Bali

Bali, bali, bali!

Say a few times more and you will accidentally slip your tongue and pronounce 'beli' instead. Beli, in Malay means 'to buy'. And that is what you really do when in Bali. To enter Bali, you need to 'beli' flight tickets and book hotel rooms - for a start.

I would like to share some of the experiences and tips if you are planning your next holiday in Bali.

MAKE SURE IT DOES NOT OCCUR DURING NYEPI

Nyepi is the beginning of a new year for the Hindu calendar. Unlike other cultural celebration that is full of revelry, merry making and hoo haas, Nyepi is really a very quiet occasion, literally. It is the opposite of Bali in other time of the year. No one is allowed outside, and according to a balinese, there is no tv program aired too. The airport is closed during this period.

YOU NEED AN EMBARKATION CARD.

When you are a foreigner, remember that you are not entering a country called Bali. You are entering Indonesia. For that, you will need an embarkation card and a customs declaration card filled up before passing the immigration counter in Ngurah Rai Airport. That was what the Airasia flight crew failed to dispense on board en route to Bali. 

Never mind about that, just make sure to look for one when you are in the airport building. The embarkation cards are placed on a counter. When things get crazy, remember to look for it all strewn on the floor.

If you don’t, you will be asked to fill one, at the same time, wasting time and got skipped over by the next person in line. It does not look good when you have to re- enter the line again. 

REMEMBER TO BRING A PEN, ALWAYS.

The pen is important at least, right until you reached your temporary abode. You will need to fill in all sorts of forms as required by the country's regulation. You cannot expect to borrow one as other people, like yourself, are rushing to get the immigration part over with. In addition, the pen is a great help to entertain the bored child with some doodling, while allowing the parents to settle some world issues.

PLAN AN ITINERARY HERE

The whole island is worthy of a visit. There are activities ranging from the sea till the highlands. Unplanned, you may end up visiting mainly temples.

You can also hire the "Pak supir" or driver to bring you around to places of interest. They usually have an itinerary prepared for you, which can be customized. The taxi driver who brought us from the airport to the hotel offered IDR 600 000 per day. That is way too expensive. We managed to get another Pak supir who offered us IDR 350 000 per day. Prices ranging from IDR 300 000 - IDR 350 000 per day are quite reasonable.  

Depending on the type of traveler you are, here are example of places that you must visit when you are in Bali. 

The northern area:

Kintamani - there is an active volcanic mountain here. Its previous eruption created a cauldron that is now filled with water to create a majestic looking lake. Have a meal here while enjoying the view. There is a halal restaurant here serving buffet meals at IDR 100,000 per head.

Danau Batur, Kintamani

On the way up to Kintamani, there are many temples. Different tour operators will bring tourist to different preferred temples. You might be brought to Goa Gajah temple, which has a rock formation that looks like an elephant, and Tirtha Empul, which has a spring water that makes it sacred. In my opinion, skipping the temples is fine. The man made temples are all similar. What make the temples different is the natural attractions each temple provides. 

Goa Gajah Temple

On the way down, you will see lots of fruit stalls as the district is the main producer of various tropical fruits. Stopping at any one of the fruit stalls may not be part of your itinerary with your operator. If you wish to sample a local fruit, ask for a stop by. 

While in an agricultural area, you will be brought to the 'kopi luwak' farm. For the uninitiated, kopi luwak's coffee beans are taken from the poo of the civet. At the farm, you can see the main star that defines "luwak" in kopi luwak - the always sleeping civet. Be sure to taste some of the coffee here as a cuppa can cost hundreds of ringgit in Jakarta. Here, pay IDR 50,000 to taste a cup and get free samples of other variants of coffee - bali coffee, coffee infused with ginger, lemongrass infused coffee, lemon infused tea - you get the idea.

Rejoiced and refreshed from the after effect of coffee, you will now head to the beautiful terraced paddy field. You will most probably stopped by Tengalalang area for this rustic view. 

Tengalalang terraced rice field

Ubud:

There are many shops in Ubud. It looks uptrend with shops selling various artworks - paintings, decorative lights, woodcrafts. According to our operator, the things there are quite costly. It is ok if you have money to burn. 

We were brought to a souvenir warehouse. It is cheap and you can buy in bulk. Name it, key chains, I love Bali tee, fridge magnet, wood craft, paintings - there are aplenty to pick and choose for family and friends back home. There are many souvenir warehouse in Bali. The other one I frequently see in the local itinerary is the 'Sukawati' market. 

Souvenirs sold in the ubiquitous souvenirs shop.

Southern Bali:

Tanah Lot: it is yet another temple. The unique thing about it is the location it takes - perched on a piece of rock outcrop at the seaside. The sight is unbelievable - a must visit. 

The temple at Tanah Lot

Uluwatu: it is a temple located strategically embedding itself with nature. This is a cliff overlooking the blue sea of the Indian ocean. Like Tanah Lot, this is a must visit. But beware, there are a lot of monkeys hanging around, oblivious to human visitors. Do not provoke them though. Their mischief caught a visitor when the monkey took her glasses away. These little fellas do not go bananas  over bananas. So it was of no use to coax them with your bananas. Local workers there will entice them with a different food instead - nuts. Luckily she got back her glasses. 

Uluwatu view

Both Tanah Lot and Uluwatu are better visited in the evening, in time for  sunset. 

Dances: the two dances that you should not miss are the Barong and the Kecak dance. It will complete your visit here. The Barong dance has been made less serious and more fun for tourists. If you are with children, I will have to forewarn you that some of the acts are for adults only view. You might want to leave the children out.  Kecak dance is conducted at 6 in the evening in Uluwatu.  

Carriage horse ride: Well, this may not be the thing to do for bachelors. The horse ride is a must if you are with a kid who would benefit from experiential learning on what a horse is and what it feels like riding in a horse driven carriage. It may provide a quality time for the family and for the burgeoning lovers too. If you plan to ride on one, you can easily flag them down. The opening price is IDR 700 000, again, which is very expensive. In another blog, it mentioned that the ride should cost only IDR 130 000 to IDR 150 000. We managed to settle at IDR 150 000 for a ride from Kuta to Legian and back to Kuta.

The eduational horse ride. Photo credit: www.balidiscovery.com/

PREPARE LOTS OF MONEY

As 80% of the island's economy depends on tourism, be sure to bring along enough cash. You will need to pay upon entering Kintamani highland district, into Tengalalang subdistrict, into Tanah lot, all tourist sites entry point and to the unofficial guide - if you accidentally engage their services. And it is not cheap either. A few ways to solve this issue. One, is to be dependent on your operator who drives you around for the explanation. If he has a heavy mouth, but you think that he knows lots of stuff, probe him. Another way is to get a book on Bali and bring it along as you tour. Lastly, just pay for the extra services on site, although you have paid the entry fee earlier. 

You will need small changes for the taxi ride as well.

BEWARE OF THE MONEY EXCHANGERS

I found that the exchange rate in Bali is better than home. You might want to change some here. But beware, not everybody is in for an honest business. There is a syndicate operating along Bakungsari road who will try to scam unwary tourist. The modus operandi, first, they will lure you by advertising a too good to be true exchange rate. In the shop you will notice one thing, the counter top is very high and there is a reason for that. After they have showed you the amount of Indonesian rupiah and you are satisfied with it, instead of you taking it away, the exchanger will pretend to take the money on the pretext of handing them over to you, but while doing that, he will drop some notes into the open drawer. The high counter top is to provide some cover up of their short change tactics. 

To protect yourself from being a victim, always count and recount the exchange given to you yourself. Never be in a rush when exchanging your currency. You will also have to be wary when you notice that the exchange rate displayed is way better than the others. If the differences is too marked, it should give you a hunch.

TAXI TO THE RESCUE

One particular thing that I really like in Bali is, there are lots of taxi available. Stopping one is easy, the drivers will take you anywhere and the charges are according to the meter. As far as I can recall, all the drivers are well mannered. There is no haggling, no grumbling, no venting off frustrations to the unwilling ears - unlike the taxis in KL. 

FOOD

Bali is a food haven for foodists. But for muslims it is a bane. Almost all "makanan Padang" is halal for consumption. There are many more, but if you wish to go for better and slightly luxurious food, try Bale Udang Mang Engking along Jalan Nakula, in Legian. Any recommendation by locals - go ahead, try them. Jimbaran area is famous for its seafood. But as I have discovered in many blogs, it can be quite expensive. Further, their halal status is questionable too. 

STAY

The best place to stay would be near the beaches. The reason is, you will not be at loss of activities when you have completed your itineraries. Beaches provide a hive of activities to see and do. Go for a massage, a swim in the sea, a stroll or just simply hang around on the beach. Back home - these are rare things. 

Kuta Beach

So, these are some of the reflections that can be converted into tips when one goes to Bali for a holiday. Hope these accounts help.