There are some things to know before you go to Bali especially if it is your first time visiting the tropical island. Bali is one of the most famous tourist destinations in Indonesia and it offers beautiful tourism spots along with delicious foods and fascinating culture. You need to at least experience the beauty of Bali once in a lifetime. However, there are some useful tips and little things you should discover before you make a trip to guarantee full enjoyment during your holiday in Bali.
10 Things to know before you go to Bali list
If you want to ‘survive’ in Bali during your trip, then here are some of useful Bali travel guide for first timers:
- The best time to visit
The best time to visit depending on the weather. Bali temperature tends to be humid and warm throughout the year, but we suggest you visit the island from May to July since this is the drier months of the year. However, if you want to target cheap holiday budget and less tourist then you can take a trip during wet season which is from October to April. Moreover, if you want to enjoy surfing during prime time for big waves in Bali beaches then you can go in May to September.
- Different prices
You may be surprised at first to learn that in Bali (and most of the tourism places in Indonesia as well) set different prices for locals and tourists. In conclusion, you will find one price for locals and one price for tourist. Of course the local price is cheaper and that’s why you can always try to barter for something in between especially for price in tours and hotels. Try to negotiate is one of those things to know before you go to Bali!
- Cash vs credit card
Indonesia currency is in IDR (Rupiah) and Bali also uses this as well with exchange rate about 14,000 more or less, that’s mean 1 USD for you. You can bring combination of cash and credit cards, but cash is more convenient especially when you shopping in small places like traditional Ubud markets, rent car/ cab rides or other small vendors and of course when you interesting to give some tip. In hotels and high-end restaurants/ shops, you can use the credit card instead.
- Tipping
Talking about tipping, there are things to know before you go to Bali because tipping is not customary in Bali as well as other islands in Indonesia. However with the increase of western tourists, service tipping in Bali starting to become a custom. Take a note that in your restaurant bill, you will be charged about 10% for the service so it is up to you if you want to give tip or not. If planning for tipping then we suggest you can give around 2-5% for the bill or 1-5% for the massage. As for the cab drivers, you might find some taxis are not metered so you should negotiate a fare.
- Must-to-eat foods
Rice is the main food in Bali as well as meats and spices. You can try to take a trip and enjoy your culinary experience by looking for small eateries or warung and restaurants that serve traditional and popular dishes such as satay, nasi campur/ nasi ayam, nasi goreng/fried rice, babi guling/ smoked pork, ayam or bebek betutu and many more. If you are a veggie then do not worry because there are number of restaurants and small eateries which sell your preferences like tempeh and tofu. Some places even have gluten free breads.
- Rent motorbike
Rent a motorbike is a must and this is one of those important things to know before you go to Bali to assure you get the best holiday trip! If you want to enjoy full sight see in Bali you can rent a car or motorbike and it can allows you to go to anywhere even out to the countryside. Pay for around 6-10 USD per day to rend a motorbike in Ubud and please take some note that you need to make sure you get Balinese driver’s license to legally drive in Bali if not you will get some trouble when the police caught you without one. Although you can offering a bribe to the officer.
- Do not skip the fire dance performance!
If you are looking for traditional performance in Bali then never skip the fire dance at Uluwatu. This is a traditional dances which performed everywhere but the most spectacular one is located in the ancient cliff top temple of Uluwatu. Just so you know that if you travel there with motorbike or moped then you will be returning in the dark thus you should remember to take a note of your route.
- Visa
This is some Bali first timers helpful hints: the visa requirement. You should get the right visa before you travel to Bali and there are 3 kinds of visa available. The free entry visa sadly is not extendable so if you planning to stay longer than 30 days, you better get the visa on arrival which extendable or just get the 60-day visa before you take a trip.
- WiFi
If you are looking for Wifi in Bali then you can get free Wifi in hotels or guesthouse. But if the places you stay do not offer Wifi then you can try to find it in nearest café or restaurants. Usually you need to purchase something to get access for the Wifi. But if all the efforts are useless then go to the internet café for last resort.
- The cultures
As the largest Hindu island in Indonesia, you can always spot many ceremonial services and temples. It is not uncommon to see Balinese dressed in their traditional clothing and performing rituals that occur every day. But watch your step when you see some prayer offerings on the ground, never step on them since they are very important and integral for Balinese religion and culture.
That’s several things to know before you go to Bali and hope with this guide list you can experience full enjoyment during the trip.
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