Activities

The area surrounding Villa Babar offers numerous opportunities for exploration and leisure, ranging from strolls on the beach to mountain trekking, playing golf, horse riding or surfing.

Guided activities might include a trip to the breathtaking panorama of the Jatiluwih rice terraces, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008 for its preservation of traditional Balinese farming techniques. At a height of 850 metres above sea level, the view here is one of the finest imaginable. Bali's terraced paddy fields stretch into endless contours over the hills and valleys as far as the eye can see.

You can swim in hot-springs and cold fresh water pools, or visit ancient cultural sites and temples. There are more temples than houses in Bali; most villages have at least three. There are nine directional temples, which are of major importance because they protect the entire island and all of its people, while others are significant due to their strategic locations, their history, or their architectural beauty.

Another activity is hiking and relishing spectacular views in Bali's volcanic hinterlands. At 2276 metres above sea level, Mt Batukaru is the island's second highest peak. The area around this mountain boasts the greatest biological diversity in Bali. Here, local guides lead visitors on anything from gentle hikes through the food forests and jungle, to challenging treks.

Horse lovers can ride from a stables located at the nearby village of Yeh Gangga. The scenery is beautiful in this peaceful village, where rice farming, fishing and sea salt harvesting are the main activities. One of the rides is a trek through the gently sloping rice terraces, which fringe a sparkling black mineral shore. You will pause at a waterfall, a sea-salt harvesting area, a temple set on the cliffs, a bat cave and a natural rock headland which juts out of the crystal blue Ocean. But best of all, this is an opportunity to swim with the horses.

Finally, you might enjoy a game on golf on the championship standard Nirwana Bali Golf Course, voted number 1 golf course in Asia. This beautiful course is bordered by ocean and rice fields, and features dramatic white sand bunkers, freshwater creeks and mature trees. The 12th hole is one of the most photographed in the world because it overlooks the famous Tanah Lot sea temple - one of the island's most dramatic and venerated temples, perched on a craggy wave-lashed rock just at the edge of the frothing white surf and glistening black shoreline.