[Photo by leafbug / Creative Commons]
The sun and sea seem so intimately tied up with the essence of Bali, that newbie tourists may forget that the heart and soul of the island is really found far in the island's center, at higher elevations.
For example, you can't really say you've gone temple-hopping in Bali unless you've seen the Mother Temple - Pura Besakih - a complex of 23 individual temples that date back to the 14th century. The Mother Temple has never ceased in activity since its construction, with different Hindu ceremonials taking place at different parts of the year.
Tourists can visit Pura Besakih and other sites around Mount Agung on a day trip from Ubud or Denpasar. The complex is open from sunrise to dusk, but some parts may be closed on certain Hindu days of obligation.
Another holy site near Ubud is Goa Gajah - a cave that may have been dug entirely by hand from the hillside. It's a popular pilgrimage site for Hindus and some Buddhists, an opening in the earth that is marked by a gruesome-looking monster head (its open mouth is the cave opening).
If holy sites aren't your thing, explore the mountainous Central Bali region - especially Gunung Agung and Mount Batur in the Kintamani region of the island. Some trails are more worn than others - Mount Batur is a cakewalk compared to Gunung Agung - but trekking through Bali is a great alternative for visitors who want to tell different tales about their Bali vacation when they get home. (Read our article about Trekking Active Volcanoes in Indonesia for a helicopter view of the archipelago's many trekkable peaks.)