In this Article, the Author has suggested around 30 important tips for your Bali trip, based on his own experiences and struggle. We would love to have your questions in the comment section below.

30 Tips for your Bali trip

1) Keep Visa Fee Handy when you arrive Bali

When you land in Bali, your first encounter will be with officials collecting payment for your on-arrival visa. It is always advisable to retain approximately 35 USD in change. If they can’t locate change, they may ask you to wait, and trust me, there’s nothing worse to wait after a long flight.

2) Never loose your Boarding Pass

You should never loose a boarding pass for your international flight. At the immigration counter you will be asked to show that. If you have lost that and you are being asked by the immigration officer, explain why you lost and keep your e tickets handy. However, if you want a smooth immigration entry in Bali, keep your boarding passes safe.

3) Don't panic at Immigration counter

In Bali, you wont be grilled at Immigration counter. Few questions they can ask are –

  1. What is the duration of stay
  2. Where are you staying while on trip
  3. Do you have enough money to survive

In most cases, the immigration officer will not even speak to you; he will simply examine your documents and instruct you to place one finger from each hand on the scanner before clicking your picture. They will then stamp your passport, and you will be ready to go.

4) Use computers to generate Customs QR code

When you move towards the exit after collecting your luggage, you will be requested to generate a QR code for Customs details. They simply want you to fill out your baggage information, such as the number of bags you are carrying or if you are carrying anything that needs to be reported to the government. They usually offer you the option of filling out the form on your mobile device or at one of the approximately 8 computers where QR codes can be generated. The most common mistake that travellers make is entering their information on their mobile device, which makes the process time consuming. Filling it on computers is 3 times quicker.

5) Contact your driver and then exit

When at airport, you can use public wifi. It is recommended to connect with your driver or if someone is coming to pick you up. The Wifi wont operate once you will exit the customs area. Then either you will have to put efforts to find out the person or to ask some one for hotspot to connect.However, drivers usually wait at the arrivals area with Pla card of your name. if in case you are not able to connect with your driver, just look for your name.

6) Don't exchange currency at Airport

Any airport in the world will give you expensive deal on currency exchange, compared to the outside local vendors. Bali is a tourist state and they have kept full check over any frauds with tourists. It is relatively safe to exchange currency in money exchange shops at local market.They usually display the current currency value on the board outside and inside the shop.

7) Refrain from buying Sim cards at Airport

Getting a tourist sim card enabled in Bali is difficult. There are numerous federal ramifications. We have seen many instances where tourists pay for a sim card with the promise that it will be activated in 2-3 hours, but it never works. This is because the sim card in Bali is enabled after the IMEI number is verified. And it is here that the majority of applications are denied.

8) Dont overburden your body on first day

If it was a long flight, give yourself some rest and start the next day. Dont push your body too much on Day 1, otherwise next pending days will be ruined. Give yourself a sweet long sleep and gain energy for your day 2, A small walk to the nearby market is still good, as that will give you a fare idea of the culture.

9) Do keep food for your flight Journey

Many flights for Bali, does not offer meal and even if they offer, we have observed that many travellers are not happy with that. If it is a long journey, carry few “Theplas”, choclate bars and snacks in your bag. Otherewise, sometimes things get worst for people.

10) Dont directly go for fried food first

Fried food can sometimes be tempting, however when in Bali, go slow. The oil they use in Bali is either fish oil or coconut oil. If you are not used to these oils, trust me no matter how impressive your dish looks, the probability of you liking the taste and smell is very low.

11) Do buy your beer from Market instead of Hotel

The MRP cost of 1 small Bintang Beer in Bali is 23,000 IDR, however most of the hotels will sell it to you some where around 35,000-60,000 IDR. Once you checkin to the hotel, try to look for nearest store like Alpha mart or Indo Maret. You can keep the beer in the fridge placed in your room.

12) Do Swim Daily

The days are going to be tiring, and if these are not, you need to push re think on the itinerary. Any ways, after you finish your day, just get inside the water. You will feel so relaxed that you wont come out of water soon. Bali behaves too advance, even if you want to have a bottle of beer while relaxing in beach, most hotels will allow you that.

13) Have your breakfast on time

Usually in Bali, breakfast starts around 7:30am till 10:30 am.Trust me, the best time to have breakfast is 8-9am . You will be able to have Fresh juices, Hot meals, active live meal counters, fresh fruits and much more. Otherwise, being late might cost you good food. Please be noted – Breakfast in any Villa of Bali is limited unlike Hotel.

14) Discuss with driver about your itinerary the first day

It is always recommended to get the number of driver on the first day you meet him and discuss the itinerary. It is very important for you and driver to be on the same page.Do discuss with driver about the pickup timing of the next day.

15) Do use Google translate to communicate properly with driver

Mostly drivers in Bali will only be able to communicate specific things in English, they wont be fully proficient to have proper conversation with you. Google translate app is the most effective solution to this problem.It will make your journey amazingly easy.

16) Do ask for Hotspot from driver if required

You may not be linked to the Internet while on tour; if you require internet access, do not hesitate to request a hotspot from driver. Obviously, the use should be for a genuine need rather than for social media reasons.

17) Make sure to download offline google map of Bali

Google has given this amazing facility, wherein you can download the google maps offline. This way, even if you are not connected with internet, you will have the capability of understanding the route.This will help you plan your journey in a better way, even-without internet.

18) Do wear caps or Hats

Bali can be very hot in the afternoon. If you are near the shore, you will certainly need a hat or cap to protect yourself from the harsh sun.Having an umbrella is an additional advantage however, that might be tough to carry.

19) Universal adapters for charging points

Bali’s Charging sockets are different. However mostly hotels have kept at-least 1 universal charging point in the room.Other than that they also provide universal chargers. Don’t hesitate asking for universal chargers from hotel reception if you are not finding any in room.

20) Do try coconut water in Bali

There are huge coconuts in Bali . These are so big that it is more than enough for 2 people. The cost of coconut ranges between 25000-35000 IDR depending on the area you are getting it. But, you will feel good even after seeing the coconut.

Coconut water at Kuta beach

21) Pubs/bars are not as expensive as they look

There is no damage in spending time in a party atmosphere. There are numerous pubs, bars, and eateries in Bali that appear to be overpriced but are not. If you like a location, go inside and look at the menu; most of the time, you’ll find it cheap or at least worth it.

22) There are expensive and budgeted options for Indian cuisine

The only message here is that you should try new restaurants. Some Indian restaurants are prohibitively costly, but there are also some that are reasonably priced. Try to do some study before spending money on food.

23) Hire Bike, but not for long routes

Hiring a bike in Bali is one of the easiest things to do.Just go the to bike rental vendor, choose the model, let them click the photo of your passport, show them your hotel voucher, then they will again click the photo of yours with bike. You are good to go. But trust me, they wont take any responsibility of yours at all. It is strongly advised not to take the bikes to the long routes. You can read this article on the latest situation about bike rentals in Bali. 

24) Do keep inner-wears and Towel for waterfall visits

If you visit any waterfall in Bali, remember to bring your inner-wear and a towel. These waterfalls are so beautiful that most visitors enjoy the natural showers. We’ve noticed that tourists who aren’t prepared wind up being spectators only.Also, keep your sleepers with you.

25) If visiting Ubud, shop at Sukawati market for souvenirs

We observed that Sukawati market in Ubud is the best place to do shopping for Souvenirs. We compared the prices of Souvenirs in Kuta with Sukawati and we found the huge difference. The fridge magnet in Sukawati was around 15000 IDR,where as in some places of Kuta they were asking 50000 for same thing. Wood Wind chimes are almost half the price in Sukawati. This market is also famous for wooden arts and sculputures. You can read this article to know more about shopping experience in Bali.

26) Do ask to Switch "ON" the the filter of your private pool in villa

If you are staying in a private pool villa, do ask them to power on the filter of the private pool. It should be continuously on Until you are there. You can also ask them clean the water once with the net.It is fun to be in a private pool, enjoy it to the fullest.

27) Discuss with Villa staff one day before about your breakfast

Because there will be no buffet in the villas, it is critical that you consult with the staff for breakfast. If you are not a vegetarian, you may have many choices to decide for your meal.It won’t be difficult to determine if you eat eggs. If you don’t consume eggs, you can substitute vegetable sandwiches and pan cakes.(Check if those are eggless). Inform them of your Juice selection. The juices, especially in Ubud, are prepared from fresh fruits and are delicious.

28) Ask for salt and Chillies separately with meals

Wherever you eat, just ask them to keep green/red chillies and salt separately on the table. Balinese people dont at all eat spicy, and they use less salt if compared with other nationalities.

29) Specially be conscious for your Island tours

If you are going on an island trip outside of Bali, you will need to be more mindful of the timings. The pick-up time for island excursions is usually between 6:45 and 7:20 a.m.In the event of a delay, the drivers will depart the hotel grounds, and you will miss the ferry. For these tours, drivers are ferry vendors who arrive and pick up passengers on a shared basis. Ferries always operate on time; if there is a delay, ferries will not wait. Tourist will suffer a complete loss.

30) Keep sharing your suggestions and ask questions below

If you find the points useful, please assist us and the readers by contributing more points based on your own experiences. You can write your comments or questions in the section below.