Your trip to Bali is finally coming to fruition. Ahh, that sweet feeling of having a trip to jet off to soon! You’ve decided your outfits and shortlisted the places you want to visit. Your YouTube and Insta feed is currently filled with dreamy travel vlogs of Bali. But wait! There’s always more to a vlog than what meets the eye. Read on to find out what critical travel information you may be missing out on about Bali on these vlogs.
Be wary of the taxi mafia/transportation
Consider the cost you’ll spend on taxis when deciding upon a budget for your Bali trip. The island is notorious for its taxi mafia, who overcharge and do not allow drivers associated with app-based taxi services such as Grab and Gojek to operate in touristy areas. The way out is to rent a scooter for shorter distances. However, even those won’t be spared on longer distances and during busy times. This leads to the next lesson: account for time spent commuting when you plan your daily itineraries.
The Bali swing is overrated!
Hardly anyone will tell you this. So be relieved if you always thought it to be a bit of a tourist scam, and think again if you’re expecting it to be your princess (or prince) moment. The Bali swing is pricey, you often need to wait in a queue, and you’ll also need to hire a photographer to get decent photos while you fake channel your inner diva (or dude) when being pushed upwards into the sky, with tight fat ropes gluing you onto the swing. Plus it’s over too soon (I got just ten pushes, lol).
In hindsight, it would have been more enjoyable to be on the swing without the dress and photo hullabaloo. Spend time exploring the rice terraces and the activities they offer instead. You can easily spend a wonderful day soaking in the scenery. If you really want to, rent just the dress and get some lovely shots by the photo setups at the terraces. They will be equally, if not more, beautiful.
Ferry chaos
Taking ferries from Bali and its surrounding islands is quite an adventure. Multiple vendors offer tickets at different prices and there is no way for you, as a first-time tourist, to ascertain the extent of truth in what the sellers “claim” about the ferry (its timings, facilities, etc.). We got fooled twice, being told we were booking an AC ferry when the actual ferries turned out to be pretty basic. There is also extreme frenzy and confusion at the harbor. Hardly anyone knows when or where their ferry will turn up, and once it does, there is a scramble to deposit one’s luggage and enter. The seats (at least on all three ferries we boarded during our trip) are free-for-all; you pay to book a seat on the ferry, not any specific seat number. So don’t be too late! You don’t want to end up sitting on the floor of the ferry’s deck, or worse, inside the ferry, especially during longer travel times. But don’t be too early either; the ferries hardly ever run on time!
Trust a “Warung” for local food
If you want delicious local food at a good price, go to a cafe with “Warung,” which translates in English into “shop,” in its name. Some of these places may seem humble, but a look at the menu and freshly-served food will tell you that they are your best bet to experiment with local food, be it mie goreng, gado gado, or nasi campur.
Skip Gili T; spend more time at Nusa Penida instead
Gili T’s popularity has soared exponentially in recent years, and most organized tours now include a stay in the island in their itinerary. However, I wouldn’t recommend visiting unless you are interesting in partying and nightlife. Food, stay, and commodities are priced significantly higher on the island, which is straining under the weight of the countless hordes landing on its 7-km shoreline, and doesn’t offer many options to experience the local culture or cuisine. The island’s also a haven for free availability of drugs. The horses you’ve seen people fawn over in their travel videos are malnourished and exploited.
Pick Nusa Penida instead for a quieter, more authentic experience and for its breathtaking natural sights. Visit the beaches early in the morning or post 4pm (but before the sunset). Most tourists take a day trip to the island on ferries operating between Bali and Nusa Penida between 9am and 4pm, leaving the beaches super empty outside of these hours.
Uluwatu must not be missed, but spend the night there
If you plan a day visit to Uluwatu from Seminyak, Kuta, or Ubud, you will waste hours stuck in traffic, especially toward the evening and in the night. We travelled to Uluwatu from Kuta and it took us almost two-and-a-half hours to cover a 23-km journey on our way back in the night. Result: We reached when most eating places in Kuta had shut, leading to a very unsatisfactory last meal of the trip.
Do yourself a favor and spend the night in Uluwatu instead. That way, you get to take in the unique charm of the place and also save the stress and time of navigating serpentine queues leading into and out of the Uluwatu temple and the town.
There’s a reason Bali continues to draw a large number of tourists throughout the year despite the cultural and environmental decline it has faced over the past years. These tips should leave you better prepared to handle many of the hassles you are likely to face during your trip. But if you still end up in a tricky spot, don’t worry. People in Bali are extremely generous hosts and will help you out. So go ahead and make the most of your trip, and do try to extend the same kindness and respect to its people that they extend to us 😊
Travel smarter, live wiser 