Region of Bali

North Bali

North Bali includes most of the Buleleng district, around Singaraja. It has a rich history of Bali behind its casual daily life. In Singaraja you can find remnants of Dutch imperialism as it was the administrative center of the Lesser Sunda Islands then. Horse-pulled carriages (dokar or sado) gallantly walk the pleasantly tree-lined streets, landscaped by Dutch colonial houses. Lovina Beach, a group of small villages west of Singaraja, offer popular beach resorts, with many of the amenities of Kuta but without its crowdedness. Spectacular sunset as in Kuta, dolphin watch out into the sea, snorkelling and diving in the clear water, and active social and night life scenes can be found in Lovina.

East Bali

The Eastern part of Bali is the most mountainous area of the island. The highest point in Bali, Gunung Agung (literally means Holy Mountain), is located here. And the Mother Temple of Bali, the Besakih Temple, is located at the foot of Mount Agung. This is the Mount Olympic of Bali, and you can find here various manifestations of Bali's religious beliefs. The Klungkung area is also historically significant, having served as a focal point of art and culture in the Gelgel dynasty. The roof of Kertha Gosa, the court room of the Klungkung kingdom, is dramatically painted with thousands of panels, telling the story of justice.

A long stretch of beaches marks the East side of Bali - diving, snorkelling, spectacular sunset, sun bathing, etc. Tenganan, a village of the Bali Aga people, is also here, just west of Candidasa, where you can see a mysterious water temple submerge from the water.

Central Bali

Central Bali, predominantly around Ubud, is the central of art in Bali. Ubud is the birthplace of Bali's modern paintings. And Puri Lukisan Museum (Palace of Fine Arts) and Museum Neka are two excellent museums with permanent collections of paintings that will tell the evolution of Balinese paintings. Galleries are practically everywhere. A little South of the city you can find Celuk where silver and gold jewelry has been perfected to the very details, and Mas where masks for dances and other performances are made. And further North you can enjoy the panorama of the highland of Bali, in Kintamani by Lake Batur or in Bedugul by Lake Bratan.

South Bali

In South Bali, from Denpasar to Kuta to Nusa Dua, you can find a wide variety of things. Traces of the Badung Raja of Puputan War fame still exist. Beautiful, tranquil beaches gracefully integrate with the world's most sumptuous and luxurious hotels in Nusa Dua. And then there is Kuta, where everything you want as a tourist and everything you hate about tourists coexist.

West Bali

Most of West Bali areas are not as popular as the other parts of Bali. (Hint: for those who truly say that they want to get away from other tourists...) Gilimanuk, at the Western tip of Bali, is the gateway to Java. The wildlife of Bali is preserved in the Bali Barat National Park. Also found here is the tomb of Jayaprana, a 17th century king whose Romeo and Juliet style lovestory is immortalized by folklores in Bali.