What to wear for rafting in Bali (and what to leave at the hotel)

Rafting is a wet sport. Water splashes over the raft in every rapid, and by the end of the trip everything you wear is soaked. Dress for that and you will enjoy the river much more.

On the river

• Swimwear underneath, with a T-shirt or a quick-dry top over it. A top also protects your shoulders from the sun and from rubbing against the life jacket.
• Shorts or light quick-dry trousers. Avoid jeans: they get heavy when wet and dry slowly.
• Shoes that stay on your feet: sandals with a back strap, water shoes or old trainers. Flip-flops come off in the first rapid.
• Sunscreen, put on before you leave. Water-resistant is best.
• Glasses? Fix them with a strap, or wear contact lenses if you can.

The operator gives you the safety gear: a helmet and a life jacket, worn for the whole time on the water.

For afterwards

• A full set of dry clothes, including underwear.
• A towel.
• A plastic bag for your wet clothes.

Better left at the hotel

• Jewellery and anything else you do not want to lose in a river.
• Your passport and large amounts of cash.
• Your phone — unless you have a waterproof pouch with a strap, and even then keep it closed in the rapids.

River tubing

The same list works for river tubing: swimwear, clothes that can get wet and shoes that stay on. On a tube you sit low in the water, so expect to be wet from the start.

Questions about your trip? Contact us — we are happy to help.