10 Things you must pay attention if you travel to Bali Indonesia
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As a novice to Indonesia, the differences between this slice of
paradise and other countries I’ve had the pleasure of visiting was
enormous. From the heat, to the people to the animals, there are so many
things to keep in mind when visiting Bali, and many I had no clue
about. Here’s what you should absolutely keep in mind before visiting.
paradise and other countries I’ve had the pleasure of visiting was
enormous. From the heat, to the people to the animals, there are so many
things to keep in mind when visiting Bali, and many I had no clue
about. Here’s what you should absolutely keep in mind before visiting.
Money
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| Cheat Money Changer in Bali Indonesia |
Bali has both an entry visa cost and a
departure tax, so make sure you have some funds available when you
arrive and don’t spend it all so that you can leave. These cost $35USD
and $20USD respectively (as of Jan 2015), so it’s not incredibly
expensive but can catch you off guard if you’re not forewarned.
Indonesian rupiah is a currency with very big notes for small amounts,
so it is easy to be careless if you don’t pay attention to the zeros. A
hundred USD is around a million IDR.
Haggling
Don’t accept the price you’re initially
given, it’s standard practice to haggle and you are usually first
offered double what you should be paying. Come to an agreement with taxi
fare costs before you get in, so that there’s no confusion at the other
end. Street food and souvenirs can usually be haggled down also, so try
not to fall into this tourist trap.
given, it’s standard practice to haggle and you are usually first
offered double what you should be paying. Come to an agreement with taxi
fare costs before you get in, so that there’s no confusion at the other
end. Street food and souvenirs can usually be haggled down also, so try
not to fall into this tourist trap.
Coconut Milk
You’ll find coconuts for sale all over
the place in Bali and they make for a quick, surprisingly thirst
quenching refreshment. Embrace the local culture and get involved,
they’re delicious and super healthy.
the place in Bali and they make for a quick, surprisingly thirst
quenching refreshment. Embrace the local culture and get involved,
they’re delicious and super healthy.
The competitive world of taxis
Arriving at Denpasar airport was a little
overwhelming. Fifty or so people stood behind the gate with signs
varying from specific names, to generic companies to simply ‘taksi’ all
who call out for your attention as you make your way to stroll through
the exit. Try to either book a cab in advance at an agreed/pre-paid
price or head slightly out of the airport to select a cab, you’ll save
so much.
overwhelming. Fifty or so people stood behind the gate with signs
varying from specific names, to generic companies to simply ‘taksi’ all
who call out for your attention as you make your way to stroll through
the exit. Try to either book a cab in advance at an agreed/pre-paid
price or head slightly out of the airport to select a cab, you’ll save
so much.
Beeping
There’s so much beeping going on in Bali.
Everywhere, all around you, horns are honked at the slightest excuse.
But apparently this is more out of politeness than anger, to let the
car, pedestrian, cyclist or motorcyclist around you know that you’re
about to overtake (and so they need to move). Without a hint of road
rage, vehicles in Bali weave in and out of gaps, overtaking from both
sides and off of the sidewalk. They do this all in perfect
orchestration, though it didn’t stop me from being more than a little
worried every time things became a little too close (which was
frequently). Despite all this chaos, the Balinese accident rate is
relatively low, so they must be doing something right.
Everywhere, all around you, horns are honked at the slightest excuse.
But apparently this is more out of politeness than anger, to let the
car, pedestrian, cyclist or motorcyclist around you know that you’re
about to overtake (and so they need to move). Without a hint of road
rage, vehicles in Bali weave in and out of gaps, overtaking from both
sides and off of the sidewalk. They do this all in perfect
orchestration, though it didn’t stop me from being more than a little
worried every time things became a little too close (which was
frequently). Despite all this chaos, the Balinese accident rate is
relatively low, so they must be doing something right.
Child beggars
Within my first ten minutes in Bali, our
taxi came to a set of traffic lights and a small girl who was maybe 8 or
nine, hopped off of the sidewalk and started to walk between the
stationary vehicles. Here, she’d single out people she thought were
tourists and would knock on their windows to ask for money- all wide
eyed and hands pleading. She tried a couple of cars with no luck, so
sprang back to the sidewalk with a group of others around her age and
they ran off. This was my first time experiencing something like this,
after hearing a little of these practices happening, and it was a little
confronting. Locals state that you shouldn’t give to these child
beggars, for it not only encourages this behaviour, but for poorer parts
of Bali, allows parents to take their children from school to beg full
time.
taxi came to a set of traffic lights and a small girl who was maybe 8 or
nine, hopped off of the sidewalk and started to walk between the
stationary vehicles. Here, she’d single out people she thought were
tourists and would knock on their windows to ask for money- all wide
eyed and hands pleading. She tried a couple of cars with no luck, so
sprang back to the sidewalk with a group of others around her age and
they ran off. This was my first time experiencing something like this,
after hearing a little of these practices happening, and it was a little
confronting. Locals state that you shouldn’t give to these child
beggars, for it not only encourages this behaviour, but for poorer parts
of Bali, allows parents to take their children from school to beg full
time.
Stray cats and dogs
These guys roam the streets and are
actually quite savvy when it comes to road rules and awareness. They’re
generally not aggressive or overly after your food, but they could be
sporting diseases so be wary when interacting with them.
actually quite savvy when it comes to road rules and awareness. They’re
generally not aggressive or overly after your food, but they could be
sporting diseases so be wary when interacting with them.
Monkeys
Monkeys can either be a traveller’s best
friend or worst nightmare. While they make great subjects for
photographs and are nice and friendly when they’re being fed, they have a
pesky habit of thievery. Keep your belongings close and don’t have
loose items on your person.
friend or worst nightmare. While they make great subjects for
photographs and are nice and friendly when they’re being fed, they have a
pesky habit of thievery. Keep your belongings close and don’t have
loose items on your person.
High and low season
After being told that travelling to Bali
‘this time of year’ (December-Feburary) was completely nuts due to the
heat, the monsoons and the severe humidity, I wasn’t sure what I’d got
myself in to. However, during my stay it rained once, at night, and the
temperature didn’t exceed 30. Travelling in the low season is my
favourite time to travel as it’s often cheaper, less crowded with
tourists, and more things are available without having to queue for long
periods of time. Due to the tropical nature of Indonesia, the heat and
humidity are factors which need to be battled year round, however are a
little less severe in high season.
‘this time of year’ (December-Feburary) was completely nuts due to the
heat, the monsoons and the severe humidity, I wasn’t sure what I’d got
myself in to. However, during my stay it rained once, at night, and the
temperature didn’t exceed 30. Travelling in the low season is my
favourite time to travel as it’s often cheaper, less crowded with
tourists, and more things are available without having to queue for long
periods of time. Due to the tropical nature of Indonesia, the heat and
humidity are factors which need to be battled year round, however are a
little less severe in high season.
What are your top tips for travelling in Bali or Indonesia? Let me know below, or just shoot me a comment!
