In the past, getting visa to Bali was not as easy as it is today. Today there are over 140 countries that are visa exempt, this means that upon arrival you can get a stamp into the country without a problem. This doesn't mean that your country is one on the 140 countries list, so make sure you check the list to see if you are on it. in 2016 the president of Australia signed a contract allowing Australians to not need visa as well. Even though your country gets approved on arrival, the major difference is the time you are allowed to stay in country. The problem we ran into is that i am from the US and Tah is from Thailand. With me being from the USA, i was allowed to stay in total of 60 days in Bali but that's not always the case. Tah had to leave and fly back in by the 30 day mark and wasn't allowed to stay longer than that.
Did you know most of Indonesian is Muslim but Bali itself is predominately Hindu? It is very well-known that the culture is strong in Bali, this means we should be culturally aware of our surroundings and the beliefs Balinese hold. We are guest in someone else' country so just make sure you know what not to do. Somethings to know that will make your trip easier would be that traveling on a Holiday is almost impossible. The streets become so packed with traffic and celebrations that getting from A to B is not even thought of. Also Balinese do take well to people that loose their temper. What i mean is if you cant control your anger they will lose respect for you instantly. Make sure you always take a deep breath and try and solve issues in a calm and polite way.
Transportation in Bali can be very inexpensive. When it come to getting around, the most popular and easiest way would most likely be scooter. Do you need a license to ride a scooter in Bali? The short response would be no. BUT the Cops do know that 90% of all tourist don't have the correct paperwork, so they are making it their mission to stop you when they can and line their pockets with some nice Rupiah. But in all seriousness just be careful and ride smart you will be fine. If you are stopped it will only cost you around $5 USD and they will send you on your way. Back to the cost, when we were in Bali we had two options. Rent a scooter or rent a car/driver every day. Even though you can get a car and driver for around 250K Rupiah ($17.18 USD) a day. The most cost effective way would be to rent a scooter for around 400K Rupiah (27.49) monthly.
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When traveling Bali it's no different than anywhere else in Asia. Prices aren't always set in stone. This doesn't mean you can negotiate everything but when it comes to night markets, little shops and people selling things on the street, always negotiate. Don't beat them up. you may be able to talk them down but understand they are making a living off the stuff they are selling in most cases, so don't argue to much over that 20 cent discount. I think the best way to do this is asking a local what the normal cost of something is before you buy it. In some cases they will have a tourist price like 100K rupiah a Kilo for chicken when we know the locals pay 50K a Kilo we will just go to the next stall and see if they will do it for cheaper. Remember the last tip always keep your cool. Now you know when it comes to malls and big stores the price is the price. If your in like a 7/11 or a shopping center you can't negotiate the prices there.
This may sound funny but its a real thing. Bali is full of monkeys. Yes they are cute, yes they are playful. No they are not always nice. When you are in Bali you will hear a lot about monkey forest. Yes it is so cool but make sure you are safe as well. We highly suggest if you are going to be feeding them; always have a guide to help you in case you new to encountering with monkeys. In most cases they are super friendly and calm but most of the time they just want something you have. Meaning they want that shiny pair of sunglasses or they want that shiny cell phone. This is when things can get tricky. Always make sure you have all your valuables tucked safely. With that being said don't be the buy to pack bag full of bananas and go to monkey forest. They will know you have them in the bag. Just keep your eyes open for and don't stair at them in the eyes, this sometimes can make them feel threatened. If you do happen to get Bit or scratched by a monkey make sure you see a doctor right away. In most cases they wont have rabies but it does not mean you are totally safe.
All in all have a great time on your trip in Bali just keep some of these simple things in mind when traveling. If you want to check our FULL VIDEO GUIDE we have that on out YOUTUBE CHANNEL showing you and in depth guide to all the best and even some of the most unknown local spots!