Things to Do in Badung, Bali

The main traditional wet market of Denpasar, two storeys of fresh produce, spices, flowers, and local snacks. Ground floor is fruit and veg; upstairs is meat, fish, and household goods. More authentic than the tourist markets.

🕐 Mon–Sat: 05:00–17:00, Sun: 05:00–13:00

💡 Come early (before 8am) for the best selection and no crowds. Try a small plastic bag of rice cakes (jaja) from the stalls near the entrance. Keep valuables in a front pocket – it's busy.

A government-run centre with rotating exhibitions on Balinese art, dance, and crafts. Often hosts free workshops and performances.

🕐 09:00-16:00

💡 Check their Facebook page for free events, especially during Galungan or Nyepi. Most displays have English text.

A quiet complex in Denpasar used for traditional dance rehearsals, art exhibitions and music performances. Free to walk around the grounds—see gamelan players practising under open-sided pavilions.

🕐 Mon–Sat: 8am–4pm (closed Sundays)

💡 Check the noticeboard near the entrance for free evening performances (often at 7pm on Fridays). The on-site art gallery is tiny but has original work from local students.

A complex of traditional Balinese pavilions, gardens, and a gallery showing rotating exhibitions of painting, sculpture, and textile work. Admission is cheap (about 20,000 IDR) and the grounds are pleasant for an hour's wandering.

🕐 Tue–Sun: 08:00–16:00, closed Mon

💡 Go during the Bali Arts Festival (June–July) for free performances on outdoor stages. Otherwise, the gallery is quiet midweek. Bring cash – no card payments.

A sprawling cultural park featuring the massive 121-metre Garuda Wisnu statue, plus Balinese dance performances, art exhibitions, and craft markets.

🕐 08:00–20:00

💡 Check the schedule for free cultural performances—they happen most afternoons. Entrance is 125,000 IDR; bring a hat and water as it's mostly outdoor.

A small city park with a fishing pond, shady trees, and jogging paths. Popular with locals for picnic and exercise.

🕐 06:00-18:00

💡 Bring your own fishing rod – rental is cheap but limited. Best visited late afternoon when the heat drops and the evening breeze starts.

A small community park along the river with benches, a jogging track, and a bamboo bridge. Local families come here to relax; it's shady and low-key, with no entrance fee.

🕐 Always open

💡 Bring a snack and a mat. The park is a good spot for a cheap lunch from the nearby roadside food carts while watching dragonflies over the water.

A large stone monument at the centre of Renon's lapangan (city square). Inside is a museum covering Balinese history, and from the top you get a 360° view of Denpasar and the surrounding rice fields.

🕐 Mon–Sat: 8am–5pm, Sun: 10am–5pm

💡 Entry is 40,000 IDR (roughly £2). The park around it is free and popular with locals for jogging and picnics in the late afternoon. The best view is from the rooftop at 4pm when the light softens over the fields.

A well-maintained aviary with over 1,000 birds from 250 species, including rare Bali starlings. Walk-through enclosures let you get close to hornbills and parrots.

🕐 09:00–17:30

💡 Buy tickets online to save 20%, and time your visit for the 11am feeding session for the most interactive experience.

A small, sheltered cove with soft white sand and clear turquoise water, accessed via a narrow stairway through a rock crevice. Surf breaks nearby in the wet season.

🕐 07:00–18:00

💡 Come early, around 8am, to avoid crowds and the 15,000 IDR parking fee; bring cash for the entrance fee of 10,000 IDR.

A long crescent of golden sand with calm waters and fishing boats pulled ashore. Good for swimming, sunset watching, or a walk at low tide when locals dig for clams.

🕐 Always open

💡 Walk north past the fish market to the quieter stretch near the Four Seasons. The seafood restaurants on the south end charge tourist prices; skip them and eat at the warungs along Jalan Uluwatu instead.

A laid-back black-sand beach with a reef break for intermediate surfers. Has a temple on a rock outcropping.

🕐 Open 24 hours

💡 Free entry, but parking costs 5,000 IDR. Bring your own drink and towel; cafes here are pricier than a 5-minute walk inland.

A small cove beach with soft sand and turquoise water, accessible by stairs through a cliffside crevice. Popular with surfers and sunbathers.

🕐 Open 24 hours

💡 Go early before 9am to avoid crowds and parking hassles. The beach is a short motorbike ride from central Badung.

A compact white-sand cove framed by limestone cliffs. Popular with surfers for its consistent breaks and with film fans as the setting for 'Eat Pray Love'. The beach itself is small but the scenery is striking.

🕐 Daily: 6am–6pm

💡 Go early (by 8am) to avoid the crowds and the 10,000 IDR entry fee collectors. The stairs down are steep—wear flip-flops with grip.

A secluded beach south of Jimbaran, accessed by a long concrete staircase cut into the cliff. The water is clear and green, the sand fine and white. There are three small caves at the back of the beach.

🕐 Daily: 7am–5pm

💡 Park at the roadside warungs near the top—they charge 2,000 IDR for scooter parking. Bring water and snacks; there's nothing once you're down. The staircase is 270 steps—doable but hot in midday sun.

A iconic sea temple built on a rocky offshore formation, dramatically framed by waves at high tide. Best visited at low tide when you can walk across the sand.

🕐 06:00–19:00

💡 Go at sunrise to avoid the tourist buses and heat; entrance is 60,000 IDR. Don't buy sarongs from hawkers—they're provided free at the entry.

A small active sea temple on the bluff above Mertasari Beach, with carved stone gates and shrines that face the Indian Ocean. Quiet, rarely crowded, and gives a sense of everyday Balinese Hindu practice.

🕐 Open daily, sunrise to sunset

💡 Wear a sarong (borrow one at the entrance if you don't have one). Visit just before sunset for golden light on the stones and fewer visitors.

A sea temple perched on a steep cliff, offering dramatic Indian Ocean views. Known for its sunset Kecak dance performances.

🕐 07:00-19:00

💡 Admission is 50,000 IDR (about £3) – cheap for a world-class site. Watch out for cheeky monkeys; secure your glasses and phone.

Perched on a cliff edge 70m above the Indian Ocean, this sea temple dates from the 11th century. Temples aside, the main draw is the sheer drop and the sunset Kecak fire dance performed on a clifftop stage.

🕐 Daily: 7am–7pm

💡 The entry fee is 50,000 IDR (about £2.50). Monkeys here are bold and steal sunglasses—leave them in your bag or pocket. The fire dance starts at 6pm but arrive by 5pm to secure a spot.

Perched on a sheer cliff overlooking the Indian Ocean, this ancient sea temple offers dramatic sunset views and a traditional Kecak fire dance performance in the evening.

🕐 07:00–19:00

💡 Arrive by 5pm to secure a good spot for the dance show and avoid the midday heat; entrance fee is 50,000 IDR (about £2.50).