Bali Bird Walks — Attraction in Bali

I found this recommendation on Google reviews and I wasn't disappointed!

Make sure you wear decent walking shows (flip flops are not good enough) as you will be walking for a long time (about 2-3 hours) and traversing paths along paddy fields that are uneven.

You should also make sure you put on plenty of sunscreen and wear a hat and sun shades as there are a lot of parts where you are exposed fully to the sun.

Now onto the nitty gritty. We were welcomed by Sumadi at Murni's Warung (this is where the tour starts, not at the Bali Bird Walk office), who runs the tours. She is incredibly passionate about the wildlife in the area and provided us with binoculars and a list of birds we might see on the walk.

We popped into a taxi for a 10 minute drive to the start of the tour, and then, straight away, we were bird spotting.

As well as spotting birds, we were introduced to a variety of plants and their uses, such as the Star of Bethlehem and the silver fern (very cool temporary tattoo was demonstrated!)

I also got to see water monitor lizard, golden orb spider and gliding lizard.

And amongst all of this, we were taught about the life of a rice farmer, and how the crops are grown and which animals are good for the crops, and which ones aren't (depending on the maturity of the crops). The irrigation system was fascinating.... and the hidden rules behind how it is used... not something I thought I would find interesting!

Best spot of the day was the Java Kingfisher.

And then, we fi ish up back at Murnis Warung for lunch and a chat

Brilliant morning finding out more about the nature of Bali and how people live from someone (Sumadi) who had a wealth of information and has had a range of life experiences within...

I am so grateful for Su introducing me to the wildlife of Ubud! This is an amazing tour to get to know wildlife in the area.This is one person - Sumadi - who leads a tour, not an office that you walk to, so don't go to the Google Maps location, OK? To contact for meetup instructions, message or phone her via WhatsApp, or email as listed on her website listed here. My tour metup at an excellent restaurant, hopped in 2 vans, and got dropped off at the trailhead. We walked the trail and wound up back at the restaurant for the included lunch.

Get ready! Sumadi's Bali Bird Walks is really a wildlife tour, a walk to see anything and everything she lays eyes on. From the moment the tour starts, she points out anything she can see, and doesn't really stop. Most of the time she's focused on birds, but she will show you insects, reptiles, and plants. Many times she will ask the group to move into a position to see and not disturb the creature she's pointing out. One key thing I enjoyed is that she does not lure creatures with food, which deeply disrupts their normal behaviours. If you want that kind of tour, well, don't.

She also shares her own story of growing up in Ubud, many cultural explanations, and even how the rice paddy system works. Su is very knowledgeable and will probably surprise you with her experiences.

The tour is also an excellent introduction to the area, so you can understand where and how to get around the rice paddies and communities of Penestanan. Since the tour I used the experience to do my own exploring and have seen more every day.

Ubud has a lot to offer the bird and nature lover. Do yourself a favour and book a...

This was a wonderful experience. We jumped in without any information, and I’d like to make sure the next person knows what this is. :)

First, best way to communicate is by using WhatsApp and messaging your intent to join the bird walk. Check the website for days/hours that the walk starts. (As of right now it’s Mon/Tue at 9am) Second, the meeting point is at the golden bridge in Ubud, not at the office (the address listed is the office location.) However, we were at the office at meeting time, and they were so kind to drive over and pick us up. The drive from pickup to start of the walk is not very long- 5 minutes perhaps. Su provides guests with binoculars- so you won’t miss a thing! You will need to have local currency to pay, it was about 530,000 a person. The group was very small, only 4, and it was absolutely the best way to learn about the culture, flora and fauna! Su (the guide) is very enthusiastic! We saw (and she identified) everything from caterpillars, spiders, and lizards to plants and birds. She took her time explaining to us the rice fields, the different stages, how they process etc and we saw rice fields in each stage (much more educational than the plantation/tourist approach you get elsewhere.) The walking tour lasts about 3 hours- make sure you have drinking water, bug spray, and your camera(or fully charged phone!) After the walking tour the group heads to a local restaurant (lunch is included in the price.) Su continues to educate through the entire day, she is very easy to understand, has a conservation outlook, and is very...