What do you need to know before visiting Bali?
By Ekarini
Photo: Ekarini
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 T
raveler’s
Choice Awards for destinations. If you are a newbie traveler
, 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.” Travelers It’s just
like travelling anywhere in the world, it is very
useful when you know what to expect.
For those of you have traveled to Southeast Asia, you will see many Balinese rules of etiquette are
similar to those found elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Other rules are unique to the island. Keeping
a few basics in mind will go a long way to respecting Balinese sensibilities.
“Bali is culturally distinct from its neighbors in the
Indonesian archipelago, as the island never converted to Islam. The Balinese people
continue to practice their own way of the Hindu religion, which means there are
some differences in Balinese etiquette compared to what one might expect
elsewhere in Indonesia.” Traveler
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.
I hope this list of 21 hints and tips will be useful for your
next or first trip to the island.
What is the Canang Sari? The Canang Sari:
Balinese flower offerings you will see all over Bali Island.
Everywhere you go
on the Island, you will see beautiful offerings, consisting of flowers, rice,
fruits, and cakes in a small square woven basket originally made from coconut
leaves. The Balinese believe that any place that receives regular offerings
accumulates sacred energy, eventually becoming sacred itself. Watch your step
when walking down a street in Bali and you’ll see hundreds of offerings;
lovingly and thoughtfully crafted pieces of art. You don’t want to step on
them. In Bali there’s almost always some kind of ceremony going on and you’ll
definitely want to see and experience the Balinese vibrant life.
You don’t want
to miss the celebrating passage of life, temple ceremonies, and the spectacular
village cremation ceremonies. Also, don’t miss the full moon ritual every month
of Balinese calendar. Bali is an amalgam of indigenous animism, Buddhism and
the Hinduism of India, and the influence of the Hindu religion permeates all
aspects of life in Bali. The Balinese believe in one God (Trinity: Ida Sang
Hyang Widhi Wasa) with 3 manifestations of God as a creator, preserver, and
destroyer. The Balinese believe that everything exists as a duality. The
existence of this duality is what brings a cosmic balance to the universe. So,
if there’s good, evil must exist to bring balance; birth balances death, joy
balances sorrow, young balances old, positive balances negative, health
balances sickness, and so forth. The universe constantly adjusts itself to
bring about the perfect equilibrium. This is called Rwa Bhineda and literally
means “two opposites”
You might wonder why every other man, woman or child is
named Wayan, Made, Nyoman, and Ketut. It was created to distinguish each
person’s birth right order in the family. The firstborns are named “Wayan“, the
second eldest is “Made,” third is “Komang” or “Nyoman”, fourth is “Ketut” and
the fifth back to Wayan. Both men and women use similar names. A woman is
distinguished by a “Ne” at the beginning “Ni” (Ni Wayan), while a man is
specified by “I” (i.e. I Wayan). Personal names can be attached to the birth
order names, but there is no family name in Bali.
You definitely don’t want to
miss the ritual and ceremonies in Bali, so mingle with locals and wear the
traditional outfit and experience Bali traditionally.
Nationals of 169
countries can visit Bali visa-free (for 30 days), while Visa on Arrival applies
for others at USD $35 (extendable once). Wet season: October-April Dry season:
May-September Best time to go: May-August.
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.
Download GO-JEK Bali has
banned the Uber. So, locals have turned to another app called ‘Go-Jek’. Through
Go-jek you can order food, shopping and courier services, but most often it’s
used for hailing a taxi or motor-taxi; definitely one to consider if you stay
in Bali for a long holiday.
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
Photo: Ekarini
Where
to exchange your money in Bali? — PT. Central Kuta — PT. Dirgahayu Valuta Prima
— PT. Bali Maspintjinra You can pay using credit cards at most high-end hotels,
restaurants, stores and nightclubs, with Visa and MasterCard the most commonly
accepted cards, followed by American Express. Most transactions are completed
in rupiahs, and it is very common for a variable charge to be added to credit
card payments (certain %). When using a credit card in Bali, keep the card in
sight at all times to avoid identity theft. It is very common in Indonesia.
ATMs dispense IDR 50,000 or 100,000 bills; withdrawal fees using foreign bank
cards, Visa or MasterCard varies and can be high. Beware of skimmers and rigged
units, and remember to take your money and card after each transaction. 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. The super-strict drug laws in place in
Indonesia are severe! If you are caught smuggling drugs will face the death
sentence. 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. 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!
Even though the vast majority of Balinese people speak English, it is fun and rewarding when you can communicate
with the locals using the Bahasa Indonesia or Balinese words. You can find some
funny words and learn the everyday slang. Even being able to say ‘hello, how
are you’ Apa khabar? ‘Thank you’ Terimakasih, and ‘please’ will be really
appreciated in Bali — and it will go as a fun and worth the bartering process!
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.
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. 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 is cheap.
It is just my way of showing appreciation for their great service 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.
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. 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.
Happy Travels!
