Tabanan
Tabanan is the largely rural regency west and north of the tourist south: rice terraces, black-sand beaches, the sea temple at Tanah Lot, and very little built for visitors.
It is the closest thing to a rural Bali that is still an easy drive from Canggu. The Jatiluwih terraces are the best-known destination — a working landscape rather than a viewpoint, with walking paths that suit children who can manage an hour on their feet — and the roads out to them pass through villages doing ordinary agricultural work.
Tanah Lot is the other draw and the most crowded thing in the regency, particularly at sunset. It is genuinely striking and genuinely busy; families who go early in the day trade the light for space to move. The surrounding coastline is black sand and open ocean, better for looking at than swimming.
Accommodation and food options are thin and spread out by southern standards, which is the point for some families and a dealbreaker for others. Most treat Tabanan as a full day out from a base on the coast rather than somewhere to stay, though the quieter mountain guesthouses suit families wanting a couple of nights away from the traffic.
