Island Guide: your first trip to Bali
Everything you need to know for your first trip to the Island of Gods
Bali - The island of Gods
Bali is an island, located in Southeast Asia and is part of the Indonesian archipelago and Indonesia, the country. It is renowned for its stunning landscapes, vibrant culture, and warm hospitality.
Covering an area of approximately 5,780 square kilometers, Bali is a diverse destination that offers a rich tapestry of experiences. From the lush rice terraces of Ubud to high cliffs and surf points at Uluwatu, each area showcases a unique aspect of Balinese life and natural beauty.
It is important to know that religion plays a significant role on the island, as almost 90% of Balinese people are Hindu. Deeply rooted traditions and elaborate ceremonies are practiced daily by the locals. As tourists, we need to be mindful of Balinese traditions, familiarize ourselves with the basics, and respect them while visiting the island.
Flights, Visa and Pre-Arrival Forms
The international airport is called I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport.
To get from Europe to Bali, you usually have one or two layovers in places like Istanbul, Doha, Dubai, or Singapore. The main airlines that serve these routes are Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, and Emirates. Always book your tickets directly through the airline’s official website.
All European citizens must have a tourist visa for Indonesia and your passport should be valid for minimum of 6 months at the time of arrival.
You can get a visa on arrival (valid for 30 days) however I recommend applying in advance: e-VOA (it’s renewable for additional 30 days) as it gets issued immediately after payment. The costs is Rp500,000 = EU30 and the process is extremely easy.
Other mandatory requirements: currently, the Indonesian government requires for the following: payment of Bali tourist tax (Levy), e-Customs Declaration, and a Health Declaration form.
General Information & Guidance
Time Zone: Central Indonesia Time (GMT+8)
Climate: tropical; there are two seasons: wet (November-March) and dry (April-Oct).
(during the wet season it doesn’t rain every day. If it rains it’s usually during the night or afternoon for an hour, note that the humidity is higher )
Best time to visit: I recommend visiting when you want to escape from the cold months in Europe or April-May, and October. December is busier because due to the Christmas holidays.
Health Insurance: when relocating to Bali, I used Allianz Travel insurance, which covers you for up to 90 days at a time. I paid a total of €187 for 3 months of coverage..
As a digital nomad in Bali, visiting other countries, I needed to extend my health insurance therefore, I switched to Genki. They offer a monthly subscription and a free cancelation.
Prices start from €48.30 per month. Get Genki Health Insurance here.
Internet: in the main tourist areas, the internet is quite stable, however sometimes you might experience short outages or weaker connection. Co-working spaces have very good stable internet.
Mobile Sim: You can buy a pre-paid local sim/e-sim from a local mobile phone store after your arrival (no need to queue at the airport). The vendor will assist with installing it (bring your passport). For €9 you will get 24GB of mobile data. It is quite a cheap and good option.
However, the option I always recommend is using an International Travel E-Sim. I always purchase mine from Airalo, using my code KAROLI5252, you will get $3.00 off your first purchase. You can install it right before your departure and activate it immediately when you land in Bali. Thus, you have mobile data straight at the airport.
Money
Currency: Indonesian Rupiah (IDR)
Payments: most of the businesses accept card payments; some might charge an additional 3% transaction fee. You will need cash for the markets, local shops or restaurants, or if you are visiting less touristy destinations.
International cards: I use Wise and Revolut for card payments in Bali. These banks allow you to withdraw cash from the local ATMs (check the bank’s app to find out which ATMs charge fee and which ones are free). So far, I’ve used Mandiri and BCA banks’ ATMs and it resulted in no fees at all.
Transportation
Bali's traffic is heavy due to the tourism and due to underdeveloped road infrastructures at some areas. The main transportation methods are cars and scooters, with limited public transport options.
For a smooth experience, a great option is to get a personal driver to take you to all your destinations, or you can hire a driver just for the day.
The average cost of a private driver is €50 per day depending on the distance. You can find a driver online or in FB groups or get one recommended by your resort.
Hiring a scooter is the cheapest option, and it will get you to your destinations faster than if you were with a car. There are many shortcuts and possibility for bikes to go through narrow lanes. However, the roads are pretty dangerous as there are not set rules, and even if you are a very experienced driver, you must be extra careful. The locals obviously are super confident as they’ve been doing this since young age. Always wear a helmet!
Hiring a scooter costs between €5 and €10 per day. You could use Google maps for finding a nearby scooter rental place or ask at your accommodation as usually the hosts have trusted partners.
Ensure you have a valid International driving licence or a translated version of it as by law you are required to have one. Also, in case of accident, it might be a requirement of your insurance policy to have it.
Using Grab or GoJek for car or scooter taxis is convenient; just download the app to order. Note that these services may not be available in remote areas like North and West Bali. Always, ask your driver to give you a helmet if they do not offer you one. By law, you are required to wear one.
Usually, Google Maps is pretty reliable for getting your journey time right, however as the traffic intensifies in the afternoon, if might take you longer to arrive at your destination. You should
Have in mind that not all areas in Bali are walkable, not every street has a proper pavement, and sometimes walking could be even dangerous. If you decide to walk to a place which is 15 mins away, have in mind that it won’t be the same as if you were walking in your home country.
Accommodation
In Bali, you have numerous options for accommodations - mid-range hotels, 5 star resorts, Instagramable villas, joglos (authentic wooden villas), treehouses, and hostels.
Use Booking.com and AirBNB as they have thousands of listings and are easy to navigate websites. If you’ve never been to the island before, I advise you to book close to the central areas and to book in advance. During high seasons, it is likely that the villa you’ve saved from IG, might be fully booked for months.
The prices depend on the season however you can find decent accommodation for EU30-50. In high season, a double room in a beautiful resort costa ~ €100.
Food & Restaurants
Bali offers a culinary journey for every taste - from local balinese dishes to international fine dining cuisine. In more touristy areas, you will find hundreds of options for healthy or western dishes.
The prices vary between €3 to €10 per dish depending on the range of the restaurant. For fine dining, expect to pay €50+ for dinner for 2 people.
You will see many restaurants called ‘Warungs’ - these are more casual and usually family-owned restaurants offering Balinese and Indonesian dishes. There are cheaper and regular priced warungs.
Typically, a lunch will cost between 3-5 Euro.
At local markets you can buy exotic fruits which are extremely affordable. For example: 1kg of mango costs IDR 30,000 = €1,70.
Supermarkets are also very well stocked and they have loads of imported goods, too. Some import goods are pricier but of course this makes sense.
In my next post, I am giving you an insight on the touristy regions of Bali and the activities you can enjoy at each location.
