travel blog, minus the bull$hit

If Bali’s been sitting on your bucket list forever, this is your sign to finally book the trip! Bali is all the things like dreamy beaches, lush rice fields, hidden waterfalls, and food worth flying for. But it also has a whole bunch of tourist traps so you’ll fine planning a trip here can get overwhelming fast. Heck, even being on the trip can get overwhelming as my friend and I had found. I’ve put together some tips you need to know before you go from where to stay to how to budget.

I NEED INTERNET

Outside of obvious hotel/cafe WiFi and reliable international roaming plans (if you have this!), I highly recommend using an eSim. Here’s a link to one of my posts on how to always stay connected. But basically here are my favorite eSIMs:

• Airalo – One of the most popular eSIMs on the market with coverage in over 200 countries
  • My Affiliate link: airalo.pxf.io/improbablykrys
  • Referral Code: KRYSTA8118
• Nomad – Coverage in over 170 countries and typically cheaper than Airalo.
  Personally, I have never had a single issue with Nomad and my brother is quite loyal to Nomad however I’ve seen some reviews online where some people have had issues and attempted to get refunds without success
  • Referral Code: KRYSCCKTWZ for 25% off your first eSIM data plan
  • App link: https://getnomad.page.link/app

Travel in shoulder season

This would be April – June or September – October; avoid July – August, maybe even January because of TYPHOON SEASON. Yes, I travelled to Bali in January.

Booking affordable flights

I typically make use of Google flights, but apps like Skyscanner or Hopper are great options too. I prefer Google Flights due to how easy it is to navigate and you can also set up e-mail notifications for price drops if you have a specific destination/dates in mind. Here’s a quick general walk through on how to use Google Flights:

• Go to https://www.google.com/travel/flights
• If you have no idea when or where you are going, go to the explore page
• From the explore page, insert your home airport or wherever you plan to depart from
• Still no destination in mind? Leave “Where to?” as is- because your “where to” is anywhere!
• No date in mind? You can set it to flexible date and pick a month, or a range of months you want to travel during, and how long you want to travel for
• Filter results further as needed (# of stops, flights only, airlines, bags, etc.)
• Shop around for where you want to go!

Check Visa and Entry fees

Indonesia charges a Visa on Arrival (~500,000 IDR | $35UDG) if your passport requires a Visa.

Accommodation

Guesthouses and home stays > hotels unless you have a good hotel discount. But typically guesthouses and home stays can go as low as $15USD/night with breakfast. Stay away from trendy areas like Seminyak, Kuta, or Uluwatu. Look in cheaper areas like Canggu or Ubud

Food food FOOD!!

Warungs are your best friend. These are local small eateries, typically on the side of the road offering amazing meals for 20-40K IDR | $1-3USD.

Don’t forget to try haggling

Maybe it’s how my Filipino mother trained me, but I always started haggling at local markets at 50% of the asking price and went from there. We were usually pretty good at getting the price down!

Excursions/Activities

Shop around for activities ahead of time so you aren’t left scrambling trying to figure out what to do! Here are some that I recommend:

• Best of Ubud 1-day Private Tour – You’ll see Ubud Monkey Forest, Batuan Temple, Tegenungan Waterfall, and Tegalalang Rice Terrace, with time to explore the town center independently, plus a stop at the art village of your choice.
• Bali Instagram tour – these would be the stops you’ve likely already seen on your Instagram food: Lempuyang Temple, Tegalalang Rice Terrace, and a jungle swing
• Mount Batur Sunrise Jeep Tour – expect your local guide to drive you to one of the best sightseeing spots on the volcano summit just in time to watch the sun come up
• Nusa Penida Day Trip – ou’ll travel by speedboat to the island, where your local driver will take you around to some of the prettiest areas. Highlights include the cliff formations at Broken Beach, the natural infinity pool at Angel’s Billabong, and the white sand beach at Crystal Bay, with a stop for an included local lunch along the way.
• Private Uluwatu Temple and Kecak Fire Dance Evening Tour in Jimbaran Bay – this was actually incredibly interesting to watch!

You can also check out my #partner Viator shop here for tours that we did #affiliate.

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Some of the links on this page are affiliated links wherein I may receive a commission when items are purchased through my affiliate links. #CommissionsEarned