Everything You Need To Know About BALI & LOMBOK!
Visas🛂
To our surprise, the visa on arrival was relatively unorganised when arriving in Bali. We assumed that because this is a trendy destination, visas would be quick, and instructions would be more explicit. However, this was not the case. When you finally get to the counter, you pay 500,000 rupiah per person to continue to another counter where somebody will stamp your passport. And just so you know the whole story, you again will find yourself in a queue to fill in a customs declaration form online without being given any proper instruction other than following the lead of others. The best way to figure out what you need is to look on your government website, or you can use the following website:
To extend your visa, you have two options:
OPTION 1: Attend immigration three times - to apply, to get your photo and fingerprints taken, and to collect your passport.Costing 500,000 rupiah
OPTION 2: Find a visa agent, have them complete the heavy work and attend immigration once to get your photo and fingerprints taken.Costing between 800,000-1,500,000 rupiah
As we were in Canggu, a distance away from immigration in Kuta, we used a visa agent. We went with VABC Canggu.
Even though we left more than a week to extend these, we still had to pay for express as immigration is closed on the weekend. In total, we spent £136.21 on this.
SIM cards📱
Before arriving in Indonesia, we read that Telkomsel was the best phone company. Therefore, we chose to go with them. At Bali airport, we found a small stall for Telkomsel selling SIM cards for 30 days. They came at a whooping price of 500,000 rupiah per person. So, for the two of us, it totalled to £54.96. Therefore, you can understand why we did not get another SIM after our 30 days finished.
Money💰
£1 = 19,362.71 rupiah
In Ubud and Canggu, food and drink are even more expensive than in the touristy parts of Malaysia. Ubud and Canggu are jam-packed with foreigners, and as a result, the food caters for this. You will pay between £10-£15 for excellent Western meals. But again, this is over half the price you would be paying for good food in England. Something to note is that most restaurants and cafes in Bali add a service charge of around 15-16%, again increasing the price. In less touristy areas of Bali and Lombok, food is much cheaper, especially when eating at Warungs. Also, note that you may be requested to pay 10,000 rupiah per person to enter Gili Air. This cost depends on when you arrive and if the payment station is set up.
Time⏰
Do not spend all your time in the main tourist areas of Bali. Get out and see other elements like Sidemen. Sidemen will give you an insight into the ‘real’ Bali, but it also shows how far tourism has come on this little island. When heading to Lombok, we suggest giving a lot of time to Tetebatu. You will not regret it. And if you are a surfer, treat yourself to some time in Kuta, a less busy version of Bali's Kuta.
Transport🚌
In Ubud and Canggu, the best mode of transport is Grab bike and Gojek bike. It is super cheap and easy to use. Grab cars are an option, but just be prepared to sit in traffic. Sidemen, unfortunately, does not use Grab or Gojek, so your only option is to use a local taxi firm - it is not touristy enough to warrant these apps. Throughout Lombok, your best bet is using Bluebird. It's like Grab, so again, it's super easy to use. Alternatively, you can hire a scooter
Roads🚦
The roads in Bali are super tight. They are not made for the number of tourists on the road, which causes the roads to become congested. Lombok has lanes that are much bigger than Bali but can occasionally cause some uncomfortable journeys. Coming from someone with travel sickness, have your tablets before you start on the windy roads.
Weather🌞
One word to summarise the weather in Bali and Lombok is sizzling. Not to say that the other countries we visited were not, but this felt different - it is island life after all. Considering we travelled during their rainy season, the heat was something we underestimated.
So when is the best time to go?
West Samatra - May to Oct - Dry season
Java - May to Sep - Hot, dry and sunny
Bali - May to Sep - Settled weather
Lombok - June to Sep - Less rainfall
East Tenggara - July to Aug - Plenty of sunshine and dry
INDONESIA = JUNE/JULY
Language barrier💬
There is no language barrier in Bali, so there is nothing to worry about there. For a place like Lombok, which is somewhat new to tourists, we were surprised by the amount of people who spoke English. This is not to say that you won't have trouble with communication. You will find that most men can speak English as they work in tourism, while the females have little understanding. Regardless, they all try their hardest to communicate as much as possible.
Washing🧺
Indonesia has hotel laundry services as well as shop laundry services. Using the shop service was cheaper, so we generally chose this. Self-service is not regularly available, but as Canggu is a Digital Nomad hot spot, you can find one like we did. It was the most accommodating self-service we had encountered on our travels - very big, with lots of seating and helpful staff, and only 42,000 rupiah.
Destinations📍
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