15 Things to Know Before You Go to Bali

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Oh, Bali. The Island of the Gods… it’s beautiful, majestic, stunning, amazing… insert any other extravagant adjective to describe the beauty of this island. Bali was one of those places that I’ve always wanted to go and finally stepping out of the plane and into the culture shock chaotic world of Bali was a dream. There’s definitely a long list of things you need to know before you go to Bali, so I’m going to share my top 15 with you (in no particular order) so that you can better prepare yourself for your trip to Bali.

 15 Things to Know Before You Go to Bali, Indonesia

1. Don’t Over Pack.

This should be obvious, but so many people over pack! I’ve done it too!! Trust me, it’s not fun walking through the market and wanting to buy that cute dress but you know that the last time you closed your suitcase, you had to stand on it while someone else zipped it up.

Make sure you outfit plan, take minimal clothes (you can always do laundry in Bali- there’s plenty of places and it’s super cheap!), and remember it’s hot so you don’t need to bring a ton of heavy jeans or jackets.

2. Arrange Airport Transfer.

This is one of the most important tips to know before you go to Bali, especially if you are arriving at night. My flight landed at 11:59pm. You can get a taxi there, but TRUST ME, it’s a chaotic cluster when you walk out of customs. There are taxi drivers yelling at you, personal drivers yelling at you, SIGNS everywhere with hotel names, last names, first names, free hugs… you get the point. Get your transfer in advance and it will save you the stress and a massive headache.

3. Traffic is Horrible.

You need to know the traffic is HORRIBLE in Bali! Always allow extra time getting from place to place. Even at night there is still a ton of traffic. After leaving the harbor when all the fast boats had arrived back from Nusa Penida, it took about 2 hours to go half a mile.

I’m not sure if there are traffic laws in Bali because everyone seems to make up their own rules and lanes in the road.. so this goes back to get a driver! He’ll know what he’s doing. (And always where your seat belt!).

4. No Street Signs.

Ok, there’s a couple, but that’s in the south. If you’re going to Ubud then use google maps to get around because there’s no street signs. Also, your hotel, home stay, or AirBnB could say it’s a number on this road, however you get there and you have to walk 200 feet down to the bottom of an unmarked alley. So make sure you get the name of a restaurant, cafe, or landmark to help guide you in the right direction.

5. Offerings.

Better known in Bali as canang sari, this is one of the top things you need to know before you go. These offerings are made everyday by the locals and placed everywhere… you will see them everywhere. In your hotel, in restaurants, and on the street in front of stores. Each flower petal in the little bamboo pallet represents a Hindu God and the incense is lit to take the offering to heaven.

So please be respectful and do not step on or OVER the offering while the incense is burning. You do not want to break the essence as it is still rising up to heaven.

6. Bring Your Own Medicine.

Of course if you have prescription medicine you need to bring that, but I’m talking about the little things. Aspirin, cold and flu medicine, or allergy medicine. Can you get those things in Bali?? Absolutely, but it’s going to be a challenge (especially with everything in a different language) and an even bigger challenge if you are so sick and don’t even want to deal with walking around multiple stores to find something other than sore throat drops.

No one wants to be sick on vacation, but it’s always good to be prepared with something you know will make you feel better.

7. Don’t Drink the Water.

The water is not good for you and you could end up with a case of Bali Belly if you do. Always stock up on a ton of water at the mini mart or EVEN BETTER, fill up your reusable water bottle with drinking water every chance you get (and you’ll have plenty of chances).

Ice in your cocktails at hotels, restaurants, and well established places will be fine and you can brush your teeth with the tap water – just make sure you don’t accidentally swallow!

8. Bring Sunblock and Apply Often.

I’ve already said that Bali is hot. That sun is rough. Bring a sunblock with SPF 50 and apply often. How often you ask? Every time you come out of the water, before you leave for the day, and every time you’ve been sweating a lot (which is a lot). To be safe I would reapply every 45 minutes. Yeah, it’s annoying, but at least get your face and shoulders. You’ll thank me later for this one.

9. Skip the Make-Up.

Guess what? Still hot in Bali. Once you step outside and you’ve been walking for 5-10 minutes, your makeup will sweat off. Even waterproof mascara. I wore makeup the first day and then realized the reality of it and didn’t wear makeup the rest of the time.

10. Mosquitoes Everywhere.

Those annoying little brats are everywhere. Especially if you are in Ubud because it’s mainly jungle. So pack some bug spray. I like the repellent towelettes because they are portable, last a while, don’t smell bad, and don’t leave that weird oily, sticky feeling all over.

11. Take Toilet Paper with You Everywhere.

Unfortunately for women, there’s not a lot of toilet paper options when you are out and about. Some of the nicer restaurants, hotels, and bars have toilet paper, but once you get to Nusa Penida or the base of Mount Batur… good luck! Always carry some toilet paper from your hotel with you and throw some hand sanitizer in your purse too! Because not everywhere has soap!

Related Post: How to Take a Day Trip to Nusa Penida

12. Tipping.

In America we are used to tipping at least 18% for every meal and drink we have at a restaurant or bar, however in Bali, it’s a little different. Most restaurants now include a service charge of 5-10%, but if you don’t see the charge then make sure you leave a little extra for their service. It’s not required, but it’s a nice gesture.

13. Approaching Monkeys.

You need to know there’s a lot of monkeys in Bali… they are everywhere. They were even at the summit of Mount Batur. That being said, they are wild animals and even though they look cute and cuddly, they are not. Be extra careful if you see a momma with her baby, because momma will not be nice if you get too close.

Don’t try to pet the monkeys, don’t stare directly into a monkeys eyes (because he thinks you are challenging him), and don’t feed a monkey a banana unless you are prepared to have the monkey jump on your shoulders and hang out for a while. (I have heard that within the last couple of months, the monkey forest in Ubud no longer sells bananas due to a monkey biting a guest…. see, monkeys are crazy).

14. Find a Driver and Use Him the Whole Trip.

You won’t regret this. Bali does not have frequent buses or a train system to get you around, so you need to figure out another form of transportation. If you are a scooter pro then you can rent a scooter for a couple of bucks a day which is good if you are staying around town, but if you want to go explore waterfalls up north or a sunrise hike where you have to leave in the middle of night, I don’t recommend using a scooter.

Taxi drivers will hawk at you as you are walking down the street and they are expensive, looking to screw you over…. get a driver. And the more you use him the better the prices will get for you!

15. Haggle at the Markets.

Ubud Market is probably in my top 5 markets in the world (hmmm.. new blog post anyone?) and Bali is one of my most favorite places to shop (remember I said pack light!!??). The beauty of having so many stalls around town and so many similar items for sale, is the fact that you can bring down that tourist price to locals price. Here are some of my know before you go tips for a market in Bali:

• Always know the conversion. (If you don’t have WiFi then download an app that works offline or google some conversions and write them in your notes or screen shot them- to give you an idea: 100,000 Rupiah (IDR) is equal to about $6.00)
• You shouldn’t pay more than 150,000 IDR for a dress. (And to me that’s expensive, you can get a dress down to 50,000, especially if you buy multiple.)
• Carry 2 wallets. (One with the money you are going to spend on the item and the other with the rest of your money)
• Take small bills with you. (If you are haggling from 100,000 IDR down to 50,000 IDR, you don’t want to get the price you want and then hand them a 100,000 bill and ask for change)
• If you don’t like the price, walk away. (9 out of 10 times they will give you the price you want because they would rather have the sale than someone else take their sale)

Related Post: Exploring Ubud’s City Center

I hope this helps you plan your next trip to Bali and help you better prepare for paradise so you can actually enjoy paradise everyday and not have to worry about the little things.

Anything else you need to know before you go to Bali? Leave me a comment about your experience!!

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