Almost every complaint about Bali is a complaint about a 15km strip in the south. Choose differently and the island's reputation makes very little sense.

Sidemen

An hour east of Ubud, a valley of rice terraces beneath Mount Agung, with a handful of small guesthouses and almost no traffic. The same landscape people photograph near Tegallalang, without the entrance gates or the coach parking. Three nights minimum.

Munduk

At 800m in the northern hills: cooler nights, coffee and clove gardens, waterfalls, and lake temples within reach. The road up is winding and the views on arrival justify it. Good for two or three nights, particularly if the coast has been hot.

Rice terraces stepping down a valley with palms and morning mist
Sidemen: the landscape most visitors go to Tegallalang for.

Amed and the east coast

Black sand, calm water, traditional outrigger boats drawn up on the beach, and the Liberty wreck at nearby Tulamben sitting 30m from shore in shallow water. Very little nightlife, which is the point. Three nights.

Around Ubud, not in it

Ubud's centre now has traffic and queues. Ten minutes out — Penestanan, Keliki, Petulu — you get rice fields, walking paths and the same access to the town's restaurants and workshops.

A two-week shape that works

Three nights around Ubud, three in Sidemen, three in Amed, two in Munduk, and the last two wherever your flight makes easiest. Two transfer days built in.

For the full picture, see the Bali destination guide.