When we were planning our trip to Southeast Asia, we knew that Bali in Indonesia had to be on our list. And to be honest, it was probably right up there in the top spot. So after we discovered the best of luxury travel in Thailand, we made our way to the world-famous region in Indonesia.
After tons of research on travel forums, Instagram hashtags, blog posts and YouTube videos, we planned our a two-village itinerary, and booked our hotels and transfers and excursions. And despite all our research, there was still a few things that really took me by surprise. So today, I am sharing the top three things I wish I knew before visiting Bali.
no part of this editorial was sponsored
- usd is king -
Although the local currency, the Indonesian rupiah, is recommended, we found that almost all places were happy to accept USD. Sometimes, it seemed, that they even offered a better rate for having US dollars versus the IDRs.
- uber no more -
Unlike the rest of Southeast Asia that uses ride-sharing apps like Grab, in Bali, only GoJek is available, and honestly, not even the most reliable. Scam-y drivers pick up rides, so the best bet is actually to arrange transport with your hotel.
- lizards and geckos oh my -
As the sun sets, almost every wall in Bali is covered with gecko lizards, which was essentially harmless, but slithery and prone to falling down often. We had a nightly ritual of making tons of noise while walking back to our room to scare them off.
After visiting exotic places like Marrakech and Bangkok, we really thought we could easily handle Bali in Indonesia. But as we discovered, it is still actually a bit untouched by modernity. For us, this just added to the adventure and authenticity of the trip.
Have any of you been to Bali? Do you have any tips?