The Dutch first reached Bali in 1597 while scouting new ground for conquest and profit. They left without drawing blood but they didn’t leave without a decision. Bali had been marked. For the next two centuries, the island remained untouched, not because the Dutch had lost interest, but because they were waiting for the moment it would be worth the slaughter. It wasn’t peace. It was a pause before an extermination. When they returned, the rivers would turn red.

In the heart of Batuan village stands Pura Puseh Desa Batuan, one of Bali’s oldest and most spiritually charged temples. Founded in 1020 AD and recorded in Balinese historical texts for over a millennium, it is rooted in something far older, believed to have been built atop a megalithic stone circle, echoing the ancient power of Stonehenge, where ancestral rites were once performed.

Garuda, the colossal bird being of Hindu myth, soars through Balinese religious imagination not as a gentle guardian but as a relentless force cutting across the realms of gods, demons and mortals. His wings are said to darken the sky when spread, the violent wind from their beat capable of stripping the leaves from the forests.

Across Bali, Bedogol refers to the guardian statues that flank the entrances of temples and family compounds, the silent watchers carved in stone. Positioned in pairs on either side of a gateway, they serve as spiritual protectors, anchoring the threshold between the ordinary world and sacred ground.

Officially known as Puri Agung Semarapura, Klungkung Palace is a historic site in Semarapura, the capital of Klungkung Regency in east Bali. Built in 1686, it was once the political and cultural heart of the Klungkung kingdom, though much of it was nearly razed during the Dutch colonial conquest in 1908.

Mystery surrounds the true origins of Goa Gajah, a 9th century cave temple complex near Ubud in central Bali. Rediscovered by Dutch archaeologists in 1923 after centuries hidden beneath dense vegetation, the site holds no actual link to elephants, despite its name. The term “Elephant Cave” likely evolved from Lwa Gajah, an old name associated with the nearby river, not from any animal symbolism found within the temple itself.

Puri Langon is a privately owned royal compound located in central Ubud. It is the personal residence of Tjokorda Ngurah Suyadnya, better known as Cok Wah, a respected figure in the Ubud royal family. Though it remains a functioning private home, Puri Langon is open to the public free of charge, offering rare access to a lived-in royal space that continues to serve spiritual and cultural functions within the community.

Pura Penataran Sasih, founded in 1266 AD, was once the state temple of the Pejeng kingdom. Set in the fertile Petauan River valley, it reflects Bali’s ancient ties between ritual and agriculture. At its centre lies the Moon of Pejeng, a 2000 year old bronze drum and the largest single-cast of its kind in the world.

Perched 300 meters above Northern Bali’s hills, Brahmavihara Arama is the island’s largest Buddhist monastery, offering breathtaking views over rice terraces and the Bali Sea. Though built in the 1970s, this tranquil sanctuary has quickly become a must-visit spiritual retreat away from the usual tourist paths.

Believed to have been used for nearly a thousand years, the Banjar Hot Springs, known locally as Permadian Air Panas, hold deep spiritual and cultural significance dating back to at least the 10th century. Oral traditions and local belief suggest these sacred springs have long served as a place for ritual purification and healing, well before the arrival of modern tourism or infrastructure.

Batara Kala, in Balinese mythology, is the monstrous deity of time, destruction and the underworld. He's a god born not from light but from the uncontrolled lust of the supreme god Shiva (Siwa). In one chilling version of his origin, Batara Kala is conceived during a moment of cosmic imbalance, when Shiva’s spilled seed, filled with uncontrollable rage and passion, falls to earth and takes form.

In the mystical landscape of Bali, where volcanoes brood above emerald rice terraces and the sea whispers ancient secrets, serpentine beings known as Nāgas hold a revered place in the island’s cosmology. These mythical serpent deities, often depicted as long, dragon-like creatures adorned with golden crowns and shimmering scales of green and gold, are considered powerful protectors of water, fertility and the spiritual balance between the underworld, earth, and the heavens.

Perched on a ridge above Ubud’s sacred Campuhan River lies one of Bali’s most curious artistic enclaves, the Blanco Renaissance Museum, once the home and studio of the flamboyant artist Don Antonio Blanco. Often called the “Dali of Bali,” Blanco's vibrant persona and sensual art helped solidify his reputation as one of the island's most celebrated foreign creatives.

Nestled in the highlands of Penebel District in West Bali, the village of Jatiluwih offers a living testament to the ancient harmony between humans, nature and the divine. Overlooked by the brooding silhouette of Mount Batukaru, Bali’s second-highest volcano and a sacred site in its own right, Jatiluwih’s name translates to "truly beautiful," a title it lives up to with dramatic sweeps of emerald-green rice terraces that ripple across the landscape.

Tucked into the emerald folds of eastern Bali, Sidemen is a village preserved in time, its quiet beauty masking layers of history, mysticism & ancient power. Long before it became a retreat for travellers, Sidemen was the cradle of sacred agricultural rituals & spiritual learning. Oral traditions trace the village’s origins back to Bali’s earliest kingdoms, once a training ground for priests drawn to the area's potent energy and its proximity to Mount Agung, the island’s most

The Ayung River is Bali’s longest waterway, stretching 68.5 km's from the lush northern highlands down to the southern coast at Sanur. It snakes its way through deep gorges, remote jungles, rice terraces and traditional villages, making it one of the island’s most scenic natural features. Despite its size, the Ayung maintains a gentle flow for much of its length, making it ideal for outdoor activities like rafting and river trekking.

Located on the northeastern fringe of Ubud’s Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, Pura Prajapati, known to locals as the Cremation Temple, is far more than just a place of worship. Estimated to have been constructed around 1350AD, it is one of three major temples within the forest complex and plays a critical role in Bali’s intricate death rituals. The Hindu temple honours Hyang Widhi Wasa, the divine spirit that permeates all existence, in the form of Prajapati, the Lord of all b

Celebrated in March, the Balinese New Year known as Nyepi is a truly unique spiritual occasion unlike any other in the world. Instead of loud celebrations, fireworks or street parties, the island enters a state of complete silence. No flights arrive or depart, no vehicles take to the road and even electricity use is minimised. Known as the “Day of Silence,” Nyepi is devoted to self-reflection, meditation and purification.

First established in the 17th century, Pura Batur is one of Bali’s most venerated temples, second only to Pura Besakih on the sacred slopes of Mount Agung. Perched at roughly 900 metres above sea level, this mountain sanctuary overlooks the dramatic caldera of Mount Batur, an active volcano steeped in myth and raw geological power.

Tanah Lot, which translates to “Floating Land,” is one of Bali’s most revered and iconic sea temples. Located in the village of Beraban...