White Water Rafting and Canyoning in Bali

Part of the Bali travel guide — see every topic in All Bali Guides.

Bali's rivers run off the volcanoes through soft volcanic rock, which has cut a series of steep, narrow gorges through the middle of the island. Two of them are rafted commercially: the Ayung, west of Ubud, which is gentle and scenic, and the Telaga Waja in the east under Mount Agung, which is faster and steeper. Canyoning — abseiling, jumping and sliding down a river course — is the newer and more serious version, run by a small number of operators in gorges that have no other access.

Rafting the Ayung

The standard trip: about ten kilometres and two hours through the Ayung gorge west of Ubud, with class II and III rapids, which means bouncy rather than frightening and entirely suitable for families with children over about seven. The gorge itself is the attraction — vertical jungle walls, waterfalls dropping into the river, and long stone reliefs carved into the cliff by local artists. Expect 400,000–700,000 rupiah including transfer, equipment, a guide per raft and lunch. The walk out is several hundred steps up the gorge side.

Telaga Waja

The eastern river, running off Agung near Sidemen, is longer, faster and steeper — class III with a four-metre drop over a dam at the end that is the memorable part. It runs through rice terraces rather than jungle and the scenery is more open. It suits teenagers and adults rather than young children, and it is the choice if the Ayung sounds too gentle. Both rivers run year-round; both are fuller and faster in the wet season from December to March, when trips are occasionally cancelled after very heavy rain.

Canyoning

This is the serious end. Guided descents of gorges near Gitgit, Kerobokan in the north and around Munduk involve abseiling down waterfalls of up to thirty metres, jumping into plunge pools, and sliding natural rock chutes, with a wetsuit, helmet and harness supplied. Trips are graded from beginner to advanced and run 900,000–1,800,000 rupiah for a half or full day. Operators are few and the good ones are internationally certified — ask specifically, because this is an activity where the guiding standard is the safety margin.

Practicalities

Wear clothes you can soak and shoes that stay on; sandals are useless. Everything you carry will get wet, so use the operator's dry barrel and leave phones behind or buy the photo package. Both rafting rivers involve a long staircase in or out of the gorge, which catches people out in the heat. Trips run in rain and are only cancelled for genuine flood risk. Insurance is included by reputable operators; check. And book a day or two ahead in high season, when the Ayung in particular runs several trips a day.

White Water Rafting and Canyoning at a glance

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