About
Northbound Bali
An independent, growing guide to all things north Bali, written by people who actually live here.
What Northbound Is
Northbound Bali is a guide to the quiet coast, the side of the island that existed before the crowds. We cover all of it: the waterfalls and dolphins, the highland lakes and reefs, the temples and ceremonies, the food, the practicalities, and the deep culture and history of Buleleng, Bali's north.
It is a growing project. New guides go up regularly, and existing ones are kept current and true by people on the ground. The aim is simple and long-term: to be the most genuinely useful, honest, and complete answer to any question someone could ask about north Bali.
Who's Behind It
Developed by Palm Living, 24 Years on the North Coast
Northbound is developed by Palm Living, a north Bali operator that has spent more than two decades on this coast, with around 60 villas and 50 local staff who know these villages, roads, guides, and seasons first-hand.
That is the difference. Most Bali guides are written far from Bali. Ours is grounded in real, current, on-the-ground knowledge, the kind you only get from living somewhere for 24 years. When a guide here tells you when to leave for a waterfall, which boat to take at dawn, or how a temple ceremony works, it comes from people who have done it, hundreds of times.
We share that knowledge freely because we love the north and want more people to experience it well. If you ever need more, a villa to stay in, a driver, advice on the area, Palm Living is here and easy to reach. But the guides stand on their own, for everyone.
Why the North, and How We Write
The south of Bali has the crowds. The north has the Bali that drew people here in the first place: calm black-sand coast, cool highlands, the island's best waterfalls and reefs, and a living culture that still sets the rhythm of daily life.
We write to honour that, the history of Buleleng, the temples and their carvings, subak and the sacred water, the music born here, with care and accuracy rather than postcards. Our standard is the same on every page: would this genuinely help someone, and is it true? If not, we don't publish it.