An hour and a half north of Ubud the road climbs out of the rice terraces into cloud forest, and Bali changes completely. Munduk sits on a ridge at around a thousand metres, surrounded by coffee and clove plantations, with waterfalls dropping into ravines on both sides and a view down a green valley to the northern sea. It is cool, quiet and almost entirely free of the traffic that defines the south, and it is the part of the island that visitors either never reach or never stop talking about.
What the highlands are
Cool and green. At this altitude the air is genuinely fresh, mornings are misty and evenings need a layer.
Plantation country. Coffee, cloves, cocoa and vanilla grow on the slopes, and small producers run tastings and tours.
Waterfalls in ravines, several within walking distance of the village, linked by paths through the forest.
Lakes in the old volcanic craters nearby, with temples on their shores.
Almost no traffic, which after the south is the thing you notice first.
What to do
Walk to the waterfalls. Two or three can be linked into a half-day walk through plantations and forest, on steep wet paths.
A plantation visit, which is genuinely interesting rather than a shop with a view, particularly for the spice growing.
The rice terraces north of the village, which are less visited and less staged than the famous ones further south.
The lakes and the crater rim a short drive south, with a botanic garden and a temple on the water.
The north coast, an hour down the mountain, with black sand, dolphins at dawn and a very different pace.
Nothing at all, which is what the ridge and the view are for.
The north coast
An hour down the mountain from Munduk, the northern shore is another Bali again.
Black sand beaches and calm water, with none of the surf of the south.
Dolphins at dawn off one stretch of coast, on boat trips that leave before sunrise. The experience varies with the operator and how many boats crowd a sighting, so choose one that keeps its distance.
Hot springs near a Buddhist monastery in the hills behind.
Diving and snorkelling off a small island reserve on the northwest coast, which is among the best reef in Bali.
Very few visitors, and prices to match.
Practical notes
Rain is more likely here than on the coast in any month, which is why it is green.
Roads are winding and the drive from the south is longer than the distance suggests.
Cash for waterfall entrance fees, which are small and collected locally.
Shoes with grip for the paths, which are wet, steep and stepped.
Leeches are possible on forest walks in wet weather, which is unpleasant and harmless.
Book a driver for the transfer and use the journey for the lakes and a temple.
Where this fits in a Bali trip
The highlands are the third piece of a Bali itinerary after the south and Ubud, and they are the piece most trips skip.
Our guide to Bedugul and the highland lakes covers the crater lakes and gardens on the way up here.
For the falls themselves across the island, including the ones near Ubud and the ones worth the drive, our guide to Bali’s waterfalls covers which to choose.
And for the temples, including the lakeside one in the highlands and the sea temples on the coast, our guide to Bali’s temples covers the etiquette and the ones worth your time.
The short version
If your dates fall in the dry season, the lowlands offer an unusual afternoon on the way back down: our Bali kite season guide covers the giant kites that villages fly over the fields and beaches between roughly July and September.
Give the highlands two nights on a trip of ten days or more, and book a room facing the valley. Walk between the waterfalls rather than driving to one, in shoes with grip, and take small notes for the local entrance fees. Visit a spice plantation, see the crater lakes on the way up or down, and drop to the north coast for a morning if you have the time. Pack a long-sleeved layer and a light rain jacket, because at a thousand metres Bali is not the island you packed for.
