{"id":17176,"date":"2014-07-16T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-07-16T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/stories\/?p=17176"},"modified":"2021-10-28T16:38:48","modified_gmt":"2021-10-28T16:38:48","slug":"bali-for-first-timers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/stories\/bali-for-first-timers\/","title":{"rendered":"Bali for first-timers"},"content":{"rendered":"

For as long as I\u2019ve been able to spin the globe and spot Bali<\/a>\u2014thanks for the geography lesson, Carmen Sandiego<\/a>\u2014I\u2019ve longed to visit. Imagery of chiseled cliffs plunging into piercing blue water and half-moon-shaped beaches has always been my queen of “travel cool” and a pin I had to<\/em> put on my map.<\/p>\n

Patience is a virtue (I\u2019m told), and because neither money nor time grows on trees, it took me about 20 years from my first brush with Bali\u2019s equatorial imagery to visit. When I finally touched down in April 2014, I made sure to do it in style, staying at a bevy of big and boutique beachside\u00a0hotels<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In my almost pee-my-pants elation to arrive, I admit, I didn\u2019t do as much research as I normally would when visiting a foreign country. Yet, in retrospect, even if I had put together a researched list of Indonesian travel FYIs, I wouldn\u2019t have caught all the Bali-for-first-timer tips I\u2019ve listed below. Some you just learn on-the-fly.<\/p>\n

Arrival and departure taxes<\/strong><\/p>\n

Indonesia taxes tourists at both arrival and departure, in two different currencies. Upon arrival, each person is required to pay US$25. At departure, save enough Indonesian Rupiah for an additional 200,000 Rp (about US$17) departure tax per person.<\/p>\n

Cash is king<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most major travel destinations accept credit cards everywhere, but In Bali, cash rules\u2014even at major businesses and restaurants. As fans of credit cards and taking small cash withdrawals from ATMs, Mr. Trip Styler and I came with very little money. One challenge with this approach was our debit cards had trouble at a number of bank machines. Thankfully, we were carrying some U.S. cash, which meant we could convert them into Rupiah for initial costs. To avoid my cash kerfuffle, bring at least US$100 or the local currency equivalent to get you started, be prepared to make lots of trips to the bank machine, and tell your bank (before you leave) that you’ll be making withdrawals in Bali.<\/p>\n

Viewfinder Tip: In major beach areas like Jimbaran Bay, taxis charge double to return to your hotel or villa. To avoid this upcharge, walk a few blocks away and hail a cab there.<\/p>\n

Hire a driver<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bali\u2019s narrow and winding roads are often congested with a motley mix of trucks, taxis, cars, walkers and cow-drawn carriages (seriously). These thoroughfares are easy for locals to navigate with scooters\u2014the island\u2019s main form of transport. If I lived in Bali, I\u2019d ride a scooter, too, but as a tourist who is unfamiliar with the intricate road system and its rules, I opted to hire a driver for our long trips and airport pick-ups\/drop-offs. (We took cabs for short trips.)<\/p>\n

Hiring a driver costs the same as or 15 percent more than a cab, making it well worth the extra charge. Our driver, Gusti<\/a>, drove us around in an air-conditioned Toyota minivan. He was perfectly dependable, always arriving early for our pick-ups. We communicated with him primarily through Blackberry Messenger (we have iPhones but we downloaded BBM for this reason)\u2014Bali drivers\u2019 preferred method of contact.<\/p>\n

Embrace Beach Clubs<\/strong><\/p>\n

Beach clubs are a big deal in Bali. High-design digs such as Potato Head, KU DE TA, and Sundara at the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay<\/a>\u00a0redefine the meaning of seaside style. Each perch offers the same kinds of highfalutin food you’d expect to see on the menu of a New York bistro\u2014I was offered a tuna tartare crostini topped in local greens at Sundara. Most clubs also have infinity pools, and multiple nooks and crannies for those who want a little beach zen. Plus, they’re an excellent last-day option when your flight leaves late (Sundara has excellent bathrooms with showers for getting flight-ready.)<\/p>\n

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Sundara at Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Hotel check-ins and check-outs<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you are used to highly efficient hotel check-ins, you\u2019ll find that the process of arriving and departing Bali hotels can drag on. A less-hurried pace of life, as well as a different set of checks and balances accounts for the 15- to 20-minute process. If your hotel arrival and departure take fewer than five minutes each, thank your lucky stars and celebrate with a bev!<\/p>\n

Beach or street<\/strong><\/p>\n

While in Bali, we opted to stay at three beachfront hotels<\/a>, namely because we didn\u2019t take three planes and travel for a total of 24 hours to stay on a side street. That said, when we go back, we\u2019d consider staying off the beach (especially if we visit for longer than 10 days). Here\u2019s why: In Seminyak\u2014a sultry stretch of sand lined with luxe hotels and upscale beach clubs\u2014enterprising locals set up mattress-topped wooden beach lounges each shaded by a pink umbrella. To rent one of these setups costs between US$5-US$10 per day, though the ocean\u2014nearing hot tub temperatures\u2014is priceless. Therefore, if you find a well-priced hotel (we spotted many between US$30-US$75) a block from the beach, you can still experience Bali\u2019s sand-in-your-toes scene without paying a waterfront premium.<\/p>\n

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Beach setups for hire on Seminyak Beach<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Explore off the main drag<\/strong><\/p>\n

The more you wander Bali’s backways and byways, the more you realize there\u2019s an intricate scheme of streets off the main drag. What may seem like an alley by American standards is often lined with mod clothing boutiques by local designers, fresh-pressed juice shops, and chic coffee outposts you\u2019d miss otherwise.\u00a0Start on Jalan Laksmana in the\u00a0boho-meets-high-design Seminyak area. Warning: browsing here might compel you to extend your trip, or completely exhaust your trip budget (whichever comes first).<\/p>\n

What tips do you abide by when traveling to the tropics?<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Eight tips to take you from novice visitor to expert traveler<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":12324,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1828,1813,1782,1778,1780,1788,1774,1872,1873,1781,1825,1776],"tags":[33,241],"authors":[2232],"class_list":["post-17176","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bali","category-beach","category-destinations","category-features","category-inspiration","category-interests","category-occasions-and-seasons","category-shopping","category-spring","category-travel-tips","category-tropical","category-type-of-vacation","tag-couples","tag-dream-trip","authors-trip-styler","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nBali for first-timers | Expedia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link 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