Traveling in Bali, Indonesia

Tour Accommodations: The places we stay during the tour are good quality hotels and bungalows with clean, comfortable rooms featuring private baths with hot/cold water and ceiling fans. All rooms are double occupancy and come with a complimentary continental breakfast, and many also come with complimentary tea and coffee served all day. We have spent a great deal of time finding the best places to stay for the best price, which enables us to offer lovely accomodations and keep our tour prices low. Please note that many of the places we stay on the tour only have a few rooms, so we are unable to accommodate those who would like their own room.

Tour Transportation: Our tour uses two large vans for transportation during the tour. The vans are roomy and comfortable with plenty of space for passengers and luggage.

Food & Water:  Participants on the tour choose where they want to eat lunch and dinner. (Breakfast is provided at our rooms each morning.) A wide variety of food is available in restaurants, including American, European, Indonesian, and Chinese. Bottled water is available everywhere in Bali. Also, all restaurants use bottled water to wash vegetables and in food preparation. The food in Balinese restaurants is safe to eat. The food bought from street vendors is not likely to cause major illness to a visitor. Try it if you can tolerate exotic foods.

Weather & Insects:  The weather in Bali is tropical. Inland it can be very warm (80-90 degrees F) and humid. The mountain areas are more temperate and can be cool especially at night. On the coast, the weather is warm and breezy. Rain is frequent in some parts of Bali, but usually it is light and of short duration. Bring an umbrella and light rain gear. Sunblock is necessary and available all over the island. There are mosquitoes in Bali, but they are not particularly troublesome. Bug spray can be purchased everywhere on the island, although if you want to use non-DEET products, you will need to bring these from the US. It is recommended to not leave unwrapped food in your rooms because ants can sometimes be a problem. 

Western Amenities: In the places we will be staying on the tour, western amenities, such as the internet and western-style bathrooms, are readily available. Sometimes in villages, the bathrooms are Indonesian-style with a squat toilet. Most restaurants have Western-style toilets. Many places in Bali now have broadband or satellite internet and in Ubud, broadband internet access is available 24 hours a day. 

Electricity:  If you are bringing any electrical equipment or chargers, you will need a universal converter. A step-down transformer is needed to convert the 220 volt electricity in Bali to 110-120 volts (the voltage of U.S. appliances). Laptops do not require voltage conversion as all have 120/220v versatility.

Doctors & Medical Care: In Bali, many doctors speak English and emergency and non-emergency health care is available 24 hours a day. Please note that participants on the tour are required to obtain travel emergency medical insurance. We will provide more details about this when our tour group is finalized.

Immunization: Although there are mosquitoes in Bali, there is no danger of malaria. For a stay in Bali of less than one month, immunization is recommended for Hepatitis A. If you have not had a Tetanus booster in the past ten years, then this is also recommended.

Passport & Visa Information: Make sure that there will be at least 6 months left on your passport when you arrive in Bali. Upon arrival at the Denpasar airport, you will need to obtain a Visa on Arrival (VOA) when you go through customs. This visa is $30.00 and the process for obtaining the visa is easy - many signs will point you in the right direction. It is best to have the cash ready in U.S. dollars upon arrival in Bali in order to avoid exchanging money at the airport, which generally offers poor rates. The Visa on Arrival is good for 30 days for those who might wish to extend their stay in Bali after the tour ends.

Money & Exchange:  The currency used in Bali is the Indonesian rupiah. To find out the current exchange rate, visit the Universal Currency Converter. The best exchange rate is obtained through the using your Visa or Mastercard card (debit or credit) at ATMs, which are readily available throughout Bali. Other types of credit cards are less easily used. Travelers' checks can be exchanged in most places around the island, although the exchange rate is better using ATMs.

Safety:  Sometimes people are concerned about the safety of traveling in Bali. Bali is a very safe location for Westerners, particularly on our tour because we do not stay in the southern area of Bali around Kuta, which is the only part of Bali where safety might be a concern. Please keep in mind that Bali is Hindu, not Muslim. Tourism is the lifeblood of the Balinese economy and many measures have been taken in recent years to ensure the safety of tourists. One of our tour guides has spent many months living in Bali and has never experienced any type of safety concerns. Also, Bali is a very safe place for female and solo travelers. If you have any questions about safety in Bali, please do not hesitate to contact us.