Unique Experiences in Bali: Seven Things Worth Planning For

The unique experiences in Bali that are worth building a day around are a water purification ritual, a kecak performance on a cliff, a volcano sunrise, a walk through UNESCO rice terraces, a cooking class, hand-feeding at a safari park and snorkelling a protected island. Several of them are cultural or religious, which means a few rules of behaviour apply. Fees are given where sources agree. Where they disagree you get the range, and a reminder to check on the day.

What is melukat and how do I behave at Tirta Empul?

Melukat is a Balinese Hindu purification ritual in which you bathe under holy spring water to wash away negative energy. Tirta Empul in Tampaksiring is one of the few temples where visitors can take part. It is a working temple and a pilgrimage site, not an activity park.

Entry covers the grounds, not the ritual. For melukat you rent a separate bathing sarong, usually green, and a locker, and you wear the temple sarong and sash for the grounds either way. Bring a change of clothes and a small towel. Before the pool you make a canang sari offering and say a short prayer. You then move along the row of spouts from the left, and two spouts near the end are reserved for priests, so skip them like everyone else does. Menstruating women are traditionally not allowed in temple areas. Ask before photographing people who are praying.

The temple opens 8:00 to 18:00. Fee guides range from IDR 50,000 to IDR 75,000 for adults, so check at the gate. Arrive before 10:00 or after 16:00 to avoid tour buses, and allow 1.5 to 2 hours with the ritual. Our Ubud tour visits Tirta Empul along with the Barong dance and Monkey Forest, from $60 per car for the transport. Entry tickets and lunch are paid separately. Our place page on Tirta Empul has more on the site.

Is the Uluwatu kecak fire dance worth it?

Yes, once, if you pick the right seat and arrive early. Kecak is a Balinese Hindu dance in which a circle of men chant "chak" while a battle from the Ramayana is acted out. The dance was developed in the 1930s, when the painter Walter Spies worked with Balinese dancers and adapted an older trance ritual called Sanghyang for visiting audiences.

At Uluwatu the show starts around dusk on the clifftop. It is a tourist performance, so do not expect a ceremony, but the setting is the point. Ticket prices and the second showtime vary by source and change, and temple entry is usually separate from the show ticket, so confirm both before you go. Our Uluwatu Sunset Tour from $35 per person covers the car and driver for the temple, the Kecak dance and a seafood dinner stop at Jimbaran Bay. Entry tickets and the dinner itself are paid separately. Our place page on the kecak dance gives the story.

Is the Batur sunrise trek worth the 2 a.m. start?

For most people, yes, provided you go with a guide and dress warmly. Mount Batur is an active volcano in a caldera, 1,717 metres high, whose last eruption was in 2000. The climb takes about 2 hours and is a steady uphill walk rather than a technical climb.

Operators typically pick up between 1:00 and 2:30 in the morning. One operator meets its guides at Toya Bungkah village and supplies headlamps. It is properly cold before sunrise, so a t-shirt is not enough. Cloud can hide the view, and nobody can promise a clear sunrise. Our Batur Mountain Sunrise Trekking Tour is from $45 per person with a minimum of 4 people, and the hot spring and coffee plantation are optional afterwards. The Kintamani area is the base. Other treks are in our hiking guide.

Where can I walk through rice terraces without the crowds?

Jatiluwih, about 90 minutes from Ubud or Canggu, is the large UNESCO-listed one with long trails and no swing queues. It is part of the subak system, the water-management network of terraces and water temples, which UNESCO inscribed in 2012.

The walking is the point. Come in the dry season (roughly April to October) for dry trails, or in the rains for reflections in the paddies. Fee guides give IDR 50,000 to IDR 100,000, so check at the checkpoint, and allow plenty of time for the trails. Our place page on Jatiluwih covers the site. Tegalalang is closer to Ubud and much better known, and it is still working farmland, so stay on the marked paths.

What does a Balinese cooking class involve?

Usually a half day: a market visit or a walk to pick vegetables, then a cook-along of about six dishes, then you eat them. Many classes start at a local market or a farm garden. Small groups are hands-on, larger ones tend to demonstrate at a central table and let you cook in groups of five or six.

A typical menu has satay, a curry, sweet and sour tempeh or gado gado, and many classes offer vegetarian dishes and a recipe book to take home. Prices vary a lot between schools, so compare inclusions before you book, especially transport. For what you will be tasting, see our guide to Balinese food.

Can I feed animals at Taman Safari Bali?

Yes, there are guided feeding activities, though they depend on the animals' condition and the weather. The park, formerly Bali Safari Marine Park, is in Gianyar.

Our Feed The Predator listing describes a caged tram, one guide and two keepers, hand-feeding carnivores, available daily from 14:00 to 16:00. The package starts from USD 20 per person and does not include transport, and our $35 per car covers the private transfer only. Prices and schedules change, so check with us before you book.

Is snorkelling Menjangan Island worth the trip?

If clear water and reef matter to you, yes, though it is a long way out. Menjangan is inside West Bali National Park in the northwest, reached only by an organised boat. The park fee is IDR 200,000 for foreigners on weekdays and IDR 300,000 on weekends and public holidays. Our guide to off the beaten path Bali has the full logistics.

If you stay in the south, our Blue Lagoon snorkelling and waterfall tour near Padangbai is from $60 per person, with calm water that suits beginners.

How do I choose between them?

Match the experience to the time of day, because most of them cannot be moved. Sunrise, a dusk performance and an afternoon feeding slot each fix part of your day, so you can rarely stack more than two in one go.

Experience	When	Time to allow	Main thing to prepare
Melukat at Tirta Empul	Before 10:00 or after 16:00	1.5 to 2 hours	Dry clothes, towel, cash
Kecak at Uluwatu	Dusk	About an hour for the show, plus travel	Early arrival for seats
Batur sunrise	Pickup 1:00 to 2:30	About 2 hours to the top	Jacket and grip shoes
Jatiluwih terraces	Dry season for dry trails	Half a day with the drive	Sun protection, cash
Feed The Predator	14:00 to 16:00 daily	One afternoon	Check the schedule

A sensible pairing is Batur sunrise followed by Kintamani and a late lunch, or Tirta Empul in the morning and a rice terrace walk after. Do not plan Batur sunrise and a kecak evening on the same day unless you enjoy being tired. For anything at a temple, wear a sarong and sash, cover your shoulders and knees, and leave short shorts at the hotel.

If you want any of these arranged, with pickup times, tickets and the right order for the day, send us the details through our contact page.