There is a lot of research that goes into planning a trip by yourself. Starting from transportation from airport, internal travel, shortlisting the places to visit,  making an itinerary, currency exchange, accommodation and the list goes on…

Let me try to make it a little simple for those planning to visit Bali.

Accommodation:

Bali has in-numerous affordable options to stay, which are luxurious enough for the amount that you pay. I personally prefer airbnb’s over hotels and those that are really close to the main centre. It’s important that you stay close to the centre as there is no internal transport within the city unless you rent a bike/car.

I got many questions about my stay in Ubud, which was a beautiful double storey house with all facilities and a wonderful host. I would highly recommend this place if you don’t want to travel much or if you don’t have a bike/car.

Ubud Airbnb Link : https://www.airbnb.co.in/rooms/10709554

We stayed at Gili Twarangan for 2 nights and then headed to Ubud to stay for 5 nights.

Since Bali offers good hotels at a cheaper price compared to India, I wanted to pamper myself (for my 25th birthday 😛 ) by booking a luxurious resort on the beach side in Gili Twarangan. It is perfect for a lazy and relaxed holiday with all luxurious comforts and amazing service.

However, there are much cheaper options available in Gili T, which are really good. (Based on your preference)

Gili Twarangan Hotel :  Pearl of Twarangan (Booked a Pearl Pool Villa)

Internal Travel

Bali doesn’t have any public transport system. You can either rent a bike (which costs you around IDR 50,000- 60,000 per day). There are shops on every street in the main centre to rent a bike) – Ensure you have license!!

Second option would be to take a cab for a day. There would be many cab drivers asking for a ride, right on the streets. However, not everyone charges reasonably. Usually, the price would be around IDR 250,000 – 300,000 for a ride from airport to Ubud. You can find a lot of cab drivers right outside the airport.

But, if you are planning to visit places which are like 1-2 hrs away from your accommodation, they would charge around IDR 500,000 – 700,000 for 10 hrs. We have hired a driver who used to charge IDR 500,000 per day for 10 hrs. He was very helpful in guiding us with local timings, arranging for tickets to the islands. You can DM me on Instagram for his details.

In case of Gili islands, cycles and horse carriages are the only available commute options. Once you get down at Gili Twarangan, there are many cycles parked for rent on the main road, get one from them (they usually have better cycles and are comparatively less priced than hotel cycles). Rent for 1 day is around IDR 50,000. It’s better to rent a cycle.

Minimum price for 1 km ride on horse carriage would be around IDR 100,000 in Gili T.

Currency Exchange and Sim Cards

There is at-least one currency exchange store at the corner of every street in the main centres. Indian rupee can’t be converted to Indonesian rupee and we usually don’t get IDR in India. It’s always suggested to carry US dollars/ Australian dollars/ Malysian Ringgit to convert into IDR at a local store (Do take a receipt). Conversion rates are usually the same across all the stores unless you are selecting a store which is in a remote location.

Most of the transactions in Bali, be it, shopping or food, happen in cash. So, carry enough cash!! Also, don’t convert too much cash at a time, as it would be waste if you end up not using it by the end of the trip. Since, there are a lot of shops to do currency exchange, do it multiple times, once you get a hang of how much money you would be spending per day.

Telkomsel network has better connectivity in Bali, even on Islands. Simcard is priced at around IDR 200,000 – 250,000 for 7 GB data (valid for a month) along with local calls and SMS.

Shopping

As mentioned in my last blog,  Ubud Local Market and Tegalalang Street are good options to shop.
Bali, has insane collection of home decor items at comparatively lower prices than India. I wouldn’t say it is too cheap but it is cheaper than India.
I found Ubud Local Market to be expensive with less creative designs than Tegalalang Street (Not many people know about Tegalalang Street)
In case of Ubud local Market, you need to bargain a lot (ask for 1/4 th the price that they demand).

Check out these:

• Straw bags which range between IDR 100,000 – IDR 250,000 depending on the designs
• Other straw utility items for kitchen
• Paintings on Canvas papers
• Wall Hangings
• Door Hangings
• Quotation Boards

 

Food

This is something that I found a little expensive!!
A normal meal for three of us costed around IDR 300,000 if we visited a good restaurant, which I found to be more expensive than Indian restaurants.
Try their traditional dishes like Nasi Goreng, yoghurt smoothies

9 Day Itinerary

We planned it in such a way that we don’t strain ourselves too much and visit the places without any hurry.
Day 1 – Land in Bali Airport and head to Padang Bai to catch a boat to Gili (Plan your flight in such a way that you reach Bali by 10-11 am as Gili boats function only till 3 pm)

If you have a flight which lands in Bali around evening, then you can stay in Kuta(close to airport)  for that night and head to Gili next morning. We stayed in Ubud for one night, but it was too far from airport and it would just be tiring to travel all again to Padang Bai next day.

Day 2 & Day 3 – Stay in Gili Twarangan, experience the beautiful sunset, go for scuba diving, explore the night markets, go on day trips to Gili Meno/Gili Air and enjoy the party vibe

Day 4 – Head to Ubud, relax and explore the local market and visit Saraswati Temple

Day 5 – Visit Danu Bratan (for sunrise – leave at 4 am from Ubud)), Hondara Golf Club, coffee tasting at a plantation, Wanagiri Hills and return to hotel by 3 pm. Watch Balinese dance in Ubud Palace (in the evening)

Day 6 – Head to Nusa Penida for a Day trip and visit Kelingkling beach, Broken Bridge, Angel’s BillaBong, and Crystal Bay Beach. Head back to Ubud in the evening

Day 7 –  Go to Tegenungan waterfall, Mount Batur view point, visit orange fields on way, head to Tegalalang rice terraces and explore Tegalalang street for local handicraft goods

Day 8 – Visit Lempuyang Temple (for sunrise- leave at 4 am from Ubud), Jemaluk View Point

Day 9 – Start early to visit Uluwatu temple and head to Airport later.

 

Feel free to ping me on my Instagram or email me for any more travel tips or doubts 😀

Follow me here for more updates on travel and fashion styling

Photos by Durga Pulijala

Facebook : Slay the Style

Instagram : slaythestyle_

Previous post : Top 15 Things To Do In Bali In A Week