Bali is on nearly everyone’s bucket list of places to visit, and rightly so. Aptly named the Island of the Gods, Bali feels like a slice of heaven on earth with its gorgeous beaches and surf waves, green rice paddies, towering Hindu temples and some of the nicest people that you will ever meet. It’s so incredible that it has become a huge hub for expats to live and work, which means there’s great access to internet along with trendy cafes and restaurants built out by locals and foreigners alike. The international airport is newly built and massive making it easy for people to fly in and out of so it’s an accessible place to “get your feet wet” in Southeast Asia. But all of these perks also mean a loss of authenticity and of course some higher costs (relative to other parts of Southeast Asia).
Most people come to Bali to visit the Southern destinations on the island like Uluwatu, Seminyak and Canggu (which should honestly be nicknamed Little Australia for the massive Aussie population stationed here). And if you’re going any further north, typically it’s to head to the central part of Bali to the yogi-haven and Eat, Pray, Love famous destination - Ubud. Don’t get me wrong - Canggu and Ubud have a really cool vibe - but they feel cool the same way Tulum or Mykonos are cool. Copy / paste trendy places have popped up everywhere and Instragram-chic people have made it a go to destination. I’m not shitting on that, obviously we got married in Tulum for a reason, all I am saying is that it’s not an authentic way to experience Mexican or Greek or Balinese culture in this case.
If you’re interested in a more authentic side of Bali without the hordes of crowds, continue further North. As we learned on our last 2.5 week trip to Bali, the Northern part of the island is so incredibly beautiful and still untouched by the hordes of crowds that are motorbiking en masse around the south. Which gives you a glimpse into the real daily lives of Balinese people. There might not be as many trendy cafes and restaurants dishing up smoothies and vegan buddha bowls, but there are plenty of inexpensive and delicious warungs (local restaurants). And instead of paying a tour guide to take you to a “famous” rice terrace, you can bike through stretches of green rice paddies in villages where local kids still shyly wave and marvel at seeing a blonde person in their little stretch of town.
If all of that is interesting to you, then the North is where to experience it. So here’s your guide on how to do it!
Where to Stay in Northern Bali
Our choice: Lovina. This area is situated centrally in Northern Bali which makes it a great base to explore all that it has to offer. It’s famous for dolphins and you can find fishing boats that will take you out in the mornings to glide along with the dolphins as the sun rises. We actually based ourselves in this Villa up in the hills above Lovina, which was a great location for stunning views and accessibility everywhere with a motorbike. This was actually the best Airbnb we stayed at in all of 2022. We highly recommend it!!
Other Options: Pemuteran (Northwest), Tulamben (Northeast - great for diving!)
Advice: Rent a villa in Northern Bali over a hotel (options here). The Villa’s are really fairly priced and typically come with full time staff including chefs and drivers along with gorgeous pools and often times ocean views.
What to Do
Enjoy Stunning Waterfalls - Northern Bali has the most waterfalls of all of Bali and they are stunning. The best time to experience them is during Bali’s wet season which runs October - April because of the water levels but they are beautiful year round. Some of the best are:
Banyumala Waterfall - One of the most beautiful waterfalls around. It’s a short 20 minute trek down. Make sure to bring your bathing suit to swim at the base of this 65 foot tall fall!
Aling Aling - Made up of 4 different waterfalls. You can jump off and slide down all of these except for the main attraction - Aling Aling - which is 115 feet tall
Gitgit Waterfall - Another stunning waterfall surrounded by lush rainforest. Described as a very serene and meditative place.
Banyu Wana Amertha Wasserfall - Beautiful cascading waterfalls. There are 4 within walking distance
Explore the Twin Lakes - These are two lakes side by side, one smaller and one larger, and two of only four lakes on Bali. Start at Bali Twin Lake Trekking Point for a gorgeous photo op. Then you can trek down (for a small fee) to the lakes through a lovely forest. The walk is about an hour with stairs and trails. You pass through gorgeous temples, see towering banyan trees and if you’re lucky could spot a monkey high in the trees. Once you get to the lake, you can charter a canoe to take you across the larger of the two lakes to the most stunning lakeside Hindu temple - Pura Ulun Danu Bulian. When we were there we met locals who were at the temple celebrating the life of their late patriarch whose last wish was to have them honor him here. They were so joyful and kind and wanted to practice their English with us.
As an aside, I absolutely love how connected Hindu people are with nature. Their places of worship are erected in the most beautiful spots and it’s not uncommon to have dogs and cats playing nearby during their prayers with the sound of birds chirping above. It’s so soulful.
You can do this all alone, but I highly recommend going through this Airbnb experience like we did. It includes roundtrip transportation, a guide (we ended up having one all to ourselves), lunch at their local home and even a trip to Banyumala waterfall. Knocking a lot out!
Experience Rice Paddies - For us this just meant hopping on our motorbike and driving around. There are rice paddies and terraces all around Northern Bali. If you want to be more thoughtful about it, you can visit Rice Terraces Munduk. It’s a beautiful place to be during sunset.
Explore Local Villages - Did you know that each village has 3 different temples? One for each major God - Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu. Villages are typically only a few square miles so there are thousands of temples on the island. Villages on Bali are a very tight knit community. They are centered around the temples and come together at least 3 times a year to celebrate the birth dates of each individual one. But they also come together to celebrate things like weddings and have communal funerals a few times a year. This means that the village communities are bustling and it’s really interesting to just walk or motorbike through and explore to get a feel of day to day life. Kids around here will often smile and wave at you and the locals are always very welcoming. Just remember to be respectful! If you’re visiting a temple there are strict guidelines on what to wear (outlined in a great blog here) and how to act.
Go to a National Park - The West Bali National Park is in the Northwest corner of Bali and about a 2 hour drive from Lovina, but much closer to Pemuteran. It’s famous for stunning coral reefs, perfect for snorkeling, and wildlife including Deer Island. Find out more and plan your visit here.
Relax! - Bali is a fantastic place to relax and recharge. It really does feel soulful here. Rent a place with a pool and a yoga mat. Do some Youtube Yoga in the morning and take a dip in the pool in the afternoon. Enjoy local meals either prepared by your kitchen staff or at a village warung.
How to Get There
You can hire a local driver to pick you up from the airport and drive you here. It should take about 3 hours depending on traffic. Although it’s a small island there can be traffic jams, especially passing through Canggu or when you have to stop along the way to allow local villages to process through the streets for temple ceremonies (which is really cool to see!). Your accommodation will be able to arrange this for you!
Once you’re there, you can continue to use your driver. But the best way to get around in our opinion is a motorbike. Your accommodations should also be able to arrange this for you!
Hopefully this encourages you to venture a little further North on your next trip to Bali. But don’t wait too long…the locals are certain the bustling tourism sector will be reaching their villages soon enough. For their sake I hope it’s true, tourism is always good for their economy. But selfishly I can only hope it remains an unspoiled gem in Bali just a little bit longer!
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