Every visitor to the Hindu island of Bali lists their own special highlights. People come here for all kinds of reasons and have unique experiences, so a prescriptive list of highlights can only be a suggestive guide to what’s on offer in Bali.

Most people, though, would be very impressed with the legendary sunsets of Kuta beach. When the sun begins to set, people gather to take in the sea breeze and slightly cooler weather, and also drink a few beers – Bintang is the local brand – that are served ice cold from beach vendors while they leisurely watch the sky turn shades of red and orange.

Since Bali is so easy to get around, catching the sunset at Kuta is something that visitors based anywhere in Bali can do with a quick motorcycle or taxi trip. While in Kuta, people may like to try out some of the swinging local bars, pubs and restaurants – the backpacker scene in Kuta is particularly legendary.

Turning away from the beach for a second, a visit to the hill town of Ubud has to be on the must-do list for pretty much every visitor to Bali. The Monkey Forest is at the entrance to Ubud, and beyond that are quiet streets filled with bars and art galleries. Regular exhibitions are held and artists from all over the world work in Ubud.

Ubud is the cultural heart of Bali and price gouging and fake goods are thin on the ground here. Instead, fine jewelry and wood work as well as paintings and sculpture are sold in shops that are usually out front of working artist studios. Ubud’s surfeit of laidback bars and restaurants mean that half day trips here usually spread out to become entire days, and even evenings. Indeed, many return visitors to Bali stay in Ubud and base their entire stay in the town.

Mount Agung is the largest mountain in Bali and it is considered a holy site that symoblises the health and power of the island. It is an active volcano and at its base it the Mother Temple, the largest and oldest temple and shrine complex in all of Bali.

Bali has a surfeit of attractions – it hasn’t been one of the world’s top tourist destinations for decades for no reason. People visit Bali for the beach, primarily, but must-see attractions include Ubud, Kuta, Nusa Dua, Tanah Lot, Batubulan, Ginyar, Pura Besakih, the terraced rice paddies, Pura Kehen and Gunung Batar.

The hill town of Ubud is the Balinese centre of art, craft and music. Many galleries and museums here house collections dating back many centuries while modern artists from all over the world, including Balinese modern artists, showcase their work in a variety of modern galleries. Kuta is the party and surf central station of Bali, and while the beach here is the main drawcard with its laidback vibe and unbeatable sunsets, the surrounding markets and streets and lanes bustle with eye popping activity day and night.

Nusa Dua is Bali’s most upscale resort town. It is located on the southern coast and a string of unbelievably luxurious – and expensive – resorts are located here. The sea temple of Tanah Lot sits on top of a gigantic rock and is surrounded by a holy lake. Tanah Lot was built in the 16th century and dusk views of the temple are particularly beautiful.

The town of Batulban is famous for its stone figures and carvings. All kinds of Hindu demons and deities are available for sale or just for a photo stop. Nearby Gianyar is the centre of Balinese weaving and textile work. There are numerous outlets here showcasing the work of Balinese textile artisans and great value wall hangings and rugs are for sale.

Pura Besakih is also known as the Mother Temple. It is nestled at the base of Mount Agung and is the largest and most sacred temple in Bali. The temple is around a thousand years old and many annual festivals and pilgrimages are held here throughout the year. Around Cadidasa and Amlapura are the wonderful sights of the terraced rice paddies which are an important part of Balinese agriculture and economy as well as being a great photo opportunity.

Pura Kehen is one of Bali’s holy Hindu temples. It is alos one of the largest and dates from the 11th century. Gunung Batar is an active volcano held in high reverence by the Balinese. It is the second highest mountain on the island – Gunung Agung is bigger – and Gunung Batur is seen as the female counterpart to the male mountain of Agung.

Bali can be navigated on two or four wheels, while other visitors explore the island by boat, stopping at various ports on the east, north and west coasts. The urban areas of Bali are easy to explore, and even quiet Ubud is laid out in a rough grid pattern of dusty streets. Since all roads lead either to Denpasar or Kuta, it’s impossible to get too lost for too long.

A lot of visitors arrange a driver for the duration of their stay in Bali. This can be an air-conditioned car or small mini bus for a group, or a motor cycle with friendly driver and battered helmet. Though accidents are unpredictable and possible, and though the Bali road traffic may intimidate new arrivals with its ad-hoc approach to road rules and white-knuckle speeds, the local drivers seem to have a knack of safely navigating the streets.

The normal procedure, if booking after arrival, is to negotiate a price that is satisfactory for all parties, and agree on terms such as length of service and availability of driver – will they wait by the vehicle, or return to collect passengers at pre-arranged times, for example. Also, it is generally expected that regardless of the price, a tip will be given at the completion of the contract.

More intrepid visitors hire or bring their own mountain bikes and set off into the magical rice fields and terraces that make up the curving topography of the island. Bali is an excellent place for bicycle touring since the quieter rural roads, away from the hustle and bustle of the main tourist centres, are free of heavy traffic. Strategically-placed villages mean that a good day’s riding can be broken up with breaks for lunch and accommodation overnight is easy to find before setting off for another day of pedal power.

Bali is not really suited for exploring on foot since it is too large for walking between urban centres to be practical or comfortable. The walk for Kuta up the steep hill to Ubud, for example, would take even an experienced walker about five hours. However, walking and trekking tours from base camps and villages are great ideas and trekkers can set off on their own following well-trodden paths through leafy foliage and into misty mountains.

Touring Bali by boat is increasingly popular and there are a number of operators who have restored traditional Balinese boats and refitted them with luxury cabins and the latest navigation technologies. Other visitors arrive in Bali on their own yachts, on sailing tours around the region. At the other end of the scale, kayaks can be rented for one or two person paddle journeys from place to place.

Bali’s multiple attractions can be daunting for many visitors. Tours are a good way to get a good overview of what’s on the island and they can save time and money too, since everything is pre-booked and hassles with hawkers and touts are generally avoided.

There are all kinds of Bali tours available including golf tours, hiking & trekking tours, marine tours, surfing tours and diving tours. There are shopping and art tours, too, as well as mountain tours that take in several of Bali’s most dramatic peaks.

General one-day tours of Bali can take several forms. Travel agencies in Denpasar and Kuta can offer mini-bus tours that take in Kuta, Ubud, Mount Agung and the Mother Temple, as well as Nusa Dua or Jimbaran Bay before dropping guests back at their hotels before dinner. Alternatively, motor cycle drivers can be hired for very cheap rates. They will take solo visitors around the island a lot quicker, and diversions and spur-of-the-moment diversions are easy to arrange.

Volcano tours are best left to the professionals, however, since the mountains of Bali tend to be spread out and some of the climbs are hazardous. There are plenty of tour agencies with shop fronts in Kuta and Denpasar or with websites where prices and booking arrangements can be found. Depending on the mountain, tours may depart before dawn or late at night to catch dramatic sunsets.

Tours of Bali’s traditional villages are often best handled by the experts too, since motor cycle taxis will often speed past some of the best destinations. Also, it’s good to have a guide who can explain the various points of significance of some of the places hidden away in Bali. Most village tours take in the town of Batulban with its famous Barong dancers, and also Celuk, where gold and silver smiths work traditionally.

The ubiquitous Southeast Asian elephant ride tours operate in Bali, and the two main places are the Elephant Safari Park at Taro and the Bali Elephant Camp. Taro is said to be the world’s best elephant park and visitors can ride elephants in teak chair-saddles and enjoy swimming with elephants and their babies in cool jungle streams. The Bali Elephant Camp is less flashy, but the standard rides take in a good swathe of the nearby jungle.

Cycling tours through Bali’s rice paddies and breezy jungles is a real adventure. There are numerous outfits with modern and new mountain bikes that run group tours daily, and some tours last for several days with all camping gear or village accommodations factored into the tour cost. Alternatively, second hand bikes can be rented by the hour or by the day and many hotels, even the cheaper ones, have bicycles for complimentary guest use. Visitors should be aware of unpredictable road traffic in Bali, and grab a map and head instead for the rice paddy areas where heavy traffic is absent.

Visitors come to Bali for all kinds of reasons and the purpose of the visit will usually inform each person’s itinerary. Backpackers generally come to see Kuta and Legian, while golf tourists are here strictly for the greens. Other visitors make a pilgrimage to the fabled hill town of Ubud and its incredible art galleries, while others enjoy seeing Bali’s many Hindu temples. The natural attractions of Bali are innumerable, and there are dozens of volcanic mountains and foaming rivers to explore.

Kuta is Bali’s backpacker/tourist central – think Bangkok’s Kho Sanh Road, but bigger and by the beach. Endless hawker stalls selling sizzling snacks and fake DVDs line every nook and cranny of this bustling area and there are some large outfits like the Hark Rock Cafe and other mega nightclubs located here in Kuta. The vibe here is noisy, busy and runs long into the night. Mornings are quiet.

In the hills above Kuta, Ubud has grown into the second tourist centre of Bali, but has none of the frantic pace and craziness of Kuta. Ubud is famously a sleepy town famed for its art and crafts. International writing workshops are held here, and most of the resorts and hotels in Ubud cascade down the mountainside and offer breathtaking views and lovely morning mists.

The Monkey Forest is near Ubud and is an evergreen must-see for all visitors to Bali. Though the thousands of monkeys that live here are left to their own devices and live, technically, in the wild, they are so used to crowds of banana-wielding tourists that they will have no hesitation in approaching all and sundry and even going through bags and trouser pockets.

There are nine major Hindu temples in Bali, but literally thousands more smaller and personal temples scattered about the island. By far the most important temple in Bali in the Mother Temple which is located at the base of Mount Agung near the village of Besakih. This is a particularly massive temple and half day tours are the norm. Elsewhere, the temple Uluwatu at Pura Luhur Uluwatu is accessed by a popular dirt road and attracts a lot of visitors who have rented motor cycles for their visit to Bali.

Mount Agung is the biggest mountain in Bali and takes about three hours to ascend. It is an active volcano and the caldera and crater lake are very impressive. Guided tours operate around the clock but intrepid travellers can follow well-trodden paths to the summit.

Bali’s legendary beaches reach a peak at Jimbaran Bay on the north side of the island. The waters here are especially clear and generally safe for swimming at all times of the year. The beaches at Kuta and Legian are hectic and the water may seem dirty – it is clean, but the darker colour of Bali’s volcanic sand makes the water appear less clear.

Visitors with an interest in Bali’s turbulent recent past may want to visit the Bali Bomb Memorial in Kuta, on Jalan Legian. This memorial commemorates the 202 people who lost their lives in October 2002 when terrorists detonated two large bombs at popular Bali nightclubs which were packed with holiday makers at the time.

The availability and range of watersports in Bali is very wide. Visitors can paddle in the surf or go kayaking or whitewater rafting, or anything in between. Diving and fishing tours are popular too, as could be expected from one of the most popular island and water destinations in the world.

White water rafting tours along the Ayung River provide a thrilling ride down the 9kms length of the river. Off the main track are hidden waterfalls and lagoons where some rafters take a break for a quick swim. All tours along the river come with safety equipment like helmets and vests and most boats are new and state of the art. Beginners can start in the shallower parts of the river and learning courses are plentifull.

More white water adventures are available on the Melangit River. This course is strictly for experienced rafters as the waters here are treacherous and the rapids cover steep drops and can be quite rockj. Major white foamy sections do exist for rafters that aren’t as experienced as others. Incredible drops and rapids make for superb white water rafting experiences on the Telaga Waja River, and most tours here start out of the village of Langsat.

Diving sites encircle Bali. The wonders of the Menjangan National Marine Park draw divers of great experience from all over the world but are just the tip of the iceberg of dive sites in Bali. On the opposite cast of Bali to Menjangan are a cluster of superb dive spots and courses are available for beginners.

Coral reef bottom fishing opens up tuna, sail fish and barracuda as well as Spanish Mackerel and Dolphin Fish. Tours can be booked out of anywhere in Bali’s main drags but fishermen should check the ecological ramifications of fishing in certain protected areas for assorted endangered species.

At many of the dive sites great snorkelling is possible, but snorkelling off the main beaches is not really a good option here since the busy beaches with their jet skis and never-ending tourist traffic mean that snorkelling right off the main tourist beaches is impractical and fruitless.

Of course, Bali is famous as one of the world’s premier surfing destinations. The swells off some parts of the coast are legendary and only Boracay in the Philippines competes with Bali as the primary focus of surfing culture in Southeast Asia. Learn to surf courses are popular and any visitors leave Bali with great new board skills.

Kite surfing is a growing new extreme sport where surfers are attached to a parachute-like kite that harnesses the power of the higher winds to speed surfers across the surface of the water. Wakeboarding and wind surfing are ever-popular too, and again, learner classes are easy to arrange and exceptionally good value.

Bali’s relatively low costs have helped it grow steadily as one of the region’s golfing capitals. Stunning green landscapes and perfect weather (outside of the wet season) make Bali ideal for golfing and the main courses and clubs are the Bali Golf & Country Club, Nirvana Bali Gold, Bali Handara, Grand Bali Beach and Lombok Kosaido.

The Bali Golf & Country Club is probably Bali’s most luxurious and exclusive golfing course and club. It is located in the upscale town of Nusa Dua and its 18-hole course was designed by Rodney Wright and Robin Nelson. It has been regularly voted one of the five best golf courses in Asia. The course cascades over hilly terrain and most holes offer sweeping views of the sea and the district. Coconut palms and sapphire blue lakes complete the atmosphere.

The Bali Golf & Country Club club house is famed for its restaurant that overlooks the ocean and there is a great bar and cafe located at the midway point of the course. Luxury villas are available on a time-stay basis and the club has its own health and wellness spa and several swimming pools and massage centres.

The Nirwana Bali Golf Club boasts a course designed by Australian golfing legend Greg Norman and has been welcoming players from all over the world since it opened in 1997. It is repeatedly voted the best golf course in Indonesia and is located within the vast grounds of the Le Meridien Resort on the southwest coast of Bali. Rice paddies are part of the rough and there are at least three cliff-top holes that offer serious play hazards but incredible views.

The traditional Balinese themed clubhouse and halfway house offer the upscale facilities and cnveniences that are a standard part of the Le Meridien chain. Stay and Play packages come at a premium pice but have every trimming and luxury imaginable.

The Bali Handara Kosaido Country Club is a very well established Bali golf course, having attracted players and great reviews since the early 1980s. The entire course is located almost 4000 feet above sea level and is designed by Michael Wolveridge and Peter Thompson around a volcano crater. Many travel here just to see the scenery, even if they have no interest in golf.

The Grand Bali Beach golf club and course is a 9-hole play with a par 36. Unlike many of the grander courses in Bali, the courses here are flat and the landscaping and foliage is relatively natural and un-sculpted. The club house here is very standard and no golf carts operate here.

On Lombok, the Kosaido Country Club was designed by Michael Wolveridge and Peter Tompson and is a par 72 course with the first 9 holes facing the Indian Ocean. The course’s signature hole 4 curves around the tranquility of Sire Bay. Stay and Play packages are easy to book and the suites and villas here spill down the mountain side.

The gently undulating landscape of Bali is a trekker or walker’s dream come true. Divine sunrises and sunsets, fabulously lush foliage and off-the-track tracks that offer a glimpse into secret paradises are all part of the Bali trekking and walking experience. About the only drawback is that during the wet season, roads and paths can become impossibly muddy.

Adventure trekkers can head straight for the summit of Mount Batur, an active volcano covered in green grass. Most trekking groups set off in the very early morning to be at the summit in time for the sensational sunrise. After that, a pre-midday descent offers great opportunities to explore the dramatic lava scapes of the mountain’s sides. Mount Batur can be explored from base to summit and back again in around four hours.

A harder trek starts at the Mother Temple in the village of Besakih and reaches the peak of Mount Agung, Bali’s highest mountain, many hours later. Most trekking groups do the trek overnight to catch the dawn spectacle. Mount Agung towers over Bali and the entire island can be viewed in panoramic splendour from the summit. From base to summit and back down again takes around 12 hours.

Walking through the Batur Caldera has been described as being like trekking “among the Gods”. While that may seem at first like travel brochure hyperbole, most people who take the walk along the caldera wall and reach the vast inner crater testify to the magic of this walk, that passes through some of Bali’s most untouched tiny villages, where walkers can stop for a much needed bite to eat and if they like, a cold beer.

Organised tours are the only truly safe way to reach the peaks of Lombok’s Mount Rinjani, one of the more active volcanoes of Indonesia’s violent Ring of Fire. Most adventures here last around four or five days and packages include all transfers, accommodation and food and bottled water. The moonscapes and steaming mud pits of Mount Rinjani are just part of the eye-popping sights on offer here.

Less adventurous walkers will enjoy strolling the streets of urban Bali. The frantic mayhem of downtown Kuta may be too much for some, but others will enjoy walks that pass from frenetic markets and commercial hotels to quiet temples and quaint private homes in the blink of an eye. Alleyways and lanes take walkers down towards the beach, or deeper into the daily life of locals who live and work in Bali tourism.

The slopes and slight hills of Ubud main town are a walkers delight too, with the nearby Monkey Forest and the surfeit of art galleries and restaurants provide ample opportunities to punctuate a day’s walking with plenty of sit down time. Ubud is quiet and light on motor traffic, though a lot of people take a motor cycle taxi here before setting off on a day’s exploration on foot.

Bali’s surfeit of superb diving sites include the adjacent underwater paradises off Nusa Dua and Sanur as well as the nearby island of Lembongan which hosts spectacular Nusa Penida. Both these main sites are on the east of the island, where Padang Bai and Gili Tepekong are also located. On the west coast are Sacret Bay and Menjangan Island, other great dive sites.

The dive sites off Sanur and Nusa Dua are five minutes from shore by outrigger boat. The reefs are from drop-off depth through to moderate depth and the current is gentle. While visibility is limited to about seven metres, clearer weather outside the wet season can extend this by up to double. The coral is more lush and diverse closer to Nusa Dua, while fish species are greater in number at Sanur.

It takes around one hour to reach Lembongan Island’s Nusa Penida by speedboat. There are steep slopes off the drops here and visibility is consistently around 15 metres. The coral strand of Dendronephtya grows in abundance here and pelagic tropical fish species breed here too. The hawksbill turtle and large ocean sunfish and manta rays are among the highlights here.

Padang Bay is about 15 minutes from shore by outrigger boat. Visibility runs to 15 metres at best and the sea bottom is flat and sandy. Blue-spotted stingrays are common here. Nearby Gili Tepekong is part of a dive site complex that includes Biaha and Mimpang. The coral walls here are steep and there is even an underwater canyon. Visibility is standard at 20 metres and the schools of fish here are absolutely teeming. Some divers claim the water here can be subject to unexpected, very cold currents.

Possibly the diving highlight of Bali is the Menjangan Island National Marine Park, off the west coast of the island. It is listed to become a World Heritage Site, and is surrounded by a reef wall that plunges to 50 metres with visibility of up to 60 metres at all times of the year. The variety of coral and marine life here is outstanding and the caves, canyons and coral formations offer a magical atmosphere. Butterfly fish, sweetlips, frog fish and black and white tip reef sharks are part of the marine world here. Many divers spend two or three days diving at Menjangan Island.

Dive trips are easy to arrange in Bali. Any of the official or private tourism agencies around Kuta will be able to book tours that commence within 24 hours, and in some cases on the same day. There are many, many learn to dive schools and courses available and these cater to all levels of experience. People with absolutely no diving experience whatsoever can be confident that learn to dive courses in Bali are run by patient and empathetic instructors and that they will be sharing the experience with novices.

Sailing and boating opportunities in Bali start at the Royal Bali Yacht Club with its state-of-the-art facilities and vessels and continue across a broad spectrum of outfits that run from fully catered two week private yacht cruises to adventurous explorations of nearby islands and inlets on traditional Balinese boats.

The Royal Bali Yacht Club hires sail training hours at relatively expensive rates but these packages come with an experienced sailor and a very good boat. The Club has yachts for sale and a range of hire vessels that run from dinghies to catamarans. Membership is available, but not necessary for temporary hires.

Sailing groups like Sail Sensations have 87-foot yachts available for truly five-star sailing experiences. Groups or couples can charter fully-staffed yachts and sail about the waters of Bali and moor at the only the most beautiful parts of the island for sunset dinner and cocktails. Sleeping facilities on board are deluxe and overnight cruises are fully catered. Alternatively, one or two hour cruises can be booked.

Traditional Indonesian Jukung outriggers are a real sight at the docks and jetties of Bali, with their re-jigged exteriors a mix of old and new. Many are available for charter while others are used to tow surfers way off shore to hunt the big waves. Experienced sailors can hire unstaffed Jukung boats for up to one month at a time. The boats tend to sleep up to 16 people but choose carefully – comfort varies from the sublime to the ridiculous.

A couple of operators keep lovingly-restored wooden boats built several decades ago but now completely refurbished as luxury cruisers. Most have ben originally handcrafted by local boat builders and come with lovely cabins and experienced crews. Cruises on these incredibly atmospheric boats take visitors as far afield as Borneo.

Fabulous ‘Pinisi’ schooners decked out with the latest navigation and safety equipment tour in and around the Balinese waters and seven-day ’safari’ tours book out most weeks of the year and sail around Bali and to nearby islands. These tours offer fully staffed and catered luxury and privacy.

Apart from these options, private rental is fairly limited. There are always ample kayaks to be leased for the day or for the duration of the trip but only the most experienced sailors operating their own boats would be advised to head off on their own in Indonesian waters.