Best Places to Visit in Bali for First Timers

• Nikhil Rana
• June 23, 2026
• Travel
• places to visit in Bali
• 0 Comments

Okay so.

I went to Bali.

And I was so thrilled before all of this. Like seriously excited. Know why? I have watched several YouTube videos and I have even created a Pinterest board. I got myself a new suitcase too. That’s because I was that girl. You know who she is.

And then I finally got there. And I had completely no idea what I was doing.

None.

I thought Bali was just. A place. Like you show up and you figure it out and everything’s fine. And everything was fine. But also a lot of things were not fine. And actually most of those things were my fault because I did not plan anything and I even didn’t listen to anyone and I thought I knew better.

I didn’t know better.

Now I’ll just come out and tell you everything. Not in an elegant manner but rather in a couch on sweat pants kind of way because that would have made me feel better.

First thing. Traffic.

Oh my god.

They didn’t warn me. They said “Oh the traffic is bad” like they said “Oh it could be warm.” Great help.

No.

The traffic is not bad. The traffic is a nightmare. A beautiful nightmare. You will sit in a car. You will watch the same scooter with a family of four and a chicken pass you like six times. You will look at your phone and it will say 45 minutes to go 5 kilometers and you will think that’s a glitch. It’s not a glitch. It’s Bali.

I cried once. In the back of a taxi. Just quietly crying because I was tired and hungry and I wanted to get to my stupid hotel and take a stupid shower and the driver just kept saying “almost there almost there” for like two hours. He was so nice. I was so sad.

So yeah. The traffic will humble you.

Okay so where should you actually go.

Ubud.

I know everyone says Ubud. I rolled my eyes at Ubud before I went. I was like “oh so basic” like I’m some kind of cool traveler who doesn’t do tourist things. I’m not cool. I did all the tourist things. And Ubud was lovely.

The rice terraces. Yes, the ones from Eat Pray Love. I sat there and it hit me. I understood why she went here. It’s not all about the stunning scenery. It’s also the smell. Everything smells of damp soil, fresh flowers, and food someone cooks somewhere nearby. Plus, it’s peaceful. Really peaceful. Not peaceful like in cities when the noise around you does not bother you anymore.

I sat on a rock. Took no pictures there. And completed enjoyed my time sitting there, like for twenty minutes,and do you know what it is an eternity for someone like me who has a really short attention span.

The rice terraces are one of the most beautiful places to go to in Bali, especially if it’s your first time coming here. Don’t just come there and climb up to the peak to do your Instagram swing poses. Walk down, get dirty. There’s a place near the bottom of the stairs where not many people venture that is simply amazing for relaxing.

Also in Ubud. The monkey forest.

Alright. Well, yes, the monkeys are absolutely adorable. But then there will be those days when you find yourself referring to them as little thieves as well. Take for instance the one time when I learned that a monkey had stolen an entire bag of chips from a small child who was sobbing because of it. There he was happily munching away on them as though he had bought them. And one actually tried to steal my water bottle!

Go to the monkey forest. It’s fun. But keep your stuff in your bag. And don’t bring snacks until and unless you want to get robbed by a tiny furry thief.

Seminyak.

This is where you go when you need a break from being spiritual and in touch with nature. When you want a real coffee. When you want air conditioning that actually works. When you’ve been sweating so much that you’ve just accepted you will never be dry again but you still want to sit somewhere with a cold towel and pretend.

For three days, I did absolutely nothing there. I ate pasta since I was craving it. I bought a dress I really didn’t need from a lady who complimented me by saying how beautiful I am when she said the same thing to others too. I took a massage from a salon which had a scent of lemongrass.

One day I took a walk down to the beach. I just ambled there. No specific.I also took a coconut and sat down on the sand. Got some sand in my legs.

The sunset was ridiculous. Pink and purple and orange. Like a toddler got hold of the paint set and went crazy. I took so many photos. Deleted most of them. Kept two. They still make me happy when I scroll past them on bad days.

Another one of the best places to visit in Bali for first timers is that exact thing. Not a specific beach. Not a famous landmark. Just buying a coconut from a random guy and sitting on the sand and watching the sky do its thing. You can’t plan that. You just have to be there.

Uluwatu.

Uluwatu is cliffs. Just cliffs. Really really tall cliffs with a temple on top and the ocean at the bottom and nothing else for miles.

You stand at the edge and your stomach does this little flip because it’s so high and the waves look so small and you realize you’re just a tiny speck on a big planet and honestly? That feeling is kind of nice. Makes your problems feel smaller.

The temple is cool. Old stone. Moss. Little flower offerings everywhere. But the monkeys. Oh my god the monkeys again.

I watched a monkey open a woman’s purse. Not sneakily. Openly. Like he owned the place. He pulled out her sunglasses. Put them on his face. And then he just sat there. Looking at everyone.

Keep your bag closed. Keep your food hidden. Those monkeys have no respect for you or your vacation.

This is definitely one of the best places to visit in Bali for first timers if you want that big view that makes you feel small in a good way. Go late afternoon. Bring bug spray. The mosquitoes are no joke. I had bites on my ankles that looked like a second skin for two weeks.

Nusa Penida.

Okay.

I need to be really honest about Nusa Penida.

The pictures are insane. You’ve seen them. The dinosaur shaped cliff. The water that looks like a screensaver. The blue that doesn’t look real but is real.

But getting there. And getting around. That’s the part they don’t put on Instagram.

The boat ride is bumpy. Like hold onto your seat and also your stomach bumpy. You will get wet. Your hair will look insane. Your outfit will be ruined. Just wear your worst clothes. Save the cute stuff for later.

And then the roads. Oh my god the roads.

They are cracked. And steep. And full of holes. And nobody paved them properly. And there are chickens everywhere. You will be in a car bouncing around like a piece of popcorn for like an hour and a half. I almost threw up twice. My friend actually did throw up. Behind a bush. On the side of the road. A local man watched and handed her a tissue. She still talks about it.

But then. Then you get to the top. You walk to the edge. And you look down. And you forget about the boat and the roads and the almost throwing up. Because it’s just. So. Beautiful.

You literally stop breathing for a moment. You simply get lost in what’s happening around you and forget how to breathe.The moment you inhale once again but it just feels like taking your first-ever breath.

One of the coolest destinations in Bali that you can check out as an absolute beginner in visiting this amazing island would be Nusa Penida. Please please please take a driver with you. DO NOT use a scooter there. Trust me, don’t. Not unless you know how to drive on roads which look like they’ve seen the war. People were using bandages on their arms buying iodine in pharmacies. This shouldn’t happen to you.

Canggu.

Canggu is loud. And crowded. And kind of annoying sometimes. And I loved it.

Full of digital nomads, drinking smoothie bowls from their computers wearing clothes made from recycled plastic materials. One finds it extremely difficult to navigate along the road at times without getting run over by people on scooters who ride very fast along the streets here.

Playa del Carmen is definitely not similar when it comes to the atmosphere created. This place is really exciting since one can sense the excitement amongst the youth. Anything goes right here, and nobody cares what one is wearing because everybody dresses up in funny costumes. Surfing will be ideal at this destination, provided one loves to surf.

And the food. Oh the food. You can get amazing dinner for like five dollars. Real dinner. Not sad traveler food. Actually delicious food from a little place with plastic chairs and a cat sleeping under the table and a fan that barely works but you don’t even care because the noodles are so good.

This is one of the best places to visit in Bali for first timers who still need to check emails or just want lots of options for eating. Just don’t expect peace and quiet. Expect bass music and scooters and someone selling silver jewelry who will say “looking is free beautiful” as you walk by every single time. It’s chaos and also kind of lovely.

I even wish someone had told me.

The traffic. I know I am saying it again but I need you to really hear me. A twenty minute drive takes an hour. An hour drive takes three hours. Just accept it. Put on music. Look out the window. Watch the rice fields. Watch the dogs sleeping on the side of the road. Watch the scooters carrying fridges. If you fight it you will be miserable. Don’t fight it.

Remember to bring money. It seems like everywhere says they accept cards, but then their machine isn’t working or there’s no signal or they just stare at you as if you had three heads. Then there you are sweating your ass off holding a water bottle and a sarong that you really don’t need. Quietly embarrassing, right? I can relate as I’ve been there too many times.

If possible drink bottled water. Even for brushing your teeth. I learned this the hard way. The hard way involved my hotel bathroom at 2am and I will not say more. Just bring your own medicine. And maybe some crackers. Just in case.

And here’s the thing. The real thing. The thing I still think about.

It is not necessary that you should view everything.

I understand that you think that you should view everything but I am telling you from my own experience that you need not view everything. I am telling this because I know that you paid for the flight, took some time off from work just to visit Bali and prove to everyone that you are there.

The best places to visit in Bali for first timers will still be there next year. And the year after. You can come back. You can leave something unseen. That’s not a failure. That’s just a reason to book another flight.

Look if you read all of this and feel overwhelmed just stop. Close your phone. Take a breath

Just pick one area. Maybe two. Stay there. Eat the food. Get lost a little. Let the humidity ruin your hair. Let the sunburn teach you a lesson that you should have already learned because seriously I got so burned on day one. So burned.Wear sunscreen please.

That’s it. That’s all.

Now go book your flight. Or don’t. Just do something that makes you happy.

You deserve it. I promise.