Things You Should Know Before You Go to Bali
If you’ve been on Instagram in the past few years, you’ve seen the picturesque beaches and insane rice terraces of Bali. You’re likely already day dreaming of your own magical adventure – and trust me, it WILL be magical! But Instagram doesn’t always tell the full story. Before you book that ticket (and you definitely should book the ticket!) there are a few realities you’ll want to be aware of. Here are all the things you should know before you go to Bali!
Bali Roads Can be a Little Wild
The roads are busy with “flexible” driving expectations. Traffic can be extremely busy at times, causing delays at unexpected times. One of the most important things to know before you go to Bali is to plan a lot of extra time into any adventures because you will find it difficult to be able to predict travel time.
You’ll find that motorbikes rule the road – zipping in and out of traffic. You can rent a motorbike yourself for getting around quickly during your trip. That said, you should be confident in your abilities before you even think of renting. The driving culture is aggressive so be safe!
Taxis are also plentiful – but ensure the driver will use a meter before you start out to avoid any dispute later on. For longer trips you can arrange a car and price beforehand through your accommodation.
Critters
Calling all the bug-fearful! You should know before you go to Bali that there will be bugs! and lizards… and spiders. This is the rainforest after all! Rest assured, you probably won’t find them to be bothersome. In fact – we found the little lizards pretty cute. They’re skiddish, and totally harmless. At night you’ll often find cute little lizards hanging on walls near lights on the outside of your villa, but don’t worry – they’re not prone to climbing in beds (whew!)
Open Air Villas
In Bali, it’s common to see open-air kitchens, living rooms, and bathrooms. Bedrooms are typically closed off with or without air conditioning (check before you book!) but other areas of the villa are rarely air conditioned. This architecture style is typical throughout the area.
There Won’t Always be Toilet Paper
Sure, there will be toilet paper in your villa or in most warungs, but often the public toilets are essentially dressed up holes in the ground with no TP. Be a prepared traveler and be sure to bring a little toilet paper in your bag to be safe!
These Stall Mates individually wrapped wipes can be a godsend and slim enough that they don’t take up much precious bag real estate. Here’s a link to pick up Stall Mates on Amazon.
Aloe = Aftersun / Hello = Hallo
In Indonesia you’ll see Aloe referred to as Aftersun but not Aloe. They also say Hello as Hall-o. Aloe and Hallo sound quite a bit the same. A seemingly simple and insignificant point, but has proved crucial in a moment of need. A very sunburned morning, my husband walked into a shop asking for Aloe, and here’s how that went down:
“Hi, do you have aloe?”
“Hallo!”
“Do you have aloe?”
“Hallo”
“Aloe? Do you have aloe?“
“Hallo?”
This went on for a little while. Sure it was funny, but excruciating for my very sunburned husband and awkward for the woman who thought he was a crazy person saying “hallo” over and over. Hopefully this helps if you find yourself in a similar position!
Drivers are typically (very) early
Several times we scheduled a pick up and the driver arrived 30 – 50 minutes early with a “Hallo! How are you? Are you ready?” We loved the friendly promptness but if you’re anything like us and using every last minute, best to schedule a pick up a bit later than you intend to leave.
Food and Drink Service Takes a While
This is a big contrast to driver timeliness, but restaurants or warungs in Bali run on island time. But hey, why be in a hurry in Bali in the first place?! The good news is that this means your food is cooked in small batches right after you order rather than having your food sit under a heat lamp all day. So settle in, and don’t come hangry!
Don’t Count on the Electricity
In many ways, Bali has all the sophisticated comforts like luxury hotels, world-renowned food, and more. But at the end of the day, this is an island in a pretty impoverished area. Blackouts happen unexpectedly, and there were several times we returned to our villa to find the electricity out.
The electricity outages rarely last more than a few hours, but to be safe be sure you keep your phone or any other essentials charged up whenever you have the chance. I’d also recommend bringing a portable power bank just in case. Here’s a link to the Power Bank I use if you’re looking for recommendations.
Arranging Travel Through Bali Hotels is OK!
This was a hard-learned lesson for me, because I’m used to many Westernized resorts with their brochures, commissions, and sky-high prices for ripoff inauthentic experiences. We didn’t find this to be remotely true in Bali!
In Bali, most villa and hotel managers will offer to help arrange car transport and tours. I was skeptical, but we gave it a try and found reasonable prices, less headaches, and authentic small-group experiences.
Particularly while staying at Ocean Brothers Ceningan on Nusa Ceningan they set us up on a snorkeling trip on a small boat with around 8 people to swim with the manta rays and other blue-blue tropical waters around the Nusa islands. After that, we took up offers from all our hotel accommodations to prepare transport between islands, cars, and anything we needed because it was SO MUCH EASIER. Do yourself the favor and let people help you!
I’d love to see how your adventures go! Tag me in any misadventures with these Bali-isms in your photos on Instragram @wherever.someday for a feature!
