The Agung Rai Museum of Art (ARMA) in Ubud puts on a kecak dance—in which dozens of men make music using only their voices—at 7 p.m. at every new and full moon.

Pack plenty of water and wear good shoes to climb over several rocky patches between the soft sand of Seminyak Beach and the stunning waterfront Hindu temple of Tanah Lot. Expect to trek for around two hours. Taxis are available to ease the way back. Stay awhile at Tanah Lot, an exquisite 16th-century temple that rises out of the sea (think of it as the Balinese version of France’s Mont Saint Michel).

Big Tree Farms’ owners Ben and Blair Ripple, who are American, sell their gourmet salt and spices to the U.S. and provide Bali’s top chefs with organic ingredients from their farms. They also host the extremely popular “Firefly Supper Series," six-course meals cooked with their own products. Torchlit tables (sometimes fireflies add to the lighting) are set under thatched-roof pavilions in midst of a coffee plantation. The frequency of these dinners depends on the demand and the Ripples’ schedule.

Every Tuesday and Thursday, a knowledgeable guide from the Casa Luna Cooking School (founded by restaurateur and author Janet de Neefe) leads groups through the Ubud food market. The tour is followed by a cooking lesson taught by de Neefe, at the Honeymoon Guesthouse at Casa Luna. Classes are focused on popular Balinese dishes like fern salad and mie goring (fried noodles). There are also regular Balinese cooking classes offered Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

An ideal exploration of the relatively serene north Bali begins from the island’s eastern shores, driving along Tabanan’s gushing rivers and lush ravines to the surprisingly cool mountain town of Bedugul, which rises more than 4,000 feet above sea level. Serene Lake Beratan fills the ancient crater of Mount Batukaru. Local people honor the goddess of the lake at Ulum Danu Bratan Temple, built on a small strip of land jutting into the lake. Visitors can ride motorized boats around the lake, parasail, go canoeing, banana boating or water skiing across the pristine surface and afterwards, pick up the region’s famous, fist-size strawberries at Candi Kuning market. A walk through tropical rainforest to see Gitgit Waterfall is a nice stop before continuing to the old town of Singaraja. On the way back (during dry season), travelers can stop for Firefly Supper, a six-course torch lit jungle banquet organized by Ben and Blair, a cute couple of expat organic farmers.

Finn’s is Bali’s answer to St.-Tropez’s Club 55. The fun beach hangout gives a taste of Bali’s epic coast with sun beds and ample water sports during the day, and bonfires and sunset cocktails come evening.

Located about 20 minutes outside of Ubud, the Green School is the second act of acclaimed Canadian jeweler John Hardy and his Californian wife Cynthia, who have lived in Bali for decades. The world’s first sustainable educational institution, built entirely of bamboo, the school sprawls across 19 tropical acres. Take the daily tour of this architecturally innovative campus, including the world’s largest, freestanding bamboo structure known as Heart of School. Then harvest tapioca, lemongrass and rambutan alongside students in the perma-culture garden, milk goats (used to make the school’s organic ice cream) and enjoy a gourmet lunch made with ingredients plucked straight from the surrounding fields. Don’t leave without buying a handful of bamboo seedlings: they are distributed to local farmers who plant and grow this natural building material before selling is back to the Green School for a profit.

Since Jari Menari (meaning literally ‘dancing fingers’) opened in 2001, the signature massage has earned its reputation as Bali’s best and the American owner now teaches the basic skills of her specific and effective technique. This team of all-male Indonesian therapists now shares those healing secrets during one-day workshops for up to 20 visitors, in an on-site, air-conditioned training center. The one-day program takes students through three hours of instruction in touch and technique, complimented by a workbook that lists the steps to delivering a muscle-relaxing, 25-minute massage. Teachers and students enjoy an Indonesian lunch together before the guests receive a full 90-minute massage from a Jari Menari therapist that deepens technical understanding and delivers one of the artful pleasures for which Bali is known. Beginners are welcome.

When John Hardy came to Bali to design his international jewelry collection, and ended up living there, he probably didn’t realize just how much he would add to the island’s increasingly important sustainability and eco ethos. A tour of his compound (to call it a factory doesn’t do it justice) is eye-opening not only in terms of the jewelry-making process but also how sustainability can provide both beauty and well-being (from the organic food served at lunch to the buildings’ all bamboo architecture).

Melukat, a karma cleansing ceremony and local Hindu rite of passage, is believed to rebalance the spirit after or in anticipation of a life-changing event. Prince Ajoaes, a 10th-generation descendant of the King of Tabanan (who ruled Bali in the 16^th century) performs this rite. Standing at the inky water’s edge on sparkling volcanic sand, the bearded Hindu priest seeks permission from the ocean god to cleanse. The ceremony is relaxed and fun, ending with the traditionally dressed participants feasting on grilled chicken, fresh fruit and neon-colored sweet rice cakes.

“Throw down to the ground” is the direct translation of Ubud’s latest cultural attraction: Mepantigan. Here, Judo, taekwondo, Brazilian capoeira, Korean self-defense, mud-wrestling, Balinese folklore and shadow puppetry are fused, and it’s fun for the whole family to watch or even participate. There is Balinese spiritual meaning behind the wet spectacle, sometimes performed in a mud pit or on the sand, to teach audiences about harmony between man, god and nature. It’s impossible not to get caught up in the action, which has performers moving quickly in fire-eating dances, imitations of Balinese shadow puppets, then mud-wrestling, all while acting out a classic Balinese love story.

Local legend claims that Mount Agung, Bali’s highest peak, was created from a fragment of Mount Meru, the spiritual axis of the Hindu universe. Trekkers should make their way to the top before sunrise, then meander down towards the many spires of the 14^th-century Pura Besakih (or Mother Temple), one of Bali’s most important Hindu shrines, on Agung’s southern slopes. At the bottom of Mount Agung, souvenirs are on offer from the indigenous Bali Aga village of Tenganan, famous for smoked grass baskets, lontar sacred leaf books and double ikat weaving.

This company rents bikes and offers guides for jungle and village excursions, including white-water rafting, cycling and hiking.

Bali attracts its fair share of international surfers, especially to the beaches in Bukit, on the southern tip of the island. The Surf Goddess retreat combines surfing lessons with half-day yoga sessions.

Bali is a destination for those seeking tranquility and peace, so it comes as no surprise that it is also home to some of the best yoga studios in the world. Our favorite is the Yoga Barn, a serene retreat surrounded by rice paddies, which welcomes yogis of all levels.

The residence of the royal family since the early 20^th century, Ubud Palace is an expansive compound of gardens, palace buildings and temples. This lush park-like expanse is a peaceful space to relax in and admire the intricate stone carvings that ornament the architecture.

Among the long list of traditional Balinese arts performances around Ubud, fifty half-naked sweaty men dancing around a bonfire for the Cak Rina is the most dramatic. Catch them every full and new moon at the ARMA Museum (Jalan Pengosekan; (62) 361 976 659). Wednesdays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., attend Wayang Kulit Puppet Theatre (Oka Kartini Bungalows, (62) 361 975 193). The filigreed puppets are carved from flattened water buffalo hide, and in the masterful hands of a dalang (puppeteer), they sashay across a fire-lit stage to act out Hindu epics.

Local restaurateur and author Janet De Neefe organizes this annual festival, launched in 2003. Each year has a different theme, with readings, special guests and lectures.

Whoever picked the setting for the 11th-century sea temple of Uluwatu certainly knew how to create a dramatic backdrop; the spot perches over the edge of the cliffs with the emerald blue ocean sitting beyond. The best time to see the important religious site is at sunset, when you can also take in a traditional Kecak dance. Watch out for the cheeky monkeys, who have been known to run off with visitors’ belongings.