FAMILY FUN

Bali fun guide for all ages: there's something for everyone here

A no-hold-barred romp with dives, drives, bars, horseback riding, white-water rafting, dramatic islands and, perhaps, a romantic Bali wedding. Watch for those monkeys. Visit June-September for the best weather experience.

written and photographed by Vijay Verghese

updated June 2025

SEE ALSO Bali resorts review | Bali spas | Bali safety update | Best Asian Golf | Jakarta business hotels | Lombok guide | Phuket guide | Palawan dives | Goa resorts review | Koh Samui fun guide | Child friendly resorts | Asian dives | HK Yuen Long coffee, cafes

Nusa Penida's distinctive T-Rex Cliff offers Instagrammer enthusiasts several opportunities for a remarkable backdrop for selfies while boats on the beaches (Nusa Dua here) offer more possibilities/ Nusa Dua photo: Vijay Verghese

JUMP TO Car rental and taxi | Bali temples | Fun stuff, dives, rafting, islands | Shopping | Ubud | Silver + art | Bali golfing | Weddings | Dining | Bali International Airport

ONE good reason to drive in Bali is the recurring opportunity to seriously contemplate an eternal conundrum – why did the chicken cross the road? Or, for that matter, the dogs, the ducks and cows, and just about everything with legs and wheels, just as you turn the corner, befuddled, wondering how the road signs could possibly point in three different directions, all for the same place? You find Ubud by tossing a coin. Marvel at glorious sunsets along the west coast at thumping beach clubs where bronzed men with necks like tree trunks will make you feel like a 90-pound weakling; or leave foorprints in charcoal black sand along the less travelled east coast.

Welcome to Bali. Here among the scented frangipani, bougainvillea and floppy, pink tongues of mussaenda, the roads meander about in an other-worldly daze, transporting all comers to a state of grace.

Slow down. Savour things. Especially if you're visiting during the perfect cooler and drier June-September season when some nights may even get chilly.

Where else in the world could you get a litre of petrol for 10,000 rupiah, just a fraction more than a bottle of mineral water in mid-2025. Where in the world could you watch movies like Shaving Private Ryan or find welcoming frangipani flowers in the men's toilet at the airport, or monstrous giant paper mache 'Ogoh-Ogoh' devils inviting you for a duty-free shopping spree?

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Forget timetables, rush and maps. Bali's spaghetti roads do not frequent that ordered world. They exist in a different time and space. The quicker you surrender to this notion, the sooner your family will stop moaning about deep vein thrombosis in the back seat.

Stop a lot. Enjoy the views. And frequently ask for directions at local warungs (roadside stalls). Keep an eye out for landmarks. The Balinese are gifted artists. The enormous ersatz plaster statues that dominate roundabouts are not their always finest expression but these creations do make unforgettable reference points. Hairpin bends and rampaging trucks will have you communing with your inner child in no time. Bring mosquito repellant spray, carry lots of water, and bear in mind that for the most part, Bali roads run north to south. If you want to travel east, zigzag in the general direction and, well…

In Ubud, several hotels run right down to the river's edge. Here the Ayung River rushes through a big bend as it approaches the manicured Royal Pita Maha and its organic gardens/ photo: Vijay Verghese

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Car rental and taxis

On with our Bali fun guide. Whichever direction you choose, there are billboard-size discounts. The Island of the Gods has been on sale for some years and despite a fresh influx of travellers discounts are always to be found. Streetside, the Indonesian rupiah trades at about US$1 = Rp16,000. Check our Bali Map and dive in.

The most civilised means of getting around is by Kijang, a Toyota Innova "Range Rover" of sorts that is far more comfortable than the highly manoeuvrable but denture-rattling Suzuki jeeps of yore. While there are several brands and models on offer, prefer a sturdy option like a Toyota Fortuna or an Innova. Once you get up into the hill country you'll appreciate why. The long running Bali Car Hire (www.balicarhire.com) has self-drive Toyota Innovas at US$65 for up to six days after which the rate drops for longer term usage. A smaller Suzuki Splash rents for US$45 per day. .

In general prefer Bluebird taxis (simply, "blue taxi") and always insist on the metre. As a rough guide, a taxi from Nusa to Kuta will cost about Rp200,000 or more. There are also Ubers and Grab cabs that many prefer.

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Monkey business at temples

If your driver's name is Madé (pronounced maah-day), the same as your butler's and waiter's, fear not. Bali employs a wonderfully efficient naming system. The first child is called Wayan, the second Madé, the third Nyoman, and the fourth, Ketut. The fifth? Hmm. Women add the dainty prefix Ni (pronounced "nee").

Before you race off on a Bali temples tour please do take a minute to dress politely and hide that wobbling beer gut. You will be handed a saffron sash and a donation will be expected. This is left to your imagination. Be generous. And don't thrust flash cameras smack in the faces of priests or devotees no matter how tempting the opportunity. Most villages have three temples, the Pura Desa (the main complex and usually the most ornate), Pura Pusah (dedicated to Vishnu) and Pura Dalem (for Shiva).

Even if you don't have a good eye for architecture, it is easy to figure out which is which. Just go to the entrance and check the name. There is a sign on each one.

Apart from the obligatory flag-waving tour of Tanah Lot, the island temple in Kerobokan and its mystic-chant kecak performances, there’s always the amazing sunsets at Uluwatu Temple in the far south. This cliff-edge temple hosts hordes of marauding monkeys that will filch everything from sunglasses, hair bands, earrings and handbags to maps and cameras. I have seen the more irascible apes smack visitors’ imploring hands and continue to chew on a borrowed gold earring or more. The saffron sash for entry costs just a few thousand rupiah and those in unduly revealing apparel will be handed a sarong. Touts will try to sell you eats for the simians. Give that a miss and stroll about relatively unmolested. If robbed — and there is no better word to describe it — see if a temple groundsman can help get your bauble back by bribing the simian with a packet of peanuts. Or buy some roasted corn on the cob and hold it out for an exchange. These primates are clever and conniving and literally operate like street gangs, waiting for your 'ranson'. Besakih (dedicated to the Hindu Trinity) is of course the largest and most stunning temple complex. It is also the farthest from the scrum, perched high in the central hill country.

Family level - and high decibel - whitewater rafting along the normally serene Ayung River, Ubud that picks up steam by Jan/Feb for some quick runs - though June-September is perhaps best for kids/ photo: Vijay Verghese

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Bali wild rafting, safaris, volcanoes, Lembongan

To imprint the map in the mind's eye, imagine Bali to be a plump chicken facing west. Nusa Dua is in the far south, Kuta and Legian occupy the southwest “breast”, Sanur the southeast and Ubud, the centre. If your imagination is not up to snuff, check our Bali Map. What's there to see and do? There are activities aplenty.

At the renovated Lakeview Hotel & Restaurant (lakeviewbatur.com/) in Penelokan, perched high above the crater of Lake Batur, you'll get jaw-dropping wraparound views of Mt Batur, bursts of crimson cana lilies (and poinsettias in season), and an unexciting but but extensive buffet. It’s embarrassingly cheap so don’t argue about the quality. Grab the corner table on the alfresco patio. There is a ticket to be purchased if you're driving into this scenic area. Get in early before noon to gain the best views before the clouds close in. Mt Gunung Agung rises up at the far side.

Gunung Agung, a mightily revered volcano is a cranky gent that blew his top in 1963. The eastern flank, which bore the brunt of this outburst, remains a deserted Brobdingnagian landscape, a tossed salad of giant volcanic boulders and tall grass. A romantic ribbon of road snakes through it to Kubu and around the hump to Singaraja in the far north. From Lakeview it is possible to drive down into the crater and along the rim of the lake to the public hot springs. "Guides" are at hand to help you climb smoking, sulphurous Mt Batur. The route is fraught with steam, rocks – and the ubiquitous chess sets that locals are wont to sell at every corner.

From Penelokan, or Ubud, you might venture north to the salt-and-pepper beaches of Lovina and Pemuteran in the shadow of the rainforest-clad hills. If you're heading up from Ubud, stop at Bedugul to enjoy views of Lake Bratan. Do also try and visit the lush, terraced rice paddy of Kintamani.

On the Ayung River, things were booming. BOOM. And then again, that sound. BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. The raft spun in the current and we froze. It was unmistakable. The reedy voice eclipsed the roar of the churning water.

It was our Sobek guide filming the tour (to sell back to us later) trying to get attention. I wanted to swat him with a paddle but in the end we all stood up and smiled sheepishly. He was a very nice man. Not the sort you toss into a river.

Sobek (tel: [62] 819-1177-5396, www.balisobek.com), one of the earliest rafting pioneers on the island, runs a fairly gentle family-friendly raft ride down the Ayung river as well as a more adventuresome white water rafting trip down Bali’s wilder Telaga Waja river. No Bali guide is complete without reference to these two rivers and runs. The Ayung river winds through Ubud and Sayan paddy fields, with rapids (but not the crack-your-head-on-a-boulder variety that you see on Extreme Sports), bathing pools, villages and pastoral scenes including women selling Coca-Cola and wooden chess sets who wade out and immediately drop the prices by half when your eyes glaze over.

Ayung River runs have an average distance of between 8.5km and 9.5km. Add to that the gentle rapids and even-more-rapid saleswomen. Sobek also runs delightful off-the-beaten-path cycling tours. Friends have tried the run downhill from Kintamani to Ubud. That's 25 or so kilometres, over three hours, with lunch and morning tea. Triple bypass not included. Or try a heaving 4WD route or an increasingly popular ATR quadbike adventure. These little hornets buzz about Ubud side streets and elsewhere. Another option is Mega Rafting (mega.rafting/), with similar offerings. Try some heart-stopping extreme swings, cycling and camping.

The Telaga Waja river in eastern Bali is faster than the Ayung, carries less traffic and the runs are longer, at 12km. More bang for your buck. During the rainy season, the river races through precipitous gorges and dense jungle, past rice fields and waterfalls. For more adrenalin try Bali International Rafting by Club Aqua (baliclubaqua/). Also try their village tours, Nusa Penida snorkelling with manta rays (about US$50 up) and scenic lunches in the countryside.

Other companies may offer glimpses of dolphins at Lovina in the far north, hidden waterfalls and Instagrammable views at Nusa Penida (a stunning island just off the south coast from the Sanur pier), rice terrace tours, and surfing.

With Waka Land Cruise (wakahotelsandresorts.com) head off-road into the countryside and rainforest in a Land Rover, dive coral seas or savour a dinner cruise. Waka also offers a string of luxe boutique resorts strung out across the island. The reputable Bali Hai Cruises (tel: 720-331, www.balihaicruises.com) has several options including cruises to explore the island of Nusa Penida and neighbouring Lembongan (with three day two night packages too).

An excellent option for stylish private villa and bungalow stays on this carefree getaway island escape is The Lembongan Traveller (www.thelembongantraveller.com/). Nusa Penida attracts photographers for stunning backdrops along the T-Rex Cliff hike. Both islands are accessible by ferries from Sanur. Scoot Fast Cruises (www.scootcruise.com/) has been operating since 2004 and offers various trips to the island trio — Lembongan, Nusa Penida, and the Gili Islands (with its giant turtles). At Gili Trawangan try the beachfront thatch-roof cottages of the Jambuluwuk Oceano Resort Gili Trawangan (www.jambuluwuk.com/gili) with pool, gardens, free WiFi and even a meeting room for 40 should your company be in the mood for some barefoot team building.

For a full-on safari and feel-good conservation experience with a host critters up close, try Taman Safari Bali (www.balisafarimarinepark.com/). Stay at the Mara River Safari Lodge (www.marariversafarilodge.com), where you can view roaming zebras, rhinos, Indian white tigers, lions and oryx from the (relative) safety of your stilted treetop lodge. There’s also an aquarium, waterpark and elephant village. Or go on a safari and spot rhinos, Sumatran tigers, elephants, zebras, camels, Komodo dragons and more. The park stocks over 60 species and is a very child-friendly Bali fun option for when the temples get overwhelming. Kids can pose with lion cubs and pet animals or get up close with baby orangutans.

The black sand beaches along the east coast offer a stunning charcoal-and-blue combination as local fishermen go about their work and children cycle;. (Right) the view from Nusa Lembongan/ Black sand photo: Vijay Verghese/ Blue vistas (right): Lembongan Traveller.

The park is clean, well managed and staffed by bright young kids who are both energetic and attentive. Mara River Safari Lodge has clean and comfortable accommodation too so you can stay and have your fill of the intrepid outdoors – with some gamelan music thrown in.

Bali Diving Academy (scubali.com/en/) can arrange a variety of underwater escapes. Atlantis International, morphed into Dune Bali (www.atlantis-bali-diving.com/), a PADI certified company since 1996, offers classes on scuba diving, first aid, rescue diving and more.

For more water and thrills and spills of a different kind there's always Waterbom (www.waterbom-bali.com/) in Kuta, a water park with speed slides, a lazy river, kiddie park, and a lot more. The park occupies 3.8 hectares of landscaped garden and, in addition to water rides, offers a variety of spa treatments, dining, and a swim-up bar to offer a substantial distraction and pleasant escape for families with kids. Single day entrance starts at Rp450,000 (about US$28 for adults, and a bit less for kids). Open from 9am-6pm. This is a hugely child-friendly Bali escape and worth a look if you are residing close by.

If you prefer bumping around horseback and have a durable behind, try Bali Horse Riding (tel: +62 851- 014-70644, www.balihorseriding.com). Just US$40 will get an adult a one hour romp on the beach and and perhaps a canter past a rice field. Kids' charges are about half that. As they say “Go places only a horse can take you…” They recommend you bring a "change of clothes, shoes and towel” in case your horse decides to head out for a swim.

Kuta Beach on the weat coast sparks to life at sunset. The hair-braiders and masseuses who chased me up and down on a much earlier visit insisting I was Saddam Hussein (which prompted me to shave my moustache) are still in evidence these days. The east coast beyond Sanur catches the sunrise and offers some amazing stretches of volcanic black sand as at Pantai Purnama for something different. A little further east along the coastal highway is Keramas Beach, popular for its black sand appeal as well as its decent surfing waves that are a lot easier (and safer) then the Uluwatu breakers or the fast Pandawa Beach runs.

Those in a prayerful mood may be interested in visiting the remarkable Puja Mandala on the outskirts of Nusa Dua as you drive towards Uluwatu. Here you'll spot two functioning churches (Catholic and Protestant), a mosque, a Hindu temple and a Buddhist temple.

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Kuta shopping and bargain watches

In Nusa Dua, in the far south, the revamped Bali Collection (bali-collection.com/) complex serves up restaurants, designer shops, and even furniture. Of an evening you might even take in a dance show. Bali Collection is a bit twee but worth a quick browse for surfer and beach wear.

Many will enjoy browsing the smart linen and Balinese lace outlet Uluwatu (www.uluwatu.co.id) that has shops spread around the island in Legian, Kuta, Sanur and Ubud. Uluwatu retails nice cotton blouses with women's tops from around US$45 or so going up to US$61 for a bustier and US$104 for a sleevless 'Thulito' top.

For wilder Bali shopping head to the Kuta bargain shops and sunset beach. The place has emerged beaming from the extensive drainage diggings and touts will attempt, politely, to lure you into newly decorated shops. Kuta has smartened up considerably though the traffic is atrocious. Thank heavens. While prices can be bargained down a fair bit, items are not cheap. A Billabong or Ripcurl t-shirt may sell for US$40-$50. This is for originals. The knock-offs are often priced higher (is it vanity?) but can be brought down. If traffic permits (and this the eternal question in the Kuta-Seminyak-Canggu area), cruise Jalan Legian for the most variety or a bit further north to Jalan Oberoi in Seminyak.

Kuta bargain shopping includes spectacular knock-offs, of which there are many, none as brash and brilliantly organised as Bagus Watch. The shopat Kuta Square is set up with carefully stocked displays of everything from Rolex and BVLGARI to Omega and Tag Heuer.

If you prefer the cool feel of cheap metal on your wrist – to be followed by the cold clamp of iron in your hometown hoosegow – this is the place for cheap fake watches, some of them quite stunning.

Also look out for furniture stores in Seminyak especially on the bypass to Kuta. John Hardy (johnhardy.com) jewellery stores have quite a following. Find one closest to you. Try Jln Petitenget in Seminyak or pop by the Ayana resort. If near Ubud, the hard-to-find but stunning Bambu Indah resort by Hardy is on hand for a more immersive demonstration of creative sustainability. Explore dining tables, cabinets, sofas, beds and assorted bamboo creations. Furniture can be custom-made and shipped.

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Ubud, the art and craft epicentre

Ubud shopping represents the best of Bali as it is here that the island’s artistry finds choicest expression. The works may be brilliant or banal but this is a town that knows how to practise art. Be warned though: the centre of Ubud (ie: the east-west main thoroughfare) is always jammed. If you’re browsing art, try the Neka Art Museum (nekaartmuseum.com/) or the Komaneka Fine Art Gallery (www.gallery.komaneka.com). Head on to the handmade lace at Uluwatu (10am-10pm) in the Monkey Forest and browse the side streets, slowly. The cheapest shopping – still pricey by Bali standards – is in the stalls around Jalan Monkey Forest leading south from the town square.

Surfboards await morning trippers at beaches from Kuta to Uluwatu and even Nusa Dua (left); pink sunset at Seminyak Beach with its mirror-smooth reflective sand; and woman threshing rice in a Sayan paddy field in Central Bali approaching the highlands/ photos: Vijay Verghese

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Buying art, silver in the villages

The best Bali shopping is of course in local villages, each specialising in a particular art or craft. Check out Batuan for art, Batubulan for magnificent, huge, stone carvings, or Celuk for intricate hand-wrought silver.

Celuk is a nice stop en route to Ubud. Here, skills passed down through generations, are on display at dainty stores along the road where you'll find one-of-a-kind pearl and gemstone jewellery set in silver and gold.

At swanker Celuk establishments, use the lifesaver loo (often marbled and usually clean) and then bargain hard. Around 30 or 40 percent off the asking price is a good place to start.

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Swing out on golf with a Jurassic twist

At the far end of the Nusa Dua tourist strip the former Bali Golf and Country Club with its 18-hole championship course has mysteriously disappeared. The greens had closed for a major overhaul and returned late 2014 as the Bali National Golf Club. This revamping manicured green enclave was then referred to as 'The Maj' (the hospitality arm of the owning Ancora group) encompassing seven private villas, the golf club, the David Leadbetter Golf Academy and a long-in-the-works Shangri-La. The new greens were designed by Robin Nelson and Rodney Wright (serving up the same par 72 course). The whole development was on ice mid-2025 when this writer visited and no one had a clue as to what was going on though the website was functioning.

The New Kuta Golf (tel: +62 811-381-333, www.newkutagolf.com) in the elegantly manicured Pecatu Indah Resort development is sort of around the corner in North Uluwatu, but girdled by monstrous traffic jams resulting in many drivers trying back road alternatives.

This is an unpredictable links-style course with shifting wind conditions and breezy sea views all around. According to impassioned former general manager Rajakulasingham, "Hole 15 Par 3 set on top of brilliant white limestone cliffs, over looking the endless blue horizon of the Indian Ocean, can play anything from an 8 iron to a wood with the howling wind coming at you." Sounds fun. Foreign visitors can play 18 holes for Rp2,300,000 (about US$140).

Expect a pro shop, practice range, an academy and a spa to work off apres-greens muscle achess. This is a par 72 championship 18-hole golf course set in 85 verdant acres.

The incredible and inviting Jurassic Park setting of the Bali Handara Golf & Country Club (tel: +62 87-8888-36888, www.handaragolfresort.com/), about a two-hour drive north from Nusa Dua is a setting greener than a punk hairdo or the broccoli your mother fed you. The 18-hole green fee is US$125 up for visitors. There is cottage and suite accommodation at this golf course so make an outing of it witht e family or friends. From here's it's a short drive to the fabled Lake Beratan and its floating temples.

In the Canggu area the Nirwana Golf Course last managed by the Pan Pacific Nirwana Bali Resort (formerly under Le Meridien) has fallen into ruin and disrepair and is no longer in use. Set above the cultural pageantry of the brooding Tanah Lot temple, this was a popular signature 18-hole golf course for big-swing enthusiasts.

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Time for a Bali wedding?

If you are planning a Cinemascope Bali beach wedding and have the moxie to say, "I do", don your virginal whites and head to Tirtha Bali (tel: [62-361] 847-1151, tirtha.com/), a splendid wedding glass chapel in idyllic surrounds in remote Uluwatu in the far south.

They'll organise a complete church do or renewal of vows or hotel wedding if that's what you prefer. Browse their Italian dresses with delicate lace or go for something bolder, American, like Gone With The Wind. In Bali? Sure...

While almost all Bali hotels do weddings and can lay on sumptuous programmes, there are a few that stand out. Popular with those heading to the altar are the Ayana Resort and Spa (with sweeping cliff-top sunset views), Alila Uluwatu Villas (intimate, smaller, upscale), the elegant Bulgari, the Apurva Kempinski Bali (modern cliffside with beach) Grand Hyatt Bali (traditional and beautifully manicured with lush vegetation), Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua (hip and contemporary), Jumeirah Bali (very small weddings), Tanah Gajah — a Resort by Hadiprana, Ubud (floating amidst verdant rice fields), and Kamandalu (another Ubud villa weddings specialist).

The Sanur Beach stretch offers safe and engaging child-friendly spaces, wonderful views and a jogging/cycling track along which a number of decent seaside cafes are located/photos: Vijay Verghese

If you need a little help, companies like Bali Weddings (baliweddings.com) offer consulting services amd handle honeymooners. A Bali wedding ceremony may start at US$2,000 and then climb well beyond US$100,000 depending on numbers, venue, dedicated location, and hotel category. Wedding planners can help with introductions and explanations.

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Cool Bali bars and fun dining

Bali dining options are varied though surprisingly expensive, all things considered, unless you pop into a small eatery. Try the local delicacy, "babi guleng" or roast pig, served whole, stuffed with Balinese herbs and vegetables. In the south, this dish is modestly spicy while in Gianyar it is sweeter. One of the best spots is considered to be Payangan village north of Ubud.

In the Kuta-Legian-Seminyak area fine dining and clubbing staples are many and varied. North of the swinging dance-the-night-away multi-venue beach club and restaurant Potato Head (seminyak.potatohead.co) is the il Lido Batubelig (illidobatu_belig_beach/) serving 'classic' Italian. This is a nice spot. The smart Leon Brasserie (www.leonbali.com/) is an evolution of the well regarded Metis restaurant bar and lounge and attracts a loyal following with its refined French flavours, while the elegantly Asian Sarong (sarongbali.com) and the Indonesian Bambu (bambubali.com/) remain popular.

The swish and expensive Ku dé Ta (next to the Oberoi, tel: 736-969, www.kudeta.com) is the one that set the early nightlife benchmark in Bali and still makes a fine spot for both sundowners and hearty breakfasts. It is the main crowd-puller on the trendy Seminyak strip. Get in early or make a reservation. Otherwise, no seats or views. Security at Ku dé Ta is tight and relentless. Inside there’s lots of space and a range of seating options from cool to open air. Do breakfast, brunch, or come in for a late night binge. There';s a small pool for a waddle too and sometimes kids and dogs jump in.

Up the road from The Legian resort the excellent Urchin Grill and Raw Bar has sadly closed. But, in the area, for late nights with some swinging style pop by the W Retreat & Spa to check out its hallucinogenic mood lights and breezy oceanfront bars.

Kama Sutra Bali (kamasutra-kuta/) at one end of Kuta Beach is a popular restaurant, club and late hangout joint while the enduring Bluefin (bluefin.ramarestaurantsbali.com/) is a Japanese fusion sushi bar. Of course, still in the area, for Bali nightlife there's always the pounding Hard Rock Cafe. The late-night disco 66 or the Double Six Rooftop Bar (doublesixrooftop.com/) re-emerged post 2011 as an upscale hotel, with a stylish 1,700sq m rooftop bar.

Another Seminyak pool option is the chill-out Cocoon Beach Club (cocoon-beach.com/whats-on/). Check out thebeachfront Chez Gado Gado restaurant and bar (gadogadorestaurant.com/), which is always a lively evening pick with music, dancing and good food. The funky Sea Circus Restaurant & Bar (www.seacircus-bali.com) is the place to grab a bite and it doubles as a nightlife spot, a must for any Bali fun guide.

Up in Ubud the stylish and cosy Mozaic (tel: [62-361] 975-768, www.mozaic-bali.com) does French food with local twists depending on what's available in the market in season. This means the menu changes frequently. You’ll need to make a reservation. The Made Widjaya designed contemporary and hip Lamak (tel: [62-361] 974-668, www.lamakbali.com) on Jalan Monkey Forest attracts a die-hard crowd that enjoys cool environs, a good wine list, cocktails served in delicate – and always different – hand-blown glasses, and an exotic menu serving up everything from quail and lamb to chicken a-la Kiev. A great favourite is 'dirty duck' or Bebek Bengil (www.bebekbengil.co.id/en) set in open sided breezy thatch pavilions amidst fields and manicured foliage. Expect fusion Balinese and international fare. There's something for everyone and a spectacle for Instagrammers.

Overlooking a river gorge, start with an absinthe shot at Murni’s Warung (tel: [62-361] 975-233, www.murnis.com). This old timer is tucked into the valley above a babbling stream and remains popular if rarely packed. Set on two levels with limited and intimate seating lit by small lamps, the place does Indonesian to burgers and Indian curries. Also look at Café Wayan & Bakery (cafewayan.com/) that serves Balinese in a more contemporary setting (cooking lessons also available), and the small roadside smoky Naughty Nuri’s (www.naughty-nuris.com/) for chicken and chips, blazing barbequed pork ribs, Japanes, e and more. Check out their dry martini, ribs, and the special tuna sashimi. Nuri’s is cheap and cheerful elbow-bumping eating at its unfussy best. It has opened larger more respectable outlets in Seminyak and on the Sayan Road. For Balinese fare with traditional dances against the backdrop of the Ubud Water Palace, there's The Cafe Lotus (thecafelotus/).

In Sanur, the winding jogging track along the beachfront is home to a range of eateries and hotel restaurants. In Jimbaran, the Four Seasons offers the excellent Sundara (www.sundarabali.com/) beach club and bar restaurant with a heroically long pool strip, a broad section of sand and innovative menus. Try the Sunday brunch. Old timers will remember the spot as PJ's though this is entirely reconstituted.

In Nusa Dua, the Bali Collection (formerly Nusa Galleria) with its touristy shops and restaurants is favoured by Japanese guests and others who are not keen to venture further. It is a bit of a let down, enlivened modestly by the excellent Japanese restaurant Matsuri (matsuri-japanese-restaurantnusa-dua/) and the very decent Hamabe (www.hamabe-bali.com/).

Bumbu Bali (Benoa, www.artcafebumbubali.com/), not far from here, offers excellent Balinese fare in alfresco surrounds with a Balinese dance show to the accompaniment of gamelan music. It is a cooking school as well. The place has a nice welcoming ambience with good food and service to match. Try the pork ribs with jackfruit, or the chicken roasted in banana leaves. Something rather tasty and spicy is the soybean cake in turmeric sauce. Of course, the speciality at Bumbu Bali is the Balinese rijsttafel. The restaurant also has a popular thrice-weekly cooking class programme.

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Bali Airport duty free shopping

Once through Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport (also commonly referred to as Bali International Airport) — and this can be surprisngly fast and painless unlike the arrival experience — head to the Bali duty-free shopping IKEA-style routes that wind endlessly through alcohols and perfumes to eventually disgorge air passengers into a large food lounge area where many make a beeline for the authentic Made's Warung. The departure levy is now included on your ticket.

If you care for a spot of duty free shopping, a one litre bottle of 12-year-old Chivas is roughly US$45, a one litre Johnnie Walker Black US$56 (with deals for two), and a 50ml EDP of Miss Dior's Blooming Bouquet was priced at US$122 in June 2025.

Heck, just buy some petrol and doggy-bag it back to Hong Kong or London or New York. Now that’s a real deal.

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