The Best Adventures in Bali

John Hardy's Bali

John Hardy, founder of the Green School, is a bon vivant, visionary, and Canadian gone Balinese. Here are his principles for living and exploring Bali.

Walk -- You can walk safely everywhere; you could walk across Bali and never walk on the road. So, get off the road and walk. There is always a path down to the river; there is always a path across the river up the other side.

Bike -- Get on a bicycle. If you are too hot or tired to ride uphill, take a bus up the hill and ride downhill -- any hill. You really can't get lost if you ride downhill; eventually you will end up at the ocean. I recommend any road down from Kintamani. If you can say the word Ubud, you can get there.

Get a Guide -- If you can afford a ticket to get here, you can afford a guide. Nothing fancy, just someone you've convinced to show you Bali -- the sister, cousin, uncle of the person that is running your hotel. Go to temple; go to the mountains; go anywhere, such is the magic of the guide.

Get Dressed -- When the Balinese called the gods down, they called them to bless all souls on the planet. This is magic, so get dressed for it. Ask a Balinese person to help you get the proper temple attire. Every Balinese person, rich or poor, has it and goes to temple. And so should you.

Eat Temple Food -- The food in the temple is amazing and made as an offering -- you will not taste this anywhere else. If there is any way you can talk your guide into getting you temple food, it's worth the effort.