East Bali

Exploring east Bali is one of the island's great pleasures. Rice terraces spill down hillsides, wild volcanic beaches are pounded by surf and traditional villages are barely touched by modernity. Watching over this region is Gunung Agung, the 10,308ft (3142m) active volcano known as the 'Navel of the World' and 'Mother Mountain'.

Temples, palaces and whimsically designed water gardens are dotted throughout the landscape. Two of the temples – Pura Besakih and Pura Lempuyang – are among Bali's most important pilgrimage sites, and evocative reminders of the island's royal dynasties can be found in Klungkung (Semarapura), in Amlapura and at Tirta Gangga.

Up on the northeast coast, Amed and Tulamben are laid-back beach destinations for those keen to escape the crowds on the south coast. Diving, snorkelling, enjoying yoga and lazing by swimming pools are the priorities up here, and can be enjoyed by travelers on every budget.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout East Bali.

  • Hindu Temple

    Pura Besakih

    Perched nearly 1000m up the side of Gunung Agung, this is Bali's most important Hindu temple. The site encompasses 23 separate but related temples, with the largest and most important being Pura Penataran Agung, built on six levels terraced up the slope. It has an imposing candi bentar (split gateway); note that tourists are not allowed inside. The Pura Besakih complex hosts frequent ceremonies, but the recent eruptions of the volcano have kept both worshipper and visitor numbers down.

  • Palace

    Puri Agung Semarapura

    Built when the Dewa Agung dynasty moved here in 1710, this palace compound was laid out as a large square, believed to be in the form of a mandala, with courtyards, gardens, pavilions and moats. Most of the original palace and grounds were destroyed by the 1908 Dutch attacks; all that remain are the carved Pemedal Agung, the gateway on the south side of the square, the Kertha Gosa and the Bale Kambang.

  • Hindu Temple

    Pura Kehen

    The state temple of the Bangli kingdom, Pura Kehen is a miniature version of Pura Besakih, Bali's most important temple. It's terraced up the hillside, with a flight of steps leading to the beautifully decorated entrance. The first courtyard has a huge banyan tree with a kulkul (hollow tree-trunk drum used to sound warnings) entwined in its branches and the inner courtyard has an 11-roof meru (multitiered shrine). Other shrines have thrones for the Hindu trinity: Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu.

  • Historic Building

    Kertha Gosa

    This open-sided pavilion in the northeastern corner of Puri Agung Semarapura was effectively the supreme court of the Klungkung kingdom, where disputes and cases that could not be settled at village level were eventually brought. A superb example of Klungkung architecture, it features a ceiling covered with fine 20th-century paintings in Kamasan (aka Wayang) style. These replaced the original 19th-century cloth paintings, which had deteriorated over time, and depict the Garuda story among other scenes.

  • Hindu Temple

    Pura Lempuyang

    One of the holiest temple complexes on the island (it and Pura Besakih are the most important in east Bali), this group of seven temples has a spectacular setting on the steep slope of Gunung Lempuyang, 10km northeast of Tirta Gangga.

  • Historic Building

    Bale Kambang

    Located within the palace compound, the ceiling of this beautiful floating bale (open-sided pavilion) showcases rows of paintings dealing with various subjects. The first row is based on the astrological calendar, the second on the folk tale of Pan and Men Brayut and their 18 children, and the upper rows on the adventures of the hero Sutasona.

  • Beach

    Blue Lagoon Beach

    On the far side of Padangbai's eastern headland, about a 500m walk from the town centre, is this small sandy beach. It has a couple of warungs and gentle, family-friendly surf.

  • Gardens

    Taman Tirta Gangga

    This 1.2-hectare water palace serves as a fascinating reminder of the old Bali. Built for the last raja of Karangasem in 1946, it was almost fully destroyed by the eruption of nearby Gunung Agung in 1963, but has subsequently been rebuilt. Admire the 11-tiered Nawa Sanga fountain and the ponds filled with huge koi and lotus blossoms, and jump between the round stepping stones in the water. It's also possible to take a swim in the huge stone spring-water pool.

  • Cave

    Pura Goa Lawah

    One of nine directional temples in Bali, this cave in a cliff face 3km east of Kusamba is full of bats and the complex is equally overcrowded with tour groups, both foreign and local. You'll probably want to exclaim 'Holy Bat Guano, Batman!' when you get a whiff of the odours emanating from the cave – Alfred Pennyworth definitely wouldn't approve. Superficially, the temple is small and unimpressive, but it is very old and of great significance to the Balinese.