Founded in A.D. 1204, Bangli town is the sleepy administrative center, with the usual Brahmin palaces and mansions, which come alive during festival days. The puri or palaces of the royal families attract tourists for their magnificently beautiful architecture. The most prominent among the palaces is the Puri Denpasar, the palace of the last king of Bangli who died three decades ago, and a pavilion of the puri has been remodeled into a small hotel.

Beside the palace, Pura Kehen, the most beautiful temple in the whole of Bali is considered as the landmark of Bangli. As the state temple of the old Bangli kingdom, Pura Kehen occupies the site of an earlier temple which dates back to the 9th century. There are eight terraces built into the forested slope of a hill. The first five terraces are the outer courtyards; the sixth, the lower middle court; the seventh, the upper middle court, and the eighth, the inner jeroan. A flight of 38 stairs leads to the merushaped gate between rows of statues of characters from the shadow play story. Overlooking the gate is the threatening head of Kala, guardian of the underworld. There is a splendid shrine with eleven roofs dedicated to the god of fire, the resident temple god.

Penglipuran, two kilometers from Pura Kehen, is a small village restored by the local government to represent a 'typical' Balinese village. From Bangli eastwards it is a beautiful drive towards Karangasem and the Besakih 'mother temple' via a seemingly unending succession of hills, valleys and rice terraces. When you take the main road northwards to Kintamani and the volcanic scenery of Batur, the most spectacular panorama on the island awaits you.