What You'll Do
Taman Ayun Royal Temple
The garden temple of the old Mengwi kingdom, surrounded by a wide moat and rows of tiered meru shrines. A UNESCO site and one of the most elegant, uncrowded temples on the island - a calm first stop on the way to the highlands.
Sangeh Monkey Forest
A sacred grove of giant nutmeg trees wrapped around a 17th-century temple, and home to hundreds of cheeky grey macaques. Shaded, flat paths make it an easy, atmospheric stop - your guide shows you how to keep your things safe from the monkeys.
Ulun Danu Beratan Lake Temple
The temple that seems to float on Lake Beratan - the one printed on Indonesia's 50,000 rupiah note. Up in the highlands the air is cool and the mist rolls in off the water, which makes for the kind of photo you can't get anywhere else on the island.
Handara Gate
The towering Balinese gate framed by jungle-covered mountains - one of the island's most recognisable photo spots. It sits at the entrance of a highland golf resort, and we time it so you get your shot without the long queue.
Jatiluwih Rice Terraces
A UNESCO World Heritage landscape and, honestly, more impressive than Tegalalang - endless green terraces stretching to the horizon with almost no crowds. Still farmed the traditional subak way, exactly as it has been for a thousand years.
Tanah Lot Sunset Temple
The grand finale - a sea temple perched on a rock offshore, cut off by the tide as the sun drops behind it. We arrive with enough time to walk the cliff path and find a good spot before the light turns. Easily one of the best sunsets in Southeast Asia.