I came to Bali planning to stay two weeks and ended up staying a month. The island has a quality — difficult to articulate but immediately felt — of making time move differently. The days are long and textured. The light in the late afternoon turns everything amber. And there is an ease here, a sense that everything that needs to happen will happen, that encourages you to slow down in a way that feels genuinely restorative rather than merely lazy.
Where to Base Yourself
Avoid Kuta. Seminyak and Canggu are beautiful if you want beach life and excellent restaurants. For a quieter, more cultural experience, base yourself in Ubud — the spiritual and artistic centre of the island, surrounded by rice terraces and with more temples than you can count. I spent three weeks in Ubud and one week in Amed, a quiet fishing village in the north-east with some of the best snorkelling and diving in Indonesia.
The Temples
Bali has over 20,000 temples — pura — and they are woven into every aspect of daily life. You will encounter offerings (canang sari) everywhere: small palm-leaf baskets containing flowers, incense, and food, placed on doorsteps, at crossroads, in front of shops, at the base of significant trees. Attend an odalan — a temple anniversary ceremony — if you can; the music, the elaborate offerings, the priests, and the spectacle are unlike anything you will see as a tourist.
The Food
Bali’s food culture is extraordinary and often overlooked. A warung (small family restaurant) will serve you nasi campur — rice with an array of vegetables, meats, and sambals — for the equivalent of a couple of pounds, and it will be delicious. Babi guling (spit-roasted suckling pig) is the island’s great dish and worth seeking out the best version you can find. Sate lilit — minced fish or pork pressed around lemongrass skewers — is extraordinary. Eat in warungs, not tourist restaurants. Your wallet and palate will both thank you.