This Blog will get you to the island of gods, also called Bali. I will share my experience and and the mistakes I've done with you. So that you know what to expect from Bali.
Arrival on Bali - First Impression of Balinese people
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I travelled from Singapore to Bali by plane with Tigerairways at the end of March 2013.
You can get a visa on arrival at the Ngurah Rai Airport in Denpasar,Bali. The visa costs US $25 and is valid for 30 days. Tourists planning on staying less than 10 days in Indonesia can get a visa for US $10. You can pay in different currencies, so don't worry if you don't have US dollars with you.
Right after presenting my passport to the customs officer and officially making my first step into Bali I was stopped by 3 men in blue uniforms. They wanted me to come with them and check my luggage. First I thought it was Airport security, so without questioning I did as asked. Unknowing that those were so called "baggage carriers". I quickly realized that those men were not security. They offered me to carry my bag and help me get a taxi to a hotel. Well, they were quite nice, so I thought: "Man, balinese are quite nice." But of course it was all about the money. And since they were so 'nice' I was OK with giving them a small tip. However, after exchanging my money, they asked me to give them 100.000 IDR each. Good thing I realized fast enough that 100.000 IDR equals 8 Euro.
Those people are not official workers at the airport. They are more like vultures, living from the tourists they can rip-off. I had to threaten them with the police to finally get rid of them. These guys should be banned from the airport as they give a negative first impression of the Balinese people.
So, entering Bali I got my first bad impression of the country and its folks. So be warned!!!
Getting outside of the Airport it did not get any better. You will hear alot of "Hey mister, need taxi?". And it is expensive. For One way to Kuta they charge 80.000 IDR. So they say. But don't let them misguide you. They only try to make a profit of those who don't know what the official local prices are, people like me, who are for the first time in Bali. I suggest that you go to an official Taxi counter and ask them about the official rates for taxi. I found out that it was only 60.000 IDR. Still they try to rip you off. So better have someone or find someone to share a Taxi with.
Stay hard and consequent, don't jump into the first taxi. And the most important thing, ALWAYS bargain. Try to get the price as low as you can. 80.000 IDR is alot of money in Indonesia, so it is not justified to pay so much. Once they catch your luggage they try to get it as fast as possible to their taxi. Best thing is to find a taxi with a taximeter and tell them to use it. At the end I took a motor bike. It's cheaper and faster in traffic. I started negotiations at 60.000 IDR and got it down to 40.000 IDR.
Accomodation
When I arrived in Bali I was completely lost. I hadn't planned out this part of my journey. Didn't even have a place to stay yet. To use the internet at the airport you need to get a sim card in Indonesia. Luckily, there are restaurants around which offer free internet. So I went to Starbucks and searched for a place to stay. Without pre-booking I went to the hostel and luckily they had a bed to stay. One night cost me 120.000 IDR, breakfast included. You can get much cheaper accomodation in Kuta, however I wanted a nice place to stay and a nice place it was indeed, so I'm gonna tell you the name of it. This is no advertising, just my recommendation. The hostel is called 'grannys hostel'. It's about a half an hour walk from Kuta beach away, but really worth the stay. And a great thing is that they won't send you away if the beds are all booked. If you want you can get a mattress to sleep on for 80.000 IDR.
Looking for a better place - First Stop Ubud
27.March 2013 - Galungan day in Ubud
I don't know if to call myself lucky or not, as I arrived on the 26th of March 2013 on Bali. I arrived on the local holiday called Penampahan Galungan. It's the preparation day for the upcoming Galungan day. In front of every house a so called "penjor" is erected. A penjor is an elaborately decorated bamboo pole. It represents the place where the hindu gods reside.
I only stayed one night at the hostel in Kuta-Legian, not because it was bad. It was really great, so that I returned there on my last night in Indonesia. I wanted to travel and to go to some less touristic places, so I moved on. At the hostel I found 2 other people with whom I went to Ubud the next morning. The driving was offered by the hostel and it cost 60.000 IDR each. Good price for a nice car. G
Once I arrived in Ubud, I looked for an accommodation. You don't need to book beforehand, you can find many cheap places on-site. There are many affordable bungalows around 100.000 IDR per day. And you can still try to get the price a little down.
What to say about Ubud? Well, it kind of stands in between the 'tourist' Bali and the 'real' Bali. It is a way more traditional place compared to Kuta (guess every place on Bali is :P).
The Monkey Forest - If you are in Ubud then go to the Monkey Forest. It's really worth it. The entrance fee is 20.000 IDR. As the name suggest, you'll see lots of monkeys walking freely around. And you see these beautiful temples and statues in the middle of this jungle.
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What is Galungan day about? - The Galungan Day is the biggest holiday on Bali. On that day all the hindu of Bali celebrate the victory of good against evil. It's a family festival which is often described as the "Christmas" of Bali.
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Good to know: It's great to have the chance to see local traditions and ceremonies, however during the holidays, everything gets more expensive at least twice the normal price I was told, especially the transport. So you get charged more than usual and there is still the additional scamming in this country. But it was worth it ^^.
Next stop Padang Bai....and then Gili Islands....
Not finished yet,
So check back later again :)
I will also upload some pictures soon!
Check out Part 2 Here
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