With every returning trip from Bali, I come back with fresh tips and information which may be especially handy for a first time traveller to the Island of the Gods. It can be daunting visiting somewhere new, so here are some of my tips when heading over to Bali on a holiday:
Money
When arriving to Bali you need $35 US each for your Visa on Arrival (VOA ) {This is if you are travelling on an Australian Passport}. The US rate conversion with AUS is pretty crap at the moment but we just change this at Melbourne Airport. We also change about $100 AUD over the Rupiah at the airport which with the current rate is about 900,000 RP to get us through the first day with drinks and something to eat when we get to Bali.
ATM’s
If you are going to use ATM’s in Bali, remember to contact your bank to let them know that you will be using your card overseas (in particular mention that you will be in Indonesia) Over the last few weeks the ATM’s in Bali have gone through a system upgrade and has had complications in particular with any VISA cards where it may wont read the card. Due to this, a lot of ATM’s have been compromised and scammers are attaching skimming devices {this happens everywhere in the world though}. Just be extra careful if you are going to use ATM’s at the moment.
Cash is King in Bali. We take cash over and change our money as we need on a daily basis. Go to reputable money changers ( Air Conditioned, lit up well, where they provide you a receipt) The money changers that offer much better rates or are behind little clothes shops are usually dodgy and may try to scam you. To make it easier for yourself when changing money, change $100 AUD at a time, it is easier for you to convert what the rate is to what you will get back in RP. Eg; last week the rate we were getting was 9,750 RP per $1 AUD so approx for $100 AUD about 960,000 RP
Health
We always carry hand sanitiser with us, and use every time we handle money and before and after eating.
I purchase Travelan from the chemist before we head over to Bali. It’s a probiotic that you take one tablet before every meal. This helps with your gut getting used to eating different varieties of food and can prevent Travellers Diarrhoea. Costs about $30 in Chemist Warehouse and one box should be enough for the week for 2 Adults,
Rabies in monkeys is pretty full on in some areas at the moment in Bali. We don’t go Monkey Forest in Ubud because of this. There is also a shortage of treatments shots for Rabies in Bali at the moment with some Hospitals being out of stock at the moment.
Getting Around
If you have a motorbike licence in Australia and have already received your international licence paperwork (best to apply for this at least 3 weeks before leaving) then you can hire a scooter.
Approx price for hiring a scooter over in Bali at the moment is 50,000 RP per day ($5)
Ensure you ALWAYS are wearing your helmet and have your licence paperwork with you when riding. There are quite extensive road works happening around Seminyak and Legian at the moment and police are everywhere stopping tourists.
Taxis (Bluebird) are also another great way to get around for quick trips. Always ask them to put the metre on when you get into the taxi. There are hundreds of these taxis around and you can just jump in anywhere. They are not expensive and the most we have paid for short trips in and around Legian is around 50,000 RP ($5)
Drivers
The place that you stay may be able to recommend a driver for you for any day trips that you want to do
Approx day rate is $50 AUD for a driver for a full day (500,000 RP)
We also give our drivers about 50,000 rp ($5) for lunch so that he can buy his own meal ( bear in mind, local price for the food that they buy is about $1 AUD (10,000rp) and if he is a smoker a couple of packets of cigarettes ( $2 AUD each )
You will get stopped everywhere asking if you need transport. You will also get asked when you arrived, where you are staying and how long you are going to be in Bali for. The Balinese have extraordinary memories!
Always say that you have been to Bali many times, when they ask when you got to Bali say a week ago. If they ask where you are staying, mention another hotel (That way any potential scammers wont know where to contact you)
Things to do
Bali has so much to offer and such beautiful places to see.
Day Trip up to Ubud
I would recommend getting a driver for a day and heading up to Ubud. On the way there, there are small towns that you can stop into and see and each village area is known for a specific trade such as Silver Making, Batik Making ( Cloth ), Wood Work etc. It will take approx 2 hours to get to Ubud from Seminyak with stopping along the way. Up in Ubud are the heritage Rice Terrace Fields - Tegalalang Rice Terrace which is famous worldwide for its panoramic scenery. It is a pretty extraordinary site. You can also ask your driver to take you somewhere for lunch up in Ubud where you can site on the edge of these Rice Fields and soak in the beautiful scenery. Ubud is a great place also to spend some time in walking around in and their market area is great. It get stuffy and hot in the market – remember to carry a bottle of water with you.
Tanah Lot
Once you have had a day with your driver, ask him about taking you to Tanah Lot either early afternoon or for Sunset. This is a famous Temple, which sits in the ocean. About an hours drive from Seminyak (depending on traffic). Tanah lot also has a great restaurant (the only one!) on the cliff face, which serves fresh seafood. we splash out there and get Squid, Lobster and all freshly made for you.
Echo Beach
Echo Beach in on the way to Tanah Lot. We go here due to it’s buffet style seafood. Great place to sit back, relax and have a yummy meal on the side ocean view.
http://www.echobeachhouse.com/
Le Plancha – Seminyak
In the trendy area of Seminyak is this fabulous on the beach restaurant that we go to for Sunset. Beanbags to sit on while soaking in the view- just stunning!
Safety
Be mindful of drinking in Bali. We have never had a problem with alcohol in Bali but we usually drink Beer when we are out and about and I drink cocktails in the more popular restaurants or in resorts.
If the alcohol smells funny – don’t drink it! There has been methanol poisoning incidences recently.
Also, some places replace spirits with Arak (the local spirit) which can make you unwell.
When travelling anywhere in the world, the most important thing is to be mindful of your surroundings. We are a guest when visiting Bali and it is important to be respectful of their traditions. Be street smart, courteous, don't drink too much to the point of being stupid and you will be fine!
Holidays are what you make them, so Enjoy!
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