The destination that has been on the radar of Indian and European audience is Bali and although it checks all the boxes of being a great place for solo, couple, family and group travellers, YET there are things that not many know about Bali (thanks to influencers who only focus on what’s great but miss out on what’s not!) and only realise once they land – definitely not ideal for those who plan their trips meticulously and prefer it without bumps. So, here’s a list of 12 things about Bali that most might now know, but it exists.
1. Visa
It isn’t a secret that Bali offers Visa on Arrival (VOA) for Indians, a better option is to apply for an e-Visa before arriving. The e-Visa application takes 10 minutes to complete and another 10 minutes to receive the e-Visa! Or else you will end up spending an hour to 2 hours at the VOA counter.
2. Daily Expenses
The Indonesian Rupiah or IDR may be low in currency index, but it makes up for it by tagging a higher price on every commodity and that’s only in Bali. That renders Bali expensive – period!
Let me break it down for you.
One of the Beach Houses charge a flat IDR 2,500,000 per table, which is equivalent to INR 14,705 (approx. – fluctuation subjected to rate change). In IDR it may seem just a little, but it isn’t. Unless you are travelling in a group or with family, the price is quite steep for a solo or budget travellers.
I am sure there will be mid-range alternatives too, but the best ones are in the above-mentioned range.
Choose wisely!
3. Public Transport
It primarily dwindles between Grab and Gojek. Grab as we know is a Singapore-based superapp while Gojek (most are likely unaware) is a cheaper version of Grab that started in Indonesia and now serve Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore and Philippines.
While researching about public transport, you might have stumbled upon bemos, a rarity to find in the GRAB and GOJEK dominated landscape.
Buses like Trans Metro Dewata cater to intra-city services like Ubud while Damri Apak caters to long distance inter-regency (province) travel like Gilimanuk which is the end point of Jembrana regency. All these buses leave from Terminal Ubung which is in Denpasar.
4. Food
Predominately a Hindu island but vegetarians should be mindful while ordering as vegetarian items might include a dash of fish oil! Even their veg corn soup has egg in it. For those who would rather die than touch a speck on non-veg should opt for vegan options, which also means no street food!
Some vegetarian options in Indonesian cuisine are
- Tempeh
- Sambal (their spicy sauce)
- Tofu (pretty much served as a side with every wholesome platter)
If you aren’t in a mood to sit at a restaurant then Grab and Gojek are great platforms to order food. Gojek being a cheaper choice has slightly lesser options. But in Gojek there is a section where they have all items that cost within IDR 22,000 (INR 135 approx.) so someone on budget can order from there.
5. Water Refill Kiosk
They don’t have any! A conscious option to carry a steel bottle left me mortified when I realised there are no water-refill kiosks. Although aware of the Bali Belly that leaves many travellers ‘sick to their stomach’ that’s caused either by local food or water, this kind of predicament is natural in any destination but the need to be hydrated is paramount which is what is missing all over Bali. Despite its growth as a popular travel destination and the prevailing need to avoid plastic, one is left without a choice but forced to purchase the piece of non-degradable waste. To top it all, most of the touristy places sell the smaller bottles and not the large ones which indirectly leads one to buy more to keep oneself hydrated.
For a country grappling with poor waste management of plastic, this is the time to bring in change and rethink on how to reduce plastic waste. For the unversed, according to the UN Environment Programme Report Indonesia is second to China when it comes to being the largest plastic polluter! A staggering 3.2 million tonnes of unmanaged plastic is produced yearly of which 1.2 million tonnes end up in the sea. Although the government has adopted a Presidential Decree to curb plastic waste, unless a conscious approach is taken to reduce it from the land source, like scaling back on the sales of plastic water bottles and setting up water-refill kiosks, adopting the Decree will be stand pointless.
What did I do?
I made it a point to fill my 1 litre bottle before heading out. If you carry something larger, then better.
6. Currency Conversion
Significant difference between converting at the airport and the currency conversion spaces in popular places like Ubud or Canggu. The difference is a good IDR 2,150 per dollar (fluctuation subjection to rate). Conversion of $100 would effect a detriment of IDR 215,000 if one converts at the airport. This information is applicable across all destinations – never convert at the airport.
Pro-tip: When you come across different rates at different currency centres, consider the best one and you can negotiate in case the centre is not providing the best rate that you checked out earlier. If you are in luck you will get what you seek!
7. Ventilation
I say this with a heavy heart and sweat-soaked outfits that needed change 3 times a day – NO FANS IN ACCOMMODATIONS unless you specifically request for one. Even their air conditioning fails to cool a designated space. For someone from the tropical zone, who experiences profuse sweating and, in the bargain, losing out on body fluid, a fan is a necessity for cooling down without having to worry about catching a drifting chill.
It is advisable to carry a portable fan that we thankfully did for the second leg of Indonesia travel, and it felt like the best possible travel decision ever!
8. Beaches
You might be left in awe by the beaches of Nusa Penida, but the beaches of Bali are not the grainy, crystalline, pearly white ones! In fact, there are black sand beaches which might not have the same allure as the pristine beaches of Nusa Penida or Lombok!
9. Entry Fees at Temples & Attractions
Everything has a fee – especially entry to temples which cost between IDR 50,000 to IDR 100,000 (ranges from INR 305 to INR 615). Considering and comparing entry fees in India, the charges are exorbitant.
10. Climate
It will scald you in slo-mo! Bali is so hot and humid that it will leave you dehydrated and scaly if a sunscreen or a sunblock isn’t your best friend. Carrying a portable fan (a small one like I had mentioned above) is a great way to feel some wind kissing your skin.
11. Requisites to Enter a Temple for Women
Your mind must’ve wandered to shorts or skimpy dresses but IT’S NOT! All the temples specifically mention that ‘Women are not permitted to enter the holy temple during their menstrual periods’. Might seem dated BUT it is written across all temples in Bali’. Considering that as travellers we do embrace the culture of every place, there’s always a part of me that finds it difficult to accept these age-old traditions. On a practical note, this should be exercised in water temples but when it concerns dry temples, the logic evades me. Anyways, those menstruating should be content with a glimpse of the exquisitely carved doors of the temples in Bali.
12. Photographing at Popular Locations
Not just bursting the bubble of reel v/s reality BUT there’s a ‘long’ truth behind achieving that excellence!
Do you all recall the popular picture of couples between the gates overlooking the mountain and their reflection below? That the gates of Lempuyang temple and here’s the truth behind the stunning photograph that gains you thousands of followers!
- Entry fee: IDR 150,000 or INR 920 (approx)
- Waiting time: 3 hrs
- Photography time: 2 mins
- There is a token system!
Since Lempuyang temple is towards the north-east part of Bali Island it takes around 1.5 to 2 hrs to reach from Ubud and longer from Denpasar. If you leave at 3 am, then you can reach by 4:30 or 5 am. Only then will you be able to grab tokens within the first 10. A delay by an hour or two and you will find yourself handed a token with a number no less than 150 or 200!
The same goes for other Insta-worthy temples, Bali swing and various locations in Nusa Penida. The wait is a good 3 hours and the time allotted is only a few minutes; all because we are consumed by the desire to follow the herd and produce better visual representation of ourselves.
We all have our own take on destinations with the choices we make during travel and the experiences we end up with. But each experience should add to our ‘experience tote’ which we end up carrying everywhere and something that allows us to be responsible travellers. Every experience in my journal allows me to plan my future travel and hope it does yours too.
Until the next blog, live sustainably, travel responsibly & stay tuned to My Blogs for interesting itineraries, unique travel insights and culinary adventures!
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