Home › Bali › Central Highlands

Region · Central Highlands

Bedugul & the Central Highlands

Bali's cool, misty upcountry: a temple mirrored on a crater lake, the island's quietest UNESCO rice terraces, and a sunset sea temple — an easy day's escape from the heat of the south.

By Kadek Surya, Bali-based writer⚠ Researched carefully — but I haven't walked this one myself yet · July 2026

The central highlands are where Bali finally cools down. An hour and a half north of the beaches, the land climbs into old volcanic craters, the air turns sweater-cool, and the mornings come in wrapped in mist. This is day-trip country — you can see the headline sights from Bedugul in a single loop — but the two things that trip people up are the weather and the driving, and both reward an early start.

What the highlands actually are

Forget one town. "Bedugul" is loosely the whole upland district around three crater lakes — Beratan, Buyan and Tamblingan — in the regency of Tabanan, sitting 1,200–1,500 m above the coast. The pull is a specific mix you don't get in the south: a temple that appears to float on a lake, the island's gentlest UNESCO rice terraces at Jatiluwih, a botanic garden, strawberry stalls, and cloud forest. It is greener, quieter and considerably cooler than Ubud or the Bukit.

The Buyan–Tamblingan twin lakes seen from the Wanagiri ridge — two crater lakes sharing one green upland bowl. — The Buyan–Tamblingan twin lakes from the Wanagiri ridge — two crater lakes sharing one green upland bowl. The highland weather is the whole appeal, and the whole gamble.

Fishing outriggers drawn up on the shore of Lake Tamblingan, the forested crater rim behind under low cloud. — Tamblingan's fishing boats, a lakeside shrine at first light, the cloud sitting below the ridgelines, and the cloud forest that rings it all. Tap any image for its source and licence.

A small lakeside shrine standing in the still water at first light, before the wind and mist arrive. — Tamblingan's fishing boats, a lakeside shrine at first light, the cloud sitting below the ridgelines, and the cloud forest that rings it all. Tap any image for its source and licence.

The three sights worth the drive

Ulun Danu Beratan — the lake temple with shrines mirrored on the water; the one on the 50,000-rupiah note. Beautiful in the early haze, frankly theme-park-ish by mid-morning. Go first, go early.
Jatiluwih — vast, rolling, working rice terraces that are the honest antidote to the selfie-jammed Tegallalang near Ubud. Walk a loop; don't just photograph the roadside.
Tanah Lot — not in the highlands proper but on the drive back toward the coast, the famous sunset sea temple on its tidal rock. Iconic, and heavily commercialised — worth it if you manage your expectations about the crowds.

Pura Ulun Danu Beratan — the tiered meru shrine that appears to float on the lake, the one on the 50,000-rupiah note. — Pura Ulun Danu Beratan — the meru shrine that appears to float on the lake, the one on the 50,000-rupiah note. Best in the early haze, before the crowds.

The temple mirrored on dark, still water under highland cloud — the early-morning look everyone comes for. — The temple mirrored on still water, ringed with flower gardens, half-lost in mist — and the moody highland cloud that both makes it and hides it by mid-morning. Tap any image for its source and licence.

The wider complex ringed with flower beds and lawns, the shrines set out on their island. — The temple mirrored on still water, ringed with flower gardens, half-lost in mist — and the moody highland cloud that both makes it and hides it by mid-morning. Tap any image for its source and licence.

The classic Jatiluwih view — broad, gently rolling terraces running back to a wooded ridge, far wider than a single gorge. — The Jatiluwih terraces — broad, gently rolling, *working* rice fields running back to the Batukaru range, far wider than a single photogenic gorge.

A panorama of the terraces spread beneath the twin peaks of the Batukaru range. — Under the twin peaks, in highland mist, from above, and in golden early light — the scale that beats the roadside shot at Tegallalang. Tap any image for its source and licence.

Rolling green paddies fading into highland mist toward the horizon. — Under the twin peaks, in highland mist, from above, and in golden early light — the scale that beats the roadside shot at Tegallalang. Tap any image for its source and licence.

Pura Tanah Lot on its tidal rock offshore — the famous sea temple, seen in clear daylight. — Pura Tanah Lot on its tidal rock — the famous sea temple on the drive back toward the coast, here in clear daylight before the sunset crowds.

The temple on its rock as the waves break around it and the crowds gather along the shore. — The temple as the waves break and the crowds gather, sunset over the sea, and the smaller arched sea temple at Batu Bolong along the same coast. Tap any image for its source and licence.

Timing: the two things that go wrong

Weather. The same altitude that makes the highlands lovely also traps cloud. By late morning the lakes often vanish into mist and afternoon rain is common, especially in the wet season (roughly November–March). The reflections everyone comes for happen in the first couple of hours after opening, before the wind picks up and the cloud rolls in.

Driving. Sights are spread out and the mountain roads are winding, so distances lie. Reaching Bedugul takes around 1.5–2 hours from Ubud or Canggu, and 2–2.5 hours from the south, and Jatiluwih is a further slow, twisting 45 minutes west. Trying to add the highlands onto a packed south-Bali day is the classic mistake — it's its own day.

Tip

The highlands are made for a private driver: one loop of Ulun Danu, Jatiluwih and Tanah Lot for sunset works far better than piecing it together yourself, and a local knows which order beats the cloud and the tour buses.

Book a guided day tripvia ViatorCheck availability

Watch out

The Handara Gate — the black split gate you've seen on Instagram — is a resort entrance, not a temple. There's usually a fee just to photograph it and a long queue for the shot. It's fine as a two-minute stop; it is not a destination. Manage expectations accordingly.

A clean one-day loop

Start	Leave your base by ~7:00. Ulun Danu Beratan first, for the morning reflections before the crowds and cloud.
Midday	Bali Botanic Garden or the Buyan–Tamblingan twin-lake viewpoint, then west to Jatiluwih for a terrace walk and a lunch.
Late	Drop down toward the coast and finish at Tanah Lot for sunset — check the tide, since you can only walk to the rock at low tide.
Bring	A light layer (it's genuinely cool up top), rain shell in wet season, and cash for the small separate entry fees.

The Bali Botanic Garden (Kebun Raya) at Bedugul — manicured beds and lawns, a gentle midday stop out of the sun. — The Bali Botanic Garden (Kebun Raya) at Bedugul — manicured beds and lawns, a gentle midday stop out of the sun between the headline sights.

The garden's giant strangler-fig arch, its roots grown into a tunnel over the path. — The garden's giant strangler-fig arch and glasshouse, the cloud sitting below the ridges, and the entrance gate — the calmer, cooler stops that fill out the loop. Tap any image for its source and licence.

The glasshouse in the botanic garden, one of the collections you can wander between showers. — The garden's giant strangler-fig arch and glasshouse, the cloud sitting below the ridges, and the entrance gate — the calmer, cooler stops that fill out the loop. Tap any image for its source and licence.

Is it worth it?

If you've had enough heat, crowds and beach clubs, yes — the highlands are the calmest, coolest, most scenic day Bali offers, and Jatiluwih alone justifies the drive. If you only have a few days and haven't yet seen Ubud or the south, it can wait. Go for the landscape and the cool air, start early, and treat the cloud as part of the deal rather than a disappointment.