Hanuman, the fierce Monkey King, prowls through the shadowed corners of Balinese myth, a figure both revered and feared. Far beyond a mere symbol of strength, he embodies a primal force, wild, untamed and relentless in his pursuit of justice. In Bali’s ancient Hindu-Buddhist tapestry, Hanuman’s presence evokes a raw energy, one that bridges the mortal world with darker realms where gods and demons wage eternal war.

Encircled by a wide moat and wrapped in manicured geometric gardens, Pura Taman Ayun looks more like a mythical vision than a temple. This 17th-century royal fortress served as the royal temple of the once mighty Mengwi kingdom and was designed not just to honour the gods but to remind subjects of the divine order that placed kings just beneath them.

Right in the heart of downtown Ubud near the Puri Lukisan Museum, stands Pura Dalem, a temple steeped in spiritual significance and cultural heritage. As one of the main temples in the area, it plays a vital role in the religious life of the local community, serving as a sacred space for worship, ceremonies and traditional performances.

Carved like emerald steps into Ubud’s natural amphitheatres, locals say the spirit of the rice goddess still watches over the iconic Tegallalang Rice Terrace, blessing the fields with life and balance. Also known as Ceking, the terraces are a large collection of beautiful verdant rice paddies, carved into the hillside by generations of farmers and shaped by centuries of Balinese ingenuity.

One of the most horrific chapters in Balinese history occurred during the anti-communist purges which swept across Indonesia in the mid 1960's and barely anyone dares talk about it. In the years leading up to the massacre, Bali was already a fractured island, mirroring the deepening political and social divisions across Indonesia.

Evoking both fear and intrigue, the Balinese divinity known as Rangda stands as a terrifying yet essential force within the island's spiritual and cultural landscape. She is more than just a monstrous figure, she is the embodiment of ultimate darkness, chaos and destruction, the shadow side of the cosmos that cannot be ignored or denied.

Established in 1876, Vihara Dharmayana stands as one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Bali and the only one of its kind in Kuta. Known locally as Kongco Kuta, the temple was built to honour Tan Hu Cin Jin, a Chinese nobleman and architect who served the King of Mengwi. The site was famously visited by the 14th Dalai Lama during his tour of the island in 1982.