Bali is one of our favorite destinations. It has an incredible and unique culture, with frankly delicious gastronomy, with temples
Of course, there are some things we would have loved to know before our first visit because it is clear that neither the island of the Gods is perfect. Here we leave you some tips to travel to Bali.
Showers
The best time to travel to Bali is from May to September, although we visited it in February, April, and October and it did not rain too much: typical of the monsoon season, a good shower falls for a few hours and then good weather.
Take your time
A stay of 7 days is the minimum to discover Bali, although we recommend at least two weeks: the island is bigger than it seems and, although in kilometers it does not look like distances are long, in reality, it takes much longer than expected. For example, by taxi from Kuta to Lovina (less than 100 km) it is between 3 and 4 hours and taxi is also a good vacation transportation option in Bali.
Take out your international card
Do not forget to get your international driving license. In Bali the police usually stop tourists, if you do not have the international card you will have to give them a small bribe so they do not get fined. If this happens we will tell you a little trick to save some money, carry two wallets, which you always have well-sheltered, and another, spare, with a few rupees. Why? When the cop asks you for the payment for not carrying the card, take out the spare wallet and show the money you have (5-10 €), happy little backpacker! Probably keep the money and let you go.
Bali is not just temples
So do not limit your visits to spend the day between one temple and another. You will end up tired and you will not enjoy the trip. Temples aside, there are many things to visit in Bali: typical villages, gastronomic stops on the road, rice fields, lakes, volcanoes.
What happens with the budget? How do I save?
If you arrive in Bali thinking that it is a cheap destination and a price, you may have a bad surprise, especially if in a few days you want to visit many places and choose to stay in beautiful hotels and eat in cool restaurants. Now, if you do not mind settling in local homestays ($ 5-8 per night), eating in warungs ($ 1.5-2 per meal) and sharing transportation with other travelers.
And how do I manage the money?
We always recommend using a card when traveling. Both for payments and to withdraw money. We are not very fond of carrying large amounts of cash on top, let alone having to exchange it in destinations whose currency is not €. But beware of the commissions.
Live non-tourist Bali
Do not stay in Kuta or in Ubud all the time. They are the two most touristic areas of Bali and there it will not be so easy to live the most authentic part of the island. If you have the opportunity, stay for a few days in a less touristy area, we did it on the outskirts of Ubud, and, between rice paddies, streets where more chickens crossed than motorcycles and super cheap shops where to exchange a few words with the local people.