Travel

10 things to do in Bali

10 things to do in Bali

If the first article about my holidays in Bali made you want to visit Indonesia, this new post might make you book a flight to Bali in the next 15 minutes. The number of things to do in Bali is so high that it’s impossible to visit everything in just two weeks. This is the reason why my friends and I agreed to stay in two different cities and visit as many as possible in the surrounding area.

We ended up choosing the cities of Ubud and Kuta. Ubud is the place to be in Bali. This city is known for its great cultural heritage, breathtaking natural sites, and peaceful atmosphere. Kuta is a city constantly on the move and is located along the beach. This is where you can do many water activities but also find plenty of beach clubs, nightclubs, restaurants, trendy shops, etc.

Here is the list of 10 things to do in Bali:

Visiting the Tirta Empul Temple

Tirta Empul Temple
The Balinese attach great importance to their beliefs that I couldn’t start the list any other way. Indeed, Bali has more than 11,000 temples, and each village has at least three of them. However, the Tirta Empul temple stands out for its architectural beauty and sacred waters. Many Balinese go there regularly to pray and purify themselves. The door is open to tourists, and a “sarong” (Balinese loincloth) is temporarily offered to you to visit the place and enjoy the many striking views. You can also enjoy a purifying bath in sacred waters, provided you follow all the ritual as explained by the staff.

Tirta Empul Temple

Tirta Empul Temple Bali

  • Location: around Ubud
  • Entrance fee: IDR 50,000 or £2.70 (€3.50)
  • Opening hours: every day from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm

You can also visit other mythical temples around Ubud:

  • Pura Taman Saraswati Temple
  • Gunung Kawi Temple
  • Gunung Kawi Sebatu Temple
  • Goa Gajah Temple

Exploring the Tegalalang Rice Terrace

Tegalalang Rice Terrace
Rice fields are an integral part of the island’s identity, so it’s inconceivable not to count visiting a rice terrace on your list of things to do in Bali. Discovering the rice fields of Tegalalang Rice Terrace is an experience you will not forget. Indeed, Tegalalang Rice Terrace offers so many breathtaking landscapes that it’s currently one of the three most beautiful rice terraces in Ubud, and has become one of Bali’s must-see places. I advise you to go there in the morning to be able to walk in the heart of the rice fields without too many people around. Exploring Tegalalang Rice Terrace has been one of my favourite activities in Bali ❤ !

  • Location: Ubud
  • Entrance fee: free
  • Opening hours: 24/7

Discovering the Tirta Gangga Water Palace

Tirta Gangga Water Palace
The Tirta Gangga Water Palace is one of Bali’s greatest places worth seeing. This magnificent 1.5-hectare park is composed of pools open to the public, various fishponds, many gardens, several fountains, impressive statues, some water lily ponds, and even a temple. As you understand, the Tirta Gangga Water Palace has more than one trick in its bag. It’s an attraction that I highly recommend because this visit was also one of my favourite moments in Bali!

  • Location: Ubud
  • Entrance fee: IDR 20,000 or £1.10 (€1.25)
  • Opening hours: every day from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm

Spending time with the monkeys in the Monkey Forest

Ubud Monkey Forest
The Monkey Forest has become one of Ubud’s flagship attractions. The beauty of this place is that it’s a natural reserve where the signs are totally free to move as they want. The Monkey Forest has about 600 monkeys that you can see them play together and swing from one branch to another. Be sure to follow the instructions at the entrance. Monkeys can be slightly aggressive, so you’re not allowed to hold them, feed them, and look them in the eyes. Also, be careful with your stuff as these monkeys are able to open your backpack and take what’s inside. I confess that all these instructions had me a little scared, so I didn’t take the risk to take a lot of pictures. But rest assured, there was more fear than harm. One last thing, I will personally avoid visiting the Monkey Forest with small kids.

  • Location: Ubud
  • Entrance fee: IDR 80,000 or £4.40 (€5)
  • Opening hours: every day from 8:30 am to 6:00 pm

Exploring the Tegenungan Waterfall

Tegenungan Waterfall
If you’re a nature lover, you will love exploring the Tegenungan Waterfall. This waterfall is one of the natural beauties of Bali that has the distinction of being the only waterfall located in the lowlands. The Tegenungan waterfall is now a very popular place where you can swim in its clear water. This place offers you perfect background to accomplish your most beautiful holiday pictures. You also have the opportunity to take pictures at the top of the waterfall, but know that you’ll have to pay for it. In any case, I highly recommend adding the Tegenungan Waterfall to your list of things to do in Bali.

  • Location: around Ubud
  • Entrance fee: IDR 10,000 or £0.55 (€0.62)
  • Opening hours: every day from 6:30 am to 6:00 pm

Some other waterfalls to visit:

  • Tibumana Waterfall
  • Gitgit Waterfall
  • NungNung Waterfall
  • Sekumpul Waterfall

Visiting the coffee plantation at Segara Windhu

coffee plantation at Segara Windhu
Coffee enthusiast or not, visiting a coffee plantation is one of the things to do in Bali that I highly recommend. Upon arrival at the coffee plantation, a host will show you around the premises while explaining and demonstrating their way of making coffee. Once the tour is complete, you’re entitled to a coffee and tea tasting. I’m one of those people who doesn’t like coffee at all, and I’ve loved all the coffees and teas they offered. I appreciated the different tastes so much that I ended up buying several teas and coffees for my family. I really invite you to try all the flavours that are offered to you because they are really worth it. I had a special crush on avocado coffee, which was both unique and delicious.

coffee plantation at Segara Windhu

  • Location: around Ubud, 30 minutes’ drive
  • Admission price: free
  • Opening hours: every day from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm

Other coffee plantations available:

  • Bali Pulina Argo Tourism Coffee Plantation
  • Coffee plantation of Satira
  • Coffee plantation of Ubud Me Sari Luwak

Hiking at Mount Batur volcano

Mont Batur Volcano
Mount Batur volcano is one of Indonesia’s many active volcanoes. Located in North Bali, Mount Batur rises to 1,717 meters above sea level. It takes four hours of a round trip for the ascent of Mount Batur. The purpose of this hike is to watch the sunrise once you reach the summit. Therefore, you have to get at the point of departure at 4:00 am. As a result of that, we had to be ready at 2:00 am because we were two hours away from Mount Batur. I’m not going to lie to you; this hike had me exhausted like never before. I had just slept for one hour, you have to pay attention to the places where you put your feet, and you’re hot during the journey. However, you must make sure to have a good sweater or even a jacket with you because it’s cold at the top of Mount Batur. There are also local people who rent plaids at the top of the summit.

Mont Batur Volcano

  • Location: around Ubud, 30 minutes’ drive from Ubud
  • Price of the excursion: 700,000 IDR is £38.80 (€43.60)
  • Opening hours: arrived at the meeting point at 4:00 am at the latest

Exploring the Hidden Canyon Beji Guwang

Hidden Canyon Beji Guwang
The Hidden Canyon Beji Guwang is one of the many wonders of Bali that attracts more tourists every year. A natural beauty that consists of a river hidden by stone walls and forming this famous canyon. The visit to Hidden Canyon Beji Guwang is accompanied by a tour guide because it’s, in fact, a private circuit that involves a lot of physical efforts. Indeed, during your visit to the gorge of 2 hours 30 minutes, you will have some water crossings, walls climbing, and have to walk on top of stones. So, make sure you wear your swimwear because the water reaches you at the chest in some places of the canyon. Lockers and showers are at your disposal to leave your belongings before the tour and to take a shower at the end of the tour. Another important detail is that you’re barefoot the whole time of your visit to the canyon, which can be unpleasant at times.

  • Location: Sukawati (25 minutes’ drive from Ubud)
  • Entrance fee: IDR 50,000 or £2.75 (€3.10)
  • Opening hours: every day from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm

Visiting the island of Nusa Penida

Nusa Penida Island
Nusa Penida is a small island in South East Bali. This is another place that will definitely appeal to nature lovers. Indeed, Nusa Penida is an authentic island, known for its heavenly scenery and its iconic beaches. The landscapes are beautiful and allow you to take your most beautiful pictures. To get to Nusa Penida, you have to take a ferry, and the journey is 45 minutes. We booked the tour and chose five locations to visit on the island. We had a driver/guide who was instructed to pick us up at the port and took us to the various selected places. What I personally recommend you do is choose two to three places maximum; otherwise, you don’t have enough time to appreciate each of the places you visit. If we had to do it again, we would just choose two places because you ought to arrive on the island around 10:00 am, and you must be back at the port by 5:00 pm. Time goes too fast because the roads on the island are totally damaged, so it takes forever to get from a point to another, and there are a lot of tourists on the spot.

Nusa Penida Broken Beach

Nusa Penida Island

  • Excursion price: depends on the ferry company you’ll use, but we left with Nusa Jaya Cruise, and the price was IDR 400,000 (£22 / €25) round trip per person.

Doing an elephant safari at Taro Elephant Safari Park

Taro Elephant Safari Park
Going on an elephant safari is another great thing to do in Bali. The Taro Elephant Safari Park offers you to do different activities with elephants. You can simply opt for a simple entry into the elephant watching from afar, or you can choose to go on an elephant ride, wash an elephant, take a ride in the water with an elephant, and more. You just have to go there and choose your activity at the entrance.

Taro Elephant Safari Park

  • Location: Ubud
  • Price of the excursion: IDR 950,000 or £52.60 (€60)
  • Opening hours: every day from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm

One last tip; make sure to always have some cash on you during activities because there are often extras to pay or tips to give.

I hope you found this article useful. Feel free to leave a comment if you have any question.