Bali Part 1
A little bit about Bali…
Let me start by saying Bali was an absolute dream! We were in Bali for a total of 29 days and visited 5 cities (Uluwatu, Canggu, Ubud, Seminyak and Kuta) along with all 3 of the Nusa Islands (Penida, Ceningan and Lembongan). We spent on average 4 days in each location, returning to Canggu on our last couple extra days since that was our favorite spot. I could’ve definitely stayed longer, or forever, but I think a month is a great amount of time to explore central Bali.
The Balinese people are some of the kindest, simple, heartfelt humans I have ever encountered. The cities are rich with prayer, rituals and traditions. There is certainly no shortage of temples and sacred grounds. It is not uncommon to see dogs laying on every corner, scooters piled high of goods being transferred throughout town, layers of rice fields, insane traffic, local markets and offerings literally everywhere on the streets. Oh, and don’t be surprised if the power goes out for 5 minutes or so, that happened a couple of times, but it’s totally normal.
Bali is a very busy due to tourism, which is good for their economy but creates a serious problem with waste management and air pollution. They have not yet established a sustainable waste management solution which forces them to burn their trash creating very apparent air pollution all throughout the city. While the smell is not constant, you can definitely smell it at least once a day. The waste is also polluting the ocean and marine life, which is devastating. Most places we went had recyclable straws and take away cups, which is a great contribution. I felt like Bali was well aware of the issues and is working to fix the problems they have. There were so many young professionals I noticed working remote, I believe they will be a benefit to Bali and help with creating a sustainable solution.
Where to stay:
Yes, Bali is as cheap as you may have heard. For a while, I could not wrap my head around how cheap it actually was. You can get hostels as cheap as $5 per night per person, seriously. You can also go the high-end resort route paying $100+ a night. We went the cheaper route paying about $15-20 per person a night. For the first couple weeks we met friends there, so we did more Airbnb’s than hostels. All of our Airbnb’s were absolutely gorgeous and in great locations. For more hostel and hotels we used booking.com and Hosteworld. Both we found to be very cheap and have plenty of reviews to help us choose. We did book some places just a day or two ahead of time which was no problem, however we visited during their slow season. Since “slow season” was still pretty busy, I recommend booking your stay in advance if you visit Bali during their busy season. Here are some of the places we stayed and enjoyed!
Canggu Airbnb *favorite, Jennie was great!
Communication and Transportation:
Luckily I had decent service while I was in Bali, but for those that don’t get any service, SIM cards or data plans are available for purchase. Nearly everywhere, including restaurants, hotels/ hostels and Airbnb’s have wifi if you need it. There is an app called GO-JEK that is similar to an Uber, you can request a scooter ride or a car ride, both insanely cheap. Tip: always confirm the cost before you get in, because the app is so cheap the drivers may try and hike up prices. You can actually request food delivery as well, similar to Uber Eats. Grab is another app for requesting rides. You will see some signs that try and prohibit using the apps, but people still do. If you don’t feel comfortable using the app or don’t have service, taxis are very accessible on the streets. Scooters are also an option to rent daily for super cheap, $4-6 a day! The roads were insane so we didn’t rent any ourselves, but if you are familiar with scooters I would recommend renting one. There are definitely more scooters on the road than cars. Everyone on the island uses WhatsApp to text and call, make sure you have the app downloaded and know your number. Lastly, some hotels, spas, yoga studios and restaurants offer free transportation which we didn’t realize at first, but is very helpful. I suggest checking their websites, contacting through WhatsApp to ask and pay attention to signs around you, they will likely advertise if they offer transportation. Here are some of our favorite drivers along with their WhatsApp number incase you ever find yourself needing a ride around Bali.
Komeng (the sweetest angel of a human) +62 818 0547-0275
Zanier +62 878-6549-8828
I love Bali so so much, please reach out if you have any questions or want to go, I’ll gladly join you :)
Anayat ❤