opulent water palace occupied swaths of downtown Yogyakarta. However, well-kept gardens, reflecting pools, striking architecture, and a maze of subterranean passageways—including an underground mosque—still impress.
Restored in 2005 after landslides destroyed it and rebuilt a second time in 2018, hillside Selogriyo Temple (Candi Selogriyo) is an atmospheric and rarely visited Hindu temple dating back to the 9th century. The rice-field views are especially scenic, while the water from its fountain is said to heal disease and impart eternal youth.
Widely known as Jimbaran Fish Market, the market that locals call Pasar Ikan Tradisional Kedonganan (Kedonganan Traditional Fish Market), is an essential Balinese experience. Every morning, brightly colored traditional fishing boats—and larger commercial vessels—unload an impressive catch. Locals will grill your purchases for a small fee.
Kelingking Beach is Nusa Penida’s star attraction—and has Instagram lines to match. It offers spectacular vistas of sheer cliffs dropping to a slender crescent of white sand beach, plus a striking promontory that looks like a gaping Tyrannosaurus Rex. While the brave descend the hot, dangerous, and challenging path to the beach, many just bag the photo opp.
Best known for the USSLiberty shipwreck, Amed Beach is a charming strip that extends around 9 miles (14 kilometers) along the east Bali coast. Coral reef offshore provides the majority of the area’s attractions—snorkeling, free diving, and scuba diving—but you can also practice yoga, make silver jewelry, or visit traditional salt farms.
In a historic building on Fatahillah Square, at the heart of Jakarta’s Old Town, the Wayang Museum is devoted to Indonesia’s rich tradition of puppetry. Puppets are on display from across the archipelago, as well as Asia and Europe, and include shadow puppets, giant costume-style puppets, and rod puppets more similar to those found in the West.
In west Bali, the Bali Butterfly Park (Taman Kupu-Kupu Bali) showcases Indonesia’s wealth of the tropical species. In addition to living and preserved butterfly specimens, there are creatures such as stick insects and scorpions, and kid-friendly displays on butterfly life cycles.
One of several Instagram-famous waterfalls in the Ubud area, Kanto Lampo Waterfall tumbles over a toppling stack of dark rock tiers into a small river in a series of photogenic cascades. Scrambling up the rocks to pose among the slender streams can create spectacular shots and reels that look like you have the falls entirely to yourself.
A popular attraction for visitors to Labuan Bajo on the Indonesian island of Flores, Batu Cermin (Mirror Rock) Cave takes its name from the light that shines through a small gap in the rock and bounces off its silica walls. Though it has some interesting marine fossils, stalactites, stalagmites, and bats, it’s the light effects that make this small cave special.
Often thought of as part of the Prambanan temple complex, the nearby Plaosan temple complex (Candi Plaosan) was built around the same time and in a similar style. The site is divided into two: Plaosan Lor (Plaosan North) has a pair of restored temples plus over 100 small shrines and stupas, while Plaosan Kidul (Plaosan South) is smaller and less restored.
Like the better-known—and busier—Tirta Gangga Water Palace, this east Bali palace is an atmospheric reminder of the power the kings of Karangasem once held when they ruled much of Lombok. Highlights of Puri Agung Karangasem include the tiered entry gate, vintage photos, and tranquil fish ponds. Descendants of the last raja still use the space.
Home to around 800,000 people, Bali’s bustling capital, Denpasar, is a vibrant and multicultural city that most visitors skip over in favor of beaches and/or rice fields. Besides being home to the island’s best street food and largest markets, Denpasar offers attractions including parks, monuments, sculptures, and the Bali Museum.
Bali’s ancient subak rice farming system holds UNESCO World Heritage status. The Jatiluwih Rice Terraces, part of an area in Bali’s featured UNESCO listing, showcase its beauty. Stepped rice terraces descend lush valleys, clouds of dragonflies flit amid the palm trees, and family farmers grow the same organic rice varieties they have for centuries.
Between Ubud and the Tegenungan Waterfall, the small Kemenuh Butterfly Park is a popular family-friendly attraction devoted to the flying insects in all their forms. Fourteen different butterfly species flit through the tropical garden under the mesh enclosure or metamorphose gradually in the fascinating pupa room.
Jakarta’s best-known street market, Jalan Surabaya Flea Market (Pasar Jalan Surabaya) offers a cornucopia of choice, from factory-made junk and (generally) fake antiques to vintage finds. Head here for everything from textiles to jewelry, furniture, old coins, ship salvage, rare vinyls, old typewriters, and ancient cameras.
Even amid the Ring of Fire, even on an island alive with volcanoes, Mt. Bromo is special. The centerpiece of Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, this gaping maw of a crater sits framed by soaring volcanic peaks amid a sea of sand. The vistas can be magical at sunrise, with local Tengger horsemen riding to the Hindu temple at its base.
One of the temples that make up the Prambanan UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sewu Temple (Candi Sewu) dates back to the 8th century AD. Its name, which means “thousand temples,” refers to the 249 shrines that make up this Buddhist temple complex. Its grand scale makes it second only to Borobudur in religious and historical significance.
The historic buildings that make up Setia Darma House of Mask and Puppets are home to a world-class collection. Inside are more than 7,000 masks and puppets from all over Indonesia and the globe. Everything from Papuan grass costumes to Javanese wayang puppets are on display, alongside masks from Japan, Africa, Venice, and beyond.
Set on a hill with views over the Prambanan temples, Ratu Boko Temple was not actually a temple but a palace. Most likely the main court of the Mataram dynasty, the vast 8th-century complex includes bathing pools, meditation caves, an elaborate gateway, various halls, and a cremation platform. While ruined, it’s a great sunset spot.
Officially called Finns Recreation Club, but often referred to by its old name, the Canggu Club, this leisure club is a Canggu landmark. With restaurants, bars, tennis courts, a spa, pool, small water park, trampoline center, kids club, fitness center, and coworking space, Finns Recreation Club is a relaxing place to spend the day.
A rare patch of quiet in Bali’s busy capital, Denpasar, Puputan Square commemorates the site of a mass suicide that occurred in 1906. The king of Badung, facing overwhelming opposition from Dutch colonial forces, led his court in committing suicide bykeris dagger. A statue of a Balinese family stands in honor of the lives lost.
