Discover Bali Without Spending a Dime: Top 10 Free Experiences
How to Experience Bali on a Small Budget
Here’s our roundup of the best things you can see and enjoy in Bali for free, without needing to spend even a dollar. After all, who doesn’t like keeping the budget down while on vacation? We wanted to include not only the obvious free attractions and activities on the island, but also the unusual that you might’ve not even heard about before.
Bali’s affordability is one of the factors that make it a favorite vacationing destination. Getting around might require you to shed just a bit off your travel money, but trips spanning popular beaches to scenic hills and valleys provide great value for budget travelers. Read on to find out Bali experiences that you can enjoy for free.
1. Walking the beaches and malls
Where to get your daily steps in
Good for: Budget, Photo, Shoppers
Walking Bali’s famous beaches and expansive malls are a great way to experience local vibes and life. Bali beaches are mostly public and easily accessible. Beaches such as Tuban, Kuta, Sanur, and Nusa Dua have additional footpaths where you stroll at any time of the day, especially sunrise and sunset. The cliff-fringed beaches of the southern limestone Bukit peninsula require much more effort to get to, with stone pathways and crags, but with scenic views and quieter scenes.
Kuta Beach is more urbane, with modern malls the likes of Kuta Beachwalk on its northern half and Discovery Shopping Mall on its south – both freely accessible from the beachside and great for window shopping after a day out on the sand. Read more
Walking the beaches and malls
2. Riding the waves or going under them
Surfing and snorkeling for beginners and pros
Good for: Budget, Adventure
While in Bali, surf to your heart’s content or put on your snorkeling mask and admire the underwater world. Surf spots abound, and range from sand breaks to challenging (barreling) reef breaks, and there’s a fair share of beginners and pros around.
Surfers from across the globe bring their own boards and head to these favorite spots as soon as they get out of Ngurah Rai Airport. You can enjoy the underwater wonders of Bali’s colorful coral gardens by snorkeling for free, too.
Read more
Riding the waves or going under them
3. Hiking mountains and discovering hidden temples
Stunning backdrops for epic vacation photos
Good for: Photo, Budget, Adventure
If you’re the adventurous type, most of Bali’s mountains are free to climb. More challenging ones such as Mount Agung and Batukaru, two of the island’s highest mountains, usually require an acknowledgement or permit from the local village community organization or the forestry department (for safety issues). There usually aren’t any extra charges but do check online before you go.
Some of the lower mountains offer ‘modest’ climbs, such as Mount Lempuyang in Karangasem, East Bali, with its lush forests, hordes of timid gray macaques, and the prized discovery of an ancient temple named after the mountain at its peak. Read more
Hiking mountains and discovering hidden temples
4. Walking the Campuhan ridge
A popular Ubud landmark
Good for: Adventure, Budget, Families
As one of the best attractions in Ubud, the Campuhan ridge is free to access and to walk across. It’s also a relatively easy nature trek, with a well-beaten trail that leads you into the vast and green valley expanses of this highland area.
While the hike lets you enjoy cool and fresh air and probably the most gorgeous hillside vista in the region, it also allows you to shed off some calories too with its 9-km hill trek. Some consider it a must-see while in Ubud, just to escape the urban and traffic scenes of town and discover a more pristine side of Bali.
Walking the Campuhan ridge
5. Witnessing the creation of a masterpiece
A glimpse into Balinese art
Good for: Shoppers, Budget
Make your stop at any of Bali’s major art markets and witness a work of art being made. You can find stall after stall of crafts and curios of different shapes and sizes. A visit to any of Bali’s artistic villages and communities of craftsmen, such as the Pakudui village in Tegallalang, or the gold and silversmith communities of Celuk and Mas, south of Ubud, can be an eye-opening experience.
You can observe how woodcarvers shape intricate Garuda statues, or how silversmiths craft gemstones into their shiny and sophisticated jewelry pieces. Most workshops allow you to witness the process (in hopes that you buy something in the end and, that’s all up to you).
Witnessing the creation of a masterpiece
6. Learning about sea turtles at Kuta
How to protect these precious creatures
Good for: Budget, Photo, Unusual
There are two major turtle conservation sites on the island that are free to visit, one of which happens to be in a convenient spot in Kuta Beach. The Bali Sea Turtle Society (BSTS) has a conservation center right next to the Balawista lifeguard tower and the Headquarters Beach Club.
It has a huge nursery in the shape of a sea turtle, which contains a sand bed with clusters of eggs rescued from contiguous nesting sites, to protect them from natural predators and human beach activities. Consider yourself lucky when they release hatchlings out to sea and you can freely participate.
Location: Jl. Pantai Kuta, Kuta, Kec. Kuta, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia
Learning about sea turtles at Kuta
7. Experiencing the local traditions
A pivotal part of Balinese everyday life
Good for: History, Photo, Budget
One of the best ways to learn about Balinese way of life is to experience local traditions. You’ll most likely encounter a Balinese Hindu procession during your visit, whether it’s a funeral or temple ritual that has a whole village fleeting along roads from or to temples. Locals dress up in temple attire while carrying elaborately crafted heirlooms and towering fruit offerings on their heads.
The idea of going to a funeral on vacation might sound strange, but, unlike the west, these are actually festive occasions where you get the chance to mingle with the locals and learn about village rituals. Wear a sarong and sash around the waist as standard respectful attire.
Experiencing the local traditions
8. Visiting lively communal halls
A budget-friendly way to see local performing arts
Good for: Budget, Families, History
Each village in Bali has its own sub-village community gathering hall where youths regularly practice performing arts, from traditional Balinese dances to gamelan orchestras. Visitors are usually welcome to drop in and watch, and all this for free. It’s a great option to those dance shows where you actually have to pay tickets.
March usually coincides with the Saka New Year preparations, you can witness giant ogoh-ogoh effigies (used in street parades) being crafted by the villagers in these same halls.
Visiting lively communal halls
9. Testing your nerves at a ‘ghost town’
Abandoned sites for the adventurous types
Good for: Budget, Unusual
For a truly offbeat experience, head to Bali’s collection of weird sights. Some of them are free to access. These include Taman Festival Bali, a vast abandoned amusement park north of the Sanur Beach, a collection of ‘lost planes’ in some of the weirdest places, and several cave-like temples.
Some of these places are atmospheric and mysterious and great for the adventurous type looking for a dare. You do need to do some investigation to find the best, free places, but it’s all worth it.
Testing your nerves at a ‘ghost town’
10. Joining a Balinese festival
Celebrating with locals
Good for: Budget, History, Photo
Most of Bali’s annual festivals are free to watch, particularly the Bali Arts Festival opening parades. They are a great opportunity to witness the arts and vibrant cultures of the island in a single street procession.
Another popular festival is the annual Bali Kites Festival, which is held during the windy season (around June to August) following favorable weather conditions. The community of Sanur rejoices yearly with the Sanur Village Festival, a week of various agendas that are mostly free admission. Read more
Joining a Balinese festival
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