Traveling to Bali for the first time on the occasion of our first wedding anniversary. Just wanted to stop by the OZB bay and see if I can get any tips and advices on where to start hunting for the best hotel + flight deals.
Travelling between 8 or 9 July and 15 or 16 July 2023 (6 or 7 days).
Thanks.
Bring one back for me ; )
Use comparison websites like Expedia, Kayak, or Skyscanner.
Book flights early and be flexible with dates.
Set fare alerts on Google Flights or Hopper.
Check hotel deals on Booking.com, Agoda, or Hotels.com.
I'd love to tip everywhere except US
Just the tip ;
I disagree with this. There is no tipping culture in Indonesia and people who tip just make it an expectation on the next person.
No tipping just pay the regular price. Stop thinking you are their saviours.
No tips. Dont spoil the market.
thats because the local gangs take it. it's in plain sight. cops in on it also
Travel safe tips
- Only visit reputable night blub (if that's your thing)
- Prepare some fever, gastro and diarrhea meds (not that you will get sick, but I got diarrhea twice in my last 2 visits)
As above, use booking.com and other sites to hunt for deals. constantly check for shopback & cashreward for boosted cashback. For example, 15% cashback from shopback for booking.com today (until 6 pm). Jetstar has decent deals to Bali quite frequently as well.
Go to your GP and let them know you're travelling to Indonesia and want gastro meds, preferably antibiotics. 90% of the time when you get Gastro in Aus, it's not bacterial and will pass on its own. If you get it in Indonesia, very likely it's bacterial.
Change your destination
Yes, my mates said the same. Where else would you recommend for the first timers in Asia?
We've been to the Europe and the US individually before we got engaged and none of us ever been to any of the Asian countries except for flying above and stopover at airports. Also, on a budget this time so thought Bali could be a good option.
@Zapwap: Bali is awesome, cheap and cheerful. I live in Adelaide and up till Covid I went every year. Cheaper for me to go to Bali than Gold Coast.
I just go for the break, sun and sand and to de-stress. It's perfect.
As for Bali belly etc. Been heaps never had (lucky maybe) it. Drink bottle water, brush with same. In in hotel put the shower cap or something similar to cover the taps, try not to swallow the shower water lol.
Enjoy.
Brunei is boring AF. All you go see is Mosques and Museums.
@KaTst3R: Brunei is only one part of the island of borneo.
Orangutan sanctuary..
Kota kinabalu
2 places on the island i have been over the years.
@Archi: You said Brunei not Borneo. And i have climbed Mount Kinabalu. Nothing special.
There are many better south east asian country to visit as a first timer. Thailand and Malaysia are options that i would consider first.
@GregRust: Technically yes. When I said Malysia as a preferred location, I was referring to the more popular Malay Peninsula. Not Borneo Island.
@KaTst3R: Agreed skip Brunei. If you’re going to Brunei the best thing is the jungle. If you want jungle though you’d be better served by Sabah, Sarawak, or Kalimantan.
rofl, fun times
Sabah, seeing wild Orangutans in the hotel was cool.
Thailand
Malaysia can be a good entry in SE Asia. Can still get some island /beach time.
Malaysia is expensive for what you get and very westernised. Bali is at least cheaper.
Japan, for sure. Especially for a wedding anniversary. Plenty of beautiful places you can spend some time in.
Bali is gross, mainly because of trashy tourists, but also because human rights in Indonesia are not great.
OP said budget.
@dasher86: I'm a firm believer that if you can't afford to travel, then you probably shouldn't, or scale it back. Maybe spend your dollars in Australia? There are plenty of great places to visit here. I wouldn't do Bali just because it's cheap. Just me, though. :)
For first timers - definitely Japan.
You may need to adjust your budget upwards a little.
You did say this is for a special occasion so cheaping out would not be my preferred way to go (even if the other person agrees on the choice it 'will' be remembered).
Go to Singapore - thats controlled but fun Asia, venture further out into Thailand (Railay Beach was nice the last time i was there). Phuket is nice but much like Bali in places.
There's a lot more to Asia than all of the above though, venture further offroad eventually - East Java is one of the loveliest places on earth - especially since there's not many tourists.
I've heard Phuket is turning Russian. Same with Bali.
@Herbs: just went to phuket, may as well have gone to moscow.
bali / phuket pretty much inho are shitholes. phuket better than bali for food, bali just sucks
Thailand. Unless you want the safety blanket that is Singapore. Malaysia is in between. Don't go China.
Vietnam is great. Nothing wrong with Bali though. Is prob the best spot for first timers tbh.
Bali is great but of course has that Asia air of chaos at times.
Singapore is what I described as Asia lite when I went. Clean, organised, easy to get around, modern etc. Great for an intro so Asia but probably lacks a bit of soul too.
I think Bali is okay for a first time but don’t just stay in Legian or Kuta as you will most likely get sick of all the hawkers.
First time in Asia ?
If you have some money…. Singapore.
I would also recommend Langkawi or Georgetown (Penang) or both.
Taiwan is my favourite country to visit.
Interesting place, love the food, people are lovely, would go back any time.
Thailand
Bali is awesome
Don't tell me, let OP know all about Bali's awesomeness
Why?
I strongly dislike humidity PLUS I live on an island with some of the world's most beautiful beaches so uninterested in spending ~6 hrs on a plane to go to an overseas destination that is infamous for attracting tourists that act like louts abroad.
Never been and just watch channel nine etc then? The behaviour you describe is limited to parts of one or two areas and there are many other choices.
It's a place of great beauty, culture and fantastic local people. The humidity is real, but I assume then you also rule out the rest of Asia and a lot of Australia too? Air con also exists in Bali.
@Brianqpr: lol
Tell me you haven't been to Bali without telling me you haven't been to Bali or other parts of Asia or outside of suburban Australia
@[Deactivated]: Been to Bali many times.
Have also been to around 30 countries in all parts of the world.
Thanks for playing.
@Brianqpr: Dear Bri
If you've been to Bali so many times then you should have responded with where the non-Bogan areas are so as to assist other peeps who may want to know.
And if you comment on a holiday destination with the generic
It's a place of great beauty, culture and fantastic local people.
it adds nothing of value to the discussion and leads me to suspect that you're being disingenuous.
3.
Air con also exists in Bali.
I've never chosen a holiday destination based on air con as I do not travel to stay indoors.
4.
Thanks for playing.
I wasn't 'playing'; just giving an authentic response to your query.
I trust we can now move on from this.
@Brianqpr: The beaches in Bali are filled with trash and cigarette butts. The attraction seems to be cheap alcohol, that's available in practically every country that isn't Australia
My first piece of advice would be to skip Bali.
However, if you are determined I'd say that there's a lot of Bali outside Kuta and you should at least try to experience some of it.
I second the gastro meds - both the wife and I got a nasty case of dodgy tummy last time we went, although we were moderately careful.
You do not need to tip in Bali, but rounding stuff off is ok, and please remember that while you may be on holiday, this is their home.
Thanks for the advice, mate. Any recommendations except Bali for the first timers around Asia?
Bali is an easy choice because its relatively close and quite cheap - but it really depends on what you are looking for in a vacation.
I can tell you the wife and I loved Lombok, and the family always enjoys KL.
We've done Bali maybe half a dozen times including just last Feb, and its fine, but it isn't near the top of my list.
There are definitely other good options such as:
- Japan (my first pick)
- Singapore/Malaysia
- Taiwan
- Hong Kong
- Vietnam
However, please bear in mind that they wont' be as budget as Bali.
Vietnam is actually more budget than bali FYI
@mayo88: But not the flights.
The wife and I had a great time in Vietnam - but it is definitely more of a schlep than Bali.
@Almost Banned: Nah but they will. Bought the flights going from Sydney and will just use it as an excuse to visit Sydney too
Been many times with family, not one gastro issue.
Definitely want travel insurance. If you get bali belly, go to a hospital and get it sorted out. Else itll ruin the trip! I was pretty ill, went to the hospital, had IV meds and fluids and was back out being a bali bogan the next day!
Good point. If you travel you need travel insurance. It costs bugger all and can be a lifesaver.
Treat the local people with respect and don't act like you own the place. They already put up with a lot of drunk bogans every day.
Lot of mucking around for 6-7 days.
I found ubud to be far nicer than tourist or tourist adjacent places on the coast.
Locals are still feeling effects of low tourism. Expect extra pressure from souvenir sellers.
Only drink from bottle water and soft drinks that have no ice. Gastro is your biggest enemy is Bali.
Or if you do get served a drink with ice, make sure there's a hole in the middle of it (means it's manufactured ice and not just frozen tap water)
If you can afford it, be generous. Bali's economy has been knocked around badly by Covid and people are getting back on their feet.
We always use a local laundry service to wash & fold our clothes before we come home. Much easier coming home with clean clothes!
Use Grab for traveling around. A bit like Uber/Didi, very cheap. They deliver food as well. The local taxi drivers are often bandits, even if they are still cheap by our standards.
Remember, Indonesia is a conservative Muslim country, but Bali is a bit different, so do not be surprised when you see things like pork.
Travel SIMs are a good idea but getting a local SIM is easy and cheap. Often a good idea to have a spare handset as well.
When in doubt, make sure you have bottled water, even for brushing your teeth.
Mate they are getting back in their feet pretty quick by big increases even doubling prices since pre covid. Bikes and laundry have near doubled for my usual places.
No different to what airlines, hotels, food producers and every other business here is doing.
Yeah, hook your 28 degrees card on grab and Gojek apps. All food and transportation sorted.
28 degrees also offers a free 15 day esim through Flexiroam which works well (data only, but everyone is on WhatsApp).
I wouldn’t pay for a sim, wifi is everywhere.
It’s funny, pork is favourite food here… unless your Muslim.
I’m not sure what this Bali belly is all about. I can’t see anything wrong with the tap water. I don’t drink it because they say not to, but I use it for brushing teeth. I reckon just be mindful how the food and drink you’re buying has been prepared and handled, and make good decisions.
I didn't know about the Flexiroam option! Thanks.
Also, Bali belly is very real. be careful everyone!
Your comment about the taxi drivers was true in the past (not wanting to use meter and asking for high prices), but the last few times I've been absolutely no issues. It felt like they had clamped down on that as we used many taxis and not once did we have this issue. Also have nothing but admiration for how they negotiate the crazy traffic (scooters everywhere) and remain patient.
Laundry is a good call, very cheap and convenient. Bottled water a must but that's kind of common knowledge and hotels etc always provide it.
Depends on what you're there for.
Bali's good if you're wanting to relax on a budget - just steer clear of the the usual bogan-ey areas. Great place, if you're feeling the ceebs with work and want a few days off to unwind. Budget willing - I'd do Singapore/Taiwan/Thailand/Vietnam
Get lots of Bintang from your guide instead of buying from stores - much cheaper
Try Singapore
Singapore with an 2-3 night trip to Thailand. Or a 4 day cruise out of Singapore to Penang and Phuket.
Transit via Bali a week go. The airport was nice.
I noticed the price they ask you to pay at the Fresh café in pre-departure lounge was slightly higher than the price tag. Not sure if this is common practice. I would not bother arguing on this, instead I paid them a little more. Latte here was nice.
Money changer to local money had exchange rate about 5% worse than the spot rate, if no surcharge by the shop and they allow paying with your debit card, this is better than cash.
I paid about $300 to Bali with Batik Air on 23 Mar and $500 return from Bali on 13 April with Qantas.
The price difference is due to tax not being included on the displayed price like Australia does.
If you see ++ on an item it means plus tax plus service
Try Nusa Dua or Seminyak or Ubud rather than Kuta. You dont really need to go to Kuta unless you want cheap stuff. The resorts in Nusa Dua are very nice/up market although can sometimes be overrun by Russians who are a little less than polite at times. Ubud is touristy but nice enough and not trashy; or if you dont mind extra travel hit Nusa Lembongan or Lombok or go inland to somewhere like Jatiluwih for a night or two. Not much to do in these smaller places but I'm sure you can think of something.
If you want to try somewhere else then any of the pacific islands are worth a look, Cook Islands for example. Parts of Malaysia are nice and beachy (and other parts are less beachy but are interesting). Singapore is expensive, nice place but its just a large city.
the price they ask you to pay at the Fresh café in pre-departure lounge was slightly higher than the price tag
11% vat + maybe service charge?
Be careful of pickpockets.
I was walking back to my hotel after a night partying and a guy comes up to me asking if I needed a taxi - next minute I felt my phone being removed from my pocket.
Luckily when I confronted him and he knew he was caught red handed, he gave my phone back.
But aside from that, as many others have echoed, I would skip Bali altogether and go somewhere like Japan, Thailand, or Vietnam. 6 or 7 days is not really enough time for those destinations, however.
There is heaps of street crime around Seminyak, Legian an Kuta particularly around the main roads like Jl Legian and Kuta Square. Never been this bad.
?
I’m in Legian now and feel totally safe wandering streets at night. I quizzed staff at hotel and they confirm I’m good.
(I don’t stagger when I walk or slur my words when I speak though.)
The only crime I’m aware of is money changers and taxis, and that’s easy to deal with.
And the good thing is, if you catch someone ripping you off, they hand over what they took. (We returned to a money changer and got the portion they stole.)
My brother recently got his phone stolen by a pick pocket on his first day in Bali. Also had a friends partner get her handbag stolen by a guy on a scooter, the worst part being that her arm didn't immediately release from the hand bag strap. And they were in the tourist friendly areas. I know Bali isn't unique in this regard, but it still doesn't make the place sound great.
Don't take a bodyboard or surfboard.
Take immodium if you can, as their Food standards are not like ours. Different bacterial.
Don't drink any cocktails/spirits, unless the alcohol is from a fully sealed original bottle. They don't distill properly, and don't extract the methanol. Methanol is poisonous. The methanol out of a 5l batch might only be 150ml, but they don't care. By the time, someone is poisoned, it can't be tracked. The people distilling are doing it illegally, and will be cutting corners.
Don't do nude photo shoot at sacred places:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-16/badly-behaved-foreign…
Don't fly jetstar! Way too many horror stories. Yes they are cheap but do yourself a favour & spend the few extra $$ to depart & arrive on time.
As others have commented above - move away from Kuta to the more quiet parts of the island & you will be pleasantly surprised.
I go to Bali at least once a year to surf. Like everyone says, stay outta Kuta as it’s just not very interesting.
I would recommend staying anywhere on the bucket peninsula… somewhere like Padang Padang or uluwatu for beautiful beaches and a layer back beach vibe or even jimbaran on the ocean side if you want to be a bit closer to the action.
It really does depend on what sort of getaway you’re after though… if you want up market luxury then nusa dua is your spot but you could be anywhere there… no soul really.
Canggu and Seminyak are a bit more lively and has great eating and bars that aren’t bogan pits.
Sanur is a nice spot too and although it’s starting to get a bit more touristy it’s still a nice place to stay and you can take day trips out to the islands easy from there.
I’ve found some great deals to Bali on travelonline.com as well as deals for other places but I have only just booked my first trip through them so not sure what the customer service is like. Travelzoo and I know the pilot are other great newsletters that deliver deals weekly to your inbox.
Finally… Bali was next level fun when I started hiring a scooter to get around on. If you have a bike license here then I highly recommend getting a scooter as the independence is great and it opens up more options for accommodation as you can escape back to the jungle after you’ve had your fill in town.
The road rules are a little different there but you rarely get up over 40km/h so plenty of time to think. Pass on the scooter though and just hire a driver or use gojek if you don’t have a bike license though as your travel insurance won’t cover you if you crash.
I recommend Bali if you have an open mind… it’s not as bogan as everyone makes it out to be and it’s unbeatable for a cheap holiday to relax and unwind.
I’ve driven in many countries, but I would never, ever, ever drive in Bali. The locals have a system that works, but it isn’t intuitive. Eg taking over a lane of oncoming traffic when the next intersection has a lot of vehicles turning right.
Also, google and Apple Maps don’t show how narrow some of the roads are. Our local driver got into some trouble on a steep narrow road where someone had to backup in very heavy traffic to allow the other to pass. I don’t know how we haven’t seen any accidents, but I have no doubt that throwing a couple of Aussie drivers in some of these situations would have resulted in a different outcome.
Don't bring your Boogieboard.