The diversity of activities you can take part in when during your vacation in Bali is immense, although not everyone will be able to take part in all of them. One such activity is canyoning, and the reason there is a caveat with this activity is that it does require a reasonable degree of physical fitness. However, if you are physically able to take part, then it is an experience which you will remember for the rest of your life.
For those of you who have never heard the term canyoning or are unsure what it involves, then there are several activities which it includes. The objective is to descend into a canyon and the means by which this achieved can include, sliding down naturally created water slides, rappelling down waterfalls, leaping and jumping off the edge of rock cliffs, and zip-lining from one side of a gorge to another.
As you can hopefully gather from the physical nature of these activities, and as we have already mentioned, canyoning is not for everyone. Apart from those who physically might not be able to take part, those with fears of heights, falling, or water, may also find themselves unable to participate. For those that are fortunate enough to be physically able to take part, then you are in for the thrill of a lifetime.
The specific location within Bali where your canyoning will take place will obviously depend on what company or agency you book with. One of the spots which gets highly positive reviews from those who have been canyoning there is the Gitgit Waterfall, which is located in Singaraja, in the north of Bali.
However, if you are unable to secure a booking for that location, rest assured that there is no shortage of other waterfalls where canyoning can take place. This might actually be to your advantage, as the different locations offer canyoning experiences that have varying degrees of difficulty. This means if anyone in your party would prefer canyoning that is not quite as intense as the others, then it gives them that choice.
Our suggestion would be that unless you are confident of your own ability, or have been canyoning before, that you start with one of the beginners sessions. This is still highly active and exhilarating and means if you love it and want to book a future session on a higher level you can.
Whichever level of canyoning you select initially, and regardless of the specific waterfall, everyone taking part will receive at least 30 minutes of training from one of the guides which will include safety advice, instructions on the use of equipment, and some practice in a supervised area which replicates the real thing.
All necessary equipment will be supplied to you, as will your body flotation and special shoes which have anti-skid grips underfoot. You can expect the day’s activities to last between 2 and 5 hours depending on the level of difficulty you have chosen. We also urge you to book your canyoning session several days in advance as limited spaces are available, and as canyoning is one of Bali’s most popular tourist activities, the risk of your preferred date being fully booked is real.
As for recording the day in order to look back on in the future and to show your canyoning achievements to others, the guides all carry cameras which they use throughout the day to give you the opportunity to purchase images of you canyoning later. You can also take your own camera, but please do not use your mobile phone, even if the manufacturer says it is waterproof. The only camera you should use is one officially classified as waterproof and shockproof, such as Go Pros.
