Bali rafting
They start high in the mountains, fed by the tropical rains that fall on the slopes of Bali’s volcanoes. Trickles grow to become torrents, pouring down the mountain and tumbling across the plain — carving steep-sided valleys as they go.
These rivers of Bali are short, but they run fast, and their mood changes with each heavy rainfall: they can be tranquil and smooth-flowing, but a few hours rain raises their level by metres in a very short time and turns them into roaring, brown dragons.
The rivers bring life, and the Balinese have developed elaborate and sophisticated irrigation methods to divert waterflows through the rice fields. Much rural life is inevitably based around the rivers, and in the first light of morning and the last light of evening farmers and villagers gather at the water to bathe, relax and hold special ceremonies.
It’s not an exaggeration to say that they are the arteries of Balinese rural life, running from Mt Agung’s great heart down to the ocean.
There’s no doubt these rivers can offer some adrenaline-charged thrills, but the real experience on these beautiful watercourses is more than just to enjoy a screaming charge through rapids. The rivers offer a smooth, silent ride through the best of the Balinese countryside: the deep, jungle-clad valleys still home to the native animal and bird life, the waterfalls tumbling down ravines, the incredible rice terraces carved with perfect symmetry into the hillsides, and the brilliant villages, buzzing with life and resplendent with the natural elegance of Balinese architecture. On the surging waters of the rivers, you are constantly in touch with the pulse and flow of life on this extraordinary island.
There are now several rivers on which you can experience this proximity to the essence of Bali. The Ayung is the most popular, but there is also rafting on the Telaga Waja and Unda rivers.