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.
I found this a really helpful, and easily understandable, guide to how to behave when visiting Bali.
https://www.eatsandretreats.com/travel/bali/story/culture-an…
the Russians are coming ...
Heaps of 'em in Bali
Nusa penida. Go dive with the mantra rays while you are there. Wicked.
We recently went and no issues, but don’t know what has changed (I doubt anything has)
- Complete Electronic Customs Declaration up to 3 days before arriving > add family members and then get a QR code > save to your phone
- Complete e-VOA & pay Bali visa - small processing fee on top and can take a couple of days to arrive via email. I saved an offline copy to Google Drive but wasn’t even needed
- Have your international COVID Certificate saved to your phone in case they ask but no one was when we went, but good to have anyway
- Some FB groups said to download this App which we did but didn’t use
- Lastly I used my Up card as great app, MasterCard rates and then I’d just use a safe ATM to withdraw cash (really happy with the rates)
+1 for covid certificate. We couldn’t even check in at Brisbane airport without it
Was this recently? I wasn't checked at all a few weeks ago
Jetstar sale finishing today has some great deals to Bali
Use ATM only to withdraw cash. Under no circumstances use money exchange people, they are just too tricky and will steal money.
Hold on. Firstly, there are very few atms in Bali, and they’re notorious for running out of cash. (The largest note is equivalent of $10).
There are plenty of reputable money changers that are totally trustworthy, and they are obviously different from the dodgy ones.
Don’t change at airport, their rate sucks. Get driver to take you to a changer if need money for tip and/ or transfer.
There are loads of ATM in the areas where tourists stay. The many convenience stores usually have them for a start.
Pack plenty of Immodium.
If you find a driver you like (eg your airport transfer) ask if they can be your driver. I know hotel pays them peanuts (aud$15/day) and I’m sure grab and gojeck pay drivers like Uber does. If you pay directly, it would make a huge difference.
Our driver offered to take the day off work next time we return, because a single fare is more than a days wage.
Bali massages are ~$10ph but Swedish style. Find someone who can do deep tissue, will cost $15.
2 of us can do that twice per day, or hire a driver for the day for $60. That’s our daily budget.
(We’re on a package that includes meals at hotel.)
It seems a shame to go somewhere like Bali and restrict yourself to hotel meals, though?
What do you recommend to eat in Bali?
Grilled pork from the many warungs.
The Hindu’s favourite food… maybe just to stick it to the Muslims, I don’t know.
Yeah I totally agree, but it is an excellent (cheap) package, and the menu includes local options.
Don't climb over construction areas and grab bare live wires.
I thought that was true only for Phuket?
The electricity wiring is exactly the same in Bali.
I saw a guy grab 2 lines to steady himself on a truck… I thought he was going to be zapped. They must be insulated??
Nah, that was me trying to be funny (obviously didn't work).
Of course, one should not grab live wires anywhere.
Do you have to go during this period? It's school holidays and everything will be more expensive from flights to accommodation.
Don't listen to the haters - Bali is beautiful but you should ask yourself what you want to do.
Do you want to be around drunk Aussies? Go to Kuta/Seminyak and stay in a resort.
Do you want to be near lots of food options with a massage place on every corner? Go to Kuta/Seminyak and hire a house with a pool and staff.
Do you want a quieter more nature focused experience? Go up the coast to a much quieter beach. Go visit Ubud. Go to Nusa Lembogan. Plenty of options.
Just skip Kuta/Seminyak/Ubud and go to other places. Most of negative comments above are from people who stayed in dead standard tourist places like Seminyak or Nusa Dua and now complain that their experience was boring as. All hotels in the world are the same, all popular beaches in the world are the same. Skip the city and go deeper into the jungle if you want to see real Bali.
Climb Mt Batur and meet sunrise there (plenty of tours). Stay on amazing lakes there. Visit Amed area and local villages. Travel to Nusa Penida & Lombok. There are amazing villas and resorts in EVERY area for all sorts of tastes (check booking.com or even google maps). If you’re into scuba diving, you’re in for a treat - Bali is amazing underwater, Indonesia is one of the best scuba diving destinations in the world.
Don’t eat in fancy bars, they are for tourists. Food will be overpriced and bad. Look for local small places full of people and eat there. Local food will be very spicy, don’t hesitate to ask to tune it down. Don’t overtip, but tip regularly.
Hire a scooter if you can ride. Buy fruits on the street in local villages - pink dragonfruit will blow your mind, mangostines will make you cry.
Pack a lot of t-shirts, it’s humid there. Don’t by wooden souvenirs, unless they are painted and lacquered, 99% there are small insects/beetles inside that are harmful for Australian species and agriculture.
And lastly, enjoy your trip. Bali is amazing.
Depends on what you want - more crowdy places or secluded one for chilling out.
I like Nusa Dua alot and not attracted to Kuta.
Ubud for sure + uluwatu if you like serenity.
Tip: Install "my bluebird" app and can thank me later.
Nusa dua was perfect when our kids were little because its so quiet and safe. As they got older we went to the busier areas.
Going back to nusa dua in January for old times sake and knowing the other areas are only a cheap cab ride away. Walking the beachside path in nusa dua at night is just beautiful.
never ever drink tap water.
never ever take drinks with ice cubesfrom street vendors, you have no idea what kind of water they used to make the ice cubes.
if you want to rent a scooter, protect your head no matter how hot it is.
drink lots of yakult to avoid stomach bug.
I know many a people that have ruined shoulders from falling off scooters in Bali. Shame there is not full body armour.
There are people that have lost their house or 100's of thousands by riding one. basically most insurance policies won't cover you for riding one as they are more than 50cc.
Are these people initially licensed in Australia to ride any sized motorcycle after having gone through all of our training and tests?
Or are these people going overseas and thinking they suddenly have the required skills, then getting themselves into trouble?
I'm just wondering if it's just travel insurances not covering any scooter/motorcycles over 50cc at all or if it just applies to people who do not already have the appropriate licence.
@ZachBlasphemy: from my understanding it is for people with drivers licenses, if you are licensed motorcycle rider (I am) then you can be covered. Many people make the mistake with their insurance thinking they are covered and don't read the fine print that explicitly rules out anything above 50cc on a normal license (never seen a scooter over there 50cc or under).
@ZachBlasphemy: Hi, most of the bike crashes are unlicenced/untrained people, so basically learners with no helmet.
To be covered it is an add-on insurance cover and must have at least RE license plus an international driver's permit with a motorcycle license stamped, you can get IDP at RACQ, NRMA ect.
I don't know about that. If you get stuck over there without insurance in a hospital it might be pretty grim. Most get patched up and are able to get home and mend their wounds via our fabulous health system
Going in June with 4 kids, so I will let you know.
One thing I learnt from going a few years ago is there is a tonne of mosquitoes. The best option we used was Moov gel. Didn't get bitten once.
Only drink bottled Water.
Remember this applies to fruit as well, fruit is washed in tap water, rewash it in bottled water before eating.
if you ask a taxi to take you to a restaurant area you will likely get screwed and dumped directly into an overpriced restaurant that they get a kickback from, know where you want to go before you get a cab.
Scooters are death traps and insurance nightmares, don't do it unless you have a motorcycle license as all the engine sizes are higher than what is permitted on 99% of insurance policies so you will be basically risking everything you own by riding one as you will be uninsured in an accident.
Also ice cubes - don't get ice in your drinks as it could have been tap water.
Most places are pretty careful with this now.
Ice cubes with the hole in the middle (like coles or wollies) are safe
general rule when travelling - Only eat uncut fruit. If there is a street vendor, have them cut the fruit up in front of you. fruit has a natural way of staying fresh and bacteria free while it's skin is on but as soon as you cut it and let it sit the bacteria builds up.
Mosquito repellent.
Monkeys are dangerous.
Some tourist locations women can't show knees (skirts/shorts not allowed) bring something to cover up.
The monkeys are a pain in some locations (e.g. Uluwatu) caps, glasses, bottles of water etc may be a target.
Re the temples when we went they had sarong type things you could use to cover legs while visiting.
Aussies should already be well aware of mozzies and the need for repellant, they are worse here in Sydney than I have experienced in my trips to Bali.
Very important - All their ATMs give you the money first THEN your card back.
If you're on autopilot like I was you will leave the ATM once you get your money and forget your card!
Take Travelan and immodium. Don't drink any tap water.
Enjoy.
Dont.
go to Kuta, the rest of Bali is fine.
most places are trying to rip tourists, from sim cards, quad bike rides, restaurants, its not an honest place anymore where there were mostly local vendors looking to make an honest living, now international investors have come in trying to capitalize on the place.
If you do your research its fine. Restaurants, even the better ones, are still cheaper than here. I didn't find SIM cards expensive at all. They cost more at the airport (but you get the convenience of being instantly ready to go) but regular shops will do it for less and the data etc was always good value. Reception and speeds also good.
Its definitely become more commercial and in that respect is a victim of its own success to some degree. Still excellent value to be had though on the whole.
If you're booking activities, try booking direct, otherwise via local booking agents. Booking via your hotel will be the most expensive as will booking through an Australian travel agent.
I feel, the days of Bali being a budget destination are over. Very few services/things do remain relatively cheaper (apples to apples, without factoring in cost of travel/insurance/etc). A few years ago I once remarked to a friendly taxi driver in Sanur, how we were told Bali is cheap. He replied - "You people come to Bali think its cheap - we come to Bali (from Java) and think better go Australia - so much cheaper"
I’d love to know what they do in Australia cheaper than Bali. I’d say most things are at least 400% more expensive in Australia. (Dental, Massages, food, taxis)
Not much difference with petrol or groceries, but I haven’t found anything more expensive in Bali than Australia except imported groceries.
That guy has clearly never been to Australia!
Canggu used to be great but soooo many influencer and poser w@nkers these days!
I'm soooo like…. freakin' trigggaaaaard right now….
Decide what type of holiday you want first of all. Depending where you stay there's party towns (kuta, legian), earthy (Ubud), trendy/wanky (Canggu and to a lesser extent Seminyak), quieter (Sanur or Jimbaran) or more exclusive resort based (nusa dua). The bogan thing is only really an issue in kuta and legian.
I'd highly recommend spending a couple of days in nusa lembongan too, a short ferry trip from Sanur. Dinner while watching the sunset at Jimbaran also worth it.
Bear in mind all of these places are reasonably close to each other and cheap to get between using local taxis (bluebird). Avoid the overpriced "transport" vans you will be offered everywhere you go. Don't bother with scooters, taxis are cheap, easy and far safer.
Plenty of cheap, good quality accommodation available if you know what you want. High end stuff is also available with the associated price tag of course.
The locals by and large are fantastic, welcoming and friendly people so show them the respect they deserve.
Pretty much everywhere has EFTPOS so no need to use dodgy money changers. Get a local SIM, many shops will set it up for you. They do it at the airport too but much cheaper if you wait until you are in town. Mobile reception is very decent in my experience.
Been many times and always loved it.
Fly with Garuda if possible. Prices not that different to Jetstar once you add bags but a vastly superior experience.
Pretty much everywhere has EFTPOS
You must holiday very differently from me. The only place I’ve used eftpos is grocery stores and hotels.
I’ve needed cash every day.
In my experience nearly all shops, restaurants, hotels etc have it available. Used cash mainly for cabs. Also plenty of ATMs around if cash is preferred.
Use 28 degrees credit card and Citibank card for great exchange rates and minimal fees. Just choose local currency rather than AUD when purchasing via EFTPOS and take advantage of the card exchange rate rather than the worse one you will get if you choose AUD.
Get over to Lombok. A short flight but much more relaxed vibe. Also Gili Air and Gir Meno (not Gili T) islands are super relaxed if you're looking for that. Some OK diving and no crowds.
Have considered doing this,maybe next time.
babi guling is overrated, don't bother eating it
I love Bali and other SEA destinations. But you need to know that they're 3rd world countries, there are pickpockets, beggars and poverty everywhere. People will be trying to rip you off constantly so you need to have some street smarts and know how to stand your ground against annoying hawkers. Always agree on prices before getting into a taxi (or doing anything really, otherwise you'll be "taken for a ride"). Get your hotel to arrange airport transport so you don't have to haggle with the airport taxi mafia.
But you can stay at a nice hotel, eat awesome food for cheap and enjoy the culture. It's worth it if you know what you're getting in to.
I think kuta/legian/canggu are fine, and only marginally more bogan-ey than Ubud and Nusa Dua. But yes there are plenty of bogans and instagram influencers and european backpackers all over the island.
Yes, as soon as you land in Bali the best place to head for is Thailand or Vietnam.
go elsewhere!
Agreed, Bali was just as expensive as Japan for me unless I'm eating utter crap food. The beaches weren't even great, it was hot and humid, bogans everywhere. Just outright gross.
IMO there are so many better places to go than Bali. Thailand, Vietnam, Fiji, Japan…. Bali is Australian prices, you get ripped off and there's traffic anywhere. If you're going 3rd world experience you might as well be paying 3rd world prices, not 1st world prices…..
Don't eat at small places. You'll likely get terrible gastro like i did. Do visit ubud and stay in a resort with full room service and a private pool. Beach resorts are awesome, but two days is plenty
Actually explore the country rather than have a cheaper western-like experience 8 hours flight away! I did all these great adventures and saw all these great places, while my friends got drunk and ate westernised food the whole time!
If you need to use taxis, only use official Bluebird taxis, since other companies (including fake Bluebird ones) will generally rip you off.
Also, get used to saying no at every street seller, moped taxi and bar operator as you pass - I wished I'd made it into a game to see if I could beat my record every day!
U want jiggy jig?
Last time I said “no” to this in Bali the guy smiled and said “ahh you want boys”…. I‘m still traumatised for the “boys” and whatever the hell depraved general nonsense goes on daily over there. Hopefully the thousands of dudes sitting around offering: transport boss, mushrooms, massage, jiggly jig have thinned out after Covid.
Cocaine. Bring it
Went to Bali in February and had a fantastic time. My best advise is to hire a car with a driver via Klook and have your own itinerary for the places to visit (don't let the driver decide where you go, you can do your own research depending on what you like). I did the mistake on one of the days letting the driver to take us where he'd recommend for a change, that ended up costing us a lot (of course he'd bring you to places least interesting and most expensive. I should have guessed). We hired cars for 5 days out of 8 days of our stay and had a wonderful time going to places exactly we wanted to go (obviously you should do your own research beforehand to know the island and mark the places on Google maps etc).
Oh, another important advice.. Unless you want to spend like a king, always book via Klook to all the places you wish to visit (including SIM card etc). We booked cars, attractions, even boat rides via Klook and did not have a single issue. The price you get locally is always expensive (and also can be ridiculously high depending on how touristy you look. Lol)
vietnam/thailand/japan >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> indonesia
A Bali holiday is far better than anything in Australia, which is why so many Australians live there and hundreds of thousands of Aussies visit there every year.
Cheap food, cheap alcohol and very little by way of restrictions
Even the Russians are escaping to Bali
It is the number one destination for Australians in all travel polls, and is far superior to Japan, Thailand and Egypt.
Bali is ok, but far better than anything in Aus? not even close unless your entire goal is getting drunk cheap with a heap of bogans. It is far cheaper than Japan et al, but definitely not better.
As an alternative to getting gastro meds, I would recommend drinking 1 bottle of Yakult everyday for a week prior to your trip (and you can continue doing that while you're there, you can buy Yakult from Indomaret or Alfamart) - works wonders in terms of protecting you from food poisoning.
Water - in most places (except perhaps hotels or big restaurant chain) avoid buying anything that comes with ice, if you want cold drink, I would recommend getting a chilled water bottle. Most of the ice they gave you usually was made with untreated water. Hotels / Big chains may perhaps make ice with cooked water but there' still risk.
About getting around, I would highly recommend hiring a driver with his own car (this guy goes with you everywhere and can even take you to places that's off the beaten path). I did that on my trip there back in 2018 and it was so easy. We paid an agreed rate of about Rp 500,000 per day (equivalent of 50AUD) and I dont have to tip him (though I was so happy with his service that I invited him to join me and wife for dinner at a restaurant in Jimbaran)
Tipping is definitely not a requirement but as in most Asian countries, it helps a lot with making things a lot smoother. A friend helped me to change my way of thinking regarding tips, which is to treat it like paying for premium service. Take Amazon for example, you don't have to pay for Prime to shop there but you choose to pay Prime because you may get better price / free shipping / same-day shipping.
Install Grab/Gojek, the superapp to help you get around/food/medicine. Gojek has arguably better coverage but Grab works better with Aussie cards for payment, and they allow hiring drivers for 4+ hours to take you around remote places and wait for you, which is what I did to get me to Room4Dessert, that place featured in Chef's Table.
Rely on reviews by fellow Australians on Google Maps to avoid Bali Belly/being fleeced by locals, create your own itinerary on where to get food and where to go.
Motorbikes will get you places much faster and cheaper than cars. I understand you are not travelling by yourself, but it's an option to think about when time is tight when booking via the app.
The men in uniforms who try to grab your luggage and wheel it around for you at the airport aren't providing a free service. They'll expect a tip at the end, charged per bag. If you don't want this "service", be sure to decline before they start.
My advice: Go to Japan instead particularly if one goes there before October when the JR Pass prices hikes take effect. The much loved bullet train pass is being hiked in price by over 60%.
Much more to see and do. Go stay at Asakura and see the temple and shopping street, do a couple of days up beautiful Shibu Onsen, take in the hot baths there and see the snow monkeys, shoot down to Hiroshima to see the Peace memorial and most importantly Mayajima Island with its deer, fried oysters and torii gate in the water, and finally if you have time do Mariokart. Your 7 day JR Pass will get you around Japan quickly. If you want to save on the airfares compare Air asia, Virgin and Jetstar. To save time on your trip try and fly into Tokyo but out of Osaka so you don't need to backtrack.
You trip should be something like Oz-Tokyo-Shibu Onsen-Kyoto-Hiroshima-Osaka-Oz.
Staying at hostels can also save you a lot of money. At some you can get private rooms cheaply.
If you get sick don't mess around trying to fight it off and just call the doctor, they come within a couple of hours and cost around $150 including medicine but gets you back on your feet almost right away.
Any service you would recommend?
Any recommendations for places to stay? Budgets around $300-500 a night, would like a private pool if possible and possibly in house chefs - anyone have experience with this?
Also, what areas to stay in? Just want relaxing holiday. Happy to not stay in Bali too
Thanks in advance
Don't drink anything that doesn't come in a sealed bottle or can (no ice). Brush your teeth/rinse mouth with bottled water. I don't normally drink coke but I would drink one can a day to kill any bacteria in my stomach. Not sure how effective this is as someone told me should do it, but I haven't been sick yet.
Also hire a driver, they are cheap and will look after you. I wouldn't bother with taxis or scooters. I found a great driver from a friend and I even send him our itinerary well in advance before arriving in bali, he was always on time and helpful.
Yeah 100%! there's no way I would drive a car over there… I'm an experienced rider with many years under my belt and still approach riding there with lots of caution. Once you understand their rule of "everything you see in front of you is your responsibility to navigate" then it becomes clearer.
IF you are on a scooter… just take it very easy and ride well within your limits. if you want a car… just hire a driver, there's no way your gonna have a fun holiday while driving those roads.