Indonesia – Bali

Explore Ubud

My love for Ubud is eternal, as reflected in the blog posts being mostly from the Ubud area! Explore the villages, amazing temples, waterfalls and immerse yourself in the art and history of Bali. Ubud is a cultural centre and if you find cosy accommodation in a quiet village you might not ever want to leave! Oh and don’t forget to visit the cheeky monkeys at the Monkey Forest.

Indulge

Don’t hold back, get the massages, order another drink, have seconds for dinner, go for one more swim then do it all again tomorrow! And don’t feel guilty about it, you are supporting the local economy after all.

Enjoy a beach escape

To be honest, a beach has to be pretty amazing to impress me! I know that sounds snobby, but I have been spoilt living in Australia and an hours drive from beautiful, clean, sandy beaches.

So what about Bali beaches? Some beaches are covered in rubbish, others are manually cleaned each day (such as outside resorts) and like pretty much everywhere in the world you will find plastic rubbish. We visited the beaches at Sanur, Nusa Dua and Canggu and didn’t find rubbish was an issue at these locations. Yes, there was rubbish around but it wasn’t so bad that it felt “dirty”. Does that make sense!?

Cultural Experiences

Bali has around 20,000 temples – hence why it is known as the Island of Gods – with each village having multiple temples. Temples at rice fields, temples at springs, temples at waterfalls, temples in the main street, temples temples everywhere!

There are also really excellent museums such as ARMA Museum in Ubud, cultural villages and traditional dance performances. Take the time to visit some temples and learn about Bali’s history – you won’t regret it!

Water

Did you know that around 60% of groundwater extracted in Bali is used for tourism? And these groundwater aquifers are being depleted and impacting of water availability for locals?  You can help conserve water by avoiding resorts with large or multiple pools, being mindful of the time spent in showers and think about whether you really need to go to a water park. There are plenty of lovely hotels with smaller pools for your relaxing Bali holiday.

Respect dress codes

Respect the dress codes at temples and remember that Bali is a conservative country.

Put $$ into perspective

If you are paying AUD$5 for massage, then you shouldn’t expect a 5 star massage service. Being served one-dollar drinks? Then be patient if they take time to arrive. If you pay $50 for a hotel room then accept that some lizards might sneak through a gap in the door and visit. Please, be a good tourist and put the costs into perspective.

Plastic

Plastic pollution is present in Bali, you can argue whether it is tourism, or locals or the fact that Indonesia has been taking other countries recycling – but it does’t mean you should contribute. Try not to get take-away containers for food and drink (why not sit and enjoy it!) and don’t assume that if you put rubbish in a bin it will be disposed of appropriately.

Best option is to avoid as much packaging as possible – this counts too for all the blow-up pool toys being sold along the beaches outside resorts. Whilst the inflatable unicorn is totally gorgeous, it that will no doubt break and be left in Bali (unless you take it home if your home country has good waste management systems!).

In 2019 plastic bags and straws were banned, but I have not been to Bali since then to see if this is being enforced.

Don’t barter too hard

Know what are reasonable prices before you go, and don’t barter too hard. While tourists might think it is fun to barter hard, remember you are bartering with a real person who needs to make a living. The fact you could afford to visit Bali puts you in a better financial position than most locals.

Before you head off on your Bali adventure make sure you have researched the charges for using your bank or travel card. ATMs will give a maximum of 1,250,000IDR (around AUD$125) which means you may need to make multiple withdrawals to get enough money. This can add up very quickly in fees!

Private car with a driver is charged by car, not number of people. Find people to fill the car and split the cost! A full day is often cheaper than 2 x half day trips.