Bali is an awesome place to travel to. It’s a beautiful place and has plenty of excitement for that adventurous soul in us all.
That’s if you’ve done your research right. Here are eight things you need to know before travelling to Bali, or you’ll spoil your holiday.
1. The Best Time to Visit
When we were still studying, we can’t really pick the time to travel because, well, we can only travel on our holidays. But things are different now if you’re working because you can choose when to take your annual leave and get onto a plane.
The dry season for this idyllic paradise is from May to September and the peak period is during July and August.
So if you want to save on as much as possible yet still enjoy the sunny weather the island is known for, travel in May, June or September. Not only do you have lesser crowds to fight through, you’ll get to enjoy up to 50% off your accommodations. Not a bad deal, right?
2. The Best Places for First-Timers to Visit
Okay, if Bali is your second home, you can skip this point. However, if this is your first, or first few times, to the island and you don’t speak Bahasa, stick to South or Central Bali which are more tourist-friendly and more exciting.
- Kuta is known for its amazing nightlife and shopping.
- Seminyak is known for its beautiful beach and water sports.
- Uluwatu is known for its amazing cliff top sunset view and surfing.
- Jimbaran is known for living the high life – 5-star hotels, fine dining and lobsters.
- Ubud is the art capitol of Bali.
3. Staying in Bali
There are four different kinds of stays available to the tourist in Bali. You can either choose homestays (check out AirBnB), hostels (check out Hostelworld), hotels (Agoda, Booking.com) or Villas (Agoda, Booking.com, AirBnB, Villas.com).
And don’t start looking for a hotel when you’re there. Start looking through the websites mentioned above and check out the reviews before coming to a decision.
4. Activities in Bali
Most people make the mistake of assuming Bali to be all sunny beaches, suntan and partying but there’s more to Bali than you think.
Pick up artistic souvenirs at the Sukawati Art Market.
Alternatively, do a bit of shopping for high fashion apparels from places like Blue Glue which sells incredibly sexy bikinis or Bamboo Blonds for something more playful.
Be sure to hit up at least one temple before you leave because they’re sensational.
5. Food you cannot miss in Bali
If you’re visiting the island, here are some foods you really cannot miss while you’re there.
Babi Guling
Lawar
Sate
Burbur Injin
Bebek Betutu
Nasi Campur
6. Currency Exchange
If you have the chance, exchange your currency in Singapore because the exchange rates are better here.
However, if you’ve not exchanged for Indonesian money before your trip, make sure not to exchange your entire stash at the airport’s money changer. The rates they give are usually meh.
Instead, change just enough to take a cab out of the airport and only exchange the rest at an authorised money changer outside the airport. And never exchange money at unauthorised money changers because chances are, they’ll shortchange you.
7. Things You Definitely Bring to Bali with You
While things are pretty cheap in Bali (sometimes), it’s best to bring whatever you can with you to save yourself the hassle of running about.
Here are some essential items you must never forget to bring for the trip: Suntan lotion, Insect repellent, International Adaptor because Bali uses power points with different sockets from Singapore, and flipflops.
8. Transport around the island
There are a couple of ways you can travel around the island. Unless you’re looking to splurge and hire a car for yourself, you’ll have to travel like us commoners.
For taxis, Bluebird taxis are the most reliable although you have to make sure the meter is running. Also, do note that not all blue taxis are Bluebird taxis.
Alternatively, you can take the Kura-kura buses which also travel to main areas across the island.
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