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Indonesia |
| The island
of Bali is captivating, tropical and magical…the further away you get from
the tourist areas. The friendliness of its citizens is legend as is their
respect for visitors. Nudity is practiced only in a couple of places; otherwise
it's verboten. Read on... |
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U.S.
Citizens: Passports are required for international air travel to all
destinations outside the USA.
Before traveling to Bali
(or any other international destination) it is important to keep abreast of
travel advisories and warnings that may be in effect at any given time. If
you've watched the news... you probably know about potential safety issues in
Bali. We're not saying don't go, as Bali is a wonderful place... but it is up
to each individual traveler to make their own choices when it comes to
security... Please read the following.
TSA Finds Security at Bali
Bandara Ngurah Rai International Airport Does Not Meet International
Standards
WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 / -- The Transportation Security
Administration (TSA) today announced that the Bandara Ngurah Rai International
Airport in Bali, Indonesia does not meet international security standards, and
the department is taking action to warn travelers of this security deficiency.
Based on an assessment by a team of security experts from TSA, the Department
of Homeland Security has determined that the airport does not currently
maintain security measures consistent with the standards established by the
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
An unfortunate sign of the times... Warning!
The U.S. State Department has stated "terrorist
attacks in Indonesia could occur at any time and could be directed against any
location, including those frequented by foreigners, as well as identifiably
American or other Western facilities or businesses in Indonesia." Americans are
warned to "to avoid crowds, maintain a low profile, and be vigilant about
security at all times." |
The Country and its people
Bali, part of the country of
Indonesia, is an island of tropical wonder. Indonesia, northwest of Australia
and south of the Asian continent, straddles the equator and is home to millions
of citizens with diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds located on islands
dotted throughout the region. Over 3 million Balinese citizens live on their
small island; you'll find most of them living in the central, southern and
northern parts while the western and eastern regions are less densely
populated. They are polite and supremely respectful… a welcome change from
many tourism destinations we've visited.
Return their respect and courtesy toward you and you'll find them willing and
anxious to please you without being obsequious.
Only recently (about
30 years ago), Bali was thrust into the mass tourism arena after foreign
artists, writers and artisans "discovered" the island paradise in the early
20th century. Prior to that, Bali experienced hundreds of years of occupation
by local and regional factions from Java and elsewhere but eventually became a
major power in the region, home to numerous artists, artisans, priests and
aristocracy. After experiencing Dutch colonialism in Indonesia in the late 19th
and early 20th century, and domination by the Japanese during World War II,
Indonesia (and Bali) gained independence by 1950.
 Although tourism is a major engine
in today's Bali economy, agriculture and art, religion, adventure sports and
crafts still account for a strong and established component of the island's
cultural and economic makeup. Most citizens observe a local Balinese version of
Hindu while the minority religions are Christian, Moslem or Buddhist. You will
find numerous fascinating religious festivals and rituals practiced daily
throughout the island which reflect a culture refreshingly family- and
community-based.
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U.S. Citizens: Passports are
required for international air travel to all destinations outside the
USA.
Bali is 8 degrees below the equator and is due south
of Hong Kong about 4 hours by air. The small, crowded but beautiful island is
located east of Java and west of Lombok in Indonesia, a country comprising
hundreds of lush islands
About 90 miles long and 50 miles wide, Bali
is tropical, dotted with several imposing volcano peaks, thousands of rice
paddies, tropical rain forests and many lush beaches.
Surprisingly,
the weather and temps can be quite mild year round. Temps vary little with
night 70-75 F and day time 85-90 F. The island's two seasons are wet and dry.
Wet is from about early October to March.
The international air
gateway to the island is via Denpasar, the capital city of Bali. Denpasar is
served daily from world wide locations…most visitors arrive via Hong Kong,
Singapore, Tokyo, Europe or Australia. Many also arrive by boat and cruise
ships.
Expect to pay about $25-$35/person for an entry visa upon
arrival and a $10-$20/person exit tax upon departing Bali. Prices not
guaranteed, subject to change without notice.
Taxis are cheap. Driving
a rent-a-car, a Moped or motorcycle is too, until you have a fender bender or
injure a citizen…or vice versa…you can face real problems and a
serious lock up so think twice. Taxi is a preferred way to go. Try to choose a
taxi with a meter…otherwise, cut your deal with the driver before you get
in the vehicle. Most drivers speak another language so choose one who speaks
yours to avoid misunderstandings.
Hey, half the fun of travel is
encountering the local citizens…what better water to get started.
Most travel packages include airport transfers..that's the most reliable way to
reach your initial destination. You will typically be met at the airport by a
driver who speaks your language.
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Just about any type of hotel, resort, restaurant, bistro,
bar, night club, shop, sports and personal service are available throughout
Bali. The best feature of resort selections, restaurants and personal services
in Bali is:
They're about half the price of similar services in
typical North American or European establishments.
 If Bali only recently discovered tourism (within
the last 30 years), the country has made up for lost time and learned fast! You
will find a finely tuned tourism infrastructure throughout the island. Most
services are there that you would expect in any established tourist venue in
the tropics. Bali even has an exclusive Galleria and duty free shopping zone
for upmarket items and fine goods.
In addition to sight seeing by
vehicle or tour, the island is small enough for you to hike through villages
and down local paths. Some places, you can even find village guest houses to
stay in for the night for hardly any cost, but the village leader would find it
courteous for you to make a  contribution to the local cause. Note: Such accommodations
can be very basic: A roof over your head, a room to sleep in and a hole in the
floor for your toilet…just aim and hope for the best!
Visits to
towns, tourist areas, shops and beaches are popular. Trekking, hiking and
biking are popular as well. Arguably, the most wide spread water sports
activities include hanging out at the beach, surfing, diving, snorkeling and
sailing.
Rooms
 Most
accommodations in Bali are sold nightly on a room only basis. Simple one room
cottages abound for back packers to private luxury villas for millionaires and
everyone in between throughout the island.
All inclusive plans (with
room, meals, drinks, entertainment, taxes, tips and service charges) are not
found in Bali, with the possible exception of the Club Med resort in Nusa Dua.
Adult only accommodations are available primarily via rental of private villas
on the island and in Nusa Dua plus certain locations in the countryside.
 A favorite style of resorts in Bali
is the individual bungalow with private plunge pool found in certain plush
resorts in the Ayung Valley and other tropical locations inland. Such resorts
are typically smaller (less than 50 rooms) compared to the big chain hotels.
These resorts offer romantic privacy coupled with luxury services and drop dead
views from your private bungalow built with native materials. Many of the
properties have been featured in major tourism publications such as Conde Nast
Traveler and Travel + Leisure Magazine.
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Visitors will find virtually every variety of food and
drink in Bali.
 Western, Oriental, Asian,
Indonesian, Balinese cuisine and even fast food restaurants are located in most
major tourism towns including Kuta, Sanur and Legian and Jimbaran. If you're
looking for the finest choices in dining and best chain hotels and
accommodations with restaurants on site, stay in Nusa Dua. This upscale resort
area is "homogenized" and compares to the big resort sites like Cancun. For
local flavor, choose to stay elsewhere on the island. Otherwise, meals
elsewhere on the island are about half the price you would find anywhere in the
world. We found a fine meal for two people in most places cost about US $10-$15
but prices may vary. Drinks extra.
Wine is about twice as expensive
compared to most place while beer and mixed drinks are priced similarly to
North American and European tariffs.
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Typical hotel room costs range from a few dollars/night to
accommodations in excess of $1,000/room/night (plus meals, drinks, taxes and
tips).
A typical room cost for nice chain hotels range from
$75-$200/night, double occupancy. Most chain hotels include breakfast, taxes
and tips in their packages.
Typical government tax and service tips
are included in the price of a room, a restaurant tab or bar
bill…..usually about 20% of the total. Rates are subject to change without
notice.
NOTE As stated earlier, the cheaper accommodations are very
basic: A roof over your head, a room to sleep in and a hole in the floor for
your toilet…just aim and hope for the best!
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Bali is for singles, couples, kids, grannies and families
alike. You will see all ages from babies to senior citizens throughout
Bali…visitors, tourists and villages alike. And, senior citizens are a
respected part of society on Bali.
We found younger folks to be fun
and approachable plus they are very interested in inquiring about your
country.
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Bali is captivating, tropical and magical…the further
away you get from the tourist areas. The friendliness of its citizens is legend
as is their respect for visitors. And, most service employees, tourism
providers and vendors speak English or other foreign languages.
If you
use a few words for greetings or thanks in Balinese, they may laugh at your
attempt to use their words but will respect for your use of their language.
 The island is green everywhere and
even more so in the countryside where it seems a rice paddy grows at every turn
or there is an artisan, wood carver, stone mason or artist at work down every
village lane. Whole villages in Bali are known for their specific artistic
talents. If you're a shopper or collector of arts and crafts, you will enjoy
yourself in Bali.
Most tourism zones in the southern and central part
of the island are crowded with both visitors as well as locals, who seem to
enjoy the prosperity from tourist (your) presence ….motor bikes and cars
are everywhere, thanks to tourism and its relative prosperity.
 Streets vendors abound in most vacation spots
including Kuta, Legian, Ubud, Sanur, Jimbaran and other heavily traveled areas.
Half the fun of visiting Bali is trading with the street vendors. We found the
native Balinese are truly polite and ultimately respectful of visitors and
guests alike….similar to the citizens of Thailand.. You may find the few
pushy vendors may be actually immigrants from other islands or nations.
Having stated all the caveats, we found true Balinese even in towns,
in the highlands and in the villages to be supremely respectful and
courteous….as part of their culture you will be treated with the utmost
kindness. Trips to the countryside and to local villages will take you to the
foundations of where Balinese customs originated.
The island is home
to approximately 3 million citizens of Indonesia who call themselves Balinese,
culturally and religiously somewhat different from citizens in their
neighboring islands of Indonesia. In addition, they speak Balinese, different
from Indonesian and you will find numerous other daily rituals and habits that
are wonderfully and uniquely Balinese.
 For beach ambiance to a flavor of
the countryside or even mountain accommodations, you have hundreds of resort
properties to choose from. Guest house and hostels cost a few dollars a night
to luxury resorts that top out at $1,000 or more a night…not including
meals or drink!
Select accommodations from the biggest resort names
and chains in the business to the smallest hut on the beach or in a village.
The big ones include: Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton, Hyatt, Club Med, Sheraton,
Westin, Melia, Le Meridien, Hard Rock and more. However, we enjoyed beach side
accommodations, great little cliff side bungalows or romantic resorts in lush,
tropical valleys overlooking rice paddies and rivers more than formula
resorts.
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Tourism
Due to Bali's long established
cultural history and religious foundation, visitors will find no public nude
beaches. If you find a deserted beach along parts of the island's eastern or
western beaches, consider yourself lucky if you decide to sunbathe nude. Hey,
you can take your chances and push the rules, but the local reaction to public
nudity can be unpredictable and may well be against the law: Legal or
religious.
A couple of resorts offer nude diversions: Bali Au Naturel
in Buleleng attracts both straight and gay clientele in its complex of three
villas on site, about 2.5 hours from Denpasar. The owners actually operate two
resorts: One is for a mix of clients (at Bali Au Naturel) and the other is gay
only near Denpasar.
Another resort for "hedonistic couples only" near
Canggu features 7 air conditioned villas less than 20 minutes by car to Kuta,
Legian and Seminyak where during the day and night time you can find anything
you want for a very pleasant stay in Bali: Shops "shop till you drop”,
restaurants, bars, disco's. The beach is about 200 mtrs from the resort.
Amenities include a large playground, a chill-out dining room and a
swimming-pool of 25 x 10 meter with a large “dreambed”. The whole
resort is separated by a large wall from the outdoor world.
However, in
major tourist areas (read: "where the money is" at beach resorts in the
southern parts of Bali at Kuta, Nusa Dua and Sanur), you'll find women enjoying
topless sunbathing and beaching...without any hassle. Paradoxically, even
though Bali's culture is religiously conservative, in major tourist centers in
Kuta and elsewhere, single women may find attention from "Kuta cowboys," young
men who make themselves available for companionship and entertainment. In
addition, the local scene also includes and embraces gays and lesbians; neither
is considered illegal in Bali. In fact, drag queen shows are popular and are
held several times weekly at clubs in tourism areas.
Adding further to
the confusion, in some of the villages in the countryside, some husbands may
have more than one wife….legally and religiously.
Go figure.
Unquestionably, the heart of the tourism fun and games is in Kuta,
overrun with shops, restaurants, hotels, bars, bistros, beaches (great for
surfing) and all types of humanity in between. This variety ranges from locals
hoping to make a quick buck off the visitors to tourists enjoying great little,
economical guest houses for $10/night to upscale, garden villas with private
plunge pools at $200/night. Kuta has it all: Crowded, tropical, economical,
party bars, surfing (dudes), nightlife and shopping, street vendors (dollar
men…buy it for a "dollah"!) and lots more.
Speaking of "dollahs,
" we found Bali to be about the, least expensive international location we've
ever visited. Your bucks go a long way on Bali and it's a shopper's Mecca for
art, crafts, woodworking, clothing, accommodations, transport, food and drink.
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There are no nude legal nude beaches in Bali and only
two resorts where you can be nude. |
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But, with numerous other properties to choose from,
many offer private plunge pools where you can let it all hang out…albeit
privately. This is fun where some of the villas with a private pool can
accommodate two couples or more. |
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On many tourism beaches, you will topless sunbathing
accepted. |
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The Balinese are great citizens and respectful of
visitors and citizens alike. Typically, any vendor you may encounter who
appears to be pushy are usually immigrants from other countries. |
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Bali is arguably one of the greenest, most lush
tropical island destinations you may find on earth. |
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Bali is one of the least expensive tourism
destinations worldwide. |
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Traffic can be congested in the city centers of
Denpasar, Kuta, Jimbarren and even in the more popular beachside resort areas
such as Sanur. |
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The least populated parts of the island are the
western and eastern ends of Bali. |
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The range of resort and hotel accommodations in Bali
is extremely diverse and you will enjoy great value for your money. |
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Bali is a year-round destination. Rainy season is usually
October-March.
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Our only wishe would be for the introduction of nude
beaches in Bali.
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• View the Photo
Album
Click on the Photo Album button to view personal photos of
Bali. You can contribute to this section - all you have to do is go to our
Contribute Trip Report /
Photographs page.
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• View the Trip
Reports
You have our report, now we need more trip reports from from
folks who have recently visited Bali. You can contribute to this section - all
you have to do is go to our Contribute Trip Report / Photographs page.
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