Bali is definitely one of my favorite travel destinations to date. The people, the views, the natural elements, the villas, the cost LOL! I would recommend it to any and everybody! I would probably even move to Bali. Unfortunately, I’m way too family-oriented and my family isn’t down to come with so, for now, I have to be content with just visiting. I definitely have to visit again to explore more of Bali and also to explore some of the other beautiful islands of Indonesia but these are some of the activities I did on my first go-round!
Gitgit Waterfall
Gitgit Waterfall is a really popular attraction on the north of the island. We stayed in Lovina during our visit so it was about 45 minutes away for us but if you are staying in Ubud, the drive will be about 1.5 hours. The entrance fee was only about $2 USD and a tour guide will take you down to the waterfall. It took a small hike to get down to the waterfall - only about 15 minutes but if it’s hot, it may feel longer. There are paved steps down to the bottom but at times, it can get a bit steep so it’s not necessarily the easiest BUT it’s not difficult either. Once you get down to the bottom, it is beautiful! We got to walk into the waterfall which, if I remember correctly, was kind of cold LOL. It was also pretty rocky to walk through so I would definitely bring water shoes. Please don’t let any of these factors deter you from visiting because it really was a wonderful experience and I would do it again and again! But these are a few random points I wish I knew before going so I could be better prepared.
Jatiluwih Rice Terraces
I could walk through, sit in, and admire these rice terraces for hours! They are so beautiful. In fact, Jatiluwih is actually a UNESCO World Heritage site. Rice terraces are really common around Bali and oftentimes, you can see the farmers working in them throughout the day. But these are huge! We walked around the terraces on our own and just admired their beauty. There were also quite a few restaurants in the area so we sat down for lunch with a view. I had fried noodles which were really good! This was probably my favorite activity.
Ulun Danu Bratan Temple
This temple was constructed in honor of Dewi Danu, goddess of the lake that it sits in. Interestingly enough, when we went, the water was at super low tide maybe because of rain (I could be wrong) so the land directly under the temple was fully exposed. I believe the entrance fee was about $3.50 USD. There were also a few other cultural/historical structures in the area to explore.
Bali Swing
This is the place you’ve probably seen all over Instagram. This place is an Instagram lover’s dream with 7 swings, 7 nests, large stones, a helicopter, and views for days! They have 2 entrance packages available, one for $10 USD and one for $35 USD. The $10 package is more generic and better if your goal is to just view the area or you are visiting with someone but not intending to take many pictures. This package includes access to the helicopter, boat, and stone photo ops, and lunch. The $35 package is for the Instagrammers there to get photo ops on the swings, nests/beds, stones, helicopter, boat, etc. This package also comes with lunch. The attraction also offers photography services and ladies that want the swing pictures with a dramatic dress can also rent one here. The main purpose of this attraction really was photo ops in my opinion so if you are not really a picture person, I’d recommend skipping this.
Bali Sunset Adventure ATVs
This was our most expensive excursion (I believe it was $100 USD for a 2 seater or about $100 each for a 1 seater) but it was one of my favorites! Warning: If you are not looking to get dirty, this may not be the company for you. I’m sure there are companies that focus more on clean, scenic drives but this one took us through lots of large mud puddles and allowed us to zoom through grass tracks so I definitely had mud on my legs when done. I’m a slight adrenaline junkie so this was right up my alley! I rode ATVs in Mexico as well and this was definitely way more fun!
Coffee & Tea Tour
We also participated in a small tour where we got to see how coffee and tea were made. The highlight of this tour was definitely the Luwak coffee or poopoo coffee LOL. Luwak coffee is made from coffee beans that a Civet cat ate and pooped out! Apparently, the beans are fermented as they pass through a civet's intestines and are collected from the feces. This coffee is actually considered "the world's most expensive coffee." I tried it but did not like it. But then again, I don't drink coffee (especially not black coffee) so I'm not a fair judge.
We had a private driver take us to all of our activities (full day for about $50 USD) but I’m sure you could rent a car or scooter to get to these places as well. Shoutout to our driver, wish I could remember his name but at least we have a picture!
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