03Cities & regions

Lesser Sunda Islands

Bali

Bali is Indonesia’s best-known island. Its area is only about 5,583 square kilometers, yet that compact space holds almost everything: beaches for swimming and surfing, mountains and lakes, green rice terraces, and living arts in every village. In the center sits Ubud, the island’s arts hub, with museums, galleries, and traditional dance, surrounded by rice fields. At Jatiluwih, wide terraces form part of a cultural landscape listed as World Heritage since 2012 under the traditional Subak irrigation system. On the west coast, Tanah Lot Temple stands on a rock in the sea, reachable on foot only at low tide; in the south, Uluwatu Temple looks out from a 70-meter cliff, and every evening at sunset a Kecak dance is performed in the open air. Give Bali at least four days, split between the beach, Ubud, and the hills. Millions of visitors come each year, so step away from the busiest spots at peak times when you can.

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Area

2012

Subak on the World Heritage List since

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Height of Uluwatu cliff