When we were planning our getaway to Bali we decided we wanted a mix of culture, relaxation and adventure so we quickly decided on a day of white water rafting. We booked through Nyoman ( who was recommended to us on Facebook) she owns Resi Bali Tour which offers a mix of private tours and activities, for a few hours of white water rafting, pick up from Seminyak and a buffet lunch you can expect to pay around $40 AUD per person which is great value for money.
The optional flying fox to the start of the rafting
We were picked up bang on 08:30 from our hotel and shared a journey out into the jungle with a few other couples, the van was comfortable and luckily had air conditioning, I even snuck in a little nap on the way. Once we arrived at the rafting centre we paid our fees and got assigned life jackets and paddles, it was glorious Bali chaos, however we were given ice cold bottles of water to cool down whilst we waited for our time to go.
There was a fairly brief safety talk before we set on our 14km journey, our guide was really fun and enthusiastic, he knew a few words in English, you know the essentials like 'boom boom' (in both a sexual way and a raft hitting rock kinda way), 'pokemon go' and 'beer'.
After the first 30 minutes of paddling we pulled over for a leg stretch / re-inflate and chance to climb a waterfall (which we chose not to, let us at the rapids!)
The journey wound through rice paddies, section of jungle and through several waterfalls leaving us well and truely soaked...
It was definitely a laugh and more than suitable for those with no skills on the water at all, the couple in front of us didn't paddle at all (so of course myself and the guide made every effort to soak them with our paddles).
The journey ended by flying off a man made waterfall before a few flat water turns to the end point. I wish I'd taken the clip to attach my go pro to my helmet as it was a whole heap more exciting than it looks in photos!
When we were back on dry land we had a horrific hike back up to the buffet, showers and pick up point. I'm not going to lie the steps were horrific in the heat and humidity and took me a good 15 minutes longer than anyone else in the group, they sucked. The showers were probably what you'd expect in the middle of the countryside in a third world country, I would definitely recommend packing lots of clean clothes, body spray and baby wipes!
I chose to not eat any of the buffet food as again, it's what you'd expect for an included buffet in the countryside and definitely didn't look vegetarian friendly (I'm not one to risk bali belly).
Overall the experience was so, so worth the $40 we paid, it wasn't the most exhilarating thing I've ever done but for an activity for total beginners and families it's awesome fun and something we'll definitely recommend friends and family do when visiting Bali.
Have you been white water rafting before?
xo