North Bali is seldom visited by tourists but has a lot to offer. Find out a one-day tour plan for Singaraja, Bali’s second-biggest town. It used to be the capital of Bali and still has a few colonial Dutch buildings.
Why Trust This Article?
Indonesia has been my home for the past ten years — not a destination I parachute into for a story. I’ve traveled the archipelago from end to end: more than 20 trips to Raja Ampat and Komodo, expeditions through Halmahera, Alor and the Banda Sea, road trips across Sumba and Flores, and countless journeys around Bali in every season, on every kind of transport from private drivers to the public bus. Along the way I’ve slept in everything from Nihi Sumba, once named the best hotel in the world, to remote island guesthouses with no running water or electricity — so when I tell you whether a place, festival or route is worth your time, it’s measured against the whole country, not a brochure. Everything in this article comes from my own visits, with my own photos, and I update it when things change on the ground. More on how I travel and review on my author page.
Is Singaraja Worth Visiting?
Yes — Singaraja is worth half a day to a full day if you want to see a side of Bali most tourists never do. As Bali’s former capital and second-biggest town, it offers Dutch colonial buildings, a fascinating palm-leaf manuscript museum, a working Chinese temple and one of the island’s most beautiful carved temples nearby — all essentially crowd-free. It is not a beach or resort destination; it is a culture and history stop, best combined with a stay on the quiet north coast.
The best things to do in Singaraja in one day
- The Lontar Museum (Gedung Kirtya) — 14th-century palm-leaf manuscripts
- The free Balinese school dance performance at Gedung Sasana Budaya (Fridays at 11:00)
- A syobak pork lunch — Singaraja’s signature dish
- The old harbor walk and the Yudha Mandala monument
- Museum Soenda Ketjil by the harbor
- The 1873 Chinese temple, Klenteng Ling Gwan Kiong
- The traditional market on Diponegoro street
- The spectacular carvings of Beji temple on the way back to Air Sanih
We started our day from Air Sanih that has amazing beachfront villas for rent. It is a great place to chill for a few days. There are not many places in the world where you can get a fully serviced beachfront villa for less than 200 USD per night. We stayed at Villa Seaview, and I highly recommend it.
TIP: All the attractions are quite spread out, so the easier way to visit Singaraja is to rent a car and a driver for a ½ day or for a full day.
The Lontar Museum of Singaraja
The lontar museum is an incredible place. At first, it looks like just a small room with boxes, but the staff of the museums, the guardian of the lontars, regaled us with stories of Bali and the meaning contained in those precious boxes.
Lontar is an old type of books created out of palm leaves
The oldest lontar is from the 14th century. They talk about philosophy, natural medicines, mantra, or even architecture or archaeology.
They were also able to identify our Balinese god manifestation based on our birthdate.
If you are interested, for a fee, they can even prepare a longer text-based on research in the lontar manuscripts based on your birthdate that will highlight your special qualities and power.
Tip: In google map, look for Gedung Kirtaya
Witnessing the Balinese school dance at Gedung Sasana Buaya
Every Friday at 11:00, the local school puts together a Balinese dance and music show.
The quality of the gamelan music and the dancing is stunning. Especially when you realize it is all performed by kids
It is held in a big semi-open-air stage with lots of seating areas. Performance is free of charge and lasted until 13:00
Sasana budaya is also the location of the old palace
Where to have lunch in Singaraja?
Singaraja is famous for its Syobak. It is made of pork with the special Syobak sauce and is served with rice and pork crackers. It is very popular and can be found in many restaurants around town.
A famous Syobak place is restaurant Syobak chi Khelok. It is a very simple local place, but it was very tasty.
The old harbor has a few scenic restaurants on stilt.
And if you crave western junk food, there is a KFC and a Mcdonald in Singaraja
Visiting the old harbor of Singaraja
The old harbor is a nice beach walk with a few colonial buildings.
You will see a big statue that is named Yudha Mandala. The monument is a topless Indonesian soldier who holds an Indonesian Flag and is pointing to the sea.
The Museum Soenda Ketjil
The museum Soenda Ketjil is located next to the harbor. It is a small museum with the history of Indonesia. The museum itself is not impressive, but again, the museum guard was very helpful and shared many stories about Indonesia.
TIP: When you visit a tourist site or a small museum that is free of charge, it is customary to make a small donation, especially if the staff was helpful. There is often a donation box, and 10,000 to 20,000 Rupiah per person will be appreciated
The Chinese temple of Singaraja: Klenteng Ling Gwan Kiong
The Chinese temple is also located near the old harbor. It is a pagoda-style building that was built in 1873. The architecture is bright colored and has nice carvings. It was very peaceful and tranquil when we visited. One of the temple employees guided us through the temple, explaining Chinese traditions. The temple is still used by the local Chinese community for worship. What makes it unique is that 3 different communities use the same temple for worship: Tao, Konghuchu, and Buddha.
Look for the pool in the middle of the main building. It contains turtles
Getting lost in Singaraja streets and the traditional market
There are many shops, and the town is often busy. The main traditional market is located on Diponegoro street. You can find Balinese food, fruits, and vegetables but also clothes and other items.
This is a great market to visit for people who are not familiar with markets in Indonesia.
Singaraja also has a Carrefour supermarket, which is the best place in the region to stock up on western food.
The amazing Beji temple
On your way back from Singaraja to Airsanih, don’t forget to visit the Beji temple. It is one of the most beautiful temples in the region. This temple is an irrigation temple.
This temple is dedicated to Dewi Sri, the goddess of rice in Bali. The carvings in this temple are spectacular
TIP: Don’t forget that to visit temples in Bali, you must wear a sarong and cover your shoulders
FAQ
How do you get to Singaraja?
Singaraja sits on Bali’s north coast, roughly 2.5 to 3 hours’ drive from the airport over the mountains. The easiest option is a car with a driver for the day. On a budget, Bali’s public bus system now connects the airport to Singaraja via Ubud — I tested the route myself in my Bali airport-to-Singaraja bus guide.
What is Singaraja known for?
Singaraja was the Dutch colonial capital of Bali, which is why it is nicknamed Bali’s old capital and remains known as a “kota pendidikan” — a city of education. Today it is known for its lontar manuscript library, colonial harbor front, Chinese temple and authentic, tourist-free Balinese street life.
How much time do you need in Singaraja?
Half a day covers the highlights — museum, harbor, temple and market — while a full day lets you add the Friday dance performance, a proper syobak lunch and the Beji temple. Base yourself on the nearby north coast, such as Air Sanih or Lovina, rather than day-tripping from South Bali.
Conclusion
We had a great day visiting Singaraja and learned a lot about Balinese culture and history. Yet we barely saw any other tourists. Singaraja and the Beji temple are well worth a half-day of your time if you are interested in discovering more about Bali and want to get off the beaten tracks of South Bali.
Enjoy!
If you are exploring more of the north and west, my day trip to West Bali National Park and Menjangan Island pairs well with Singaraja.
