You’ve heard so much about Bali and after watching the movie “Eat, Pray, Love” do you think you know it? Let’s see the 10 things to know about the heavenly island of Bali.
1 Cars and scooters are the only transport present. So don’t expect public transport and especially if you plan to cross the rice fields by bike do not think it’s a good idea. As soon as she arrived on the island she was happy to see that my hotel would provide me with free bicycles and after finding a contrary opinion of my driver, I experienced the thrill of adventure by bike.
First of all the right hand drive is not so obvious and the traffic is so dense at all hours of the day that it becomes very dangerous to be exposed. Moreover, the roads are not designed to accommodate cyclists but barely two directions. I can consider the bicycle to be a failure.
2 The travel time in Bali is considerable. Although there are no great distances between one city and another, the roads and the traffic make travel very slow so consider it in your planning of activities and days. Also the movements to the neighboring islands, for example the Gili islands, took me half a day to go and also to return.
I would like to dedicate a paragraph to advise you to use a good company for the transfer from Bali to the Gili Islands. I trusted a local tour operator but if I had wisely checked the reviews online I would have chosen something else. I didn’t advise you to buy the transfer through the Wahana Gili Ocean fast boat because: I waited in a sunny pier for hours, to get on a boat that contrary to what I said made us get off at Lombok on the beach and get on a boat from the shore, and finally the return trip by sea seemed a journey of hope. Use the BlueWater I’ve heard so much about.
3 Indonesian food is complete, from rice and chicken to pork and corn. You can find international cuisine everywhere, but I recommend you try the local cuisine that has as its characteristic the considerable use of spices and garlic. After a few days I started to ask “no spicy” to avoid testing my intestine but all easily tolerated. The coffee instead do it for infusion and is also called coffee filter, ie the glass is poured into the coffee powder and boiling water to remain then the deposit in the bottom. You can try the famous Luwak coffee all over the island.
4 Animals are highly regarded. From the monkeys that you will find at certain times and in certain areas of the island, to the dogs left free to roam around. I would like to underline the importance of keeping an eye on the monkeys who are attracted by hats, glasses and telephones. Eyes open, I managed to save my phone from a very determined monkey.
5 Bali’s activities are based on the cultivation of rice, coffee, tees, coconut and… tourism. So they are very attentive to tourists and will often ask you if everything is ok and if they can do anything else. Each hotel welcomed me with a welcome drink and with willingness they took care of any need.
6 The island is always ventilated but remember to be at the equator and the sun doesn’t forgive, so bring your sunscreen with you. The wind that pampers the island makes it cool, the restaurants and bars are without walls and doors to let the light wind through the local and the strongest wind on the coast allow the formation of waves. Waves? Yes, you will find surf schools all along the coast and I took advantage of it for my first experience with the board.
7 There is no price list in stores, so you can give free rein to your trading skills. The Balinese always propose very high prices so when you come to an agreement, do not worry that you will certainly have paid much more.
8 Balinese are very religious. You will notice that in front of each door on the ground there is a basket of offers with fresh flowers, cooked rice, candy and incense. In addition, almost every day throughout the island there is a ceremony in which the inhabitants of the neighborhood participate and is held at the temple. In addition, to enter the temples the essential garment is the Sarong, a large scarf with which to cover the legs. The honest price of the island is around 10,000 IDR and I recommend that you buy it as soon as possible maybe at the market in Ubud.
In the shops if you notice the shoes are left out and you enter barefoot. You can see this very often in houses and islands.
9 The data network is everywhere. As soon as I arrived I got an Indonesian sim to have the connection to use maps and social networks. To my surprise I saw that many bars and restaurants offer wifi and that in the middle of the sea the phone takes great.
X but the most shocking. Most of the photos that you see in the social where you see girls with beautiful clothes that swing on fantastic swings and in the background the rice fields, the photo at the gates of paradise with water at the base and many other photos with breathtaking scenery … are a commercial stunt. In fact, for a fee with the support of local professionals I allow you to make a photo book for your social.
These are the 10 things to know about Bali that I only discovered after I was there and that Call me Claire wants to share. Let me know in the comments if you want to add any.
