Bali bombards you with beauty, beaches, and culture. The
entire experience feels at once effortless and nonpareil – the apex of tropical
living. Sure, the beaches provide a gravity that draws travelers from all over
the globe to this tiny Indonesian Island, but the culture brings them back. The
lure is as persistent and persuasive as a boiler room hustler. There’s a saying
that God lives in the Himalayas. I have a feeling he vacations in Bali.
Interested to visit this paradise? Here are some of the best
things to do in Bali:
Bicycle around Ubud
Ubud, made famous by Eat Pray Love, has been the island’s
centre of arts, crafts, dance, food and music for many years. Located amongst
scenic rice paddies, Ubud was once frequented by backpackers and bohemians but
is now the place to be for the island’s designers and glitterati. Many people
visit Ubud to be immersed in Balinese culture and it has been a popular
destination for spa retreats and yoga holidays. Ubud has some great organic
restaurants and cafes and there’s also a sacred monkey forest.
The streets of Ubud teem with culture. A great way to see
the town, surrounding artistic villages, and working rice paddies is on
bicycle. Start at Monkey Forest and visit with the infamous residents —
crab-eating macaques. Mid-day, head over to Goa Gajah, one of Bali’s most
unique holy places. To end your day, ride to the village of Petulu. A massive
nightly Heron migration is said to be the manifestation of spirits felled in a
communist cleansing back in the 1960s. The birds began showing up exactly one week
after an especially brutal massacre and have roosted in Petulu every night
since. The scene is holy.
No trip to Bali is complete without a stay in Ubud. Some of
my favorite Ubud guest-houses are Tegal Sari, Tepi Sawah, and Greenfields. Book
early and get a view overlooking the rice paddies. Some great bike tour
companies are Bike Baik and Banyan Tree, but setting off on your own trip of
discovery is much more exhilarating.
Learn to Surf in Kuta
If the heart of Bali’s culture beats in Ubud, then its hard
charging Bintang gripping extremities flail about in Kuta. The scene is all
here: bikinis on the beach, clubs that go all night, expat bars, hip travel
cognoscenti, and intoxicated Australian high fivers. Depending on the
experience you expect to derive from travel, Kuta will either be a place to
remember or a place to forget. Perhaps, even a place to remember forgetting.
Either way, Kuta does surf lessons brilliantly. Since the Kuta wave breaks over
sand rather than coral, new riders do not exit the water grasping for gauze.
This provides a perfect arrangement for wide-eyed noobs to pick up the surf
game. After a day spent learning your way around a barrel, quench your thirst
with fresh fruit drinks and a sunset at KuDeTa.
Kuta Beach is a quick ride from the airport and full of
cheap accommodations. Some great surfing schools are Odyssey and Rip Curl
School of Surf, though hiring a local guide will likely be cheaper. If you
possess some serious skills check out the legendary Ulu Watu break. KuDeTa is a
seaside bar and restaurant that draws huge crowds. Get there early to secure a
spot for sunset.
Sunset at Tanah Lot
The sea-draped temple of Tanah Lot rises out of the surf
like a hazy dream along Bali’s southwest coast. Beneath the waves that crash
along the dark temple walls, a pride of banded sea kraits patrol the waters.
The snakes guard the temple from evil spirits and harm. (Or so I’ve been told.)
Tanah Lot is many things: magical, stunning, unlikely, romantic, and strange.
It has a plucked from a dream aesthetic that allows you to believe the lore and
have fun with it. A local told me about those sea kraits, and I believed him
because the place looks so unreal. It seems to exist on dreamlike terms.
Catching it at sunset frames the temple at its most beautiful and surreal.
On a map, Tanah Lot seems close to much of south Bali. Due
to the layout of the roads, however, it takes quite a while to get there. It is
best to hire a driver. Enjoy the sunset from the beach at low tide or up on the
cliffs at a cafe. The nearby markets are a great place to grab some touristy
trinkets and cheap art. I once bought 5 Balinese paintings for $27. If you
enjoy golfing, then the nearby Nirwana Resort has the best links course in
Bali.
Go To The Monkey Temple and Watch Kecak Dance in Ulu Watu
The temple in Uluwatu, down in the south of the island, is
home to many many wild monkeys and it’s a great spot for taking photos. Beware
though, don’t wear any hats or sunglasses as they’ll steal them from your head!
In the 1930′s, a German artist taught the Balinese a
peculiar performance called the Kecak. The dance has no instruments, just vocal
chords, about 100 of them. They chant generously and costumed performers dance
and act out the Ramayana. While the 20th century German impetus may sound
slightly inauthentic, you will hardly care about details as the sun slowly sets
beyond the cliffs of Ulu Watu and you get lost in the chant. There is also lots
of fire.
The show begins at 6:00pm nightly. Hire a taxi to drop you
off at Ulu Watu temple. Once there, follow the crowds to the performance area.
It is perched on the cliffs at the southernmost tip of Bali. Your driver will undoubtedly
offer to take you to a Jimbaran seafood dinner after the show. Decline this
service. It is an expensive tourist trap.
Snorkeling around Menjangan Island
Menjangan Island in the far west is a long trip from almost
anywhere in Bali. The remote location augments the pristine experience by
discouraging crowds. Much of West Bali is sparsely populated parkland, so it is
a departure from the bustling south. In Menjangan, hire a boatman to take you
out to the reefs for the day, and prepare to get your mind blown. Snorkeling
does not get better than this. The bright reefs and strange fish will tattoo a
smile upon your face. At the end of the day, shack up on the beach in nearby
Pemuteran. It is wise to stay a night, or three. If you have time, then take a
trip into Taman Nasional Bali Barat to view some Balinese flora and fauna.
The drive is over 3 hours from south Bali, so a day trip is
way too cumbersome. A great way to experience Menjangan is too stay in nearby
Pemuteran for a few nights. The Amertha in Pemuteran grazes perfection. Its
secluded location framed by towering mountains and gorgeous villas with private
pools is well worth the modest splurge. The amazing house reef full of critters
just meters offshore will almost talk you out of visiting Menjangan. Don’t let
it.
Road Trip to Lake Bratan
With taxi rates substantially lower than Western standards,
it is cheap and easy to hire a driver for a good old-fashioned chauffeured road
trip: $50 for an entire day is about average. One of my favorite paths begins
in the southern part of Bali and snakes up through the lush highlands ending at
the otherworldly Lake Bratan. It takes about 2 hours. The lake is home to the
unbelievably photogenic cover-girl temple, Pura Ulun Danu Bratan. The mist
hangs low, the air is much cooler, and it all feels so right. This is an
enlightened place.
Arrange a driver for the day through your guest-house or
hotel, or use my favorite driver, the extremely jovial Made Dana
(081338719877).
Climbing Mount Batur
The volcanic Mount Batur and surrounding lake provide a
proper setting for a gorgeous clamber to the summit. The best time to climb is
the morning. Most groups begin their ascent around 4am, hitting the summit at 6
to watch the sun slowly rise over the Lombok strait. Bring a jacket and be
careful at the summit. Batur is an active volcano and an unfortunate tourist
fell into the cauldron in early 2010.
You can arrange a trip up the mountain with your guest-house
or driver. It is not too physically demanding. If you find yourself bit by the
climbing bug, check out Mt. Rinjani on nearby Lombok Island. It is beast and
takes several days to summit.
Eat Babi Guling at Ibu Oka in Ubud
Babi Guling, or suckling pig, has made a name for itself as
Bali’s main course. Many roadside warungs serve the oinkers, but Ibu Oka has
garnered some serious praise for its delectable hogs. Anthony Bourdain called
it the best. We are in agreement on this point. Just go there, order a combo
plate, and find a place in the crowds to hunker down and grub. It costs about
2.50 for a plate, which is a small penance for something with a “best” moniker.
Wash it all down with an ice cold fruit drink.
It is hard to miss Ibu Oka in the heart of Ubud near Ubud
Market. Just ask around. Be sure to arrive early for lunch; 11 am is early
enough. They only prepare a few beasts each day, and once the food is gone…
they shut down.
Rafting through the heart of Bali
You will get drenched, and you will love it. Rafting through
the heart of Bali thrills the heart and frightens the mind. The rapids shoot
you through Bali’s lush interior like a drunken torpedo. The voyage zips passed
rice paddies with working farmers and kids flying kites. It feels like
traveling through a privileged backstage portion of Bali, and that is a great
feeling.
Bali adventure tours near Ubud can arrange your rafting
adventure. Like everything else is Bali, just ask your driver or guest-house
for arrangements to be made. They will be happy to phone in their commission.
Banyan Tree also arranges rafting excursions.
Attend a Buffalo Race in Negara
Water Buffaloes serve many purposes throughout Southeast
Asia. They are agricultural tractors, beasts of burden, milk producers, a
source of food, and…racing machines. In western Bali, on Sundays, these beasts
line up and drag jockeyed chariots around an oval course like cans behind a
car. The brightly accessorized water buffaloes grunt around the dusty track
while local spectators shout their Bahasa encouragements.
Negara is quite a haul from South Bali, and the buffalo
races start very early on every other Sunday during the dry season (July to
October) around 7am. To arrive on time, it is best to stay the night prior to
the races. Medewi is a nearby surf town with nice accommodations.
Buy something from a Kuta Stall
Whilst many dislike the tourist trap of Kuta, with its
stalls selling fake sunglasses, fake DVDs and Bintang T-shirts, it’s still an
experience all the same. This bustling network of narrow streets is filled with
stalls, budget hotels, cheap warungs, and bikes galore. Walk down a Kuta street
and there are bikes buzzing past, cars trying to get through crowds of tourists
and people trying to sell things wherever you go. Although it’s heavily built
up and designed for tourism, it’s great for budget hotels, cheap surf wear and
cheap food. There’s certainly something about the energy of Kuta that you
shouldn’t miss out on.
Have a cocktail in The Rock Bar
The Rock Bar at the Ayana Resort in Jimbaran is a stunning
bar literally on the ocean, you couldn’t get any closer if you tried. A lift
takes you down onto this exclusive bar perched on the rocks where you can enjoy
a cocktail as the waves crash against them. It offers one of the best views of
the sunset on the island, all to the sound of live jazz.
Try some amazing food from the street stalls
Don’t be afraid to try the food from the Balinese street
stalls, I’ve never had any stomach upsets. Try delicious satay, Nasi Goreng,
Bakso soup or Babi Guling, which is my personal favourite. People in Bali disagree
over where to get the best Babi Guling, but I always enjoyed the Babi Guling
served at Pak Malen on Sunset Road just as you turn into Seminyak.
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