There is plenty to do in Bali, depending on your interests. You could be trekking to a volcanic mountain to view the rising sun or returning to your room in the wee hours after a night of hard partying. Whatever your liking, there is something to pique your interest here. So here we give you a comprehensive list of Bali Attractions or Things to do in Bali.
Things to do in Bali
There are around 20,000 temples in Bali and so we will not be covering temples in this list as that will be entirely done in a separate post. You can read about the temples of Bali here.
1. Garuda Wisnu Kencana
Garuda Wisnu Kencana, a 120 meters gigantic statue dedicated to Lord Vishnu riding a garuda bird, is all set to become the second tallest statue in the world. It will be officially inaugurated this August and it surpasses the Statue Of Liberty in height. This area is built as a cultural park with many attractions like cultural shows, souvenir shops, restaurants, villas etc. This statue is made of brass and copper and consists of 24 segments. This statue stands tall atop a hill overlooking the island. The 60 hectare cultural park encompassing the statue can accommodate around 70000 at one time.
Garuda Wisnu Kencana
Bust of Lord Vishnu
2. Surfing
Surfing is a major attraction for people visiting Bali. It boasts of many surfing spots that are suitable for beginners as well as seasoned surfers alike. The High performance waves are found in Padang Paadang, Uluwatu and Canggu. Mellow beach breaks are seen in Kuta and Seminyak region.
For tourists there are surfing packages available all over Bali that provide surfing boards on rent as well as provide local knowledge on the weather and beach conditions plus these packages come with transfers which makes it more convenient. There are also surfing lessons provided for beginners.
3. Party like no other
Potato Head Beach Club, Seminyak
Multiple clubs with laser lights and pumping music with DJs from around the world Bali has it all. Watering holes with stunning beach facing neon lit infinity pools is a perfect place to unwind. Kuta, Legian and Seminyak in the south of Bali is the hub of Bali’s nightlife. The nightlife come alive as soon as the sun sets and lasts till early morning.
Pro Tip: If you want to party along with kids, Seminyak is a better option and not Kuta which is a more hippy kind of atmosphere. Potato Head Beach Club is a must visit even with kids.
4. Trekking
If you are the adventurous type then no trip to Bali is complete without hiking to one of the volcano peaks. The most popular one is trekking the 1700 m high Mount Batur. It last erupted in 2000 and the trek is not very difficult and takes about 2 hours. Its best to reach the peak early as the view of the sunrise from here is breathtaking.
Mount and Lake Batur
Pro Tip: If trekking is not your cup of tea then too you can enjoy this majestic Mt. Batur. Kintamani is a place where you can enjoy lunch amidst the backdrop of Mount Batur with Lake Batur at its side.
5. Visit the Rice Terraces
A visit to the rice terrace can easily fill your memory card with countless pictures of its beautiful landscape. The myriad shades of green on the undulated scope is an experience to cherish forever. The Tegalalang rice terrace is an amazing place to visit. You can even watch the local farmers carrying out their daily chores of rice cultivation. There are many cafes dotting the area giving you the opportunity to enjoy a drink with a view.
Tegalalang Rice Terraces
Tegalalang Rice Terraces
Proud women processing the Harvest in the rice terraces
6. Experience Balinese Culture
Bali culture and Traditions are fascinating with many people visiting Bali just to experience this. The Dances, their ceremonies, rituals even the daily offering they make is so intriguing that you cannot resist to be a part of it. There are many shows like Devdan Show, Fire and Kecak dance and Agung Show that showcase the traditional dances of Indonesia and worth every dime.
Kecak and Fire Dance at Pura Luhur Uluwatu
Fire and Kecak Dance at Uluwatu Temple
Pro Tip: Uluwatu Temple also has a special dance performance called Fire and Kecak Dance in the evenings at an additional cost of IDR 100,000 per person. Since it is generally overcrowded here, you can give it a miss. You can get the same or even better experiences at Ubud Palace or at the Devdan Show where the performances are more elegant and are not so crowded.
Devdan Show at Nusa Dua Theatre
The Devdan show is a 90 Minutes musical extravaganza that shows a glimpse of all the traditional dances of not just Bali but all of Indonesia. The performances include allusions, artificial rain, fire balls, giant puppets, aerial silk dances, pyrotechnic lasers that make it a treat for the eyes.
A Glimpse of Devdan Show
7. Batubulan Village
A Woodcarving at Ubud Village
This traditional village in Sukawati is the place to be to see wood carvers and stone carvers create amazing pieces of art. This village also has cultural dance performances everyday. Barong dance performances run from 0900 to 1030 daily and Kecak Dance performances run from 1800 to 1900 daily.
8. Heron bird watching at Petulu Village
Heron bird watching at Petulu Village
You can see hundreds of heron birds returning from the rice fields every evening around 5PM at the Petulu village. It is a remarkable sight to see the white herons flying in. They all settle in the big trees along the road and stay there throughout the night. If you enjoy bird watching or photography, this is the place for you.
Heron bird watching at Petulu village
9. Balinese Dress Up
Playing dress up is a favorite fun activity for women of all age groups and its more fun when this dress up is dipped in rich tradition. Balinese clothes are colorful and extravagant with exquisite headgear and jewelry. This dress up was part of the kids club activity in our resort and my LO absolutely loved it.
Our little one in Balinese Dress up at Ayodya Palace Hotel
10. Indulge yourself in the local cuisine
Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice)
Like the other things in Bali even the local cuisine is rich in culture and tradition. Balinese food is varied and diverse and no visit should be complete without experiencing their local cuisine. We loved the Nasi Goreng – their take on the fried rice which is served with chicken satay, shrimp crackers, fresh veggies, pickles and topped with a sunny side up. Jimbaran Bay is the place from where the islands seafood supply comes from. This place is dotted with restaurants facing the rather menacing looking sea and is a heaven for the sea food lovers.
Pro Tip: Jimbaran Bay is on the way from Uluwatu to Kuta area so you can watch the sunset at Uluwatu and stop at Jimbaran for dinner.
The Sunset at Jimbaran
11. Bali Safari and Marine Park
Bali Safari and Marine Park is one fun day activity your kids will never stop thanking you for. This is one place where you can literally eat and sleep with wildlife. The Bali safari houses over 100 species and including the rare komodo dragon. Elephant rides, animal feeding, safari ride, animal encounter shows. restaurants facing the animal exhibits will keep the kids entertained for a whole day. But if they crave for more you can also stay in the resort facing the lion enclosure. Imagine waking up to the lion’s roar. Still not satisfied there is even a water park to beat the heat. Make sure you catch the Agung show in the amphitheater to get the glimpse of the traditional dances of Bali.
White Tiger at Bali Safari and Marine Park
Pro Tip: Safari Packages are available depending on the type of activities you want to do. You can choose the package accordingly.
12. Ubud Monkey Forests
Ubud Monkey Forest or Mandala Suci Wenara Wana is a monkey conservation and education center that houses around 700 Balinese macaques. This rain forest with around 200 different species of trees is located just 3 kms away from Ubud market. There are 3 temples on these grounds are considered sacred along with these monkeys.
At Ubud Monkey Forest
At Ubud Monkey Forest
13. Black Sand Beach
Beaches for me has always been blue waters and pristine white sand so the idea of seeing a black beach intrigued me. The Keramas Beach in Ubud is a black sand beach not grey but jet black. Its black due to the black volcanic ash. This beach is popular among the locals for purification so you can see them offering prayers.
A local offering his prayers
14. Handicrafts
Bali is a treasure trove of handicrafts. You can find amazing paintings, wood and stone carving and also cute little sling bags which I could not resist buying. Its a haven for pretty little trinkets and souvenirs.
Handicrafts at Ubud Market
Handicrafts at Ubud Market
15. Waterfall
Bali is a treasure-house of happy gurgling waterfalls cascading down stony mountains covered in lush green foliage. It’s a paradise for nature lovers. Many of the waterfalls are close to the city and a short ride away. Normally the water is strongest in the wet season but during the dry season too its worth a visit. Do not forget to pack your swimsuit to enjoy a dip here. We visited the Tegenungan Waterfall. It was close to the Bali Safari and Marine park so we clubbed it on the same day.
Tegenungan Waterfall
16. Bali Luwak Coffee
You must have heard about Kopi Luwak, the most expensive coffee in the world. These coffee beans are the digested coffee cherries of Luwak or the Asian palm civet found in Bali. After fermenting in the digestive track, the coffee beans found in the fecal remains of this animal are collected, processed and then sold around $700 per kg. There are coffee plantations around Ubud that house these civet and you can sample and buy coffee from them.
Luwak (Used to make Kopi Luwak)
Kopi Luwak (Luwak Coffee)
This visit to the coffee plantation is a unique experience. To know why read: Luwak Coffee
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Hope you find this blog of use to you. Do let us know which place interests you or if I am missing something, please contact us or comment below and I will update this blog soon. Your comments and/or feedback are most welcome.
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