Bali is known for beaches, temples and rice fields. But the island also has craft classes, odd rituals and quiet corners. This guide picks the stranger side of Bali and gives the facts you need to plan it.
Quick picks
- Make silver jewelry in a 3-hour Ubud class.
- Weave a basket from lontar leaf in a 2-hour class.
- Join a purification ritual at Pura Tirta Empul.
- Race through villages on a Jungle Cart north of Ubud.
- Watch the leaf-sword fight called perang pandan in Tenganan.
- Snorkel with manta rays around the Nusa Islands.
- Eat lunch on a boat among koi at Kamandalu in Ubud.
- Stay in Sidemen on the east side.
- Tour the artist’s house at the Le Mayeur Museum in Sanur.
- Go canyoning down waterfalls on a full-day package.
- Taste Kopi Luwak, one of the world’s costliest coffees.
- Climb Mount Agung on an overnight trek.
- Walk the Campuhan Ridge Walk in Ubud.
1. Make silver jewelry in Ubud
Bali is a land of artisans, and its crafts pass down through generations. A 3-hour silversmith class in Ubud lets you turn silver into a piece of jewelry. You also learn what silver jewelry making involves and how the craft has changed over the centuries.
Balinese jewelry mixes complex patterns, precious stones and local motifs, as this art and culture write-up describes. Local artisans there work in silver, wood and paint, often as a family.
Wood carvers often hold a piece of wood between their feet while they carve a statue. Their larger works show gods, mythical creatures and scenes from Balinese myth. You can see such carvings on temples, palaces and traditional buildings across the island.
2. Weave a basket or dye batik
Two more hands-on options sit alongside the silver class. One is a 2-hour basket weaving class with Ibu Nyoman. She is a Balinese woman who specializes in weaving with the traditional lontar leaf.
The other is a 3-hour batik workshop. A Balinese batik guru introduces the techniques, tools and dyes. The guru also explains the ideas behind some of the most common batik patterns, and you produce an original design.
A Balinese cooking class is another way to learn a craft. The Ubad Ubud Bali Cooking Class sits near Goa Gajah, and you eat the meal afterwards.
3. Join a water purification ritual
Melukat is a Balinese purification ritual held at a water temple. Pura Tirta Empul is the most popular place for it, and the advice is to go early to avoid the crowds. A private tour to the Holy Spring Temple at Tirta Empul in Tampak Siring adds healing techniques performed by a Balinese shaman from Puri Negari.
Tampaksiring also has Gunung Kawi, a Hindu temple near Tirta Empul. It opens daily from 07:00 to 17:00.
Near Ubud, Goa Gajah is a Hindu temple on Jalan Goa Gajah. It opens from 08:00 to 16:00. Candi ruins and the Purbakala Archaeological Museum lie close by.
4. Ride a Jungle Cart
This ride is a real-life Mario Kart. Jungle Cart Bali runs it through rural villages in northern Ubud. You zoom along on a custom tricycle.
Rain does not spoil it. The day was great once the riders committed to getting drenched. It calls the ride one of the most fun things to do in Bali with friends. Pack clothes you do not mind getting wet.
The ride suits groups. It also gives you a look at village life that road tours skip.
5. Watch perang pandan in Tenganan
Tenganan village holds a yearly ritual fight called perang pandan, or Makere-Kere. Each fighter carries a shield and a “sword” that is really a prickly leaf. The fights are short tests of strength.
The biggest fights honour the Hindu God of War at the Ngusaba Sambah Festival in June. The ritual is something of a spectacle for tourists. It is still fun and worth the visit.
Plan around June if you want the largest fights. Outside that month, the ritual is not the main draw.
6. Snorkel with manta rays or dive near Amed
The three Nusa Islands lie off the east coast. A 30-minute public ferry leaves from Sanur Harbour. Around them you can see giant manta rays up to 9 m wide, though sightings are never guaranteed. Turtles and colourful fish also turn up.
Lembongan has white sand beaches that are easier to reach than those on Penida. Boat trips through the mangroves and sunset paddleboarding are also on offer there. Nusa Penida is the biggest island, with its T-Rex-shaped cliff and Kelingking Beach.
Penida gets very crowded from 10 am to 4 pm. It calms down after that. A few nights there let you enjoy the quiet hours.
On the northeast coast, Amed has its own water sights. You can snorkel in Amed to see an underwater temple. Divers can also swim inside a World War II shipwreck near Amed. Scuba trips can be booked from Sanur or Amed, and boat trips from Lovina go dolphin watching.
7. Eat lunch on a boat among koi
Kamandalu is a luxury hotel in Ubud, but you do not need to be a guest for this. Lunch or dinner is served on a boat in a tropical setting. You can feed the fish, and they gather around the boat.
The cost of this experience is €111. Two meals are served on the boat.
8. Base yourself in Sidemen
Sidemen is tucked away on the east of the island. It is described as the epitome of an off-the-beaten-track destination and an excellent base for a few days.
Rafting is a good reason to stay. Bali has two main spots, the Telaga Waja River near Sidemen and the Ayung River near Ubud. Telaga Waja has the longest course and lies further east, so it sees fewer visitors.
The Ayung River trip includes a traditional Bali-style lunch. Its class 2 rapids can rise to class 4 in the rainy season.
Farther north, Munduk rewards a longer stay. Its bucket-list sights are about a 30-minute drive from the village. Another quiet pick is the Balangan area on the Bukit side.
9. Step into the Le Mayeur Museum and other small museums
This artist’s house turned museum is in Sanur. The Le Mayeur Museum is on Jl Hangtuah. It opens Sunday to Thursday from 08:00 to 15:00, and on Friday from 08:00 to 13:00.
Sunrise Beach and Sanur Beach are nearby. Two other museums suit a rainy day.
Adults pay Rp150.000. Students with ID and children aged 6 to 12 pay Rp75.000, and under-6s enter free.
10. Chase waterfalls and go canyoning
Canyoning mixes abseiling down waterfalls, pool jumps, swimming and sliding. Many packages add zip lining. Most start from $100 all-inclusive for a day.
In the north, the Aling Aling waterfall trail has four waterfalls on a single ticket. Aling Aling is the last and one of the biggest. The other three offer a huge natural water slide and cliff jumps as high as 15 m.
For something gentler, try Juwuk Manis waterfall. It is an 800-metre trek from the village of Manggissari in Jembrana Regency. The path is slippery. The water is cold and clear, and the fall is only five metres high. You can splash in the small pool.
11. Taste Kopi Luwak
Kopi Luwak is among the most expensive coffees in the world. A civet, a small ferret-like creature, eats the coffee beans. Once the beans pass through, they are collected and roasted.
It is one of the more odd things to do in Bali. About 100 years ago, only poor coffee pickers drank it. They could not afford fresh beans.
Another coffee stop is La Montagne Coffee, which appears on a list of unique Bali activities.
12. Climb a volcano before sunrise
Mount Agung is the island’s big challenge. You can join an overnight trek to climb the volcano. The easier route starts at Pura Pasar Agung and ends at the crater rim, 2,866 metres above sea level. The harder route runs from Pura Besakih to the absolute summit.
Mount Batur is the shorter option. For sunrise at the top, hikers meet at the start point around 3am. Jeep tours start around 4am. Pick-up from your lodging could be as early as 1:30am in South Bali.
On Batur, you can also ride jeeps up the caldera for mountain-top yoga, as the Ayung rafting and quad-bike list shows. Pura Besakih is Bali’s most important temple.
13. Walk Campuhan Ridge and meet Ubud’s wildlife
The Campuhan Ridge Walk is a paved path through nature in Ubud. Sunset gives the best light, but any hour works. It is a relatively easy hike.
For a sunset view with a bumpy ride, there is Lahangan Sweet. You can climb a very steep pathway or hire a motorbike or jeep to the viewing platforms. Be careful on the way back in the dark.
The Ubud Monkey Forest is on Jl Monkey Forest. It opens daily from 08:30 to 18:00. About 1,000 long-tailed Balinese macaques roam free under giant banyan trees, with temples along the trails.
Tips before you go
- Pack a universal adapter. Bali uses type C and F plugs at 230 V.
- Check visa rules before you fly. The cost is $35 for travelers from the US or UK.
- Start early for Mount Batur. Hikers meet around 3am, and jeep tours start around 4am.
- Budget for sarongs and entry. Gunung Kawi and Goa Gajah include a sarong in the ticket.
- Look at local spas for massage. Locally owned spas charge about 100,000 to 150,000, and foreign-owned spas or hotels charge more.
- Pick the right beach for the activity. Kuta, Seminyak and Canggu suit surf, and a lesson at Pererenan beach costs 350k.
- Surf all year. Bali has more than 60 surf breaks.
What are some hidden things to do in Bali besides the touristy?
Bali drew over 5 million foreign arrivals in the past year, so quiet spots take some effort. Sidemen and Telaga Waja rafting are two options on the east side. Munduk is another, and Balangan is a third.
Crafts are another route. Silver, batik and basket weaving in Ubud, detailed here, keep you away from the main crowds. Starting early also helps, since most travelers who skip 5 am starts may be disappointed at iconic spots.
Try a village event too. Perang pandan in Tenganan and water rituals at Tirta Empul give a look at living Balinese culture.
The most unusual days in Bali are hands-on. Pick a craft class in Ubud, a ritual at Tirta Empul and one wild day on water. Add a small museum for slow hours.
Plan the early starts and the ferry from Sanur Harbour first. Everything else can flex around them.
Opening hours, prices and visiting details: Bali Museum, Museum Pasifika, Neka Art Museum, Puri Lukisan Museum.