Bali, the best-known island in the world, is pure magic. I’d like to describe it as an island with its brand of magic from her many worlds. My recent trip was my fourth and my last and third trip was over two decades ago. There are still many things that I should like to see and do in Bali. So for this one-week visit, I decided to leave out the worst things to do in Bali. What are these things you may like to ask? The answer is “anything you can do at home”.

For this post, I focus on “the best things to do in Bali” – well, these are things that you can only find here! Do keep in mind that the Balinese religion rests on the notion of cosmic balance between the Universe and Man. Her rituals and ceremonies celebrate Man living in harmony with the larger world.

Please follow my re-discovery of Bali here:

1. Go to her palaces and learn about her many old kingdoms …

The Royal Palace in Ubud

2. Visit her temples and appreciate the Balinese religion where the cosmic balance is supreme…

Balinese Lady Making Offerings At This Unesco Site Temple – Pura Tirta Empul 

3. Enjoy Bali’s beautiful sunsets, and I recommend the Rock Bar as a great venue…

The Famed Sunsets In Bali – Scene Taken From the Rock Bar @ The Ayana Resort in Jimbaran

4. Walk through her rice fields and villages, and go back to Nature …

Terraced Rice Fields Near Ubud – A UNESCO Cultural Landscape

5. Enjoy her art galleries, dances, processions and marvel in her culture …

The Artistic Balinese at Work In Kampung Garuda

6. Swim in the lagoons and bays …

Sun, Sea & Sands Plus Surf @ Seminyak Bay

… or enjoy the privacy of a private beach

Private Beach @ The Avana Resort In Jimbaran Bay Bali

7. Indulge and experience the Balinese spa culture, and I recommend the Rock Spa …

The Iconic Rock Spa @ The Avana Resort in Jimbaran Bay

8. You can still party in the evening – at the many top-notch bars such as the Ku De Ta, 66, The Rock Bar, and I recommend the Ku De Ta …

Relaxing, Watching Sun Set & Dinner @ Ku De Ta Bali

9. Indulge in your Singaporean pastime – eating, but with a difference. I recommend the seafood joints in Jimbaran, eating under the stars and wriggling your feet in the sand …

Seafood Dining On Jimbaran Beach

10.  Purify your body with the holy spring water at the Unesco cultural site at the Tirta Empul Temple in Tampaksiring town, near Ubud …(note: this I did not do yet. Perhaps for another trip.)

Purifying With Holy Spring Water In The Tirta Empul Temple

My Impressions From This Re-discovery Visit

First and foremost (after 22 years or so), I am pleasantly surprised that the rapid tourist increase has not dented the warmth and friendliness of the Balinese people. Having learnt the Malay language whilst growing up in Malaysia, I am of course still able to communicate with the local people. Taxi drivers speak reasonably good English and you can trust them to drive you around the sites.

The hotel and waiting staff still deliver their traditional warm service, and of course tourism is the bedrock for Bali’s economic success.

I should like to admit that the main reason to visit Bali again is her people. Cheers