visit here sparks the senses. As soon as you arrive, the intoxicating fragrance of incense and clove oil hangs in the thick tropical air. Peanuts sizzle at roadside stalls, petal-strewn offerings smolder on busy sidewalks, and traditional gamelan music jangles against the buzz of mopeds. Despite the clamor and chaos of the main tourist areas, the island is rich in natural beauty, with attractions for every kind of traveler. Surfers come for the legendary swells, hikers can trek up jungly volcanic peaks and to misty waterfalls, and cyclists can bike through lush landscapes bristling with rice terraces and traditional villages.
1 Pura Tanah Lot
About 20 kilometers northwest of Kuta, Pura Tanah Lot (“Pura” means temple in Balinese) is one of Bali’s most iconic temples thanks to its spectacular seaside setting on a rocky islet surrounded by crashing waves. For the Balinese people, it is one of the most sacred of all the island’s sea temples. (The largest and holiest Hindu temple in Bali is Pura Besakih, but recently local hagglers have been harassing visitors.) Every evening, throngs of tourists from Kuta, Legian, and Sanur find their way through a labyrinth of lanes lined by souvenir sellers to watch the sun setting behind the temple.
2 Mount Batur
Every day in Bali’s predawn darkness, hundreds of visitors begin the trek up the 1,700-meter summit of Mount Batur to watch the sun rise above the lush mosaic of mist-shrouded mountains and the caldera far below. This sacred active volcano lies in Kintamani District in Bali’s central highlands, about an hour’s drive from Ubud, and the hike to the summit to watch the sunrise has long graced the list of top things to do in Bali.
3 Uluwatu Temple
Presiding over plunging sea cliffs above one of Bali’s best surf spots, Uluwatu Temple (Pura Luhur Uluwatu) is one of the island’s most famous temples, thanks to its magnificent clifftop setting. In Balinese, “Ulu” means “tip” or “land’s end” and “Watu” means rock, a fitting name for the location of the temple on the Bukit Peninsula along the island’s southwestern tip. Like Pura Tanah Lot, sunset is the best time to visit, when the sky and sea glow in the late afternoon light.
7 Waterbom Bali
Waterbom Bali is an action-packed waterpark, in the heart of Kuta, with something for every member of the family. Kids can splash in the swimming pools; drift down the Lazy River; or zoom down one of the many twisting water slides and rides, with names like the Python, Green Viper, and Super Bowl. Moms and dads can relax with a reflexology session, manicure or pedicure, or fish spa therapy. Restaurants and cafes cater to a range of different diets, and the grounds are landscaped with large, shady trees and beautiful tropical gardens, making this a refreshing respite from the heat on a hot tropical day.
Address: Jl. Kartika, Tuban, Kuta, Kabupaten Badung
Official site: http://waterbom-bali.com/
8 Pura Ulun Danu Bratan
On a small island along the western shore of Lak
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