Things You Need To Know Before Going To Bali
These tips might come in handy when going to Bali. Please note that, as I am from Belgium myself, some of the info below is only applicable to Belgian citizens.
VISA/TRAVEL DOCUMENTS
As a Belgian citizen you don’t have to apply for a visa before going to Bali. When you arrive in Bali, you get a free ‘visa on arrival’. The only thing need you need is a international passport, but make sure it has at least six months validity when entering the country.
With this free visa, you can stay up till 1 month in Bali (this includes the day you arrive and the day you leave).
When you - on arrival- already know you want to stay longer than 1 month, you’ll need to get a ‘paid visa on arrival’. You can buy this at the airport when you arrive and the price is around 500.000 Rupiah. This visa is also valid for one month ( like the free visa) BUT this kind of visa allows you to extend your stay with one month ( the extension itself is not free, you’ll have to pay a small amount to get this done). But at least you have the option to stay longer than 1 month.
NOTE: You can only do this BEFORE entering the country. If you already left the airport, and after one month you decide to stay longer, it’s not possible to extend your stay with a free visa.
What are your options if you want to stay longer than 2 months?
Your only option in this case is to do a ‘visa run’, which means you’ll have to leave Bali, book a flight to a country nearby and come back so you have a ‘fresh’ start. Most people go to Singapore, and fly back the next day.
HOW TO GET AROUND
The best way to get around is to rent a scooter, use taxi’s or get a private driver, as public transportation is not really well developped. Getting a private driver in Bali is really not weird at all, in case you’re wondering. If you want to do a day trip to somewhere and visit a lot of places in one day, it’s pretty easy. You can get a driver for around 500.000 or 600.000 Rupiah for a whole day. You can find them everywhere, just ask the frontdesk of your hotel or homestay and they’ll set u up.
If you want to rent a scooter MAKE SURE TO WEAR A HELMET! There have been too many (fatal) accidents lately. More tips about renting a scooter you can find on my blog post ‘Bali On A Budget’
ATM SKIMMING
It can happen anywhere but Bali is known for skimming unfortunately.
What is skimming? ATM skimming is when criminals place a device on the face of an ATM, which appears to be a part of the machine. Often, the thieves will hide a small pinhole camera in the ATM, in order to extract the victim’s pin number. When a card is swiped, the skimmer records the data on the card, and a camera hidden records the PIN. Usually, money is dispensed and the user is none the wiser.
If possible, I would suggest using ATMs attached directly to banks or inside stores. I would be very cautious of machines that are isolated from everything. Be cautious of people hanging around the ATM.
Just make sure to check the ATM and cover the keypad with your hand when entering your PIN code.
VACCINATIONS
Getting certain vaccinations is not obligated however, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Check with your local doctor for advice on this subject.
LOCAL INSECTS
As in every tropical destination, Bali also has it share of insects and mosquitos. I would suggest to use mosquito repellent at night. In Bali itself, there is no malaria or at least very low risk. Things change when you explore islands as Lombok, Flores, Sumba, Sumbawa, etc..
Be cautious for ‘dengue fever’, which is carried by mosquito’s. It’s a pretty serious illness and has symptoms as high fever, muscle pain, headaches and can be pretty dangerous. Happens mostly during raining season or when it’s really humid. But don’t let this scare you! Just protect yourself at night with some repellent with DEET and you’ll be fine!
BALI BELLY
Bali Belly is a thing that happens to a lot of tourists. Another term commonly used to describe Bali Belly is Traveler’s Diarrhea. It can always happen, even when you are cautious but if you want de reduce the risk:
Avoid food and beverages from street vendors.
Eat only foods that are cooked and still hot, or fruits and vegetables that you peel yourself.
Do not drink untreated water, including ice cubes in drinks.
Brush your teeth with bottled water.
ADAPTORS/PLUGS
In Bali and Indonesia you can expect the 2 pin socket and plug as used in larger parts of Europe (Belgium, Holland, Spain, France etc…). The pins are round, not flat or rectangular.
Need an Adapter:
If you come from Australia, Japan, USA, Malaysia, UK, Canada, Singapore, and some countries in Africa you will most likely simply need a plug adapter otherwise the plugs for your electrical appliances will not fit into the "Bali Socket", although the voltage should be OK.
BARGAIN PRICES
Bargaining in Bali is pretty normal. Especially when you want to purchase local services like massages, private drivers, taxi’s without a meter, motor bike rentals, surfboard hire or buying local products at stalls like sarongs, t shirts, watches etc. Always be respectfull though and don’t make ridiculous suggestions. Nobody likes to work for free.
TO THE LEFT
Just heads up that people drive on the left side of the road!
BEST TIME TO VISIT BALI
My favorite months to travel to Bali are May, June and September because the weather is really nice and it’s less crowded and less expensive.
Raining season runs from November until March. It never get’s cold in Bali, just humid when you are there during the raining season.
The most expensive months to go to Bali are July and August. Plane tickets are ridiculously expensive and hotels charge more during these months.
DOG PARADISE
Bali = dog paradise! You will find stray dogs EVERYWHERE. They are super friendly and like to say hi to you. If you are super scared of dogs, you might have a small problem haha. But don’t be afraid, they are all harmless .
LOCAL SIMCARD
Instead of asking for the wifi code in every place you go, just go and buy a local simcard. It’s super cheap (around 100.000 Rupiah) and you’re all set. No crazy phonebills when you get back home ;)
