Practical Tips for Traveling to Bali

The Indonesian island of Bali is located between the islands of Java and Lombok and belongs to the Lesser Sunda Islands archipelago. You’ll find many beautiful beaches, expansive rice terraces, stunning waterfalls, volcanoes, and countless Hindu temples here. Bali is a place that certainly has a lot to offer. If you’re considering a visit or have already decided to go, you’ll definitely appreciate some general advice.

• When is the best weather on Bali?
• Where to find the cheapest flights?
• What is the best travel insurance?
• What visas are required for Indonesia?
• Are vaccinations needed for Bali?
• Where and how to find cheap accommodation?
• How does public transport and taxi work on Bali?
• What do you need to ride a scooter?
• Where are the most beautiful beaches on Bali?
• What currency is used on Bali and how to pay?
• Is tap water drinkable on Bali?
• Do you need an adapter for sockets on Bali?
• Where and how to buy a SIM card?
• Where to buy the cheapest fast boat tickets?

When is the Best Weather on Bali?

Bali has relatively stable weather, so you can visit at any time of the year. If you love warm weather, Bali is definitely the right choice, as it is located in the tropical climate zone, just 8° south of the equator. The temperature is relatively stable, around 30°C. There are no such things as spring, summer, etc. in Bali; instead, there are just two seasons – the dry season and the rainy season. It’s also very important to consider which part of the island you’re currently in. It’s worth noting that Bali’s highest mountain, Agung, stands at over 3,000 meters above sea level, and in its surroundings, as well as other high-altitude areas, you certainly shouldn’t expect temperatures in the 30s. There, temperatures can drop to as low as 15–18°C. This is also an advantage of Bali, because if you’ve had enough of the high temperatures, you can easily head to the mountains.

Dry Season:
The dry season on Bali runs from April to October. During this period, expect daytime temperatures by the ocean to reach up to 30°C. Just because it’s dry doesn’t mean it doesn’t rain at all. Rain showers are shorter, less intense, and often occur at night rather than during the day. Another advantage of this period is that the ocean will be much cleaner. The downside might be that there are more tourists, and thus prices for flights, accommodations, scooter rentals, and tours can be higher. The peak season is usually in July and August, during the “European” summer holidays. Conditions for experienced surfers are better during this period because the waves are higher and the ocean is cleaner. The wind on the western side of the island creates ideal surfing conditions. If you are a beginner surfer, you don’t need to worry about the conditions because you will be learning almost at the shore.

Rainy Season:
The rainy season on Bali lasts from November to March. During this period, temperatures can rise above 30°C, often reaching up to 35°C, and the water in the ocean is warmer too. Higher temperatures combined with more frequent rainfall mean very high humidity. If you decide to visit during this period, it’s essential to check and occasionally air out your clothes. Besides encountering frequent heavy rains, it’s also important to note that these rains cause more garbage in the ocean and on the beaches. Surfers will prefer the eastern side of the island. The lower number of visitors during the rainy season definitely has its advantages, especially when it comes to prices. Most visitors will appreciate shorter lines at tourist spots.

Where to Find the Cheapest Flights?

The selection of flights and airlines is quite extensive, and prices can change quickly depending on demand. For initial searches, we recommend using Google Flights. Here, you can find a flight that best suits your needs and then purchase the ticket directly from the airline’s website.

Generally speaking, a good price for a round-trip ticket is around 25,000 CZK and includes only one stopover. Flight prices from Prague and Vienna are comparable.

What is the Best Travel Insurance?

There is a wide variety of travel insurance options on the market. You might already have a favorite. If you do, the only thing you need to check with your insurer is whether the policy includes coverage for COVID-19-related expenses, as this is a requirement for Indonesia. If you haven’t yet found your preferred insurance, we recommend looking into AXA’s insurance. Not only have we verified that some of their policies include COVID-19 coverage, but you can also find coupons online for up to 55% off their insurance. Another interesting option is travel insurance from ČPP, where you can easily add COVID-19 coverage as part of the policy. The required coverage for this illness is then 25,000 USD.

What Visas Are Required for Indonesia?

This section provides information on tourist visas; we will not cover business visas. More Here.

Stay for 30 Days, Maximum 60 Days:
The standard visa that most tourists apply for to stay in Indonesia is the thirty-day visa. These visas can be extended once if needed. VOA visas can be arranged upon entry into the country at the airport. Another option is to apply online, which can be done on the Immigration Department’s website. In both cases, the visa will cost around 750 CZK. Online visas can also be extended online. Regarding the extension of visas purchased at the airport, the process is somewhat bureaucratic and definitely requires several visits to the immigration office. To simplify the process, we recommend using our or another agent’s services, who can reduce your visits from three to one. The time spent at immigration can also be reduced to under an hour. This makes it more appealing and definitely worth the extra few rupiahs.

Stay for 60 Days, Extendable up to 180 Days:
These visas are for people who know they want to spend 60 days or more on Bali or elsewhere in Indonesia. These are called B211A visas. For arranging these visas, we highly recommend using our agent’s services, who will handle all the paperwork for you. If you still decide to go it alone, expect to make at least one visit to the Indonesian embassy, where you will need to provide the following documents: a visa application form, a return ticket, a photocopy of your passport valid for at least 6 months after your return, your photo (from the shoulders up), and a bank statement with a balance of at least 30,000 CZK. As for extensions, these visas can be extended twice, each time for 60 days. If you want to stay in Indonesia even longer, you will unfortunately need to leave the country. As for extensions, it’s the same bureaucracy as with VOA. We recommend using an agent’s services, who can reduce your immigration office visits from three every two months to one every six months. Each extension costs approximately 4,500 CZK (3,000,000 IDR). For more information and to connect with agents, please contact us.

Are Vaccinations Needed for Bali?

The great news is that, finally, after a very long time, vaccination against COVID-19 is not required to enter the country. Currently, no vaccinations are required for entry into the country at all. However, this doesn’t mean you should completely ignore the matter. There are vaccinations recommended for Indonesia.

Vaccinations that are not mandatory but only recommended include rabies, typhoid, and hepatitis A and B. There is also a new option today for dengue fever vaccination, which infects up to 50 million people annually. Whether or not you get these vaccinations is entirely up to you. If you’re interested in any of these vaccinations, you can contact your doctor or visit the Avenier Vaccination Centre (https://www.ockovacicentrum.cz), where experienced staff will be happy to advise you.

Where and How to Find Cheap Accommodation?

For finding accommodation, we recommend using Booking, Agoda, or Airbnb. When it comes to accommodation, Bali offers a wide range of options, from the cheapest shared rooms, homestays, hostels, and hotels, to top-notch resorts. Availability is truly vast, so it’s up to you what kind of accommodation you have in mind.

From our experience, we strongly recommend that you do not stay in one place for your entire visit to Bali. Although the distances between destinations may not seem insurmountable, the roads are often congested, and daily trips could become unnecessarily strenuous for you. Therefore, divide the island into several parts, find accommodation in each, and explore its beauty from there.

It’s also important to know that at most accommodations, you can handle your basic needs in English. If you’re worried about a language barrier, there’s also the option to find accommodation with Czech owners. For some, such a wide range of options might seem overwhelming, so if you have any concerns, feel free to reach out to us, and we’ll be happy to help you choose.

How Does Public Transport and Taxi Work on Bali?

Although buses do run on Bali, the truth is that due to traffic jams, it’s quite hard to rely on them. If you’re here on holiday and don’t feel confident renting and driving a scooter, there are several options for getting around the island. It always depends on what you currently have planned.

There’s the option to use taxis (BlueBird), but there are also cheaper transport options. Just like in Europe, where people commonly use Uber and Bolt, there are similar apps here. These are Grab and GoJek. Be sure to download them to your phone and start using them on the island. Prices for both these apps are comparable to prices for Bolt in the Czech Republic, for example. GoJek has a small advantage; it’s an app that focuses on everything possible. In addition to transportation, you can also use it for food delivery or purchase a SIM card. However, be aware that you can’t use these services at the airport, as these companies do not have a license here.

What Do You Need to Ride a Scooter?

If you decide to rent a scooter, there are several things to keep in mind. Before renting, be sure to check that you have your international driver’s license with you. Without it, it’s not worth trying to rent a scooter. This is one of the things that the police could fine you for during a traffic stop. Another thing worth having is an International Motor Insurance Card. Should anything happen, you can avoid costly treatment or at least be reimbursed. When renting a scooter, make sure you take pictures of the entire scooter so you won’t have to pay for damage you didn’t cause later. Finally, always drive carefully, and don’t forget your helmet.

Where are the most beautiful beaches in Bali?

That’s really a tough question. You can find beautiful beaches almost everywhere on Bali, so it’s crucial to think about what exactly you’re looking for in a beach. Are you interested in snorkeling? Calm waters for swimming? Surfing? We will categorize the beaches based on different criteria.

SWIMMING AND CALMER WATERS

For swimming in calmer waters, we recommend three beaches in the south of the island: Nusa Dua, Timbis, and Jimbaran. These beaches not only have smaller waves, but they are also purely sandy, making swimming there more enjoyable and safer. On the northern side of the island, you can find calmer beaches on the west, around Amed, or on the east, near Menjangan Island.

SURFING

Surfing is a category in itself. It’s essential to consider whether you’re a beginner surfer or an experienced wave rider. For beginners, we recommend the beaches in Kuta. For the more advanced, it’s wise to check the current surfing conditions. Generally, during the dry season, it’s better to focus on the beaches on the west side of the island, and during the rainy season, it’s better to head to the east.

SNORKELING AND DIVING

Snorkeling and diving go hand in hand, and if you’re going to Bali, you shouldn’t miss visiting Amed or Menjangan, where you’ll find the most coral and other interesting things. Another place worth mentioning is Nusa Penida, an island about 30 minutes by boat from Bali, where you can commonly see manta rays and, at certain times of the year, the rare ocean sunfish. Another spot worth mentioning is the Gili Islands. They are located near Lombok, but are still very accessible and frequently visited from Bali. The minimum time needed to get to the islands by boat is two hours. Please remember, though, that the ocean is unpredictable, and the journey can be extended due to poor conditions. If conditions do not allow for the departure of smaller and faster boats, you can also take a ferry (5-6 hours) from Padangbai (Bali) to the port of Lembar (Lombok). After that, you will need to transfer across the island (taxi) to the smaller port of Bangsal, from where local transportation departs for the Gili Islands: Gili Air, Gili Meno, and Gili Trawangan. Near the middle-mentioned island, you’ll find an underwater statue, and around all of them, there are corals and a high chance of encountering turtles.

SAND COLOR

It can be said that in the south of the island, you can mostly expect yellow beaches, while in the north, there are black beaches.

CLIFFS AND VIEWPOINTS

Bali is home to many cliffs and viewpoints. However, the most famous of them all, which you probably know from travel brochures, is not located on the island of Bali but on the aforementioned island of Nusa Penida. It is generally known as T-rex Beach.

RESTAURANTS AND SUNSETS

Sunsets on Bali are often an unforgettable experience. On the west side of the island, you can find many places to enjoy them. We will list just a few examples: Tanah Lot Temple, the cliff above Dreamland or Balangan Beach, Kuta Beach, Canggu, and lastly, we can’t forget Jimbaran Beach. Here, in addition to the largest fish and seafood market, you will also find countless restaurants offering pre-set menus of fish and seafood. Tables are often set up directly on the beach, allowing you to enjoy not only the sunset but also great food.

DANGER OF CURRENTS

Finally, we would like to mention the possible danger of ocean currents, which can be very strong in some places. You need to realize that you are at the ocean, not the Mediterranean Sea. If you decide to swim in a place where there is no one else, please do not do so alone. Unfortunately, we must state from personal experience that in some places, even a strong swimmer who can still touch the bottom with their feet may not be able to handle the strength of the current. Please approach swimming with respect.

What currency is used in Bali and how?

CURRENCY

The official currency of all of Indonesia is the Indonesian Rupiah (IDR). You can find the current exchange rate at www.google.com/finance/quote/CZK-IDR. The currency, like in our country, is divided into coins and banknotes. Coins exist in denominations of 100, 200, 500, and 1,000 IDR, and banknotes in amounts from 1,000 to 100,000 IDR.

EXCHANGE OFFICES AND RATES

A common question is whether it is better to bring euros or dollars on vacation. The exchange rate is variable, so it’s very hard to say which currency would be more advantageous for you. Regardless of what you choose, we strongly recommend using larger exchange offices – ideally those with a camera system inside. Here, you have a minimal chance of being cheated. It’s better to avoid small, hidden booths marked as exchange offices. Although a better exchange rate may tempt you, counting the exchanged money is challenging. This is mainly because the highest denomination is worth around 150 CZK.

ATM WITHDRAWALS

In general, it’s no problem to withdraw cash from ATMs in Bali. If you don’t want to carry a large amount of foreign currency that covers your entire vacation, withdrawing from ATMs is an ideal solution. Our best experience here is with the blue ATMs of Mandiri Bank (maximum withdrawal is 2,500,000 IDR) or the yellow ATMs of Commonwealth Bank (maximum withdrawal is 3,000,000 IDR). If you need to withdraw a higher amount, you can make multiple withdrawals in succession. If you decide to use ATM withdrawals, we still recommend bringing a small amount of cash (euros or dollars). This is just in case your card or nearby ATMs don’t work. Before going on vacation, contact your bank and inform them that you’re going to Indonesia. It could happen that if you don’t, your card might be temporarily blocked. It’s better to sort these things out beforehand than to handle them from here (just because of call costs).

Is tap water drinkable in Bali?

DEFINITELY NOT. Please take this advice to heart and remember that only utility water comes out of the tap in Bali. You can wash clothes, bathe, brush your teeth, wash dishes, or cook in it, but you should definitely not drink it. Even the locals do not drink tap water.

You can buy water on every corner, and most accommodations offer refills of your bottle from a gallon for free or for a fee. If this option is not available at your accommodation, you can usually buy bottled water there. If you have rented an entire property, it’s likely that you’ll find full (or empty) gallons there. These can be exchanged for full ones in all stores for about 25,000 IDR.

Do you need an adapter for the power outlet in Bali?

Every Czech traveler will be pleased to know that you don’t need any adapter or other plug on Bali. The local network is essentially the same as ours. The only thing you might occasionally need to be aware of are blackouts. Power outages are not uncommon, so we recommend bringing a power bank just in case. You will certainly find it useful while traveling. For some technical and technology enthusiasts, there may be too few sockets in the room, so if you have some spare space in your luggage, pack a power strip.

Where and how to buy a SIM card?

It’s not efficient to buy overpriced data packages from your Czech operator. Trust that it won’t be worth it. A much cheaper option is to buy a SIM card from a local operator. It’s good to know that the popular app WhatsApp can remain linked to your phone number, so your family, friends, and acquaintances won’t be confused by receiving messages from a foreign number.

From our own experience, we recommend using the operator TELKOMSEL. You can buy a SIM card immediately after landing and going through checks at the airport, but we don’t recommend this. You will get fewer data for much higher amounts there. Stalls selling SIM cards are almost everywhere. To buy a SIM card, bring your passport and the phone in which you will use the SIM. Normally, you can communicate in English at the stalls, or you can contact us and we will help arrange everything for you.

Basic Information about Bali

• Capital city: Denpasar
• Area: 5,780 km²
• Population: 4.22 million
• Language: Indonesian, Balinese
• Religion: Balinese Hinduism (over 90%), Islam, Christianity, Buddhism
• Time zone: CET +7 (winter time), +6 (summer time)
• Currency: Indonesian Rupiah (IDR)
• Telephone code: +62
• Highest mountain: Mount Agung (3,142 m above sea level)

Where to buy the cheapest tickets for the fast boat?

A proven way to purchase boat tickets, if you are planning to visit islands like Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, Gili, or Lombok, is through the form below. Here you will usually get the most favorable prices. More information at www.speedboatbali.com