The sun is at its scorching best, and mercury levels are rising. If there’s a good time to get away from the hustle and bustle of inland city life, it is now.
June, July and August are best months to visit the Island of Gods – Bali. Magnificent mountains, sandy beaches, wild parties, ancient shrines – you’re going to be spoilt for choice here!
From luxuriating in an upscale hotel in Kuta to a horse-ride along the coast of Seminyak beach, there’s simply too much to see, explore and try in Bali.
Here are three cool places you just can’t afford to miss on your next trip to the island.
The Kuta Beach
Once a shabby old fishing village, the Kuta beach is now among Bali’s biggest crowd pullers. The village has witnessed a complete transformation over the years. It was first brought to mainstream attention by surfers and Australian backpackers traveling through Indonesia. As luxurious resorts, hotels and night clubs began to spring up to meet the demands of the new visitors, the peace and quiet was replaced with constant action and liveliness.
Only minutes away from the Ngurah Rai International Airport, and surrounded by hotels and restaurants, the beach is the first destination of many tourists, making it one of the busiest places on the island.
Popularly called the sunset beach, every evening throngs of tourists come together to drink, chill and watch the sun go down. After sunset, you can go shopping around the beach for souvenirs, or hit the clubs for a wild wild night.
The Tanah Lot Temple
Roughly an hour’s drive from the Kuta beach, on a massive offshore boulder, sits an ancient Hindu temple. A legend says that in late the 15th century a Hindu priest traveled all the way to Bali to share his teachings with the local villagers. Faced with opposition from the village chief and his loyalists, the priest conjured his mystic powers to move the large boulder he meditated upon to the middle of the sea. The name Tanah Lot literally means ‘land in the sea’.
An ancient temple, dotted by smaller shrines, perched on a boulder in the middle of the sea, the sound of large waves crashing against the rock’s surface in the backdrop of a setting sun; the Tanah Lot is a breathtaking beauty you simply can’t miss.
The Seminyak Beach
A little further along the coast of Kuta beach lies a quiet, undisturbed Seminyak. With its elegant restaurants, posh yet quiet cafes, Seminyak offers you a much-needed break from the hustle & bustle of its noisier sibling.
Take a class at Seminyak’s Yoga Shala, or spend a relaxing day at one of its upscale beachfront bars. Art enthusiasts can pay a visit to the Nyaman gallery which features paintings, wearables, ceramics, and sculptures made by local Balinese artists.
In for a little adventure? Ride a horse along the beautiful coast of Seminyak, or go scuba diving in its waters.
