Bali travel tips - good advice for travelers to Bali
- Panna
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Bali is a real bucket list destination, but if you go based on the film Eat, Pray, Love or the pictures you've seen on social media, you'll probably be disappointed.
However, if you approach the island and the people there with an open, accepting, and patient attitude, you will have a great experience.
Because Bali has traffic jams, the road conditions are mostly bad, you can sometimes see a lot of garbage along the roads, the monkeys can be rude if you poke them (at Uluwatu temple even if you don't poke them), and there are a lot of insects, spiders, snakes and other less trustworthy animals. If you're not careful, you can get Bali Belly or Dengue fever.
Below you can read practical advice on how to make your trip to Bali as stress-free as possible.
Let's see how you can prepare for your trip to avoid any inconveniences!
Bali travel tips
It is generally advisable, but in Bali (and other Asian countries) it is especially important:
Read negative reviews before booking accommodation!
It's worth setting up filters for certain words. For me, it's rat, for example. I always type in the phrase "rat" and immediately exclude any accommodation where this word appears frequently in the reviews.
I found such a beautiful and cheap place to stay in Bali that it broke my heart, but several people wrote that there was a growling rat running around in the room - I think that's quite a deterrent.
Likewise, it's worth filter for bugs or anything that would disturb your carefree rest.
Most reviews are accurate, especially if there are a lot of reviews for a place - 3,000 or more people probably aren't lying. Choose a place that has been reviewed by a lot of people.
It is advisable to stay in several places in Bali. It is worth spending at least two weeks here, and since the roads are mostly in bad condition and the traffic is terrible, it takes a long time to travel even short distances.
Related to the previous point, create your itinerary in such a way that you plan attractions that are very close to each other for one day. In Bali, even traveling 30 km can take up to 3 hours.
You can shorten the travel time by motorbike. But don't start riding a motorbike here! If you don't have any serious experience, you shouldn't give it a go. There are a lot of accidents because tourists get on motorbikes and end up crashing themselves. The driving culture here is quite interesting, like in most Southeast Asian countries.
Don't be scared by the fact that they constantly honk. Here it's not a sign of aggression, like at home, but it has a signaling function. For example, when they enter a narrow street, when they turn, they always honk. This is how they signal to each other.
If you can, travel to Bali in the summer (from May to September). This is interesting because we usually go to tropical countries in the winter, because we want warmth. In Bali, the rainy season is in the winter. You might be lucky in the winter too, because the weather has already changed here due to global warming, but it is still likely to rain, and the rain here is like a deluge, then everything is muddy, the ocean washes garbage onto the shore, and there are a lot more mosquitoes.
In winter, within Asia, you should go to places like Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, the Philippines, or perhaps southern Vietnam or Phu Quoc.
If you don't ride a motorbike, you can hire a guide or download the Grab and Gojek apps to get the cheapest ride.
Protect yourself from mosquitoes in all seasons! Dengue fever is not missing, it really ruins the whole trip. You can buy Soffell spray at the airport, it's a local brand, it's much more effective than bringing it from home. The orange-scented one is completely tolerable in my opinion. Since it has a high DEET content, try it on a small area first to avoid an allergic reaction.
Start your probiotic regimen preferably a week before your trip, but most importantly, take it throughout Bali!
Bring a disinfectant wipe or spray with you and use it.
Do not drink tap water, and use bottled water to brush your teeth. Do not rinse your toothbrush in tap water. Bottled water is provided at accommodations.
If you don't have an extra strong stomach, don't eat at the roadside warungs.
It's worth avoiding fruits and vegetables that can't be peeled. I didn't follow this and I didn't have any problems, but we called a doctor at night for my sister (Bali belly).
If you still need a doctor, don't worry, because you haven't received such good care anywhere in Europe. We tried The Medical in Ubud. They came to our accommodation at night with a whole team, my sister received an infusion and medicines, including antibiotics, which she had to take for another week; the next day she was able to travel. The doctor spoke very good English and explained everything. I also liked that we didn't have to bother with getting the medicine, but they gave it to us during the treatment.
Get travel insurance, even if you don't usually. We were also able to claim back medical expenses.
If you're walking in the dark, even in the hotel garden, use your phone to light your way. Most snakes only bite if you accidentally step on them...
You will need cash, because this is the only way to pay for entrance fees at temples, waterfalls, and street vendors if you want to buy water.
Only exchange money at official places (many people have been scammed by small exchange shops that promise a “good rate”). Their method is that they do exchange at the agreed rate, but they recalculate it so many times that they can take money out of it, and in the end you get significantly less money than you should have. Of course, you only notice this afterwards.
If you are a woman, expect that covering your body (usually legs, shoulders,..) will always be required in churches, often for men as well.
Women are not allowed to enter temples and holy places during their period.
Euros are generally exchanged better than dollars. It's also worth bringing euros because the guides like them too.
+1: try not to get nervous about anything. If things don't go exactly as you planned, be flexible and you'll have a great trip!
By following these Bali travel tips, you will definitely have a great time, but if you still have any problems along the way, feel free to email me!
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