Is East Bali Worth Visiting? Why I’d Stay Here Instead of South Bali

There’s nothing necessarily wrong with that version of Bali, but it is very far from my personal tastes and after spending time exploring different parts of the island, I think East Bali offers a more interesting experience in Bali.

Mountains, rice fields, temples, waterfalls, quiet roads and some genuinely excellent value hotels.

So, is East Bali worth visiting?

In my opinion, absolutely. In fact, it infinitely appears to me more than somewhere in the busy south.

This might not come as a shock to you, but East Bali generally refers to the eastern side of the island. More specifically around places such as Amed, Abang, Candidasa, Sidemen and Karangasem.

It’s a noticeably different experience from the heavily developed areas around Kuta, Seminyak and Canggu.

One of the biggest differences is simply the landscape. Mount Agung dominates much of the region, while rice terraces, small villages and winding roads make travelling around East Bali part of the experience. My first experience of this part of Bali was after a trip to the Gili Islands, the taxi ride to my hotel in Abang was some of the best scenery I have experienced in a long time.

One key thing to note is it feels considerably less built-up than South Bali, although that obviously comes with both advantages and some small disadvantages.

I don’t think there is necessarily a better part of Bali. It depends entirely on what you want from your trip. A lot of my opinions on this subject are from my own personal bias.

South Bali makes a lot of sense if nightlife, restaurants, shopping and beach clubs are important to you. There is also an enormous choice of accommodation.

East Bali is almost the opposite.

Things are more spread out, nightlife is limited and you’ll probably want some form of transport if you plan on exploring properly. I rented a scooter from my hotel but taxis are very affordable and hiring a driver or booking a guided tour isn’t going to break the bank.

This quietness is also exactly why I liked it.

Instead of sitting in traffic travelling between cafés and attractions, you can spend your time exploring temples, waterfalls, rice terraces and small towns.

It simply feels like a more relaxing place to be.

For me, this is where East Bali really wins. Now Northern Bali specifically the Munduk area is probably my favourite area, the area around Abang is fantastic.

Mount Agung provides an incredible backdrop to much of the region, and even relatively ordinary drives can take you past rice fields, mountains and villages.

There are plenty of places in Bali with beautiful scenery, but East Bali seems to deliver it almost constantly.

You also have some of Bali’s most impressive attractions within relatively easy reach.

One of the best-known attractions in East Bali is Tirta Gangga Water Palace.

The former royal palace is filled with fountains, pools, gardens and the famous stepping stones that cross one of the main ponds.

It’s certainly not unknown to tourists, but it still feels like an attraction that fits naturally into a trip around East Bali. This place was a minutes scooter ride away from my hotel rather than a long mini bus drive from the south.

Another place I’d highly recommend is Taman Ujung Water Palace.

The palace complex is considerably larger than Tirta Gangga, with huge gardens, pools and viewpoints looking towards the surrounding mountains and coastline.

If you're travelling around Karangasem, it is very easy to combine both water palaces into the same trip.

Continue towards the coast and you eventually reach Amed, another popular base in East Bali. Amed is particularly well known for diving and snorkelling, but even if you have absolutely no intention of going underwater, the area is worth exploring.

The combination of coastline and mountains makes this one of the most visually impressive parts of Bali.

It also has a much more relaxed atmosphere than many of the beach destinations in the south.

Another major reason I would consider staying in East Bali again is the accommodation.

Bali generally offers excellent hotel value, but moving away from the most popular tourist areas can make that value even better.

During my trip I stayed at Villa di Bias in the Abang region, which turned out to be one of my favourite hotel stays in Bali, but to be fair every hotel in Bali I stayed at was great.

The biggest selling point was the location.

Surrounded by greenery with views towards the mountains and rice fields, it felt far removed from the busy version of Bali you often see online.

For the price, I thought it offered incredible value.

In the video above, I show you around Villa di Bias, the room, the surroundings and the views, as well as what you can expect if you're considering staying here.

This was probably one of my favourite things about the region.

Bali is enormously popular and you're obviously not going to discover some completely untouched corner of the island. But East Bali can feel considerably quieter.

Once you get away from the major attractions, there are roads where tourist traffic drops considerably and areas that feel much more rural.

For me, that makes exploring far more enjoyable.

I don't need somewhere to be completely empty to enjoy it, but I also don't particularly want to spend my holiday constantly sitting in traffic. The scooter rides I took exploring were almost completely void of other tourists and the hotel I stayed, I didn’t see a single other tourist.

It can be.

Accommodation in particular can offer excellent value, especially once you move away from the most famous coastal areas.

Restaurants and local food can also be inexpensive.

However, there is one thing worth considering.

Because attractions are more spread out, you may spend more money on transport. Hiring a scooter is the obvious option for confident riders, while drivers and taxis are available if you don't want to ride yourself.

Even taking that into account, I think East Bali can offer excellent overall value.

I'd give East Bali at least 2 nights.

That gives you enough time to see some of the major attractions but 3 days would be perfect.

With four or five nights, you could explore at a much slower pace and potentially split your stay between somewhere inland around Abang or Sidemen and somewhere closer to the coast such as Amed.

If you have two weeks in Bali, I think spending a few nights here provides a great contrast to the busier parts of the island, or like me, just avoid the busier parts and have an unforgettable trip without the crowds.

If most of those sound appealing, East Bali is probably somewhere you should seriously consider adding to your itinerary.

For me, East Bali was one of the highlights of travelling around Bali.

Between places like Tirta Gangga, Taman Ujung, Amed and the countryside surrounding Abang, there is easily enough here to justify spending several days exploring.