Culture, nature and beaches/islands Travel

The 25 most fun things you should do on Bali

Marieke Willems3 weeks agoleave a comment

Bali is an amazing island in Indonesia. This island is about to steal your heart! The people are incredibly welcoming and welcome you with a smile. You’ve got sunshine, incredible beaches and beautiful nature! There are many fun things to do here! But what are the things you should do on Bali?

The 25 most fun things you should do on Bali

1. The Bali Swing

The Bali Swing opened in 2017 and is situated approximately 20 minutes away by car from Ubud. There are 5 swings and they are all different in height: one of 5m, 10m, 20m and 78m. The view from all of these swings is phenomenal! Fortunately, everything is very professionally arranged and you are securely strapped into your swing. You will easily spend a couple of hours here and after that you will go back to Ubud filled with adrenaline.

2. Tegenungan waterfall

The Tegenungan waterfall is 15 minutes away from Ubud and is magnificent. It is a 10-minute walk from the parking lot to the waterfall (down the stairs). This waterfall is the most beautiful in the morning and at this time it is not as busy tourist wise.

3. Cycling in and around Ubud

The environment of Ubud is incredibly beautiful! You cycle through rice fields and small villages and you will see kids waving at you everywhere. Most of the time, you make a few stops at several temples, villages and coffee plantations. Cycling is not tiring at all since its just downhill cycling most of the time so you don’t have to paddle much at all.

4. Visit Nusa Penida

This is a big, unknown and paradise like island south of Bali. Only a very few tourists know about Nusa Penida and this is also one of the things which make this island so beautiful and authentic in my opinion. The island is still pure and has about 20 hotels spread out all around the island. The island is green, rough and undiscovered.

5. A couple of days to the Gilis

About 1,5 hours by boat from Bali you will find the Gili Islands: Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan. All three of these islands are incredibly fun to visit. There are no cars on these islands and the atmosphere is incredibly relaxed. You will also find beautiful coral reefs, so snorkelling is a big fat must!

6. Sidemen

Do you want to discover the authentic, green Bali? In this case, Sidemen is the place to be. Sidemen is situated in a picturesque setting with rice fields, valleys and green hills. It’s so beautiful that this entire area has been declared as UNESCO World Heritage. Time stood still here and the daily life of the Balinese people is exactly like how it was back in the days. Sidemen is all about tranquillity, rest and serenity.

7. Monkey Forest

This monkey forest can be found in the middle of the centre of Ubud and it’s funny to watch monkeys swinging everywhere. The monkeys are very cheeky in this forest and when they think they can get something from you, they will jump on your back. Around the forest you will also find monkeys in the streets and when your hotel is close to the monkey forest, then you will also find monkeys in the gardens of your hotel.

8. Surfing

The beaches of Bali are all about surfing because the waves here are amazing. The best beaches for surfing on Bali are Padang-Padang, Uluwatu and Echo Beach. If you can’t surf, Bali is the place to be to take surfing lessons.

9. Cooking course

Indonesian food is delicious and you learn how to make it yourself with the help of a cooking course. During the cooking course you will first go to the local market to get the ingredients and to get to know the products with which you will cook. You learn how to do all the preparation techniques yourself, such as cutting and crushing. You can then take the recipes home so that you can prepare it yourself later on!

10. Climb a volcano

You want to do something active? Then it might be cool to climb a volcano. Climb the Mount Batur Volcano for example. It’s an amazing experience!

11. Rent a scooter

The most fun way to discover Bali is with a scooter. Renting a scooter cost you about € 5, – per day and gas prices are low. The traffic can be a bit insane however and traffic rules in Bali are poorly enforced.

12. Eat in a Warung

A Warung is like a little restaurant, often run by a local family. You can find them all over Indonesia and have a delicious meal for under 2 euros!

13. Visit the Uluwatu temple

Bali is a predominantly Hindu island and therefore you can find many beautiful temples here. The most famous temple is the Uluwatu temple. The temple is placed high on a rock and looks impressive (especially from a distance). Every evening at 6 o’clock you can watch the Kecak dance here. This is a traditional Balinese dance.

14. Getting a massage

Getting a wonderful massage at one of the many spas on Bali is great. This is the perfect “activity” to relax. A pedicure, manicure or foot massage is definitely recommended! You can find a salon to treat yourself for a very low price on every street corner.

15. Watch the sunset from La Plancha

On the islands’ west-coast, you can enjoy the most beautiful sunsets. The best place for this is La Plancha. Here you can sit down and relax in one of the many coloured beanbags. They will serve you amazing cocktails and starting around 5 o’clock you can enjoy live music.

16. Lovina

Lovina is a coastal town with a black beach. Here you can surf dolphins in the wild. At 6 in the morning, boats leave to spot the dolphins during sunrise. This is a spectacular sight.

17. Tanah Lot

Tanah Lot is a temple built on a rock in the ocean when tide is high. When the tide is low, you can walk there. This is the most important ocean temple for the inhabitants of Bali. From Tanah Lot you can also see other ocean temples. You can make beautiful pictures here!

18. Swim in the great Infinity Pools

Bali is the place to be for infinity pools. Who doesn’t want to swim in a pool with an endless view? On the island, you will find a lot of choices and one pool is even more beautiful than the other. You really don’t need a 5-star hotel for this one, because also the affordable hotels have these types of pools.

19. Sleep in a treehouse

Bali has all sorts of unique accommodations, from the most luxury villas with great views to the special hotels. But especially the treehouses are incredibly cool! My favourite treehouse on Bali is the Rumah Poohon Treehouse. The best thing is that this treehouse is not expensive at all.

20. Silver workshop

With the help of a local silversmith you can make your own ring or pendant within a few hours. With this silversmith you will make the jewellery you want and designed step by step. The smith will show you the technique and everything happens in an old school matter without the help of large machinery.

21. KlingKing Beach

This is the most beautiful viewpoint of Nusa Penida. The stairs down might be a little difficult and dangerous to walk on, but the view is phenomenal. This coastline is beautiful and rough and the water is bright and blue and you can see this beautiful phenomenon from this here. The staircase runs along the cliff and is made out of bamboo. At the end of it, you’ll find the beach. The entrance fee is Rp. 5.000 per scooter.

22. Yoga

Bali is the perfect place for people practising yoga. Ubud is the yoga capital of the island and here you can practise all different sorts of yoga.

23. Go rafting

Rafting on the Ayung or Telaga Waja river is fantastic. The Ayung river is a bit calmer and does not have as many rapids as the Telaga Waja river. But both of these rafting trips are amazing.

24. Do the Campuhan Ridge Walk

This is a fun and free walk just outside of busy Ubud and whilst here, you can enjoy the tranquil and panoramic view. It is about a 2-kilometre walk. The view on the way is amazing and I think it’s a great combination of jungle and beautiful rice fields. At the end, you’ll find a small village with a few shops and cafes and you can take a break here.

25. Visit the Tukad Cepung waterfall

This waterfall is not visited a lot and is situated close to the town of Bangli, in the east of Bali. This waterfall is a hidden jewel in the middle of a cave. The walk from the parking lot is about 15 minutes down through a forest and the last part is through the rocks in the cave. This waterfall is especially beautiful in the early morning because of the sunbeams coming through the small openings. It is truly a magical sight.

Check here my travel route Bali and Lombok 2 weeks

These are 25 things I believe you should do on Bali! Do you know more things you should do on Bali?

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Bali & Lombok