One of the most iconic views of Bali are the Tegalalang rice fields. This is exactly the reason why a visit to these rice fields is not to be missed when in Bali. However, don’t expect a quiet walk in nature unless you visit early in the morning or late in the afternoon.
Know before you go
Before you visit the Tegalalang rice fields, there are a few things you should be aware of:
- Price:Β The entrance fee to enter the Tegalalang rice fields is IDR 15K (less than GBP 1) per person, which gives you full access to the rice terraces.
- Voluntary donations:Β The further you walk into the rice fields, some farmers will claim that you need to pay a “voluntary donation” to enter their land. Because of the somewhat aggressive way these farmers ask for it, the donation doesn’t feel so voluntary. However, before we entered the rice fields, our driver assured us that we don’t need to pay any of these farmers. The only mandatory fee is the official entrance fee of IDR 15K per person. So despite not paying every single farmer, we still managed to enter all parts of the rice fields.
- Footwear:Β The rice fields can be wet and muddy, which makes for a slippery walk. On top of that, you will encounter some steep slopes while walking around the rice terraces. If I had known this before, I would have worn comfy sneakers instead of the heels you see in my pictures.
- Take your time: If you’re like us and therefore want to take lots of pictures with the rice fields, but without too many other people in the picture, you will have to be very patient. Your best strategy is to find a hidden spot without too many people around. Second best is to be patient and wait until most people have passed. Almost any spot will have a quiet 5 minutes if you wait long enough, so take your time.
Comparison to other rice fields
Other rice fields aren’t nearly as famous as the Tegalalang rice fields in Bali. Walking around here and watching people taking pictures with the famous Bali sign and swings definitely is an experience.
However, compared to the Kedung Kandang rice fields we had visited in Java, Tegalalang felt less natural and much more touristic. With only a few wooden signposts directing us towards the rice fields, Kedung Kandang was a bit difficult to find. Tegalalang, on the contrary, is hard to miss as it is surrounded by cafes and shops. In Tegalalang, we had to be patient to shoot some quiet pictures, whereas we had the Kedung Kandang rice fields all to ourselves in the middle of the day.
While I’m glad I didn’t miss out on the iconic Tegalalang views that are so typical of Bali, I personally prefer the more natural rice fields over the touristic ones.
Book now:
If you’d like to book your visit to the Tegalalang rice fields in advance, check out:
- Viator β for organised group and private tours (price per person), or
- Hi, hi Guide β put together your own itinerary with a private tour guide (price per guide).
These are affiliate links, so I will be earning commission when you buy through my link. This comes at no extra cost to you, and helps me keeping my website online.
We combined our visit to the Tegalalang rice fields in a day trip with:
- Terrace River Pool Swing;
- Three temples in Ubud (Tirta Empul, Gunung Kawi and Goa Gajah);
- Tegenungan waterfall.
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