Compared to Australia, Bali it is a completely different world that needs to be experienced at least once! Todays blog will mention everything we have learned from travelling to Bali 6x times so that you can get it right the first time!
Prior to Arriving in Bali:
- If this is your first trip to Bali you’ll want to ensure you have arranged your transport from the Airport to your accomodation IN ADVANCE. Don’t wait until you arrive to organise your transport especially if it is your first time as you’ll be greeted with hundreds of drivers trying to win your business. You’ll also likely pay a premium doing it this way. Your Airbnb or Hotel will likely have a service you can arrange.
- A lot of the buying & selling in Bali is done with cash especially for transport/street stalls etc. Bring a small amount of Indonesian Rupiah or get some at the airport but the cheapest way will likely be using the ATM’s while in the country.
- You’ll need to complete & pay for a Visa on Arrival – you can use card for this.
- Complete your Bali customs declaration form prior to travelling. You can do it in the airport on your phone but the service and WIFI is not great.
- If worried about Bali belly, I take a digestive supplement like SB Floractiv to set the stomach. I take it a few days before arriving & everyday while in Bali. When I have done this I have avoided Bali belly every time. It may be luck, but the other 2 times I had Bali belly and didn’t take the supplement.
- You may want to pack an emergency medication pack in the event Bali belly does occur. Visit a pharmacy prior to travelling if you want to play it safe.
- Organise travel insurance. Pay extra for scooter coverage.
- Try to stick to 1 credit/eftpos card. Will make it easier to track expenses but be sure to bring a minimum of 1 back up card encase it get’s blocked/lost etc.
- Get WhatsApp – most of the locals do not use anything other than WhatsApp.
- Try to avoid wet season – (Nov – March)
- Jetstar is always having sales on Bali flights. Plan ahead!
- Go with the flow in Bali. Don’t try to plan too much and jam pack it.
While in Bali:
- Get a SIM card for data (unless your current phone plan has a cheap work around)
- When haggling, be respectful. Understand that there is probably a fair bit of wiggle room in prices from street vendors but deal with them in a polite way. Simply walking away can be powerful enough to do a lot of the negotiating for you.
- Don’t be stingy… tip the locals when they provide a good service.
- For restaurants, there are plenty of options! Just google your area and find something with good reviews. Walking/Scooting the street is also a good way to find the popular places.
- Be cautious when using ATM’s & Money Exchanges. Most the time you’ll be fine but just be very cautious about how much you expect to get in return. Only use the ATM’s that are in good reputable locations and ideally watch someone use it before you.
- Depending on the quality of your trip, it usually costs approx $3-4K pp AUD for a week. This is in pretty nice accomodation and sparing no expense for the week. You can easily do it cheaper.
Getting Around:
- The roads in Bali are chaotic. There are basically no road rules. Because of this, sticking to a car is not always possible. If staying in quiet areas like Nusa Dua you’ll get away with it but in congested areas like Seminyak & Canggu you 100% need to be using scooters. It took me 2hrs in a car to travel 3km from Seminyak to Canggu because their roads are so congested. That same distance took 15 minutes on a scooter because they have smaller footpaths which scooters can use.
- If you have no experience with a scooter or motorbike, it may be very scary for you to try to learn in Bali. It is fairly simple given most roads are just 1 lane and all the traffic is going in 1 direction but if you want to play it safe you may want to seek a driver.
- If you’re hiring a scooter, when navigating, use a cradle so you can see the map on your phone. If no cradle is possible, connect 1 AirPod and turn on the voice directions. You still want to be able to hear your surroundings which is why I only use 1 AirPod. Also, be sure to use motorcycle navigation mode on google maps. If you can’t find it, use the walking directions NOT the car directions. Scooters have hidden routes that can cut transport times in half. They share the same paths as walkers so be sure to use these modes.
- Use Grab App for scooter transport or car. By far and away the best user experience and when booked through the app often a fraction of what you can negotiate with someone on the street.
- For Taxi’s only use Blue Bird. The Blue Bird app is not great though! Look for official blue bird signage on taxis. Many are just blue taxi’s that look similar, avoid them. Also, ask for meter or agree on a price BEFORE hopping in.
- Don’t try to travel too far each day. You’ll end up spending half your trip commuting. If you want to move around, stay a few nights in each area.
- You can hire a driver for the day pretty cheaply – approx $10AUD per hour, chat to your accomodation provider they should have contacts.
- Use the services of your accomodation providers to arrange scooters/drivers etc
- You can just get a grab car on your trip back to the airport (likely cheaper than any other option)
Health Tips:
- Always check google reviews before eating/drinking somewhere. Bali belly is not a joke. On my most recent trip with 10 people…. 5 got Bali belly.
- If you do get Bali belly, you’ll be out of action for 1 -2 days. Get it out of your system & stay hydrated. Visit the pharmacy and take their advice.
- You don’t need to avoid ice if at a reputable place but make sure it’s reviews are great
- Only drink bottled water. Even if the reputable place has filter water available, it’s not worth taking any chances over $3….
- Do not put any water in your mouth that is not bottled… Not in the shower, not when brushing your teeth. Everything is with bottled water.
- Use Mozzie Spray & Sunscreen EVERYDAY
Locations:
Bali is fairly small distance wise… but that is misleading. The roads are so congested that a 30km trip from one side of the island to the other will take 2-3hrs in a car. Scooters can cut that time down dramatically but unless you want to spend half your trip commuting, you’ll likely want to stick close to the area you’re staying and move your accomodation around every few nights.
- Canggu is my favourite area! Very fast paced, young scene, go there if you like amazing cafes, restaurants, gyms, nightlife & beach clubs. You can also easily visit Seminyak from Canggu too via scooter.
- Nusa Dua is my 2nd favourite area! This is the go to for relaxing, couple getaways. You will feel so relaxed in Nusa Dua. Away from the hustle and bustle of it all. Amazing large hotels right on the beach. Very slow paced vibe.
- Ubud is a cool jungle experience! I’d only stay for 2 or 3 nights but worth a visit!
- Uluwatu has some amazing beach clubs so if that is your scene I’d recommend staying a couple of nights (only on weekends). During the week it is very quiet unless an event is on.
- Kuta… not a place I frequent and don’t think I’m missing much…
- Nusa Penida Island – Haven’t done this yet but Snorkelling with Manta Rays & the Kelingking beach hike and famous cliff point is on the to do list!
- Gilli Islands – Haven’t done this yet but have heard great things!
Nightlife:
Check socials when you are in the country to see if any special events are on but the go to places are:
Finns – Canggu
Luigis (Mondays) – Canggu
Old Mans – Canggu
Sandbar – Canggu
Da Maria (Wednesdays) – Seminyak
La Favela – Seminyak
Mexicola – Seminyak
Savaya (Weekends) – Uluwatu
Single Finns (Sundays) – Uluwatu
The Lawn – Canggu
Atlas Beach Club & Super club – Canggu
- There is always something on every night in Bali! Things tend to kick off around 10pm and things wrap up at 3am….
- At the popular tourist beach clubs, prices are just slightly below Australian prices for alcohol. You can get drinks far cheaper in less popular spots but if you want to go to the best places you don’t have much choice.
- Beware of super cheap alcohol…
- Stick to the popular tourist spots if you want to play it safe.
Culture:
The Balinese people are some of the friendliest and happiest people you will meet in the world. The living conditions for locals are not great but that doesn’t stop them from always wearing a big smile on their face! Always be polite and respectful while visiting their country!
Flights:
When travelling to/from Bali from Australia, Jetstar will typically be the cheapest option. While it’s not everyones favourite carrier, they are usually pretty good with their Bali routes. They have a lot of flight deals throughout the year on flights to Bali so with a bit of planning you should be able to get return flights for somewhere around $550-700pp w/bags. If booking last minute in peak periods, they can go all the way up to $1200-1600pp.
If you want to use your points to/from Bali we would recommend finding a Qantas flight. The Jetstar flights often have poor point redemption value. Redeeming Velocity points with Virgin may be a work around if you have any.
Trip Duration:
1 Week is a good rule of thumb! I wouldn’t try to do everything in that week but it is a good taster to get you hooked on the Bali experience. I’d try to experience at least 2x different parts of Bali so you have a good idea of what to do for your next trip. You can also day trip somewhere too!
Want to know anything else? Let us know and we will be happy to answer it!
For more travel hacks, head to our travel hacks section here
For tips on getting to/from Bali on Qantas points click here
