Bali is an incredible destination; the combination of unique history and culture, gorgeous landmarks, and relaxing modern settings have resulted in Bali being the ultimate destination. Because of the uniqueness of each of the different regions on the island, I quickly started planning in order to ensure that I would get to experience everything on my Bali bucket list! This trip included visiting five different areas of Bali: Seminyak, Canggu, Ubud, Northern Bali Region, and Nusa Penida. However, once I started doing research, I quickly learned that there were many other components of this trip that needed to be planned.
Although I had an amazing time creating my bucket list and mapping out the regions, we had other factors to consider in order that we could fully enjoy our trip. Keep reading to learn more about what to do before heading to Bali: what to pack, which apps to download, and other pro tips to ensure a successful first trip to the Island!
I. Hotels, Transportation, and Communication
· Hotels: During our time in Bali, we opted to stay in an Air B ‘n’ B that was a tropical, trendy villa near Seminyak. This allowed for us to each have our own room and bathroom, as well as a private pool area! I would definitely suggest renting an Air B ‘n’ B if you are looking to save money on your trip or want to have a private location to come back to. We snagged our villa for only $80 USD per night! I would also check with either the Air B ‘n’ manager or hotel to see if they have transportation services or other perks available to you. Our house manager was incredibly helpful before we arrived and provided us with contact information for a driver. She arranged our transportation to and from the airport, which took away so much unnecessary stress of trying to coordinate something on our own!
· Transportation: I will reiterate – ask your hotel or Air B ‘n’ B manager if they have contact information for a specific driver that they prefer. Our Air B ‘n’ B manager got us in touch with one of her drivers and coordinated airport transportation. If you preplan anything for this trip, please coordinate your ride to and from the airport. Bali’s airport in Denpasar was a mad house, and I am so glad that our driver knew to expect us and that we had exchanged pictures so we could find one another. Having a driver that is familiar with the location of your hotel or Air B ‘n’ B is also very important. The road system in Bali can be extremely confusing and locations can be hard to find, even for the locals. It was comforting to know that our driver had been to our Air B ‘n’ B hundreds of times and knew how to find it!
Befriending this driver worked to our advantage during the entirety of our trip! Wayan was incredibly kind, spoke some English, and knew great local spots to take us. We hired him to be our day driver for four of the days of our trip. He charged 500,000 IDR ($35 USD), stayed with us the entire time, and drove us as far as the Northern Bali region. Towards the end of the trip, Wayan became like family and participated in the excursions with us. Hiring a day driver is a great way to see Bali and allows you to get to know the locals!
Another form of transportation is through Bali’s version of Uber, GoJek. For evenings out, we would use this service to have a driver drop us off at a location. Neither of us paid for phone coverage while in Bali; to use GoJek, we connected and ordered a driver while on Wifi.
· Communication: Download GoJek and WhatsApp. Go Jek is Bali’s form of Uber and is a great service for quickly ordering a ride. WhatsApp is a texting service that allowed us to communicate with the locals while on Wifi. If you opt to not purchase an international phone plan, you can definitely still survive while in Bali. Most of the restaurants, stores, and pool clubs have Wifi that is accessible for guest use.
II. Flights and International Travel
Prior to deciding upon traveling to Bali and when we would go, my group used the site, Skyscanner. This website allows searches by both location and dates, displaying the cheapest times to travel to certain locations. This is how we discovered that a round trip ticket to Bali (Denpasar Airport) from Chicago (O'Hare International Airport) was only $550 in September! Such an amazing find, especially compared to the thousands of dollars that tickets typically cost in their peak season during the Summer months.
Because we only planned on visiting the country for a week, we did not need any special traveling visa. We simply brought our passports and were able to get into the country with no problem! Although, they did accuse me of looking different from my passport picture.. umm..
III. Currency
Bali is a dream vacation spot due to its beauty and affordability! The exchange rate sides heavily in favor of the US, causing you to live like a total QUEEN while there and not even bat an eye. Bali uses the Rupiah and everything is in increments of 10,000 Rupiah (IDR). Typically, prices will be listed without additional zeros. For example, a menu may display a meal as costing 120 IDR. This is stating that an item is 120,000 IDR.
100,000 IDR equates to about $7 USD. Throw around those millions, ladies!
I would HIGHLY suggest getting currency before you land in Bali. My sister and I got a lump sum, and my bank only charged me $10 for the exchange. We each took around $2 million IDR, and it ended up not being nearly enough. Most of the large stores, restaurants, and bars in Bali will take card. However, some of these locations require a minimum, and others charge a surplus if you use your card with them. In addition, you will want to make sure you have cash on hand for the following: paying drivers, purchasing goods from street vendors, and paying for attractions such as entrance fees to temples and palaces. Because we hired a driver nearly every day and filled our day with many excursions, we ended up using our cash quickly and had to go to an ATM.
IV. Weather
· November-March: This is the rainy season, and it is known for being hot and humid.
· May-August: This is the season where Bali experiences little rain and temperatures tend to be moderate.
· April, September, October: This is a fairly mild time of the year for Bali, and is also a time with fewer tourists. We traveled in September and experienced only 1 rainy day with cooler temperatures. The rest of the trip was dry, sunny, and averaged around 75 degrees F. It was seriously the PERFECT weather!
V. Packing
Our Bali trip included such a variety of excursions that I had an incredibly hard time packing everything into just 2 bags! However, here are some items that you may consider including on your list.
1. Versatile Beach Cover Up
I invested in a simple cover up that was trendy and could dual as a top with a pair of pants. We spent a few of our days lounging at pool clubs, and I wanted something cute enough that it would allow me to fit into the pool club vibe but could still be worn as a top if we decided to get dinner or drinks after the pool club. I opted for a simple black cover up and purchased a more upscale two piece set to wear to the nicer pool clubs. I have linked my favorite cover up top, Amazon's Solid Open Front Tie Knot Crop Top, in the photo. It dueled perfectly as both a chic coverup and evening top.
2. Flowy Active Wear
We frequently participated in excursions that required us to be active, with the chance of also getting into water. I needed to find something that I could comfortably hike in, that could easily go over a bathing suit, and that looked cute for photos. Seriously, it’s not as easy as it sounds! Hiking to waterfalls, plunging into springs, and dunking in Holy Waters requires outfits that can withstand water or that can be easily worn over a bathing suit! I would suggest cotton tie shorts and a tank top with waterproof shoes.
3. Long Skirt or Sarong
If you plan on visiting any of the Holy Temples, plan on packing a long maxi skirt or sarong. These are required to be worn before entering the temples. Many locations will have sarongs available to be rented on site. However, I preferred to bring my own to ensure that it fit me properly and was a pattern that I would want to be seen in pictures.
4. Comfortable Shoes
For this trip, we walked so much, and I was so happy that I invested in both comfortable, trendy tennis shoes and cushiony sandals. I would also suggest getting a pair of water shoes or rubber sandals that enclose your foot if you plan on doing any hiking or visiting waterfalls. I purchased a cheap pair of rubber sandals, linked below, that were both waterproof and comfortable for walking. These shoes went with all of my outfits, including both swimwear and fitness attire. Perfect for my Bali trip!
5. Backpack
Take a backpack that you can store any items you might possibly need while exploring! We used our backpack on every excursion and always brought dry clothes, a small towel, sunscreen, a bottle of filtered water, granola bars, sunglasses, and a bathing suit. You never know what the day may bring! I prefer The North Face's Jester pack due to it's durability and the many compartments that allowed me to store all of my items in an organized manner.
6. Medicine
In addition to your normal toiletries, I would suggest bringing activated charcoal. Luckily, we never had any encounters with Bali Belly while there, but it is ALWAYS better to be prepared! I also brought Dramamine for any sort of motion sickness. I typically don’t struggle with this, but I am so glad that I grabbed some last minute. The roads in Bali tend to be extremely busy, and the driving can get a bit crazy. The boat ride to Nusa Penida was also one of the rockiest trips I have ever been on, and I am grateful that I had enough Dramamine for each day.
Bali is an incredible destination! There are so many iconic sites to experience, areas to explore, and foods to try. Creating a detailed plan prior to visiting the Island took away so much of the stress that International travel can present, as well as ensured that we got to experience everything on our Bali Bucket List! Check out my other Bali travel posts to learn more about our itinerary and the must see locations on the Island!
XOXO
Abbey Rose
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