The south might be the busiest area on the island, but you’ll be surprised to find out that there aren’t many attractions to see and visit.
Kuta beach is the major tourist destination in south Bali. Other popular villages are Legian, Seminyak, Sanur, Nusa Dua and Jimbaran. Most visitors head here for surfing, relaxing at the beaches, shopping and the restaurants and clubs.
So if you really want to visit some cultural sights, you have to think about going on a day trip. Great day trip ideas are the beaches in the Bukit peninsula, the southern tip of Bali.
Other options are visit sights located further away such as those in Central, West and East Bali. You will be longer in the car but there are several interesting places you can easily visit in a day.
If you are staying in Kuta or Sanur area you can also opt to join one of the many tours. The white water rafting tours or the biking tours will take you towards Kintamani from where you can see beautiful areas of Bali along the way.
While keeping these options in mind these are the attractions worth visiting in South Bali:
Balinese Temples
Tanah Lot
The sea temple of Tanah Lot is one of the most famous temples on the island and also one of the busiest. We have visited this sight a couple of times and even though there are bus loads of tourists arriving throughout the day, there’s something magical about the place.
Not surprising considering the perfect location with stunning sunsets in the background. The Tanah Lot afternoon tour specifically aims at getting you there on time for the perfect sunset pictures.
Petitenget Temple
This temple might not be as crowded as Tanah Lot or Uluwatu, nevertheless it’s also one of the important sea temples in Bali. It belongs to the string of six temples set along the coast and was built in the 16th century. The Petitenget Temple doesn’t get many visitors which is perfect for walking around.
Only during religious festivals and special days does this temple get very busy and you might see some ceremonies on the beach.
Pura Luhur Ulu Watu
This sea temple is one of the most impressive and also one of the six most important temples on Bali. It’s small and if you come early in morning you could be the only traveler here.
The temple sits on top of a 100 m high cliff with amazing views. You could sit here for hours watching the waves crash into the rocks below. Be aware of the temple monkeys (macaques) because they are cheeky and don’t hesitate to take your camera, sun glasses or necklaces.
In the evenings this area is popular for its Balinese kecak dance, also known as fire dance. Evening tours to Uluwatu can be easily arranged in the village located in South Bali.
Other sights in South Bali
Denpasar Museum and Art Center
Denpasar is Bali’s capital and looks more and more like her big sister Jakarta with traffic jams and floodings. This is where you’ll find the governmental offices, Chinese and Javanese businesses, numerous food stalls and people everywhere.
The only reason to travel to Denpasar is to visit the Bali Museum, the Pura Jagatnata temple and the Werdi Budaya Art Center. They are all close by. Besides learning about Balinese history you can also see cultural performances from mid-June to mid-July.
Bali Bombing Memorial
In the middle of Jalan Legian and near Jalan Poppies Lane II where most clubs and bars are based you’ll find this monument with the names of the 202 victims who died in the blast in the Paddy’s Pub and the Sari Club on 12th October 2002.
You can’t really consider this as a tourist site but more a place to show your respects.
Beach Hopping
While you can’t really consider it a sight, yet more a ‘thing to do’ we also recommend to go exploring around the Bukit peninsula. It is an exciting place with stunning beaches.
We love to hop on a motorbike and to go ‘beach hopping’. A great route is visiting Nusa Dua beach first. Then head to Uluwatu beach for lunch while watching advanced surfers catch amazing waves. Then head to Padang Padang beach or Balangan beach to relax before dinner at Jimbaran beach.
But if you like, there are already many drivers and tour companies offering tours around the southern tip of Bali. A day usually starts off a Nusa Dua beach followed by a visit to the Garuda Wisnu kencana (which we recommend skipping). From their various stops are made at the nice beaches of the Bukit peninsula ending at Uluwatu temple.
Here, towards the end of the day kecak dances are performed. The performance is held at a spectacular setting so if you do plan to see this dance, consider watching it here.
A day tour often ends at Jimbaran beach were you can enjoy a grilled seafood dinner in a romantic setting. The tables are set on the beach, so while nibbling on some crab you can wiggle your toes in the soft clean sand. Make sure the late transfer back to your hotel is included in the price.