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Bali Travel
Red Hot Discounts from Viator! Find and book tours and activities ahead and have more time for fun.
Use the *NEW* Orbitz Beach Bali to most people means sun, sand and surf. Also shopping. However there is much more to the island than the waves and shopping at Kuta. On your next visit, why not sample some of the other things that Bali has to offer?
White-water rafting is big business in Bali. You can hear screams of excitement several times daily on the sacred Ayung River. Rafting involves being launched into an 8km stretch of river and through 27 classes of rapids - taking you past amazing waterfalls, towering cliffs, dense tropical forest and spectacular drops. It's a buzz you have to try! Bali Adventure Tours was one of the first to offer rafting in Bali and maintains its five-star standards. The guides of each rafting trip are certified and fully experienced and use safety equipped Avon rafts, so it's a fun, safe rush.
If you are after something a bit gentler. climb aboard a horse instead. In Ubud, you can get your jodhpurs on and explore the magnificent countryside with Bali on Horseback.
Beginners can opt for a half-hour ride; for the more adventurous or experienced there are one- and two-hour rides, and all rides go through the Sayan rice terraces, villages and temples. Rides are accompanied by one or more expert instructors and Bali on Horseback offers free pick-up from the Ubud area. Children must be over seven years old and accompanied by an adult.
The Barong dance is a fascinating and ancient art form specific to Bali - girls are trained in the moves necessary to become a successful dancer from a very early age and can be seen practising all over the island. A colourful and exotic dance, the Barong tells a traditional Hindu story about the fight between good and evil, and features amazing costumes, masks and lots of comedy and drama.
If you want to discover the real Bali countryside, the best thing to do is head out on foot, walking through rural Ubud, you can get up close to traditional village life, local customs and the gorgeous scenery and wildlife of the area. Try trekking through the island's oldest Hindu districts via tropical plantations or take a fascinating route through rice paddies and coffee, coconut and palm plantations. Spice up your breaks along the way by sampling some juicy tropical fruit, sniffing herbs and spices, or bargain for some super-fresh local produce. Sobek offers an Interior Trails trek with the kind of itinerary described above, and a Jungle Trail trek that includes a ride on a dugout canoe across Lake Tamblingan.
The Elephant Safari Park cares for its rescued elephants on more than two hectares of botanical gardens, surrounded by national forest, and also has a museum and what is said to be the only woolly mammoth skeleton in South-East Asia. As it's an official member of the World Zoo Association, you can be confident in the park's ecotourism credentials - what's more, fees go towards the Elephant Foundation's work saving the endangered Indonesian Elephant.
Take a 35-minute elephant ride through peaceful forested areas, checking out the treetops as you amble along at a stately pace. Children can feed the elephants, then watch the live shows and elephants bathing. Bali Adventure Tours offer elephant tours from the Elephant Safari Park.
Cyclists start nestled high on the side of the volcano for an energy-packed fruit breakfast, enjoying the panorama of Lake Batur and Bali's highest volcanic craters. The trail winds down from there through 26km of spectacular valleys, ancient temples, and local markets and villages. There's a pit stop to sample the local fruits and spices, then the tour finishes up with a ride through the bamboo forest of Taro. For seasoned cyclists, there's another trail through the central Batukara plain which has rougher, more strenuous terrain and offers perfect views of the lush rice paddies this region is famous for. Bali Fun and Action and Bali Bike, have full-day excursions with local guides. Children are welcome but they must be capable of cycling on rough tracks.
If you're looking for a culinary adventure, swap your hiking boots for an apron and sign up for one of the island's many cooking courses. There's a huge range to choose from, so you're sure to find something to suit your budget and interests. Bumbu Bali Restaurant, located on the main street in Ubud , offers morning cookery courses beginning at the market. The lesson is given by a local Balinese chef in a traditional kitchen - a fascinating insight into the local lifestyle - and the fee includes an apron and recipe book. The wonderful Casa Luna Cooking School is run from the home of locals - in this case, former Melburnian Janet de Neefe and her Balinese husband. Just off Ubud's main road, the school features courses in the delicious traditional Balinese cuisine.
These are just some of the many Balinese experiences you can try. The Balinese people are happy and friendly and welcome you to their counrty with great hospitality. Visit them soon.
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