Top tips for Bali

Bali is quickly becoming a very popular tourist destination within Indonesia. Personally, I think there are destinations in Indonesia to visit but that's for another blog. In this one, let's go over some top tips to help you get ready for Bali baby!

Visa

I entered Bali on a very early morning flight and had forgotten completely about the visa purchase that has to be made at airport security.

The visa allows you 30 days entry into Bali and costs around £30 (at my time of entry: Oct 22). You can pay in a variety of currencies including Indonesian Rupiah, British Pounds and US dollars. You can also pay by card which I recommend but stupidly didn't do! I was so tired and frazzled that I just put all my money down on the desk and let the staff take what was needed.

Traffic

Be prepared for an insane amount of traffic on Bali, especially around the Denpasar - Canggu area. Our airport transfer to Canggu took us around 2.5 hours. We spoke to other travellers in our accommodation who said it took them nearly 4 hours!

It's crazy busy. A very popular island but very small. It's overcrowded with locals and tourists. You can get bike taxis/transfers which will be much quicker than a car but I don't recommend you use them from a health and safety POV.

Bali Belly

We've all heard the horror stories of Bali Belly. It is real and there is no cure. You can get similar stomach upset in a lot of Asian countries due to the water quality.

To avoid Bali Belly I recommend:

-brushing your teeth with bottled water

-don't wash your face in the shower/sink (just incase you swallow some) use bottled water again

-don't eat fresh salads or fruits that you can't peel. Basically avoid anything that they might wash (salads on burgers, fruit bowls etc)

-maintain a good standard of personal hygiene! Wash those hands, and thoroughly

-don't drink the tap water! Bottled water or filter water bottle

-Ice is okay!!!! Bars and restaurants buy in their ice so you can sip away on your ice cold drinks all you want

If you do come down with Bali Belly, stay hydrated, take charcoal tablets and anti sickness/diarrhea tablets. Get plenty of sleep and stay close to a toilet. It'll pass in a few days!

Money

The currency exchange is crazy for Indonesia. At the time I went, 17,000 Rupiah was worth 1 British pound. Try to learn the conversion and keep a conversion app on your phone, this will help in restaurants or when bartering at a market.

I found that a lot of shops will round up your total or just not give you the full amount of change if it's 500 or smaller. This took a while to get used to, not sure why they do it but they do!

They will add a service charge on to your bill at restaurants, bars and cafés. It will state how much at the bottom of the menus (usually 10-20%). On top of this, you are still expected to leave a tip if you've enjoyed the service.

Be careful with how you store your money. It's seen to be disrespectful if you bundle up/fold/scrunch the notes. However it's quite difficult to avoid this, as you end up with a lot of small notes (coins don't get used much over there).

Culture

Bali is one of the only Indonesian islands where drinking alcohol is legal! Indonesia is a Muslim country but due to tourism they have allowed alcohol consumption on Bali. Make sure to double check the laws and legislations where you go within Indonesia.

When it comes to temples:

Ladies, cover your shoulders and legs. Men, nothing shorter than knee length.

No ripped clothing (ripped jeans, cut out shirts etc)

Be respectful

A lot of temples offer material to cover yourself up with if needed.

On the streets you will see little baskets full of flowers, money and food known as canang saris. These are offering to the Gods. Sometimes they are at the base of statues or on alters but most the time they are on the floor, right in the middle of the pavement.

Do not step ON these. Do not step OVER these. Walk around the canang saris and leave the contents alone.

Sunshine and mosquitos

Like most tropical destinations, the sun is strong and the bugs are vicious. Regularly apply factor 50 suncream and follow that up with bug spray. Reapply after swimming/showering.

Stay hydrated.

Have you got any top tips for Bali? Drop a comment down below! Follow along for more here on Wix Blogs, Instagram @bilbo.h and TikTok @travelbeeblog.

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