Bali is known for its temples and beaches. However, there are many other attractions in Bali that are worth visiting. This post is a guide for attractions other than Bali temples and beaches. If you would like to know about the temples of Bali: how much time would you can budget to visit them; what are the ticket prices etc; check my blog post on temples in Bali. Some of the attractions that we visited in Bali (in order of what we liked best) were:
Waterblow:
I have no idea why this attraction is listed only in “Things to do in Nusa Dua” and not featured as one of the best things to do in Bali. It is located at the end of the peninsula in the area called “The Bay”. Water cuts right through the rocky cliffs and rises up. Best time to visit is during high tide. Shuttle buses from various resorts go upto the entrance of “The Bay” from where there is a 15min walk. We went during low tide and could not stay for long, but would have loved to. Its a must-do when in Bali!
Photos don’t do justice to this spectacular place. Here is one video of the same: https://youtu.be/O866Lsy_qnE
Devdan Show:
Again a must-do in Bali. Bali Agung show in Bali Safari & Marine Park is much more popular, probably because it is included in the park ticket.. but Devdan show was par excellence compared to Bali Agung. This 90 min dance performance showcases dance styles of various islands of Bali. I am not into music and dance and was not sure if it would be entertaining, but it was worth it. Details of the show and pricing are available on their website http://www.devdanshow.com/en/ticket-and-info/ Check out the prices on klook.com and other websites to get discounted rates. Photography/ videography was not allowed, but we purchased a promotional CD outside the show. This video does not do justice to the spectacular performances by the artists: https://youtu.be/WZxgdS6ikbE
Bali Safari and Marine Park:
Bali has a zoo and also a separate Safari & Marine park. Bali zoo is a smaller one which does not have shows. My research concluded that Bali zoo was better for petting animals (including lions). Since we were not much interested in petting, we chose Bali Marine and Safari park. Its much pricier than zoo and there are many packages available. Bali Zoo’s website and ticket details : http://www.bali-zoo.com/index.php/ticket/list_ticket Bali Marine and Safari Park: https://bes.hybridbooking.com/BSM?&setcurrency=IDR We bought the basic Jungle Hopper package from klook.com at 45 USD for adults and 37 USD for kiddo (as against 55 USD and 45 USD for child above 3yrs respectively). The Bali Marine and Safari park is much smaller than many of the similar parks we have been to (Bangkok, Hong Kong, Dubai etc). We reached at 9 am and were free by 3:30 pm after having seen everything (including 1 hr Bali Agung Show) other than the kids play area. Safari ride was nice, though the no. of animals for every species were very few. Only 1 giraffe, 2 rhinos, 3 hippos, 4-5 lions, 1 tiger, 3-4 elephants were there. There were many other animals too – some like tapir, komodo dragon etc.
How to plan visit to Bali Safari and Marine Park
Collect the park map at the entrance and decide on which shows you want to watch. Download the map from http://www.balisafarimarinepark.com/park-map 
The feeding and animal encounter timings are available only on the website since they change based on weather. Here are they (check the latest on http://www.balisafarimarinepark.com/show-schedule):
- Piranha feeding time 10.30 am at Fresh Water Aquarium
- Animal Education Show 11.00 am, and 03.30 pm on Monday at Hanuman Stage
- Elephant Bathing 11.20 am at Ganesha Court
- Harimau (From Predator to Prey) 11.30 am at Harimau
- Elephant Show 12.00 pm, 04.30 pm at Kampung Gajah
- White Tiger feeding time 12.30 pm, 02.00 pm, 04.00 pm at Rathambore
- Lion feeding time 01.00 pm, 01.45 pm at Tsavo Lion Restaurant
- Crocs Attack 01.00 pm, at Banyan Court
- Balinese Dance Lesson 10.00 am – 05.00 pm at Bale Banjar
- Bali Agung Show 02.30 pm at Bali Theatre (except Monday)Animal Encounters:
- Orangutan 10.00 am – 12.00 pm and 01.15 – 03.00 pm in front of Hanuman Stage
- Baby lion 10.00 – 12.00 pm and 02.15 – 03.00 pm at Rathambore
- Snake (depend on condition)
- Bird and iguana 11.00 am – 02.00 pm at Petting Zoo
- Binturong 11.00 am – 02.00 pm near Rathambore
Animal shows were more like educational shows and not very entertaining. They can especially work on the elephant show; which people usually look forward to. Big cat show was disappointing. On one hand they were talking about animal conservation, and here they were feeding tigers bottled milk. Petting zoo was unimpressive. There was no one to monitor or give us what to feed those animals. A 1 min pony ride for kiddo costs 30000 IDR. One good part about the Marine Park was they take pictures with animals for you in your camera for free. In other parks, they take pictures and sell it to you. Bali Agung show was good. But if that is the selling point for you, better go for Devdan Show in Nusa Dua. It was much more spectacular. Highlight of this park is the lunch@ Tsavo restaurant which is close to the lion enclosures. So you can dine inside while the lions are watching you outside. It was a good experience; especially since we managed window seating and could see lions. Tips for dining at Tsavo restaurant:
- Reach by 12:30pm for early lunch because the place can get really crowded.
- Secure a window seating from where you could see Safari buses going on the tour.
- Check out the bathroom for sure. Both men and women toilets have window which has view to lion enclosure.
The prices at Tsavo restaurant are reasonable and not as high as we usually find in such parks. I had mailed them and asked for their menu in advance because my husband is a vegetarian and has limited options. Download Bali Marine and Safari Park Tsavo Restaurant’s menu (as on May 2016) The park also has a lodge inside called Mara River Safari Lodge; details of which are: 3D/2N PACKAGES includes:
- Cool towel and welcome drink upon arrival
- Daily breakfast at Tsavo Lion Restaurant
- Free entrance to Bali Safari & Marine Park
- Animal Education Show on schedule
- Elephant Show on schedule
- Free Balinese dance lesson at Bale Banjar
- Free 1x Safari Journey
- Free 1x Bali Agung Show on schedule (show doesn’t perform on Monday)
- Free 1x entrance to Waterpark
- Free 1x ride at Funzone
- Free 1x dinner at Tsavo Lion Restaurant
- Free 1x Night Safari include BBQ Dinner
- Free 1x Photo with animal on frame/room
Swala Deluxe Room USD 598/room for 3D2N Package (ground floor, animal view) (Price for two persons) Twiga suite Room USD 688/room for 3D2N Package (second floor, animal view) (Price for two persons) Tandala suite Room USD 688/room for 3D2N Package (second floor, animal view) (Price for two persons) Kifaru Family 2 bedroom USD 1.388 for 3D2N Package (pool view / garden view) (Price for four persons) Tembo Family 3 bedroom USD 1.888 for 3D2N Package (pool view / garden view) (Price for six persons) Additional person 03 years old – above USD 185/person in 3D2N Package High season surcharge USD 20/room/night (June- Sept) Peak season surcharge USD 30/room/night (Dec 20 – Jan 5) ONE NIGHT STAY PACKAGE, includes:
- Cool towel and welcome drink upon arrival
- Daily breakfast at Tsavo Lion Restaurant
- Free entrance to Bali Safari & Marine Park
- Animal Education Show on schedule
- Elephant Show on schedule
- Free Balinese dance lesson at Bale Banjar
- Free 1x Safari Journey
- Free 1x Bali Agung Show on schedule (show doesn’t perform on Monday)
- Free 1x entrance to Waterpark
- Free 1x Photo with animal on frame/room
Swala Deluxe Room USD 205/room/night (ground floor, animal view) (Price for two persons) Twiga suite Room USD 265/room/night (second floor, animal view) (Price for two persons) Tandala suite Room USD 265/room/night (second floor, animal view) (Price for two persons) Kifaru Family 2 bedroom USD 395/room/night (pool view / garden view) (Price for four persons) Tembo Family 3 Bedroom USD 535/room/night (pool view / garden view) (Price for six persons) Additional person 03 years old – above USD 88/person/room/night High season surcharge USD 20/room/night (June- Sept) Peak season surcharge USD 30/room/night (Dec 20 – Jan 5) Kids funzone was not included in the package and need to be booked on the spot. Price IDR 30.000 – IDR 50.000 /person/ride. Info here http://www.marariversafarilodge.com/funzone We were planning to book this for 1 night since the tariff was only slightly higher than the Jungle hopper day package. However, we found out that kids above 3yrs will be charged USD 88/person/night for one night stay or USD 185/person in 3D2N Package. This would have included an extra bed too; but we thought it wasn’t worth spending that much.
Museum Pasifica:
This museum was a hidden gem which we discovered only after we moved to Nusa Dua. Its a small museum showcasing paintings, carvings, masks etc done by a wide variety of artists from many other countries when they were in Indonesia. There are 11 rooms in total and photography is allowed only in 2 rooms. Mask room was very interesting. Good place to spend 30-45min. Timings: 10 am to 6pm Entrance ticket: 70000 IDR (~350 INR) for adults, child free.
These attractions are by no chance exhaustive. We could cover only South and West of Bali in our 1 week stay. The rice terraces in Ubud, Mount Batur volcano and the surrounding lake, Monkey temple were some of the other attractions we wanted to visit if we had time. If you have been to Bali and liked some other attractions not covered in this blog, please do comment. If you have any questions, feel free to post a comment or ask on the travel forum.