168 hours in Bali, Indonesia
Bali is such a diverse island and there’s really no shortage of things to do. The welcoming culture of the Balinese, the vibrant and alive culture, the incredible value for money ratio, and the year-round pleasant climate makes Bali heaven on earth.
During our week long stay we visited three cities on the island, Uluwatu, Ubud and Seminyak. Each were very special and had plenty of places to experience. This blog post will be broken into three sub mini blogs in order to better keep all the details catered to the city.
After flying 20+ hours, you’ll finally arrive in Bali’s beautiful airport. You’ll be greeted by cat call from up above as you exit the airport from taxi drivers. If you have a driver set up, it’s best to ignore and not make eye contact. Bali’s streets are congested with motor bikes and cars, it’s best to hire a driver that can minouver through the traffic and get you where you want to go in one piece. I recommend our driver and friend, Ketut! He was referred to us by a coworker, and I’m so thankful that he was. Ketut was very thoughtful, kind, prompt and just over all a wonderful man. He drove us to all three cities and was there in each city to take us around. He took us to amazing local restaurants and had wonderful suggestions when we checked off all the items on our list. Ketut made our
visit to Bali a thousands times better and when our trip came to an end, it was sad to say goodbye to him. He became our friend and shared almost every moment with us. He even took us to his favorite temple where he would have picnics with his family when his daughter was little. His rates at the time were a total of $35 USD, each day, for 10 hours. Not sure if he plans on changing his rates, but $35 USD is a steal. We all tipped his each day and on our last day, gave him the currency we had left. He was shocked, but it was the least we could do! If you plan on visiting Bali, reach out to him on IG @ketutdetraadidriver. Feel free to reach out to me for is phone number if you are serious about needing his services!
When preparing for this trip I read it was best to take out money at the airport because there weren’t a lot of ATM machines outside the airport. Not only is this false, but the ATM’s in the airport have a maximum of 100 USD. There are ATM’s just about everywhere, especially where it’s more city like, that allow you to withdraw more than 100 USD. Many restaurants and cafes take credit or debit cards but if you plan to shop or eat from street vendors, you’ll need cash.
The food in Bali was sensational, everything was fresh and organic. Each cafe, restaurant and even hotel service was more and more delicious. Experiencing how fresh food can be makes me resentful towards the states. I hate that you have to far away from the States in order to experience fresh-organic-real food that you can trust. The presentation of each dish was beautifully done that I almost felt guilty messing it
up. My favorite local dish is the mengerang noodles and rice with fish chips, topped with a Bintang lemon beer. This dish is similar to chowmein or fried rice but served with an egg and tastes much nicer! I tried not to eat the same dish throughout my stay but it was my go-to when I didn’t know what to order. Apparently there’s mengerang noodles here in the states that you can make at home, similar to ramen. I’ve yet to try it but Im looking forward to trying it out.
Packing for Bali was a little overwhelming, mainly because everything needed to fit into my carry on. I decided to take the plunge and purchase the Away Bigger Carry On. This bag is definitely a game changer. My previous bag was awesome and I was able to fit a lot in it as well but once I extended it, the likelihood of it not fitting in the above compartment and being checked was high. The Away bag fit everything without an extender.
Key items to pack besides your cute outfits is sunblock, bug spray, hydration tablets and imodium. Each will play a vital role during your stay. Despite Bali’s rush into modernity, it can still be dangerous to your health. “Bali Belly” is a real thing. You cannot drink the tap water (or even brush your teeth with it) and should be weary of where you choose to eat. The best
advice I can give here, is just to trust your gut. If the place doesn’t feel safe, don’t risk it. I always look to make sure theres a good crowd eating there. Luckily I didn’t get sick but having imodium around just in case is a good idea. Mosquitos and bugs are no joke,
especially if you have sweet blood. We purchased bug repellant from Duty Free, you can also buy some from any pharmacy or grocery store if you forget. If you plan on being out, exploring for the majority of you stay, definitely bring hydration tablets called Nuun. These tablets come in different flavors that you pop into a water bottle, easy to drink and you’ll never feel parched.
I am excited to dive into all the details of each city and share with you some of my favorite temples that I hope you go see for yourself. Hopefully these basics help you plan accordingly for your adventure. Comment below if you have any questions!
