Bali with its unique Hindu culture, spectacular tropical landscapes and ancient traditions of excellent hospitality is one of the most interesting places for active recreation on the planet.
Whether you enjoy surfing, yoga, volcanoing, scuba diving or rafting – Bali offers a variety of wild and exciting experiences that will push the boundaries of your trip. On the “island of the gods” you will also find an opportunity to relax and pamper yourself – it’s not just adventure and adrenaline.
So you can get started, here is our list of the best entertainment while traveling in Bali.
Take a surfboard and catch a Balinese trumpet
Bali is famous as one of the best surfing spots on the planet. Although the island is legendary for its world-class waves such as Uluwatu, Padang Padang (“Balinese Trumpet”) and aptly named Impossibility, many other places are ideal for intermediate surfers or beginners.
Kangu and Kuta beaches are the best centers on the island for beginner surfers. Kanggu has many board rental and surf schools that offer lessons; take a look at Echo Beach – there are relatively calm waves where you can feel on your feet. More surfboards and surfing schools can be found on Kuta Beach, and the waves here are normally calmer to learn.
However, many beginners find it difficult to learn that during the tide in Kuta there are steep, heavy coastal waves, which often become difficult even for experienced surfers. Try to train at low tide and save the steeper waves for a later stage of your surfer’s career.
If you prefer to avoid the crowds, Medevi in western Bali is one of the most famous waves in Bali. The point itself is covered with boulders, so it is suitable for surfers with intermediate and experienced training, but on both sides of Medevi you will find 10 km of beaches with sandy bottoms, where surfers are rarely seen.
Rafting on the white waters of the Ayung Valley
Jungle rivers cascade down from the volcanic plateaus in central Bali, cutting through large gorges, which are one of the most unexpected features of Bali’s geography. The southern hills are quite densely populated, and rafting is often the best way to get to know these still untouched jungle canyons.
The rivers of Bali may not offer the most difficult rapids in the world, but what you lose in the adrenaline, you will enjoy seeing the surroundings of Ubud from a completely unexpected side. It is hard to believe that such pristine forest valleys can exist just two steps from the bustling city of Ubud.
Mason Adventures is one of the most reputable rafting companies. It conducts the longest rafting in the Ayung Valley, 12 km long. You can combine rafting in the Ayung Valley with a 30-kilometer mountain bike tour that runs almost entirely down the slope.
Go on a safari to the wild west of Bali
In the west of Bali everything is different. In the distance from the crowds of tourists, you can watch with trepidation as Balinese starlings fly overhead, endangered, while wild monkeys with ebony leaves meander through the canopy, and giant monitor lizards click their tongues, tasting the air to taste . Herds of Menjangan deer even come directly to the beach bungalows – they are known to come to cool their heels in shallow water. It is hard to imagine that you are still on the crowded and sometimes overdeveloped tourist island of Bali.
West Bali National Park can only be visited with a guide, but even if you travel alone outside the reserve, it is impossible to get rid of the impression that West Bali has something fundamentally “wild”. To capture this mood, try hiking in the wonderfully arid hills of the cactus country or along the northern coast dotted with vineyards, or watch macaques in the many temples of the area.
Located east of the National Park Border, Menjangan Hotel is an unexpectedly wild resort throughout the island. Even if you don’t stop here, you can rent bicycles, go on guided tours, horseback riding and bird watching excursions.
Align your chakras and live the dream of yoga
Yoga has been practiced on the Hindu island of Bali for over 1,000 years, but the boom in commercial yoga began earlier this century. In particular, Ubud became famous as the capital of yoga in Southeast Asia.
Yoga Barn, which started in 2007 with a modest yoga hut (a place to practice), has become one of the most popular places in Ubud. There are 130 classes per week in seven studios. There is a restaurant, cafe, yoga shop and even accommodation for students who come here for teacher training or specialized courses.
The more modest Radiantly Alive studio, which offers only 60 classes a week, has become a strong favorite among local yogis who understand yoga. It is located in a quiet alley in the old town and is popular with students who like a more intimate, sociable atmosphere. Radiantly Alive also has a yoga studio in Kanggu.
Immerse yourself in the tropical waters of Bali surrounded by splendor
Indonesia, located in the heart of the Coral Triangle, boasts one of the richest marine habitats on the planet, and Bali has its best places for diving and snorkeling. The entire northern coast, which is not prone to the waves of the south, is a water wonderland for diving and snorkeling enthusiasts. Nusa Lembongan Island is a good place to start; Bali Hai organizes day trips to Manta Alley and other local attractions, as well as full PADI certification courses.
Menjangan Island off the northwest edge of Bali also offers world-class diving without crowds of tourists. You will see the full range of reef fish, as well as turtles, reef sharks and, if you are lucky, dolphins and whale sharks. Kayaks can be rented at the Menjangan Hotel, and excursions to the island for diving and snorkelling can be arranged.
Relax in a private beach club in Bali
Bali is famous for its beaches, and the island has an amazing number of wild, often uninhabited beaches, along with lively “urban beaches” such as Kuta, Seminyak and Kanggu. If you are tired of the crowded sand, a day at a private beach club can be unforgettable.
Potato Head in Seminyak became a Balinese icon. It is a lively place with two infinity pools, a music area and several iconic restaurants, including Ijen, Bali’s first waste-free restaurant. Along the beach from Potato Head is Bali’s largest saltwater pool, Mrs Sippy, known as an Mediterranean-style oasis.
In Kanggu, Finns Beach Club has become one of the best in Bali. There are five bars (including two poolside bars), three restaurants and a place for live music, all in a beautifully landscaped area between two pools and the ocean.
If you’re in Sanur, check out the Byrdhouse Beach Club, a striking continuation of the beautiful Segara Village Hotel, which has been run by the same local family since the 1950s. The Byrdhouse has a 25-meter infinity pool, spacious lawn beaches, quality restaurants and perhaps the best jacuzzi cocktail bar you will ever find.
Pamper yourself at the one-stop spa in Bali
Whether you choose a massage on the beach after surfing or a marathon session at a five-star spa – in Bali, relaxation takes you to a new level. Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan and Fivelements Retreat near Ubud are open to non-guests and are among the best spas and wellness centers on the planet.
The Sacred River Spa at the Four Seasons Hotel has everything from spa treatments, traditional healers and chakra ceremonies in a charming setting overlooking the Ayung Valley. Fivelements specializes in holistic treatments inspired by Balinese traditions, with an emphasis on plant-based cuisine, sacred arts and romantic daytime activities that are ideal for couples. Both places also offer yoga and other wellness packages.
Glo Spa Bali is also highly recommended for its massages and beauty treatments, which attract many repeat visitors. If you are traveling on a budget, head to Yes Spa Bali in Kuta or Legian, where you can enjoy a wonderful traditional Balinese massage for less than $ 8.
Walk with pink buffaloes during a tour of the rice fields
Water buffaloes have become more rare in Bali since mechanized farm implements replaced plows, but you can still see some rare pink buffaloes in the fields, especially in western Bali. Join a midday stroll through the rice fields with pink buffalo in the Pekutatan area to get a fascinating insight into the role of these wonderful creatures in the rice growing cycle and the complex rituals associated with growing rice on the island.
Climb Batur Volcano at sunrise
The top of the volcano Batur, 1717 m high, is probably the best place to meet the dawn on the island, which the Indian statesman Jawaharlal Nehru called “the morning of the world”. The edge of the crater overlooks Mount Agung – the highest peak of the island and the spiritual abode of the gods in Balinese culture – and Mount Rinjani in distant Lombok.
To see this splendor, you have to set the alarm incredibly early. Most tours start at the hotel between one and two o’clock, so that tourists have time to walk 3.5 km and be on top before sunrise.
Take a picture of Asia’s most colorful traditional fishing fleet
A fleet of celery (traditional Balinese fishing boats) near Peranczak Bay is one of the most amazing – least known – attractions on the island. Similar to Viking barges that glow during the day, with amazing crow nests (many in the shape of chariots) and long-tailed engines protruding from their brightly colored hulls, these boats will amaze any visitor who takes the trouble to reach this untouched corner. Bali.
Stroll through the emerald expanses of Jatiluvih
Located just 15 km north of Ubud, Tegallalanga’s beautiful rice terraces are a major tourist destination. But every year Tegallalang is built up more and more, and especially at sunset it is difficult to absorb the beauty of the valley when it is noisy around the tourist buses.
To get better acquainted with the wonderful rice landscapes that cover the less visited parts of Bali, go to the huge terraces of Jatiluvi, located about 40 km to the northwest. This idyllic countryside is ideal for walking, but if you want to understand the intricacies of the 1000-year-old Subak Irrigation System, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, hire a local guide.