Must Do's When Visiting Bali, Indonesia

Karlee
Mar 23, 2018
4 min read

Updated: Dec 13, 2019

Must do’s when visiting Bali, Indonesia

Bali, Indonesia is an extremely popular tourist destination and for good reason. There is a little bit of everything for everyone, whether you want to soak up the sunshine on the beach, explore cute villages, go hiking, surfing, water sports, chase waterfalls, island hop, stroll through rice fields, or just enjoy Indonesian cuisine.

We spent over a month exploring Indonesia and a good amount of it was spent exploring the island of Bali. We went all over the island from the South to the North, from the beach into the mountains. Here are the top 5 things to do when visiting Bali, Indonesia.

Go Surfing and Explore Canggu, Bali.

Canggu is an adorable coastal town that hipsters and vegans will love. They have endless cafes that have great menus for people who are vegan, vegetarian, or just looking for a healthy choice or some fresh juice. Not only is the food and town great but the surfing is also great for beginners and intermediate surfers. You can walk along the beach and choose between many different surf board rentals or pick up a board in town. If it is your first-time surfing and want to get a lesson or attend a camp, there are many different options throughout Canggu. Ask your hotel or hostel about the best options and they can help you book. Renting a motorbike is the best way to get around Canggu and the surrounding villages. Also, check out Pretty Poison, it is a new artsy bar that has a California style skateboarding pool in the back and they host different events, competitions, and movies. Also the sunsets are pretty great!

2. Find yourself a Waterfall!

Northern Bali has a lot to offer. If you want to experience more than coastal vibes and beach days, rent a motorbike and head North. If you are not confident in your motorbike skills, hire a tour guide to take you around, it isn’t as cheap as renting a motorbike but it is a great option for those with a family or large group. There are so many different waterfalls throughout Bali, you will have to do the research and choose one you are confident you can get to. If you are up for an adventure, these are some of our favorites we came across!

Melanting Waterfall
Air Terjun Waterfall
Munduk Falls
Nung Nung Falls

Some of the waterfalls are free to enter if you can find them but most are guarded by local villagers and charge a very cheap fee in Indonesian Rupiah to enter the trails. I recommend always carrying small change and cash with you when you are planning to adventure to the waterfalls.

3. Visit Lake Buyan.

Lake Buyan is beautiful lake in Northern Bali. The best way to get to it is by renting a motorbike. The drive to Lake Buyan is extremely diverse and beautiful from palm trees, to dense rain forests, small villages, to rice fields. It is much colder the farther you head North and rainfall can be likely so I recommend packing a poncho and a light jacket for extra warmth. Once you arrive on the ridge on Julan Munduk Road, there is an overlook of the lake and mountain ranges. There is picnic tables and a small village where you can get delicious local Balinese meals for extremely cheap while taking in the views. If you want to explore down by the lake more there is day activities you can take part of and hikes for more viewpoints.

4. Sun Rise Hike up a Volcano: Mount Batur or Mount Agung.

If your central location is in Ubud, then it is extremely easy to hire a local guide to take you on a sunrise or daytime hike to one of the two Volcanoes on Bali. Mount Batur is the easier hike of the two with a little lower of an elevation of 5, 633’ feet, and is also the most popular. If you like adventures, it is possible to be able to do the hike on your own with the proper gear and it would be best have good directions. Once you arrive you can follow most of the crowds up to the top of the volcano so you do not get off trail. Mount Agung is the largest volcano on the island standing at 9,944’ feet and more difficult to hike. It is possible to do by yourself, but I recommend hiring a guide or going with a local especially if you are doing a sunrise or sunset hike. We ended up doing Mount Batur because of weather and time. We hired a guide to pick us up around 2 A.M, we had a group of 5 people and they supplied everything including headlamps. It was cold in the higher elevation, and I recommend having warmer layers like pants, light jacket, and tennis shoes because the terrain is steep and hard to do in sandals. Also, pack your camera because the view is one you will not want to miss out on capturing!

5. Explore the Rice Fields!

All over Bali you can find various rice fields! Some small, some miles long! The best thing to do is rent a motorbike and just head inland. You won't have to go very far to come across a beautiful rice field. Some of the rice fields you can park and walk along the trails, and some you can take in from a distance. One of our favorite Rice fields we came across after a long day of exploring was in Pelitan Gianyar, Bali. It is along the road Jalan Raya Goa Gajah. Here there is a cluster of local restaurants serving Balinese and Indonesian cuisine. These quaint restaurants have various outdoor seating that overlook miles of rice fields. One of the restaurants is called Bale Udang Mang Engking, look for a large sign! Not to mention the food is delicious!