Map of Bali

Looking at a map of Bali you will see its not a very big island, measuring 150km East – West by 80km North – South. Most people arrive a Ngurah Rai airport (DPS) which is actually located south of Kuta in Tuban. The only real city is Denpasar and most of the expats live in the Kuta, Legian, Seminyak area or over in Sanur. Of course there are other hotspots for long stayers such as Ubud, Singaraja and Candi Dasa.

From a 10,000ft high view, you can say most of the people / action is in the areas mentioned. Driving north, south, east or west means getting to way more traditional image of Bali. To the south is the Bukit, the sparsely populated limestone plateau, home to great surfing breaks and a few grazing cattle. To the north are the mountains, cooler, rainier weather and lush scenery. East is the land of Gunung Agung and Gunung Batur, the Bali Aga (original Balinese) makes this part of Bali their home. West Bali means a less touristy part of the island and the mostly untraveled Bali Barat Nasional Park.

You can get from Kuta to Singaraja in 3 hours, form Kuta to Amed in 4 hours, from Kuta to Uluwatu in 35 minutes and Kuta to Negara in 3.5 hours. Don’t limit yourself to Kuta, Bali has more to offer.