The Truth about Water Sports in Bali
Water Sports in Bali
Paradise on Earth
If you think about Bali, you should imagine a beautiful island, with very welcoming locals, monkeys hopping on and off the trees, the streets covered in Frangipani and incense sticks smell and of course the beautiful Java Sea and Indian Ocean surrounding it.
Just for having an island status, you should think about water, beaches and watersports.
When we went to Bali, in 2018, a part of the trip was planed for the beach side and we decided to stay in Nusa Dua.
If you go to the beach or just walk around the promenade, for sure you will find someone who will try to sell you some water activities. As great researchers that we are, we could not trust someone just like that, so we went online, read reviews and booked a waters sports package for the next day.
Also, we have discovered that if you stay in Nusa Dua and want to try some water sports, you have to do it somewhere else, because Nusa Dua is a resorts area and is not ok to disturb tourist that want to relax on the beach.
Benoa Beach
This is the place where all water fun is located. (in Nusa Dua area)
The package we have booked included transportation to/from the hotel, besides the activities.
Having fun there is also very cheap. I remember that I could not believe the price. We have booked:
- 15 min jet ski
- doughnut ride
- parasailing
- ocean walker
- private glass bottom boat ride
- Turtle Island visit
- Transportation
for two adults and the final price was 100$. Remember that this was in 2018 and prices may have changed.
They took us from the hotel at around 9 AM. It was a private ride in a big car with AC and water bottles provided. After arriving at the location, we had to pay and they also gave us a key for the lockers. Everything you need, you can find there: lockers, showers, toilets, restaurants.
If you don’t have diving equipment, don’t worry, it is included in the price.
We started the fun day with the doughnut ride, then we played with the jets and after that it was parasailing time.
As a first timer in this sport, I was very nervous and scared. We hopped on a small boat that took us to the parasailing boat. They put us in position and then we took off. It was amazing.
The feeling you have floating in the ski and the amazingly perfect view of this magnificent island is breathtaking. I would do it again anytime.
After the parasailing experience, we returned on land and they told us that it is time for the ocean walker. It is like scuba diving, but instead of the whole diving equipment, you will get a big astronaut like helmet, where they inject air for you to breathe.
There they have a special ocean walking area with underwater stairs, statues and lots of tiny fish.
At the beginning it was a wow moment, but when I started going deeper, I felt like the helmet was trying to get me to the surface and as I am a petite woman, I couldn’t see anymore. So, that experience for me was not that wow.
While we were ocean walking, several tourists were there for snorkeling.
Another boat approached and we were told that we should hop on it. That boat had a glass bottom, but unfortunately, in that area, there are a lot of sea weeds and the water wasn’t clear enough for us, to see through it. The boat took us to the Turtle Island. We discovered, when we arrived, that we also had lunch included in the price.
We grabbed some food and ate it in a hurry because it was almost the time for the little turtles to be released. Everybody grabbed a little baby turtle and put it in the sand, near the water.
Everybody, except us
Because the number of turtles is limited and we didn’t have the power to took off the crowd. Maybe next time I will have the chance to be a baby turtle’s Godmother.
We spent a little more time there, until a boat took us back to the shore, to grab our belongings and head to the hotel. We arrived in Nusa Dua at around 4 PM, so we have spent almost a day there.
In my perspective, I will, for sure, repeat the parasailing, doughnut ride and jet ski experiences.
As per ocean walking or glass bottom boat ride, I will skip it. The water is not crystal clear and there is not that much to see underwater in that area.
So the whole experience was neither yay, nor nay, it was almost …
Travelicious.