1. Pamper yourself
Enjoy your holiday to the fullest

“Massaaage??” You hear it every five minutes on the beach. Bali is of course the island for relaxation. So while you’re here, it’s easy to take good care of your mind and body.

In the tourist areas, you find spas on every corner. One of the better places to go is the Prana Spa in Seminyak. It’s a luxurious place and the treatments are well known and, believe me, there are many to choose from.

Do you want to get healthier or more spiritual? The Bali Balance, also located in Seminyak, is your health spot. Here they offer you treatments like; Herbal Remedies, Massages, Acupuncture and many more.

2. Visit a temple (or two)
But keep it limited

The majority of the Balinese people are Hindu and the place to practice this belief is of course in a Hindu temple. These temples are everywhere on the island; from small ones just on the street, to bigger family temples, to village-sized temples.

When you’re planning your holiday in Bali, you’ll probably be planning to see some historical or cultural stuff. Great, make sure you see a temple to start off with and maybe if you are lucky and have the chance, see a ceremony. Though, my mistake on previous holidays to Bali was that I saw too many of them. With almost every daytrip, there was a temple visit included. That’s the reason why I recommend visiting just one temple, and make sure you see a big one so that you’re allowed to skip the rest.

Pura Besakih (a.k.a. The Mother Temple) This temple is definitely the “mother” of all temples; it’s located on the hill of Mount Agung and it is made up of courtyards with altars and shrines devoted to a number of gods. Take a guide there to show you around, but make sure you bargain about the price for it.

3. Go shopping
There’s plenty for everyone

Ok, so maybe it’s not your favourite thing to do (or maybe it is), but it sure is fun to go shopping in Bali. Whether you’re looking for clothes, souvenirs or art, there’s enough choices for all of it.

When you go shopping in Bali, it’s a fact that you have to deal with bargaining. When you’re asking for the price, you’ll probably be shocked by the amount. But don’t worry, the Balinese expect you to bargain. I’m not going to go too deep into the ‘art of bargaining’, but these tips are important: keep smiling, determine the maximum amount that your willing to pay for an item, explore more than just one shop, try walking away (because they might give you a much lower price if you seem disinterested) and last but not least; enjoy it!

Be aware of imitations! There are many shops in Bali that are selling fake designer brands. If you don’t mind, go ahead, but be aware of the rules in your home country when you’re trying to take them home.

The places where you need to shop depends on what you want to buy. For some clothing or souvenirs, you can stick around the tourist areas. For art, you are better off in Ubud or a small village nearby. For silver, you can go to Celuk. As you might notice, there’s a village for every product. Ask around or read in a travel book to find out where you can buy your things.

4. See a (Kecak) dance
Be aware! The cak-cak-cak sound might stick in your head

Again, the culture focused tourist, really should visit a traditional Balinese dance. One of the most famous of them all is the Kecak dance. In this dance, there will be a large group of men seated on the floor in a circle repeating the sound cak-cak-cak (pronounced chak) and dancers will tell you a story in the most beautiful clothes and costumes.

There are several locations where you can witness a Kecak dance, but one place is quite spectacular; at the cliff of the Uluwatu temple. The dance starts right before sunset, so the setting is beautiful and on your way there you will probably spot some monkeys. Be aware of your personal belongings; these monkeys can be quite naughty. Enjoy the dance, sounds and sunset and make sure you don’t forget your camera.

5. Laugh at some cheeky monkeys
But don’t let them laugh at you

The animal kingdom in Bali is still quite impressive. Monkeys still live freely and you are able to spot them in the wild. There are several places in Bali where you can see the monkeys, but the most famous place would be the Monkey Forest in Ubud.

The Monkey Forest is the home of hundreds of long-tailed macaques and the forest they live in is a beautiful place to see. There are no gates, so you can already spot the monkeys on the streets of Ubud near their forest.

Right before the entrance you can buy some bananas. This is a fun thing to do, but please note that the monkeys can be a bit aggressive in grabbing those bananas. So if you’re scared, just watch other people feeding the monkeys.

The macaques are quite funny; watch them playing around or acting crazy, but please don’t bother them. Remember you’re a guest in their home, so they can get quite angry if you disturb them.

Make sure you bring a camera, because there can be some funny situations, but please watch out for your camera and other materials. Some monkeys can be little criminals and there are many tourists who have lost their (expensive) jewellery or glasses there.

6. See a beautiful sunset
(Or two, or three, or…)

The days are quite hot in Bali. Everyday it’s around 30 c / 86 f. The sun sets just after six o’clock and it’s the time to sit back, relax and get ready for a cooler evening (around 24 c / 75 f).

There are lots of places in Bali to see a great sunset, like the wide spread beaches. One of my favourite places is also located at the beach, but the setting is quite unique. Tanahlot, located 30 minutes from Kuta, is a great place to hang out around sunset. It’s a sacred place for the Balinese and you really can understand why. There’s an ancient temple right on the top of a big rock near the shore and the tide decides if it’s accessible or not.

Tanahlot is a touristy place, so make sure you’re there on time and grab yourself a spot on a rock. Enjoy the magic and the colourful sky, preferably with a loved one.

7. Run through the rain
If you get the chance

Travelling-guides often tell you that the best time to go to Bali is the dry season (March- October). Maybe for many people it is (that’s why it’s always crowded around these months), but personally, I love the raining season.

But be aware though, it can rain pretty hard! The streets can get flooded for a while, but for me it’s always pretty impressive.

Keep in mind that even during raining season it usually doesn’t rain for the whole day and for the most part it does not rain everyday. So when you’re trying to decide when to go, know that this season is also pretty good.

8. Eat, eat and eat
Selamat makan!

Yummy! What a joy to eat at a warung (local restaurant). For only a few dollar/euro you can eat a meal that’s really satisfying.

There are some good spots on the island where you can get a good Indonesian meal. Just take a good look around; though some restaurants can be a little less focused on the western stomach, so be wary of “Bali Belly”.

One of the good and safe places to eat is Warung Murah (meaning Cheap Restaurant) located on Jl. Double Six (Seminyak). You can order from the menu, but I recommend ordering from the buffet. Pick your type of rice (plain white, or yellow) and choose your meat and vegetables. Enjoy the food and the price you pay (yup it’s cheap).

Next to the Indonesian kitchen, there are of course a lot of other options. Visit Jl. Laksmana (a.k.a Oberoi a.k.a eat street) for a wide range of different restaurants. There’s something for everybody!

Selamat makan (bon appetit!)

9. Spot some playful dolphins
In Lovina, the north of Bali

Most of the tourist areas are located in the south of the island. When you’re on a holiday here, consider if you want to see more of the island and plan a two-day trip (or more) to the north (Lovina) for example. On your way here (and on the way back) you can choose to do some sightseeing, so the long trip is easy to do.

Make sure you arrange the full trip and location before hand, so you can just relax and know that it’s all arranged. You can plan your trip with a driver and/or at a tourist information point / adventure kiosk.

When you arrive in Lovina, relax and get to bed early, because you have to be awake by five a.m to leave at six a.m with a local fishing boat to spot some playing dolphins.

It’s really an amazing trip and I think every tourist should do it. While searching for dolphins (this can take a while) you’ll see the gorgeous sunrise illuminating the sky and taking you slowly out of the darkness of the early morning.

Please note that those dolphins are fast and it’s more like a hunt to see a glimpse of a dolphin then a relaxing trip where the dolphins just play beside you. This was my thought at first, but it’s pretty hectic. But fun! And to see those animals is pretty amazing. Get your camera ready and be fast! For me it was impossible to take a picture of them.

10. Book your next trip
You will return to Bali

I have been on many holidays. Sure it’s fun, but it’s always nice to head home again. My first trip to Bali was a little different.

I was coming over for three weeks and that should be enough, I thought. But when the end of my trip was nearing, I was sad to leave.

My point is that Bali is some kind of magnet for many people. The tourists I have spoken to have all said the same thing. They never visit the island just once. Some Europeans were already on their 20th holiday visit to Bali, so every year they had travelled for many hours to come and see this beautiful island and they never get bored of it.

Bali is really worth the visit. Over and over and over again…

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