Many people know Bali for its serene rice fields and majestic beaches, but those who love the nightlife also consider Bali as the ultimate travel destination thanks to all the great bars and clubs that can also be found on the island.

Kuta Bars and Clubs

Due to the large numbers of bars and clubs in Bali, it can be pretty difficult to choose especially if you have limited time. If you’re after clubbing and drinks, then you should simply concentrate on Kuta, the best place to visit for the Bali nightlife where parties go on until the wee hours of the morning. This is home to several top clubs including:

• Hard Rock Café, situated right at the beginning of the beach road and known for playing great live music from 11:00 PM to 2:00 AM
• Kori Restaurant and Bar, known for its cigar salon, pool table, and its imported wines and chilled cocktails
• Peanuts Discotheque, known for its huge air-conditioned dance floor
• Casablanca, known for its famous open-air pub and disco areas
• Bounty Ship, strategically located near the center of Kuta and known for its air-conditioned basement disco

Seminyak Bars and Clubs

As the center of nighttime entertainment in Bali, Kuta can get crowded and a bit rowdy, so many people have also started flocking to Seminyak where the nightlife is more sophisticated thanks to the many chic bars and restaurants in the area. This is where you can party with the funky creative artists and fashion designers. The dance floor is lively, yet very classy.

In Seminyak, the best bars and clubs are:

• Double Six, known for its large open-air disco and several bars
• Bahiana Bali, a quaint French salsa bar with a festive ambiance and plenty of iconic theme parties such as 80s parties, bikini parties, combined with lots of cocktails and rum
• Ku De Ta, known as the most fashionable bar thanks to its world-class cigars and drinks list plus its high-end Fuente Cigar Lounge

Legian Bars and Clubs

If you have enough time, check out the up-and-coming nightlife destination in Bali – Legian, which is often said to be following in the footsteps of Kuta. The most popular bars and clubs in Legian include:

• Goa 2001
• MBargo
• Bounty Ship
• MyRoom

Although many other bars and clubs are found in the other areas of Bali, these three areas – Kuta, Seminyak, and Legian – have the best atmospheres for partying.

If you’re in Bali, don’t miss the famous Kecak Dance. The renowned Balinese dance is performed regularly at the Uluwatu Temple in Bali. A Kecak performance is very simple. It is performed by fifty men wearing loin-cloth and dancing in rows of circles while chanting the words ‘Cak ke-cak ke-cak ke-cak ke-cak ke-cak’ rhythmically and repeatedly. In the middle, there is a coconut oil lamp.

The Kecak Dance is usually performed for dance-dramas revolving around the Ramayana epic, although the famous epic was only inserted into the dance in the 1930s. Originally, the dance is part of the Sang Hyang sacral dance, which, according to ancient Balinese belief, is used to communicate with spirit gods or ancestors who have been sanctified. The dancer becomes a media liaison that the gods or ancestors can use to convey messages.

The Kecak Dance is the most unique dance in Bali, mainly because it is not accompanied by any musical instruments but only by a chanting choir. To watch the performance at the Uluwatu Temple, visitors have to buy tickets at 70,000 rupiahs per person. The shows start at 5:00 PM and are held on a daily basis.

The Uluwatu Temple is a Hindu temple located at the Uluwatu cliff, which offers overlooking views of the Indian ocean. To get there from the center of Bali, it is best to take a cab since the road is uphill. Many Uluwatu Temple tours are also available; these usually combine the Kecak performance with the other attractions in the Temple, such as fire dancing.

While Bali is best known for its two extremes – wild parties and serene yoga meditations – it has a lot of other great adventures in between, and one of these is scuba diving. Bali has the best dive sites in Indonesia, which is hardly surprising since the island is often considered as one of the world’s most beautiful. The scuba diving sites in Bali are varied and offer many thrilling adventures for divers; you will see deep drop-offs, coral ridges, steep banks, volcanic outcrops, and beds of seagrass. Bali is also home to one of the most famous wrecks known in the diving community, the USS Liberty, which lies just off the shore of Tulamben. It is best loved among divers because it is relatively easy to access and the water is shallow, so it’s easier to enjoy the sight of the wreck and the myriads of species that thrive on it.

Its diverse and colorful marine life is yet another reason to embrace the scuba diving lifestyle while in Bali. You’ll never get tired of all the frogfish, the seahorses, the bumphead parrotfish, the reef sharks, and the cockatoo leaf fish, which are just some of the truly fascinating ocean species you’ll come across while diving.

If you want to scuba dive in Bali, make sure not to stay in Kuta and Sanur. Although these are the two most popular areas in Bali, they do not offer any good dive sites. The best sites for diving include:

• Nusa Penida, which features Crystal Bay and Blue Corner
• Manta Point and Bat Cave
• Nusa Lembongan
• Tulamben, where the USS Liberty wreck is
• Amed
• Padang Bay or Candidasa
• Blue Lagoon
• Mimang
• Tepekong
• Gili Biaha
• Menjangan
• Secret Bay, where you can spot some weird muck diving critters

There are many ways to experience Bali scuba diving. You can join 1-day diving trips or participate in a diving safari, which lasts for several days. These custom tours are widespread in Bali and are very convenient as guides can lead you to the best spots and sights around.

The diving season in Bali runs throughout the entire year, but the best diving conditions are often between April to December, especially June to September, as many sunfish and pelagic fish visit during this time. But if you’re diving between June and September, stay away from Nusa Penida, Amuk Bay, and Padang Bay as they usually have rougher seas due to the dry monsoon winds. After December, on the other hand, rain is often expected, so visibility in most of the top dive sites is reduced.

If you want a complete list of the things you can do in Bali, well, the possibilities are just endless. Bali is a hotpot of various offerings: nightclubs, watersports, shopping centers, beaches, and rice fields, among several others. But if you want to experience the true Bali, then you have to narrow your options down to just the most important things you simply must do while in Bali.

Meditate

Nowadays, this is what you go to Bali to. Everyone needs some time to be quiet and get away from the hustle and the bustle, and Bali is fast becoming known as the best place for doing so. The quaint hill-side town has the perfect atmosphere for hiding away and quieting your mind.

Shop

Bali has the most exquisitely patterned bohemian-themed outfits and souvenirs, so don’t go home without buying brightly colored scarves and without donning authentic Balinese clothing.

Party

Although pop culture has made Bali seem like this serene little getaway destination (which it is), the town has a few surprising tricks up its sleeve. Head over to Kuta and be amazed at how Bali transforms at night. There are lots of discotheques and bars full of locals and tourists alike, all dancing and enjoying the best drinks in town. Although this is not for everyone, if you’re into the nightlife, then Bali’s is one experience you should not miss.

Dine

Dining is part of any vacation, but in Bali, dining becomes more memorable, thanks to the uniqueness of Bali cuisine. There are a lot of bustling restaurants in Bali; you can choose from high-end gourmet meals, island treats, or authentic Balinese or Asian cuisine. Try them all, if you can, so you will experience the true gastronomic side of the quaint little town.

Climb

If you’re looking for adventure, you’ll find plenty of it in Bali if you know where to look. In fact, just look up, and you will see Mount Agung, the highest mountain on the island. The mountain is the site of the Temple of Besakih, which is why it is spiritually significant to the locals. Aside from that, the mountain itself is worth a climb thanks to the wonderful view that it offers. Just don’t forget to hire a guide to ensure your safety.

Dance

Bali is known for its unique traditional dances, so don’t let your trip go by without doing a little Kecak Dance of your own.

Pamper

Bali is also most popularly known as the luxury spa destination in South East Asia, thanks to its large array of luxury spas that offer the most exhilarating spa treatments and the most rejuvenating traditional Balinese massage. So go ahead and pamper yourself in Bali; it’s the perfect way to cap off your getaway.