Balling in Bali: How To Spend 4 days

Currency: Rupiah

Visa (U.S.): No

Language: Indonesian

$1 = 14,026 IDR

Visits: 1

Visit Again? Yes

If you’re keeping up with me, you already know Bali was a destination during my time in Asia. I spent a total of 4 days, which wasn’t enough but good enough to decide whether or not you like it there. I didn’t know I was going to fall in love with this place and I am already looking forward again. I am sharing my full itinerary with my opinion, extra’s and tips. My time in Bali was phenomenal! From the people to the natural views, it was everything I imagined it would be. I did not receive any ill treatment and luckily nothing bad that made my experience sour.

Prices are rounded to the nearest conversion dollar at the time of purchase.

start your day early

Read On: Floating Breakfast

Most places close between 4 pm and 6 pm when I was there in late October. The sun also starts to go down. Be sure to start your day early in the morning to get the most out of it. Be sure when making your itinerary to list this closing times simply by googling or contact customer service. Keep in mind the travel time from one destination to another.

know where to stay

Getting around Bali isn’t quick nor easy. Known for it’s notorious congestion you will find yourself just sitting in traffic. The map isn’t a usually perpendicular grid you may be used to. Getting to some places can take over an hour. We strategically stayed one night in Canggu in south Bali so that we would be close to everything I listed on Day 1. We spent the remainder days in Bali center where most places are.

USE ATM

I was able to take out money at the ATM without any issues. 1 million rupiah is equivalent to about $70, but don’t get excited because dinner for 3 did cost us 650,000 idr lol. Money exchange charge a lot for commission, if you absolutely have to use them remember to always count your money and even barter with them.

transportation

Instead of trying to find a cab every time you have to go places you can just hire a private driver per day or even ride scooters. Our private driver was $30 day which is good for two people. The price can vary depending on various factors such as season and the amount of people. We usually had him from about 8 hours. Private drivers also help you see other hidden gems since they are from there. If you would like to use the driver you can contact me here and I will share his contact. They do not have known companies like Uber or Lyft because they prefer to support their locals which i support 100%, but they have Indonesian based ones like Go-JEK.

Bottled water only

Let’s just say on our last day we tried some water that was given to us in a glass at a restaurant. It resulted in Bali belly which wasn’t anything I would wish on my enemy. We had diarrhea for 3 days. Though plastic is bad for the environment, my current health is. I’d rather be safe than having to call out of work because of an uncomfortable stomach virus

Tip Haggle Everything

I always say “I didn’t come to a country where things are cheap to pay NY prices.” and this is the truth. There is always one price for tourists and one price for locals. Haggle everything because the prices are most like inflates 3 times for us tourists. I don’t mind paying something in between. You can even haggle with tours and hotel prices. I sure did bargain with getting my water sports for less than advertised. If there’s no room for negotiation the worst that will happen is that you would be told “no”. When bargaining make sure your walk away game is strong. If you walk away and no one runs after you accepting your best offer then you can assume they aren’t going any lower. It is also good to shop around at different shops if you have the time.

be aware

Petty thieves are everywhere. Bali is a popular destination for people all around the world. The thieves can be tourists just like you plotting. Remember to always be aware and don’t trust a soul. 110 police 118 ambulance

do not touch drugs

Th penalty for drugs is death. period. google “The Bali Nine” and other incidents. For such a religious country I think this is inhumane but those are their rules, so just respect it.

clothing

Yes the drip is always necessary, however it can get really hot and humid. I visited during October which is rain season. Though I didn’t experience much rain luckily, it was still hot. Pack flowy clothing. Remember to dress appropriately which visiting holy landmarks.

Day 1- south

Here is where you can find many beaches from Seminyak Beach to Canggu beach. You can opt for a going to the beach after water sports and grabbing something to eat around there (even though the Brazilian BBQ is highly recommended) where you can also see the beautiful sunset. Potato Head Beach Club is a popular go to.

TANJUNG BENOA WATERSPORTS

Here you can find a plethora of watersports. We opted for parasailing and seawalk. The seawalk was perfect for a non swimmer like me. You just walk along a trail and feed the pretty little fish.

Price: $80 for both excursions

Brazilian Aussie BBQ

This Brazilian BBQ buffet was sooooo good! Now I’ve been to Brazilian steakhouses but this one has got to be the best I have ever tasted. The meat options were impeccable. They even had bacon wrapped chicken and grilled pineapple. They have their buffet bar with many sides to choose from and they wonderful gentlemen walk around gracefully sliding meat off the skewer onto your plate. These people here sure know the way to my foodie heart and for $14 per person it’s something you cant beat for the quality and quantity!

Price: $14

Massage

Never hard to find a nice cheap massage in Southeast Asia. It is a must-do because it would only cost $4 for something that is usually at LEAST 10 times that price in the U.S. After dinner we indulged in a nice hour long rub down, no happy ending was included haha. Below in the massage parlor I went to and recommend though you can find a ton.

Price: $4

La Favela

After filling our bellies then getting a wonderful massage we decided to dance the nigh away at this dope night spot. The music was wonderfully diverse and there was no cover charge. There was even a cute photobooth for a memory keepsake.

Cover: $0

Day 2

We moved from staying in the south to Bali central where most a lot of the action is located.

Bali Swing

Bali swing is like the “Bali” thing to do. You may have seen on Instagram girls with their flowy dresses swinging flawlessly. Admission gets you into all their attraction, swings and lunch (drinks are additional). I’m not gonna lie the lunch vegetarian option was like the best I ever had, I almost forgot it wasn’t meat. There are plenty of sings and sometimes a line for the what i call the “Grand Swing” which is the largest one. Other popular attractions are the rock and nests. You can honestly spend the day her, time quickly flies.

Price: $47 (including the optional $10 for their photographers)

Sacred Monkey Forest

Keep in mind these monkey’s are wild animals not pets. A monkey slapped a woman’s glasses off her face while we were there. Don’t wear loose clothing and keep your bags clothes, these intelligent animals will charm you with their cuteness and take your belongings at the same damn time.

Price: $4

Day 3

Kaveri Spa at Udaya Ubud

Flower bath for for a princess for 30 mins. There are claims about all the good it does to your body anf skin but we all know we do it for pic for the ‘gram. This was pretty pricey to sit in water, there are far cheaper flower baths but do they offer arrangements?

Price: $50

Designs or name: $10

Elephant Safari Park

The general entry will allow you to see elephants, for an addditional charge u can feed, ride them on land or in water and even bathe them. I tried the “swim with elephants” which is riding them in their shitty water. They should’ve told me the elephants also use the bathroom in the water, it doesn’t go deep under and they provide a shower complete with towels, soap and shampoo. I also scrubbed the elephant down. It was cute, nothing life changing for almost $60 combined.

Price: $58 for the two excursions

Pura Tirta Empul

A Hindu Balinese temple where you can come and pray and be blessed. The water is also free to take home. It is traditional to wet your head so keep that in mind for the ladies who rely on make up and are worried about their hair.

Price: $1

Bathroom: 2000 rp about 15 cents

Day 4

Ulun Danu Bratan Temple

Another water temple, quite dried up when I visited as my local daily driver told me. I really wanted to ride the canoe but they do not start the rides until 9 am and I had to get to my next activity by then.

Price: $4

Pod chocolate Bear Hug

A beautiful chocolate factory with a wide array of overpriced sweets (I indulged in the free samples). The chocolate was very good, howeverrrrr the water they provided me with unfiltered water along with my welcome chocolate drink and resulted in my Bali Belly (google it). I was not happy about that. Hugging and touching a bear was definitely fun and exciting for me. =) There are lots of other animals here to view, even elephant rides. Not sure the correlation between chocolate and animals. There are two Pod Chocolate’s, if you want to hug the bear make sure you are going to the correct one.

Price: $7

Bear Hug: +$10

Spa at Hanging Gardens of Bali

Before my evening flight I spent my final 4 hours relaxing pool side and getting a massage at The Hanging Gardens of Bali resort. Very pricey buy totally worth it. The best massage I’ve ever received in my LIFE!

Price $200