The map at a glance
We do not reproduce any publisher or tourist-board map: use the island map in your offline mapping app, and the official Bali portal is the Indonesian tourism site, indonesia.travel. Here are the areas.
| Area | What you do there | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Ubud | rice terraces, temples, dance, cooking, yoga | culture and nature |
| Canggu and Seminyak | beaches, surf, restaurants, beach clubs | nightlife and beach |
| Uluwatu | cliffs, temples, surf | beaches and sunsets |
| Sanur | calm beach, island boat pier | families, islands |
| Nusa Dua | large hotels, calm beaches | all-comfort stay |
| North and East (Kintamani, Sidemen, Amed, Lovina) | volcano, rice fields, diving | volcano and diving |
Distances and times from Ubud
| Destination | Distance | Time by car | To see on the way |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denpasar airport (DPS) | about 35 km | 1 to 1.5 h | see airport transfer |
| Tegallalang | about 10 km | 30 min | terraced rice fields |
| Tirta Empul | about 15 km | 30 to 40 min | temple and ritual bathing |
| Mount Batur and Kintamani | about 40 km | 1 to 1.25 h | volcano and sunrise |
| Canggu | about 35 km | 1 to 1.5 h | see Ubud to Canggu and Seminyak |
| Seminyak | about 30 km | 1 to 1.5 h | beaches and restaurants |
| Uluwatu | about 50 km | 1.5 to 2 h | temple, cliffs |
| Sanur (boats to Nusa Penida) | about 25 km | 45 min to 1 h | fast-boat departures |
| Padangbai (boats to Gili and Lombok) | about 45 km | 1.25 to 1.5 h | see Bali to Lombok |
| Amed | about 85 km | 2.5 to 3 h | diving and black beaches |
| Lovina | about 80 km | 2.5 to 3 h | dolphins at dawn |
The island's main sights
- Rice fields and temples of the centre: Ubud Monkey Forest, Tegallalang, Jatiluwih.
- Temples on the water: Tanah Lot in the west, Ulun Danu Beratan in the mountains.
- East: Lempuyang and the Gates of Heaven, Sidemen.
- Islands: Nusa Penida as a day trip from Ubud or Sanur.
Getting around
The simplest is a private driver by the day: see private driver in Bali. A scooter needs a valid licence, see the scooter rental guide. Grab and Gojek work, with restricted zones in places: see Grab and Gojek in Bali.
Where to stay
For a first stay, two or three nights in Ubud then three at the beach: see where to stay in Bali and where to stay in Ubud.
Works, volcanoes and formalities
The Lewotobi volcano on Flores sometimes disrupts flights to Bali: see volcanoes and flight disruptions in Bali. The 150,000 rupiah tourist levy and the visa are explained on the page visa and tourist levy in Bali. We found no major road works announced for November 2026.
Further reading
To stay connected: eSIM in Bali. To choose your outings: day trips from Bali.
