In the past Indonesia's rivers have sustained wildlife, nurtured small communities that cluster on their banks, and transported travelers. It's only in recent years that their great potential for high-adrenaline recreational enjoyment - in the form of white-water rafting and kayaking - has been utilized. Whether you're after a few hours of action in Bali or Java, or a multi-day expedition in Sumatra or Sulawesi, there's enough to satisfy any white-water enthusiast's appetite.
Bali
The most high-profile operations are in Bali, where several rivers - the Ayung, Unda, Ubaya, Balian and Telaga - are commercially rafted. White-water rafting here is usually more of an environmental and cultural experience than an adrenaline-charged adventure. A trip down the Ayung, for example, takes you through deep valleys, terraced rice fields and finally into thick, tropical rainforest. On the way you can observe how rural Balinese life revolves around the river. With water channeled off to irrigate rice crops, and villagers gathering at the banks to bath and wash clothes. Graded 2-3 the Ayung River is frisky enough to be fun but not so much as to be dangerous.
