Things to Do in Indonesia

Home of Ubud’s royal family since the late-19th century, Ubud Palace (Puri Saren Palace or Puri Saren Agung) sits in the heart of downtown Ubud near the traditional art market. Explore the pavilions and gardens. There are also traditional Balinese dance performances in the courtyard each evening, a must for any visitor to Indonesia.

No admission tickets are required for Ubud Palace, which, like Ubud Market, is free for everyone to enter. Tickets for the dances, however, are chargeable, and can be reserved around town or on the day. To get the maximum insight into the architecture, the history, and the beliefs behind the palace, it’s worth joining a day tour—whether of Ubud or Bali as a whole—that includes it.

The typical tour package makes only a short stop as the palace, while fascinating, is not large. Full day tours from Kuta and south Bali often include attractions such as the Tegalalang Rice Terrace, Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, Puri Lukisan art museum, ARMA Museum, Ubud Market, and the traditional art market at Sukawati.

Ubud Palace is slap-bang in the center of Ubud, by Monkey Forest Road and Jalan Raya Ubud, and easy to walk to from most of Ubud. The cheapest way to reach the royal palace from south Bali is by the Kura-Kura tourist bus, although many prefer to hire a driver for the day, self-drive, or join a cultural Ubud tour or Bali day tour.

The central location and free admission means Ubud Palace can get very, very crowded. Visit early in the morning to beat the worst of the Bali tourist rush. The royal palace is at its most fascinating in the run-up to royal cremations—guides and accommodation will know when one is due to happen—but also colorful during major Bali festivals such as Kuningan and Galungan.

For almost all of its history, Bali was ruled by a range of competing dynasties, typically comprising nine separate kingdoms. So, royal palaces, temples, and pleasure gardens are scattered among Bali island's rice fields and rice terraces. Ubud’s royal family, like other Balinese royal families, remain highly influential but have no actual power.

Bali’s most popular sacred spring, Tirta Empul Temple dates back more than 1,000 years. Travelers from around the globe flock to its holy waters to bathe beside Balinese pilgrims; accept blessings from healers, priests, and shamans; or simply soak up the atmosphere. The temple is northeast of Ubud in Tampaksiring, not far from Gunung Kawi.

Tirta Empul Temple is easy to visit independently yet is also a very popular stop for Bali tours, large and small. (In general, due to heavy traffic, winding roads, and language barriers, booking a private guide or joining an organized tour can help you get the most out of your Bali trip.) Prebooking a tour is one of the easiest ways to enjoy a Balinese Hindu water blessing. To check off several of Ubud’s most celebrated temples in a single day, many Bali temple tours include a stop at Tirta Empul.

Tirta Empul Temple lies about 9.5 miles (15 kilometers) northeast of Ubud in the village of Tampaksiring. Unless you speak Indonesian and have a lot of time, private transportation is essential.

Balinese Hindu temples generally host ceremonies on the full moon, new moon, and other auspicious days calculated on a complicated calendar. Around these times, and during the Balinese festivals of Galungan and Kuningan, Tirta Empul Temple gets very busy. Any day you visit, come early to catch the temple at its best as worshippers start to arrive and make their offerings.

Balinese lore relates that when the god Indra did battle with the demon king Mayadanawa, he tapped the elixir of life from the ground at Tirta Empul. As such, Tirta Empul—just one of many holy water temples on Bali—is sacred to Balinese, who visit on their birthdays, and a key part of Bali’s subak irrigation system, a UNESCO World Heritage landmark.

Set on the grounds of the Ramada Bintang Bali Resort in Kuta, Theta Spa by the Sea is a contemporary spa with Indian Ocean views. Tropical rituals, massages, and remedies use techniques from China, India, Indonesia, and beyond. Natural ingredients such as fresh herbs, and organic essential oils are used in treatments set in a luxury-minded spa.

Guests to Theta Spa by the Sea can visit independently, or opt for package deals that include hotel transfers. This luxurious beachfront Kuta spa is within 10 minutes’ drive of Bali airport, making it a great choice for a pre-departure splurge. Besides the Indonesian lulur body scrub and massage rituals that are typical of Bali, holistic treatments include remedies for jet lag and sunburn.

Less than half a mile (800 meters) from Discovery Mall, Theta Spa by the Sea sits within the 5-star Ramada Bintang Bali Resort in the heart of bustling Kuta, a 10-minute drive from Ngurah Rai International Airport. To reach the hotel by public transport, catch the Kura-Kura bus to Lippo Mall, a few hundred feet (300 meters) away.

Theta Spa by the Sea is open morning to late-evening, seven days a week. To make the most of the sea views, it’s best to visit during daylight; sunset appointments, around 6pm or 7pm, are in high demand. It’s wise to book ahead over the weekends and during Bali’s tourist peak (from roughly mid-June through August).

Skilled Balinese massage therapists are in demand across the region. To ensure a relaxing massage anywhere on Bali, be sure to confirm your preferred room temperature—some like it cool, others like it warm—and your desired level of pressure.

In 1963 this picturesque village was covered in a layer of ash after nearby Gunung Agung, an active volcano, exploded, making it impossible to cultivate the land. Luckily, locals discovered the Salak-palm and it’s prized “snake fruit” could grow our of this destroyed land and it has since become a specialty in this tiny village known for its eco tourism, clean air and laid back vibe. 

Travelers who make their way to Sibetan can explore stunning mountain views and wander the forested trails with the help of friendly locals who are eager to share their culture, customs and way of life with visitors, which means outsiders are welcome to bear witness to traditional ceremonies when they take place. Woman can cook and prepare meals with the local matrons, and anyone can learn to harvest the popular “snake fruit” in the vast open fields. 

The king of Karangasem built his fantasy water palace at Tirta Gangga in 1948, and it’s one of east Bali’s most beautiful sights. Lush rice paddies back three levels of ornamental gardens with swimming pools, fountains, stone carvings, stepping stones, fish ponds, and airy pavilions. It is one of Indonesia’s most striking royal palaces.

 

Tirta Gangga water palace is one of east Bali’s most famous sights and an essential stop on any east Bali day tour. The entrance fee is inexpensive and the water garden is rarely crowded, while the manicured grounds and shady pavilions are delightful to walk in.

 

Just 5 miles (8 kilometers) from Amlapura, it’s also a short hop from the diving meccas of Amed and Tulamben, and a popular stop en route to Amed. Bali tours often pair Tirta Gangga palace with other relics of the Karangasem kingdom, such as Ujung Water Palace.

 

 

The easiest way for tourists to reach Tirta Gangga Water Palace is on the Perama shuttle, which runs to and from the airport, Kuta, Sanur, Ubud, Amed, Tulamben, Padangbai, and Candidasa. Self-driving is also possible, although as the journey from Kuta can take up to three hours, a door-to-door Bali tour or even a private tour is easier for most.

 

Tirta Gangga's name means "water of the Ganges." It is open seven days a week, year-round, with the exception of Nyepi (the “Day of Silence” holiday). The spacious grounds are rarely crowded, even on Indonesian public holidays. During Bali’s rainy season (roughly October till March), you stand the best chance of clear skies earlier in the day.

 

East Bali is perhaps the least visited area of Bali and remains substantially unspoiled and often very poor. Yet the kingdom of Karangasem, established in the 17th century, was once one of Bali’s richest and most powerful kingdoms. At many times, Karangasem's Hindu kings ruled not only swathes of eastern Bali but also half of the island of Lombok, next door.

The Setia Darma House of Mask and Puppets is a unique and fascinating museum that aims to preserve this important part of Indonesia’s cultural heritage. The museum is home to a vast and eclectic collection of ceremonial masks and puppets from across the country, as well as other parts of Asia and the rest of the world.

The items here are all displayed within a courtyard of renovated Javanese wooden buildings known as joglo. The collection consists of more than 1200 masks and 4700 puppets. Highlights include wayang kulit, used for shadow puppetry, wayang golek (wooden puppets), masks used for topeng dances, and the striking Jero Luh mask.

The museum was established in this area due to it being famous for its woodcarvers, mask makers, and sculptors. Items have been collected, stored, and displayed for members of the public to view and appreciate since 2006. The museum buildings are set within vast grounds of tropical gardens filled with lotus ponds and banyan trees, and beyond this, undulating rice fields.

The village of Tenganan undoubtedly belongs to one of the rarest sights in Bali. Unlike the rest of the island, Tenganan is not inhabited by Hindus, but by the Bali Aga, a small part of the population who has kept their pre-Hinduistic faith and traditions. They have no caste system and they also reject other Hindu customs, such as cremation and choose to bury their dead instead. Thus, Tenganan has always been strictly isolated from the outside world and even weddings are only permitted within the village community. Those who don’t adhere to the rule are expelled and it doesn’t come as a surprise, that the population is dwindling and today, only about 500 people live in the town. 

The village with its rectangular center and checkered floor plan consists of only two parallel roads and is surrounded by a long boundary wall. The simple houses with their thatched roofs look like Polynesian long houses, mixed in are some shrines and pavilions and roosters, dogs and cows roam the streets. Apart from a couple modern power poles, the architecture remains largely authentic. Since the Bali Aga see themselves as artists and guardians of their religion, they not only have this unique building style, but also practice very distinct dances, cultural expressions and one famous craft: weaving the valuable double ikat fabrics. These textiles as well as typical Balinese maps hand drawn with macadamia ink on bamboo leaves can be purchased in the stalls. Nothing is mass produced and instead, is handmade in long and intricate processes, which of course, comes with a price.

Slightly smaller than Yogyakarta, the conservative and traditional city of Solo is an ideal place for travelers to sample the best of Indonesia’s culture, food and spirit without the crowds or chaos. Visitors can wander through local markets selling handmade items like colorful batiks, or venture into modern-day malls with bright lights and contemporary shops. Solo is a study in opposition, since old meets new at almost every turn. 

Visitors can easily access Central Java from transportation hubs in Solo, and a number of impressive temples are located within city limits. Solo is an all-access pass to Javanese culture and the perfect spot to check out a live traditional dance or music performance. 

This picturesque town in central Bali is known for its ancient temples and famed archeological sites. The Gunung Kawi Temple and Senang Hati Foundation have been drawing history-loving travelers to their gates for decades and the sloping hills of this former kingdom prove ideal for visitors looking to explore the natural landscapes of this stunning island. 

Travelers can explore the iconic Tirta Empul Temple, with its natural pools and public showers used for sacred cleansing rituals, or tour the larger-than-life stone reliefs of Gunung Kawi. Tampak Siring is also home to one of six presidential palaces. A visit to this more modern structure, which was built in the late 1950s for President Soekarno, offers up incredible views of nearby Tampaksiring Tirta Empul Temple and Mount Agung. 

Widely recognized as one of Bali’s best, the shores of Serangan Beach rank among Indonesia’s top destinations. Stationed on the island of Serangan, the epic waves, stretches of white sand and easy access from the mainland are part of what makes this beach tops. Experienced travelers can ride the waves on their own, while novice visitors who want to hang ten can take their pick of the dozens of surf schools that have popped up on the island. 

Sandy shores are perfect for sunbathers and the family set will enjoy touring the Turtle Conservation and Education Center where local naturalists educate travelers on the importance of hatch turtles to the oceanic ecosystem and offer protected breeding grounds for these gentle giants. Numerous island hotels offer up plenty of options for accommodations and insure that regardless of budget, travelers are well covered on a visit to this beautiful island getaway. 

Not far from Ubud, Tegenungan Waterfall foams in a white cascade over black stone cliffs into a quiet pool. At around 66 feet (20 meters) high, it’s an impressive flow, and that’s not all the site has to offer. Besides climbable cliffs, a secret smaller waterfall, and simple food stalls, a charming grotto houses a sacred spring.

Tegenungan Waterfall is a pleasant place to spend a hot, dry Balinese day swimming, climbing to the top of the falls, or just hanging out. Tegenungan features on many tours of Bali’s natural attractions, alongside sights such as Tegalalang Rice Terraces, as well as general cultural tours around Ubud. Tours typically take you up the waterfall steps, leave time for a swim, introduce you to the sacred spring, and perhaps include a dip in the Tukad Petanu River.

The Tegenungan falls are about 7 miles (10 kilometers) south of Ubud. You can reach them from either Tegenungan village (at the base) or Blangsinga village (at the top). As there is no public transportation, your best options are to pay a private driver or join an organized tour.

While many waterfalls are best visited during the rainy season when water levels are high, Tegenungan is at its most attractive during the dry season, when the towering cascade flows down white, not chocolate brown. Generally speaking, Bali’s dry season runs from April until the end of September. Come early in the day to beat the big groups.

Indonesia is currently experiencing a small epidemic of selfie-related fatalities, while visitors have tumbled to their deaths from waterfalls in pursuit of the perfect Instagram. Tegenungan Waterfall has seen at least one selfie death in recent years. Exercise extreme caution when taking selfies high on the cliffs or atop the waterfall itself.

Spilling down from dizzying heights of up to 260 feet (80 meters), Sekumpul Waterfall, a series of seven narrow cascades, is hidden away amid lush tropical foliage. Dirt paths lead to elevated viewpoints overlooking the falls and to rock pools at the foot, where visitors can cool off with a refreshing swim.

 

While visitors can trek to Sekumpul Waterfall independently, many go with a guide who can help navigate the paths, provide commentary about the area, and point them toward the best swimming spots. Part of the experience is trekking to the waterfalls; the trail leads through dense tropical foliage and features many rocky steps.

 

At the falls, most tours include free time so visitors can swim and relax. Some tours combine Sekumpul Waterfall with other sights in North Bali, such as Pura Ulun Danu Bratan and Kintamani Highland, as well as a visit to a local coffee plantation.

 

 

The trek to the falls begins at the village of Sekumpul, which is situated in Buleleng, North Bali. The village of Sekumpul is around 17 miles (27 kilometers) from Lovina and about 13 miles (21 kilometers) from Singaraja. If you don’t have a car, it’s best to come as part of an organized tour. Tours often include pickup and drop-off from hotels in Denpasar, Ubud, Kuta, Seminyak, Sanur, and Nusa Dua.

 

Unlike other waterfalls in Bali, Sekumpul always flows, even during the dry season (May–September). In fact, during the dry season, the falls are often easier to reach as low water levels make the trek easier than in the wet season. Visiting during the wet season is still possible, though it’s best done with a guide.

 

For adventurous travelers who want to see more of this Indonesian isle’s hidden natural treasures, there are many more waterfalls to discover. Among the most well-known is the 115-foot (35-meter) Gitgit Waterfall in Singaraja, just outside Ubud, where you’re likely to see monkeys swinging around in the surrounding trees. Then, there is Niagara Munduk in Buleleng, which comprises a pair of falls (Munduk and Melanting) and features rocky wading pools amid verdant forest surroundings.

The stunning Tegalalang Rice Terrace, part of the Cultural Landscape of Bali Province UNESCO World Heritage Site, comprises cascading emerald-green fields worked by local rice farmers. Just outside Ubud, it has become a destination for travelers making their way between Bali’s sandy beaches, towering mountains, and steaming volcanoes.

The Tegalalang Rice Terrace, an agricultural icon on the cliffs of a traditional Balinese village, make for an ideal place to spend a morning or afternoon absorbing the natural peace of remote island life. Many guided day tours from Ubud include a visit to the rice terrace along with stops at the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, Ubud Palace, Balinese temples, the Ubud craft villages, Sekumpul Waterfall, a coffee plantation, or the active volcanic landscape of Kintamani.

If not visiting the terraces with a tour guide, one of the best ways to get there is by scooter. It is about a 25-minute drive from Ubud, and parking can be found right on the edge of the fields.

If you want to snap some photos of the rice paddies without other visitors getting in the way, plan to visit first thing in the morning. The terraces are often at their most beautiful just after planting, when the small green shoots are just emerging from the glassy pools.

Near Tegalalang you will find a small café and several souvenir shops, including villagers selling hats made from woven coconut leaves. You can purchase wooden carvings from the nearby village of Pakudui.

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.

There is a token charge for visiting Selogriyo Temple, which is the same for both foreigners and Indonesians. For many, the walk through mountainous rice-field landscapes is a big part of the attraction of a temple visit. Some Borobudur tours include a stop here, particularly bicycle tours, for the beauty of the ride up more than for the temple itself. Many visitors find the temple’s emptiness the perfect counterpoint to the busyness of Borobudur and Prambanan.

Selogriyo Temple stands about an hour’s drive north of Borobudur—20 miles (32 kilometers), with a walk 1.25 miles (2 kilometers) from the nearest car parking. There is effectively no public transport, so most visitors choose to drive, join a tour, or even join a bicycle tour that includes Borobudur.

Selogriyo is rarely busy, but the walk through the rice fields can become uncomfortably hot during the middle of the day. If possible, visit early in the morning or late in the afternoon to beat the heat. As with elsewhere on Java, avoid travel during the Lebaran holiday period at the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, when roads are choked with traffic.

As you walk, or cycle, to Selogriyo Temple, meet Javanese villagers working in their rice fields. Rice cultivation is labor-intensive and time-consuming: you might see them ploughing, planting seeds, spreading out young seedlings, harvesting rice, or preparing their terraces for a new crop. Small wonder that the Indonesian language contains at least four distinct words for “rice”.

Situated to the southeast of Jakarta, Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (or ‘Beautiful Indonesia Miniature Park’) covers some 250 acres and features famous mini buildings and landmarks from all over Indonesia.

The park is not only a visual attraction and recreation area, but also serves to showcase authentic examples of the different cultures and heritages of the people of Indonesia. It consists of traditional houses for each of the country’s provinces, supplemented with ornaments and motifs from each territory, along with displays of clothing and handicrafts.

The park also features a cable-car ride, an IMAX theatre, a mini-scale borobudur, an orchid garden, a bird park, and various museums. In addition, the park hosts a number of dance and cultural events, particularly on Sundays.

Located north of Kuta Beach and Legian Beach, Seminyak Beach is a sweeping strip of sand that’s drawn those in-the-know to Bali for decades. More upscale than Kuta or Legian, Seminyak is home to some of the island’s most iconic beach clubs and restaurants, as well as fun surf breaks. Behind the shore, Seminyak proper is a shopping and dining mecca.

In addition to some of Bali’s most luxurious accommodation, Seminyak Beach hosts a world-class selection of beach clubs and restaurants, including KU DE TA, Potato Head Beach Club, La Lucciola, and Mejekawi (within KU DE TA). 

The spectacular sunsets on Bali’s west coast are made for sundowners; in fact, some Seminyak beach tours duly focus on bars, nightclubs, and nightlife. However, there’s more than consumption to these sandy shores. Leisure activities include surfing, horseback riding, and kite-flying (popular with young families). Alternatively, simply pull up a beanbag at a beach bar and chill out.

There are limited public transport options in Seminyak, although the tourist Kura Kura Bus service stops in the general area of the beach. It’s easy for unqualified, inexperienced motorcyclists to hire scooters and ride them through the area’s hectic traffic, often drunk and without a helmet. If you’re bar hopping, hire a driver for the night, or haggle with taxi drivers: Blue Bird cabs are most likely to use the meter.

A sundowner overlooking those epic Seminyak sunsets is a must. Arrive between 6pm and 7pm, depending on the time of year. Like the rest of Bali, Seminyak Beach is at its busiest in August. During peak rainy season (December to February), avoid visiting early in the morning and wait until workers have removed the plastic trash that sweeps onshore. 

Indonesia has extremely high taxes on alcohol, both domestic and imported. This means spirits-based drinks are relatively extremely expensive. Illegal home-brew liquor, often sold in fake international-brand bottles, is hugely common, and kills scores of people every year in Indonesia. If a spirits-based drink seems suspiciously cheap, avoid it: It’s almost certainly fake.

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.

To visit Sewu Temple, buy an admission ticket to the Prambanan temple complex—prices for foreigners are in line with historical attractions in the western hemisphere. You don’t need a guide or a tour to visit, but as signs are few and far between and both Prambanan and Candi Sewu are complex sites, many will value the expertise of a local guide. You can hire a guide on-site or book a tour in advance.

Sewu Temple is typically visited as part of a broader Prambanan tour. A few tours visit both Sewu and Borobudur in a single day, but most dedicate a full day to Prambanan.

Sewu Temple forms part of the Prambanan temple complex, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) east of Yogyakarta city. TransJogja Route 1A runs from central Yogyakarta to Prambanan. Almost always visited as part of a broader Prambanan trip, Sewu sits around half a mile (800 meters) north of the main complex, accessible by walking, a small train, or by bicycles that are available to rent.

Sewu Temple is one of the less visited areas of Prambanan, so is rarely overly busy. It’s still worth visiting during the week rather than on weekends to beat the crowds, and it’s a good idea to avoid the Lebaran holiday at the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Waisak, Indonesia’s annual celebration of Buddha’s birthday (generally in May or June), is sometimes celebrated here.

There are more Muslims in Indonesia than in any other country in the world, and Java is today an overwhelmingly Muslim island. Yet its most famous religious monuments were built by the Buddhist Shailendra kings and the Hindu Mataram emperors between the 8th and 10th century. It was the Shailendras who built both Sewu Temple and Borobudur.

A royal water temple, built for the kings of Mengwi, Taman Ayun Temple (also known as Pura Taman Ayun and Mengwi Temple) forms part of Bali’s UNESCO World Heritage Site. With some 50 buildings, including many tiered shrines, a moat, river, park, gardens, and streams, Taman Ayun is one of Indonesia’s most beautiful Hindu temples.

 

Most often visited as one stop on a day trip from south Bali or Ubud, Taman Ayun Temple—dating back to 1634—is designed to symbolize the mythological home of Hindu gods, Mount Meru, floating on the sea of eternity.

 

The vast grounds are much less busy than other popular Bali temples, such as the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, Tanah Lot, or Uluwatu, although it is a regular destination for Bali cultural tours. A guide is not required but can improve the experience as Balinese Hindu beliefs are complex.

 

 

About 5 miles (8 kilometers) from Tabanan, just outside the bustling town of Mengwi, Taman Ayun Temple is on “bemo” minibus routes and some bus routes from Denpasar, but these can be hard to access if you don’t speak Indonesian. Whether coming from Ubud or south Bali, most prefer to self-drive, hire a private driver, or enjoy the convenience of an organized Bali tour with round-trip transport.

 

Taman Ayun Temple is open year-round and at its most colorful during the major Balinese festivals and specific celebrations unique to the temple itself. It is generally quieter during the morning, which is also a good bet for avoiding showers during Bali’s rainy season (roughly October to March).

 

UNESCO recognizes Bali’s rice terrace landscapes and water temples with a World Heritage listing. Taman Ayun Temple is the most architecturally important of the temples, which include Ulun Danu Bratan. To put Taman Ayun Temple in context, it’s worth making a stop at another water temple, perhaps Tanah Lot.