“I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.” — Mark Twain

I have always been afflicted with wanderlust and the need to discover new places. When I was younger, I found this escape in books and expanding my imagination with make-believe games; as an adult, I have hurled myself out of my comfort zone time and time again and have ended up finding myself in some breath-taking places in all corners of the globe. Lucky for me, life led me to a man whose sense of wanderlust may be even bigger than my own.

Literally one month into dating Braden, we found ourselves sitting at his kitchen table in our pajamas whining talking about how we wished we could go on a trip to somewhere new. “Let’s just do it. Let’s go somewhere,” I blurted out. I had a little extra padding in my savings account…my student loan had been paid off earlier this year…life was incredibly stressful at that time…I figured I deserved to look forward to something like this. (Also if you know me, when I come up with an idea I kind of take off at a dead sprint with it.) We began making a list of places we wanted to go and when Braden threw out Bali as an option, I somehow knew deep in my soul that this was the perfect place for us to go. So we started planning, bought tickets and crossed our fingers that after being together for only 3 months, we’d be okay being together 24 hours a day for 3 weeks in a foreign country.

So let’s go to Bali…

Arrival

Our journey started with what would clearly be the low part of the trip – a 23 hour flight from Chicago to Densapar, Bali with an exceedingly unwelcoming layover in Shanghai, China. We actually got an AMAZING deal on our flights– less than $600 each round trip on China Eastern the entire way. I am going to go ahead and tell you–PAY MORE to connect anywhere else and do not not NOT use China Eastern. If you are really, really watching your budget, it’s fine..we lived. But it was an incredibly uncomfortable and unaccommodating voyage.

When you arrive in Denpasar you will be happy to find a delightfully clean airport with delicious places to grab a bite to eat (it’s still an airport so expect airport prices). Once you collect up your bags and head towards the exit, you will be met by TONS of taxi drivers as well as personal drivers. Ideally, get a ride set up with wherever you are staying so you don’t have to navigate who is a legit taxi driver and who is not.

Getting around

There are several ways to get around Bali and some come much more highly recommended than others:

*Taxi
*GoJek
*Private driver
*Scooter rental
*Car rental

Taxis in Bali can be very corrupt and problematic. The only trusted taxi service in Bali is called Blue Bird taxi but beware…there are lots of imitators! If you are going to be using a taxi company, make sure you CLEARLY arrange a price BEFORE taking off. Many taxi drivers will charge you an insane amount once you arrive at your destination and throw a royal FIT if you won’t pay. They prey on tourists, especially to and from places like the airport and downtown Kuta where the fancier resorts are. I recommend not using taxis when possible and instead using an app called GoJek.

GoJek is a super easy-to-use application for your phone that operates just like Uber or Lyft would in the States. You have a price locked in ahead of time when you book your trip and most rides across town are around $2, regardless of traffic or the time it takes to get there. GoJek drivers are all over in the highly populated areas like Kuta, Seminyak and Badung, however, they do not generally go to more isolated areas like Ubud. We had one instance where we took a GoJek to dinner a little ways outside of town and had to walk back because GoJek was banned from the area and cabs were charging $30 to take us home. We decided to take in the night and walk off some of our meal instead. GoJek also delivers food just like UberEats! It’s about $0.75 to have food delivered from a huge amount of restaurants in whatever area you are in; they won’t have much change with them so have small bills/coins to pay exact. Tip them if you want to see someones face truly light up.

Renting a car is not recommended for several reasons. First of all, it’s difficult to get around the city in a car. The traffic is absolute INSANITY and it’s hard to navigate around the troves of scooters flooding the streets. The roads in rural areas are unmarked and easy to get lost on. Plus, you’re technically suppose to have an international drivers license; it’s easy to rent a car without one, but if a cop pulls you over and looks into this, you will likely be blackmailed into paying a hefty fine to avoid getting into legal trouble. The cops are not necessarily “bad” but they are trying to make a buck in any way they can. Just avoid the situation entirely.

Renting a scooter is a much more exciting, albeit, potentially dangerous option. We rented a scooter for a couple days and it was definitely exhilarating! If you’re going to rent a scooter, be ready to get a little crazy–I’m talking hopping that thing up on the sidewalk and cutting people off right and left. OH…by the way…they drive on the left side of the road in Bali. So…get ready for that little switch up. We messed up a couple times and were definitely going the wrong way down the street. Oops. It is also hot as hell at times and the pollution from cars/scooters is a little overwhelming but it is part of the scooter experience. You do need to be wearing a helmet at all times, but considering you’ll be hard pressed to find an extended visitor who hasn’t had a scooter accident, you’ll want it on. Scooters can be rented for about $5-$7/day.

The best way to get around for farther away trips such as to Ubud and Mount Batur, is to use a private driver for the day. This is way more affordable than you would think ($40-$60 for 10 hours in a clean, air-conditioned vehicle then we tipped on top of this) and it is invaluable if you can find a great English-speaking driver who will serve as a guide during your adventures. We were lucky enough to find Putu through the AirBnB we stayed in who taught us so much about the amazing island of Bali and enhanced our experience exponentially.

Where to stay

The island offers a plethora of stunning places to stay depending on what the focus of your Bali adventure is. We wanted to see as much as possible while being centrally located to lots of activity so the Kuta area [about 30 minutes from the airport] was our choice. Our villa was in Badung but we traveled to Kuta and Seminyak for most of our dining and some adventures. The more touristy area with Americanized dining, shopping, lodging, etc. is in south Kuta; we generally stayed away from this area because of the inflated prices and lack of Balinese culture but it’s nice to be near an actual burger/Starbucks/etc. if you’re craving it! We then used a private driver to get to Ubud and the more secluded areas of the island and made day trips out of it.

The AirBnB we chose to stay at was one of the best decisions we made when planning our trip. Seriously, this villa offers absolutely EVERYTHING we could have possibly wanted including a gorgeous pool, air conditioning, a phenomenal breakfast made fresh each morning and a sensational owner named Ketut who helped us find the best experiences offered in Bali and educated us so we could optimally enjoy our stay! Do yourself a favor and check this place out by clicking HERE or for the AirBnB listing, click HERE.

Buying stuff

The currency in Bali is the rupiah and includes fun, colorful bills that look a lot like Monopoly money. There are ATMs at the airport immediately upon your arrival to Bali as well as all throughout the heavily populated areas (including Kuta, Seminyak and Badung) so don’t worry about getting money exchanged prior to arrival. There are 2 types of ATMs–one gives out rupiah in 50,000 increments and the other in 100,000 increments. You can generally only pull out 1.5 million to 2.5 million rupiah at a time which is roughly equal to $70-$80 USD so you’ll need to go several times depending on how long your trip is. The exchange rates change every day but last time I checked it was about $1 USD= 13,946 Rupiah. Many restaurants also take credit cards but cash is generally best.

One of the biggest things to expect when shopping in Bali, especially at the markets is: BARTER!! It is pretty widely known that Americans and Australians will barter heavily whereas Asian and European visitors will just pay whatever they are told an item costs. You will get pretty much everything for less than half what they originally offer it to you for if you do some bartering. Also remember, if they won’t take a lower price, you will likely be able to find a similar item down the street from a vendor who will likely give you a better price. Shop around! Tipping is NOT expected anywhere, but is very much appreciated. In some Eastern countries tipping can be seen as offensive; this is not the case in Bali. Feel free to tip if you feel it warranted!

Feed me

There are tons of places to eat and range from very fancy to roadside stands. As previously mentioned, you will find very Americanized places like McDonalds, Dominos, ColdStone, Rainforest Cafe, Bubba Gump Shrimp, etc. down by the resorts and in downtown Kuta; no matter how cultured you want to be on your trip, you will likely find yourself craving some food from home at some point so these places are nice to have nearby. Some of our favorite food finds included:

*SizzleWraps – an awesome taco place kind of out in the middle of nowhere. Probably drive yourself out here on a scooter to best get around. There’s no GoJek drivers allowed so shady taxis are your only option back to your villa!

*Mika Yakitori Bar – Oh my God. The amount of great things I could say about this place. The sushi is SO good as is the chicken satay. They have the most amazing shakes (oreo, red velvet…come on) and super decadent desserts. They also have a full coffee bar! We would eat like KINGS here and pay about $30 total for two of us to both have way more food than we needed. It’s a must stop…possibly more than once.

*Babi Guling Pak Malen – This is a road side open restaurant that serves up all parts of a pig. It’s incredibly tasty and pretty spicy, depending on the day you go! My recommendation is to get the “special”–so amazing and the essence of Balinese cooking.

*Rustica Bali– We ordered pizza from here (delivered by GoJek to the villa!) like five zillion times. It is SUPER good –the margherita pizza was my favorite! Skip the salad from here…it’s very small and mediocre at best.

I need a drink

After all this information you may feel like you’re ready for a drink. In Bali, the alcohol choice is usually beer. Bintang Brewing and Bali Hai both have delicious and cheap beer that is available almost everywhere. Bintang has different types of shandies that are perfect to quench your thirst in the heat of Indonesia! Hard alcohol is going to be EXPENSIVE due to a 150% import tax so brace yourself if you absolutely need a mixed drink.

Things to Do!

• Mount Batur – You guys. YOU HAVE TO DO THIS. It was 1am when our car rolled up to our villa to take us to the summit of a volcano called Mount Batur in the northeast area of Bali. We drove 3 hours until we arrived in a big parking lot with lots of other private cars bringing in tourists to make the same trek. Braden, myself and our Balinese guide began our roughly 5K trip up (some of it was straight up rock climbing) through volcanic dust with a headlamp strapped to each of us. I’m not going to lie, it was HARD. I struggled in a big way but, eventually, we made it in time for the sunrise. At the top there are benches set up all over for you to take in the view; some companies even make you breakfast by cooking eggs over volcanic steam vents. Word of caution: it is WAY colder up there than it is walking up so bring something to put on so you aren’t shivering your way through the sunrise.

• Caldera Hotel & Restaurant – You HAVE to stop here for an awesome breakfast after your Mount Batur hike! Look off the back porch over Caldera, a large area of collapsed volcano top where many farmers raise crops and keep their homes.

• Sky Garden – This is technically a dance club located in downtown Kuta that offers all-you-can-eat buffets [the real reason we went] with different themes for the days of the week as well as an all-you-can-drink bar from 5pm until 9pm. And you get all of this for 99K rupiah ($7 USD)!! We spent Halloween in Bali so this was a fun venue for a celebration like that!

• Surfing school – This was SO much fun and actually more do-able than I thought it was going to be!! With so many companies offering surf lessons, 7 Surf is a GREAT way to go! They were so patient and our experience was personalized and private–1 teacher to 2 students! I was able to stand up and ride the waves all the way to the shore by the end of the lesson which was a huge shock to everyone me. Complimentary water was included as well as a spot to store your stuff during the lesson.

• Boat Day Trip– This was one of our more expensive excursions but it was SO worth it (found on the Air BnB Experience site)! This trip starts off meeting in the morning (a private driver picks you up at your villa) at a super cute little cafe for breakfast. There you are briefed by your guide for the day and set off on a BEAUTIFUL day of snorkeling, swimming and cliff diving [weather permitting]. You will stop at a scenic island for lunch and enjoy a few minutes back on land. Snacks and drinks provided! *Truth bomb= I barfed multiple times because the water was very rough that day. Even so, it was SO WORTH IT!!

• Bintang White Water Rafting Trip – We also found this deal on the AirBnB Experiences site and it turned out to be perfection. We found this tour to be the longest and best value for the price so I highly recommend this company specifically (there are quite a few companies offering a white water rafting tour). Keep in mind, this is NOT high-intensity white water rafting (think more like class 2 and 3 rapids); that being said, it is still SUPER fun and they provide you Bintang beer halfway through for a small price (you don’t have to bring money out on the river…they’ll let you pay afterwards)!! Lunch is included and, oddly enough, you HAVE to get a chocolate shake afterwards. They were SO delicious that Braden got 2…

• Massages – This obviously isn’t an excursion but it is an absolute must-do!! This team of women will come to your hotel/villa/whatever and give you an hour massage in your own bed that will change your freaking life. Braden and I got a couples massage our second full day in Bali and then slept the rest of the day (#jetlag). They bring all their own stuff and are very modest and respectful…and best of all, it is SO RELAXING. Just do yourself a favor and book them. If you pay them cash, they’ll take $15/person so how can you really say no?

Things to do in Ubud

There are so many awesome things to do in Ubud! We took several day trips with a private driver to do each of these excursions, usually clustering several things into one day. It worked out perfectly like this!! Our driver Putu was a wealth of information and helped us to learn as much as possible about each of the sights we were experiencing. This also helped us to be respectful and follow the local rules/customs at each place we went. You need to check them ALL out!!

• Sacred Monkey Forrest Sanctuary – The Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary is a must stop while in Ubud! It is very cheap to get into and your guide will be allowed in for free. Tons of monkeys roam freely around and interact with guests as they choose. They are vaccinated, well-fed and NOT caged in. Sometimes the monkeys walk to the outdoor shops nearby and try to steal items–the locals keep sling shots nearby to ward them off!

• Tegenungan waterfall – This waterfall requires quite a walk down [and then back up…] a large amount of stairs in the blazing sun BUT it offers beautiful views, fun signs all along the way to take plenty of pictures next to, hot springs to relax in and fun rocks to play on. This waterfall is situated next to a tiny cluster of shops and restaurants where you can find yourself a beverage, snack or something new to take home!

• Ubud is full of gorgeous, luscious rice fields, many with restaurants right next to them so you can eat while taking in the view. A tradition in Bali is to swing on the iconic wooden swings over the rice fields [to capture the perfect instagram picture possible]. This usually costs $20+ USD to do so we decided to skip it as we were trying to travel on a budget! But you do you.

• ATV Trip – When we started planning our trip to Bali, an off road excursion was one of the first things on our wishlist. Lucky for us, Ketut, the owner of our villa where we stayed, got us a killer deal at a great place in Ubud (click on the link to find the specific company, however, I bet you can find it for cheaper if you look around!) We rode these ATVs HARD and had an amazing time flying through huge mud pits and over large jumps. It was exhilarating and probably definitely a little dangerous. We ended up breaking the drive chain on a majority of the ATVs because the course was so crazy. I highly recommend it!!

• Pura Tirta Empul – This beautiful water temple holds so much historical and religious significance and is incredibly important to visit while in Bali. Locals arrive early in the morning to purify themselves of worries and troubles in their lives before the tourists arrive. In the main purification pool, there are many spouts with water coming out where you can go to address specific prayer topics; you will see people holding their faces/heads under the water as well as filling their hands and bringing the water to their lips. Certain attire is required in this temple including sarongs. Tourists are provided a free sarong to walk around the temple but if you want to get in the water and partake in the ritual yourself, you have to rent a special sarong for a very small price. Women also need their hair up to be in the temple (rubber bands are provided for this). Of note, women aren’t allowed to be in the water temple if they are on their period. And your guide will ask you so…brace. This is one of the sights in Bali that you really should have a guide for so you understand the ritual. We saw several women making asses of themselves because they were “cleansing” under a very inappropriate and potentially disrespectful spout.

• Coffee Plantations – Bali is known for some amazing coffee (pronounced “copi” by locals) including their famous Luwak coffee. This coffee is made by the luwak (a nocturnal, cat-like animal) that eats raw coffee beans and poops them out; the poop is then collected, the undigested coffee beans washed and ta-da! Kopi Luwak! Cheers. [It’s not that great in +my opinion but also not horrible.] These two coffee plantations offer a tour followed by free samples of many [14 at one place!!] types of coffees and teas. There’s a charge of around $3 USD to try the Luwak coffee. You’re already there…you kind of have to.

Things to Know Before You Go!!

• Be conservative with how you are dressing, especially in the temples. The Balinese are a conservative culture, however, in the more populated areas they are use to tourists dressing in all types of manners. When you get into the more rural communities, scandalous dress code may offend locals.
• Know if it is okay to take photographs in temples prior to doing so. Most of the temples allow it, but double check out of respect.
• Balinese people ask EXTREMELY personal questions…they are meant to be friendly, not offensive. Don’t be surprised if within 2 minutes of meeting someone (even of the opposite sex), you’ve already been asked where you’re from, if you’re married and if you have children.
• Bali is an extremely safe island; aside from petty crime like pick-pocketing, violence is pretty unheard of. There are very minimal guns/weapons on the island at all.
• It is considered impolite to point with one finger extended; instead, point with your hand shaped as a blade.
• You will see beautiful offerings left all over Bali; these are different types of flowers and seeds left in a square green container. These offerings are meant to show appreciation for another day and all the blessings this brings. It is customary to purchase these at temples to offer as a gift. Several were also laid out at the villa every day. They are very inexpensive and even the poorest in Bali allocate some of their limited funds to do this every day. Consider it.
• You can brush your teeth with the tap water but DO NOT DRINK IT. “Bali belly” is a real thing…trust me.
• Use sunscreen often; drink tons of [bottled] water and watch out for rip tides. The sun is hotter and the waves are stronger than you think.
• Bottled water is actually super cheap!
• No judgement on what you do in your personal time, but don’t try to buy drugs in Bali. Narcotic officers frequently offer drugs to tourists on the street as part of undercover stings and drug penalties are harsh. Just say no.
• Children in Bali are taught to be seen, not heard so if you speak to a Balinese child, don’t expect them to be very talkative. They are not being rude, they are doing exactly what they were raised to do.
• The Balinese people overall enjoy tourists and appreciate the income they bring to the island. Be kind and respectful of their land and culture!

Fearless travels <3