Travel Hacks You Must Know When Travel To Bali

Author, Ekarini

For more info about Bali: Bali Travel Info

Photo:Batu Bolong temple

Travel to Bali is not so difficult and there’s ample reason to go. Bali Island happens to be the global winner of the 2017 traveler’s Choice Awards for destinations.  If you are a newbie traveller, Bali is the perfect place to start; a small island in the Indonesian archipelago with thousand temples, it has it all what you need for your holiday gateway.   

“No matter what style of holiday you're looking for, you can find it on the Bali Island.” Traveler

"I’ve traveled to over 50 countries in six continents, and to this day, Bali is still one of my favorite places in the world."
Celinne Da Costa 
Intrepidtravel.com

It’s just like travelling anywhere in the world, it is very useful when you know what to expect.  As a travel guide and working in travel management, I have taken tourists to many places in Bali, and I would love to share some tips.

Let’s start to talk about flight, (Segment the trip and book two separate tickets for the best deal).  Booking flights perhaps the most expensive thing you pay for your travel expenses.  By buying two separate tickets will save you a chunk of money.  Keep in mind, if you are willing to have long transits somewhere along the way, but will eventually get you to your dream destination.

How?  First, you should do some research to find out which airport has cheap flights to Bali, depending where you are.  Let’s say it’s  San Francisco is  - a major hub, especially for travel to Asia. Find a cheap flight from San Francisco to Bali, then find a flight from your home airport to San Francisco. Be sure you give plenty of layover time, so you don’t miss the international flight if there happen to be any delays.

This also works when you get abroad, too. For example, you can find a cheap flight from San Francisco to Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, and other Asian Hub places. From there, it’s pretty simple to find a cheap regional flight to Bali.  Plus, you can spend time and enjoy some Asian countries on the way to Bali (It is win win)… Don’t forget to check out the amazing free tour at any Asian’s airport when you spend layover time.

Photo: Sanur Beach

For those of you are budget travelers, spending the extra time in advance to flight hack by looking for stopover flights or buying two separate tickets to reach your final destination can mean huge savings. When you do this you’ll significantly cut your trip costs on flights and you have  more money to spend on shopping or amazing activities.

Or collect points from Airlines: Airline miles, also known as frequent flyer miles or travel points, are part of a loyalty program offered by airlines and/or credit cards. Typically, you accumulate a set amount of miles based on how far you fly or how much you spend on your credit card. You can then use these miles to buy tickets.

When you arrive at the Bali International airport: Turn on your phone, and Get a SIM card. This should be your first priority when landing. If you haven’t arrived yet, make sure your phone can accept foreign sim cards through your service provider. Sim cards are really cheap here in Bali and for about Rp. 150k, you should have enough credit to do most things (unless you want to watch loading of YouTube videos stream music). Once you have that, a whole new world opens up for you.

Download Uber/Grab and Gojek apps. These two apps will absolutely make your life easier. Uber/Grab is pretty efficient here.  Gojek is also you can order food from any your favorite restaurants in Bali just sit and relax.

To me, I like a private driver to take me to see Bali anywhere I want to go since Uber/Grab has a limited destinations.

Utilize Off Line Google maps. Because you have your phone in working order, now you can tell what’s walking distance and what is clearly not.

Wear your most comfortable sandals

Bali is a tropical place, so wearing leather shoes is too hot for your feet. Unless you        have tennis shoes with breathable materials.

Enjoy Nature in Bali.You can enjoy most beaches in Bali for free, so don’t miss it. 

Beer in Bali is cheap… Go for Beer Bintang (Most tourists prefer this local beer)

Photo: Beer Bintang by flickr

 Visa

Nationals of 169 countries can visit Bali visa-free (for 30 days), while Visa on Arrival applies for others at USD $35 (extendable once). 

  Weather

Wet season: October-April

Dry season: May-September

Best time to go: May-August.

Photo: Durian fruit from traditional market

     Getting around in Bali is easy

DRIVING: Drive on the left.

RENTALS: International drivers' license required to drive and rent cars and motorbikes.

TAXIS: Blue Bird Taxi (+62 (0)361 701 111) is most popular and reliable - all of their taxis are metered.  Private drivers:  I think having a private driver is the best choice to travel around the island.  It’s worth having somebody to drive you, so you can just relax and enjoy the view.

Currency

 Don’t be surprised, it is very common for the money changer in Bali to check the quality of the bills you exchange, especially USD dollars; they accept the  newly                    issued (circa 2000), clean, and  stiff notes. Bills won’t be accepted when  they are torn, creased, and wrinkled.   Also keep in mind, the exchange you see on the board            usually for a USD $100 notes  and smaller bills have a different set of rates. 

      In Bali, The Rupiah is its main form of currency as well as all the islands of Indonesia.  Before travelling to Bali, make sure you have an understanding of the Rupiah to   avoid  being given any incorrect amount of change or unfair exchange rates.  In Bali,   they also accept credit cards.

Rupiah Bills

Rupiah bills are issued in denominations of RP 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000 and 100,000.  Rupiah coins come in denominations of RP 25, 50, 100, 500 and a new gold and silver RP 1,000 coin, with both old and newly issued coin designs in circulation for RP 500, 100 and 50 coins.

More info about currency in Bali:
http://www.xe.com/currency/idr-indonesian-rupiah

Currency calculator:
http://www.x-rates.com/calculator/?from=IDR&to=USD&amount=1
Where to exchange your money in Bali?
- PT. Central Kuta
- PT. Dirgahayu Valuta Prima
- PT. Bali Maspintjinra

Don't drink the tap water

The tap water in Bali is not safe to drink, so you need to buy  smaller bottled water or a big jug of water with dispenser.  

Super Strict Drug Laws

The super-strict drug laws in place in Indonesia are severe! If you are caught smuggling drugs will face the death sentence.

Laundry Services

Of course, anything you order within your hotel is a lot more expensive than if you go and explore it yourself, especially laundry. There are many places in town to clean your clothes - expect to pay per kilo. 

Bargain on the beach

Don't be afraid to bargain; it is very normal at the beach when some hawkers sell you some products.  It may be a fun experience to haggle the price.  Start your bargain at half price.  Remember, be polite! 

Cheap massage

Bali is famous for new age capital, so get your full body massage while on holiday in Bali, and you will want more.  Why? The price is so cheap compared to back home; for anywhere between RP. 100,000 and 150,000 around $15-20 you can get a one hour full body massage.  This means one full hour of bliss and health.

  Not all people in Bali are Balinese

Don’t get confused, in Bali there are some people from outside Bali who engage in criminal activity… so if you get robbed in Bali, chances are the robber is probably not Balinese.  

 Tipping

When you’re happy with the service you can tip the housekeepers, waitresses, and bartenders, but it’s not expected.  I like to tip them because I am often happy with their service and the food price are cheap. It is just my way of showing appreciation for their great service in Bali.

   Coffee is not refilled in Bali

I saw one time a tourist had a big argument with a waitress in a restaurant when the waitress could not explain that coffee was not refillable. You can only refill if there is a special sign on the buffet table.

 Easy to find WiFi, but not always free

There are very few budget hotels in Bali that have an internet connection and those that do have internet are usually on dial up! But most big hotels have internet as part of your stay.  If you want to shop around for internet café, go to the internet café where the locals hang out.  My family and I bought a hotspot connection around $30 and plus the time (called: Hotspot Mobile Wi-Fi Smartfren, Andromax M3Y), you pay as you go, and it’s faster than internet cafés around.  

 Sunset is not like other places in the world

You will find that sunset in Bali is very special.  Many travel agents arrange special sunset tours, so you will catch the right moment in the spot you choose like the Tanah Lot, the Jimbaran Bay, Kuta beach, the Rock Bar at Ayana resort, Tegal Wangi beach, the Uluwatu temple, Peti Tenget beach at Seminyak, Lovina beach in Singaraja regency, Echo beach Canggu, Lembongan island (one of Bali’s virgin islands), 707 Beach Berm at Batu Belig beach, La Planca at Seminyak, WooBar, La Lucciola, La Laguna at Canggu beach, Finn’s Beach Club, The Lawn is set on the vibrant Batu Bolong Beach, Pererenan Beach, Double Six Rooftop, El Kabron at Uluwatu, and many more.

Don’t forget to visit other tiny untouched islands around Bali while you visit Bali

Bali has three other islands beside the big island. If you would like to experience the virgin of Bali, you should visit Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nusa Ceningan.  Here you can enjoy spectacular sunsets, snorkelling, the mangrove forests, and the serenity of the beach because there are few tourists here.  

Photo: Purifcation ceremony at Tirta Empul temple   

Happy Travels!