White water rafting adventure in Ubud, Bali

Whitewater rafting on the Ayung River in Ubud was an exciting experience mixed with beautiful Bali nature. My day started with walking down three hundred steps through a thick, green forest. I had my life jacket and helmet on, and I used the paddle to help me walk down. Even though I’ve done rough activities before, I still felt a bit nervous. This is not something I do every day.

Before heading to the river, I gave my phone to the guide, who kept it in a waterproof bag. That way, it stayed safe and dry during the rafting, but it also meant I could only take photos at the beginning, not while we were on the river. I didn’t want to risk dropping it in the water!

At the river, our guide gathered the group and gave us instructions. He showed us hand signals for paddling forward or backward, and how to duck if a branch came close. There were five of us in the raft, including the guide. We started going down the river, and even though it’s a grade two river, there were some tricky parts with rocks and strong currents. Sometimes we hit a rock and spun around, but the guide stayed in control and gave us clear instructions.

At one point, other people on the rafts nearby splashed water at us, and we splashed them back. It was a lot of fun, and we all laughed together. But the guide soon told us to focus again, and we kept paddling. The last part of the rafting was my favorite—going through the tropical forest. I saw monkeys in the trees and small waterfalls along the way. It was really beautiful.

The rafting lasted about one and a half hours, but it felt much faster. Then came the hard part: going back up the three hundred steps. After paddling, my legs were tired, so the climb was not easy. But when I reached the top, I felt it was all worth it. The rafting, the fun moments, and the amazing views made it a great experience.