{"id":1558,"date":"2014-04-02T22:48:55","date_gmt":"2014-04-02T22:48:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travelcake.site\/?p=1558"},"modified":"2025-04-21T20:11:06","modified_gmt":"2025-04-21T20:11:06","slug":"5-quirky-things-to-do-in-bali","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/5-quirky-things-to-do-in-bali\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Quirky Things to do in Bali"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a widespread misconception that Bali is just another tourist mecca full of beautiful clich\u00c3\u00a9s. Granted, there is<\/em> a fair amount of mass tourism, but the island has so much more to offer. Finding authenticity is a walk in the park, and going off the beaten track is just as easy. Quirks are plentiful, and you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have to look far to find them. Beyond the cultural oddities, Bali is home to countless fun, offbeat activities. These are some of my favourite quirky things to do in Bali:<\/p>\n

1. Mud wrestling under a full moon at the Green school<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Tucked between rice fields and Balinese villages lies the greenest school on Earth. Built entirely out of bamboo, the Green School boasts an endangered bird rehabilitation program, an organic garden tended by students, a natural swimming pool, an enormous crystal said to radiate positive energy… and a mud pit.<\/p>\n

Students, teachers, and visitors regularly engage in playful mud wrestling tournaments. Several times a year, the school hosts a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Mepantigan Full Moon Performance\u00e2\u20ac\u009d on its grounds\u00e2\u20ac\u201da traditional Balinese show combining martial arts, fire dancing, drama, and music. If you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t mind getting a little dirty, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re welcome to join the muddy fun afterwards.<\/p>\n

\"playing
playing in the mud. Mind the school’s horse in the background. Photo by Ana Baranova<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Even if you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re not in town during one of the performances, I highly recommend visiting the Green School. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a sustainable international school powered by solar energy, with \u00e2\u20ac\u0153a vision of a natural, holistic, student-centered learning environment that empowers and inspires its students to be creative, innovative green leaders.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Honestly, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s so cool you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll wish you could enroll yourself. Visit their website<\/a><\/span> to learn more or book a tour.<\/p>\n

\"we
we could all learn something at the green school<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Party hard… and sober on a Sunday morning<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Every Sunday, Ubud\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s most popular yoga spot hosts a smashing Sunday Dance. Starting at 11 a.m., expats, locals, and visitors gather to party like there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s no tomorrow. People let go and move their bodies however they feel, expressing themselves freely through dance. There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s laughter, crying, screaming, sweaty hugs, glitter\u00e2\u20ac\u201danything goes.<\/p>\n

There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s only one rule: no talking.<\/p>\n

As the music intensifies, the energy rises, and dancers feed off one another\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s vibes. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s unbelievably powerful. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve included this on the list because if you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve only ever danced in a crowd at a club or party\u00e2\u20ac\u201dpreferably slightly intoxicated\u00e2\u20ac\u201dyour first moments here might feel awkward or even bizarre. But as soon as you realise no one\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s watching or judging, your inhibitions melt away. Smile, move, and float through the rest of your day on cloud nine.<\/p>\n

\"good
good vibes on Sunday morning<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Laugh your head off during a laughing yoga session<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Laughter strengthens your immune system, boosts energy, reduces pain, and protects you from the effects of stress. This is the mantra behind the biweekly laughing yoga gatherings at Ambar Ashram<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

Picture this: a grassy field filled with 100 Balinese people on yoga mats, laughing themselves silly. Doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t that sound like the place to be? Although the classes are in Indonesian, foreigners are more than welcome\u00e2\u20ac\u201dlaughter knows no language.<\/p>\n

There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s more to the session than just laughter, but no spoilers here. Classes are free and last about an hour. Bring a mat if you have one, and leave with a relaxed mind and happy heart.<\/p>\n

\"After
After laughing yoga with Peter<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"laughing
laughing it out<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Sip on fancy ‘cat poop coffee’<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Nope, I haven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t lost it. I meant what I said: cat poop coffee<\/em>. More elegantly known as Kopi Luwak<\/strong>, this is the world\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s most expensive coffee\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand yes, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s made from beans excreted by civet cats.<\/p>\n

At night, wild civets roam coffee plantations to feast on the ripest beans. The partially digested beans are excreted, and farmers later collect, hand peel, and roast them. The result? A super-exclusive brew.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153But is it any good?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d you ask. Well, I hear mixed reviews. Some say it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s exquisite; others find it underwhelming. Personally, I liked its smoothness\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit definitely doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t taste as weird as the name suggests. That said, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not sure it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s worth \u00e2\u201a\u00ac6 per 100 grams.<\/p>\n

\"coffee
coffee eating civet, sadly encaged as a show piece for tourists<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"dried
dried civet feces<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"kopi
kopi luwak- cat poop coffee<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

5. For women only: enjoy a steam sauna… for your most intimate organ<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Originally a Javanese bridal and postnatal ritual, the ratus<\/strong> treatment is now available in Bali, too. Here\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s how it works: wearing only a sarong, you sit on a chair with a hole in the middle. Beneath it, a clay pot of hot charcoal and herbs steams upward, gently cleansing your private parts.<\/p>\n

You don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need to be a bride to try this age-old beauty secret\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthese days, any adventurous woman can give it a go. The treatment takes about 45 minutes, and some modern spas even include a shoulder massage while you steam.<\/p>\n

My own ratus experience at Midas Spa<\/a><\/span>\u00c2\u00a0in Ubud<\/strong> was oddly delightful. Once I got past the awkwardness of sitting half-naked on a smoking chair, I melted into relaxation. I left feeling fresh and rejuvenated. Would I do it again? Absolutely.<\/p>\n

\"get
get the picture?<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

These are just a few of the more unusual things to do in Bali\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthere\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a whole world of quirky, fascinating experiences to discover across the island and beyond.<\/p>\n

So… which one would you<\/em> try first?<\/strong> \u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The post “5 Quirky Things to do in Bali<\/span><\/a> first appeared” on Travel Cake<\/span><\/a>.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a widespread misconception that Bali is just another tourist mecca full of beautiful clich\u00c3\u00a9s. Granted, there is a fair amount of mass tourism, but the island has so much more to offer. Finding authenticity is a walk in the park, and going off the beaten track is just as easy. Quirks are plentiful, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1572,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,21,117,103],"tags":[5,63,12,31,33,20,46,37],"country":[203],"class_list":["post-1558","post","type-post","status-publish","format-image","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-asia-destinations","category-destinations","category-indonesia","category-lists","tag-asia","tag-bali","tag-experiences","tag-indonesia","tag-islands","tag-off-the-beaten-track","tag-quirky","tag-tips","post_format-post-format-image","country-indonesia"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1558","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1558"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1558\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4563,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1558\/revisions\/4563"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1572"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1558"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1558"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1558"},{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=1558"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}