After Kuta and Ubud, the adventures of Bali continued with another area on the island, much quieter and less physically challenging.
Sanur is the place where I spent 4 relaxing days on the beach, or at the pool, enjoying a smoothie on a terrace overlooking the ocean or having breakfast in the privacy of our hotel room.
I like peace and I know how to enjoy it, but I get bored if it lasts for more than two days. So I felt the need for a boost of adrenaline.
I felt the need for an activity to take me out of my comfort zone. Something I had never experienced before.
Although the beach in Sanur is more for sunbathing and occasionally shopping, on the same beach there are some agents representing some local tourism agencies that offer a varied range of more or less extreme sports at 40 km away, on the beaches of Nusa Dua, more precisely in Tanjung Benoa.
Looking carefully at the enticing flyers, something has particularly attracted my attention. Parasailing. It’s not Bali the only place where I could have done that.
What I use every time I travel:
- To book hotels: Booking.com
- To book tours: GetYourGuide.com
It’s actually a pretty common activity nowadays in many places in the world, but for me, there was something not yet tried. That was the right moment to leave Sanur’s serenity in favor of an exciting day in Nusa Dua.
What does parasailing mean?
The word comes from the parasail, the special parachute used for this type of activity. It is a water sport for which no special physical condition is required.
Basically, you’re attached to many safety belts just like a zip line and pulled toward the parachute that rises about 80 meters away in oblique line in the opposite direction to the motorboat.
There are several options for doing it, which differ depending on the power of the boat. You can choose to fly alone or with another person or two.
After a discussion with the agent for a few minutes, I agreed to a tour that included a transfer from the hotel to Nusa Dua, a 15 minute (apparently) parasailing tour and a Flying Fish tour, with an inflatable boat that proved to be very fun.
The entire tour cost 40,000 IDRs, equivalent to $ 30 per person, and was scheduled for the next day in the morning.
My parasailing experience
In the first phase, I enjoyed the fact that the weather was very good so that there were no incidents caused by the winds or, worse, the precipitations that appeared out of the blue, often happening on the island. Once we got there, we realized we were two people between a few hundred.
Everybody was preparing for either parasailing, ski jet, or banana boat or flying fish. The grouping is made in a kind of market with many stalls, sheltered under the same roof and with the typical market vibes.
You can deposit your valuables in a cloakroom. I don’t remember if I paid anything extra for this, but I tend to think it was included in the price.
Once the groups were established, we were sent to the beach where we expected our turn, sitting on plastic chairs in all colors and arranged without any particular order. Shortly, we were nominated, we boarded and went out on the sea.
Aside from the fact that the tour lasted much less than what was promised at the time of the purchase, that is just 3 minutes instead of the 10-15, the experience was splendid and unique.
All the fear and panic that I had from reading the dreadful stories of accidents happened during parasailing sessions over the last few years, were worth it. There seems to have been quite a few tragedies.
Truth be told, the risk is present, and anything may happen but hopefully, the risk will completely disappear someday. Fortunately, everything went as planned for us.
READ ALSO: White water rafting in Ubud Bali
After everyone on the boat finished, we went back to the beach for a few more minutes of waiting, then we had the flying fish experience. Flying fish is a kind of inflatable boat with three taller portions and two spaces for passengers, that is we.
All you have to do is stretch your back and enjoy the waves and the bumps. You’ll be lifted up in the air, just a few feet above the water, so you have no reason to worry.
Do I recommend it?
From my point of view, parasailing is an activity that you have to try at least once in your life, but not necessarily in Bali. So yes, I recommend it.
I would have preferred to last a little longer to fully enjoy the incredible view of the ocean as seen from the height and the sense of freedom the entire adventure offers.
Tips:
- make sure you choose a professional and serious agency
- do not forget to check the weather conditions of that day. At the slightest sign of insecurity, just give up
- check the equipment to make sure it is great quality and safety
- don’t take valuable items with you because they can easily be lost
- dress in a swimsuit or very thin and light clothes because you might come into contact with water pretty much
- eat before leaving the hotel because you will not have time to do this until after the activities have finished
- initially, you will be told to pay more for this tour. Negotiate until you reach the right price
- relax and have fun
♥ PIN IT ♥
Wow, what a great choice for an adrenalin activity! I think I’d be seriously disappointed though that 15 minutes turned out to be only 3 minutes though, and may have demanded longer, or a refund, but perhaps some of the other operators in the area may be more reliable on that front? In any case, the price is reasonable and it looks like you had fun!
I honestly don’t know if other tour operators would offer more than 3 minutes. Maybe it also depends on how crowded the beach is that day.
Wow, you are brave to do this! I had a teacher at school who broke her hip parasailing in the 80s, so I’ve always been to scared to try it. But your tips to only do it through a responsible company, and to only do it if the weather is good, are very wise given the risk involved. I bet the views over Bali were amazing from that height though! And as you say, doing it once in your life is a great idea – you’ve done it now – box ticked!
I would love to try parasailing but not sure I would want to do it on a super crowded beach. The flying fish ride sounds like a lot of fun too.
We went parasailing on Catalina Island, just off of LA. I think we were airborne for more like 10 minutes. Three would be very short. It’s so scenic and peaceful when you are up there time really…. flies. I agree, it’s an experience everybody should try at least once.
I went parasailing for the first time this year and I’m hooked. It would be amazing to do this in Bali!
I have tried parasailing just once in Goa. It seems like a fun thing to try in Bali. Nusa Dua is known for a wide variety of water sports.
I’ve done parasailing several times in my life, in Thailand, Hawaii, India, etc but not in Bali 🙂 There was just too much else to do so I decided to skip this once. I do think it’s a good experience though, for someone who hasn’t done it and Bali I am sure is one of the nicer places to try it, considering that you’ll get a view of the beautiful coast!
I agree that parasailing should be something to partake in at least once! The last time I parasailed (and the only time) was back in Corfu, Greece. It was a blast! It’s an amazing feeling to float gracefully above the ocean 🙂
Wow! You’ve been to some amazing places!!! I only left the country(U.S.A.) one time and that was just to drive around Lake Erie from Niagara Falls to Michigan…’didnt even get out of the car…however I have been to 40 out the 50 stares….you should try a road trip on old route 66 sometime))
I thought it was only sightseeing temples that Bali is known for, go to read these are many water sports that one can do in Bali, plus there’s parasailing. This must be a lifetime experience but I’m not sure I want to do it, I’m so scared. You really have the mind.
I went parasailing in the Bahamas and loved it. It was so quiet and peaceful up there. And I didn’t have to deal with crowds. I would definitely do it again.
i have tried parasailing in Goa India. Would love to try it in Bali now.Useful information here in post