When
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April 2002 for two weeks
- July 2010 for two weeks
Places
Kuta
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Busy busy, guaranteed almost every second person you will pass will be an Aussie. The beaches here aren’t pretty – its dark sand and always crowded. The usual night spots to hit up are Alley Cats, Bounty etc..
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Waterbom Park is great fun with friends and/or family. Waterslides for all ages and worth a visit.
Legian
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Kuta’s neighbour and a lot quieter. I would recommend staying at a hotel/hostel here. More family friendly.
Seminyak
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Legian’s neighbour and flash as! Here is where the top-notch resorts are and the people with wads of cashola.
Sanur
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On the East coast roughly 20 mins away from Kuta – a nice chilled out place, very quiet.
South Kuta
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Uluwatu, Canggu, Padang Padang etc are just a few of the surf beaches along the South Kuta coast to stop off and check out.
Ubud
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Inland and beautiful. Here you find the monkey forests and a real ‘escape to tranquillity’ feel to it.
Nusa Lembongan
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A boat ride away on the East coast of Bali and worth doing as a day trip or even overnight.
Jimbaran Bay
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Seafood galore. Pick a restaurant (you will get haggled by all) and then pick out your fresh seafood from the baskets and they will cook for you how you like. Then sit down at a table on the beach to eat your yummy meal.
Lombok
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Gili Islands are a must for a day trip or to even spend a couple of nights on. The snorkelling is amazing and a day trip usually includes a drive through a local village and some craft work with clay pottery as well as a delicious seafood lunch.
Accommodation
- Jayakarta Hotel in Legian (good for families)
- The Losari Hotel and Villas in Kuta (good for cheap accommodation)
- Sheraton Senggigi Beach Resort on Lombok Island (fancy but still affordable)
Language
- Indonesian but English is widely spoken and you will not have any issues
- Hello: Halo
- Thank you: Terima kasih (TREE-muh KAH-seh)
- Good bye: Dadah
- Yes / No: Ya / Tidak
Visa
- $25 USD on arrival and payable in USD but also popular currencies (we paid in AUD)
- The visa for Australians last for one month
Money
- Rupiah (11,800 IDR = $1 USD)
- USD and AUD is widely accepted here also
Food
- Nasi Goreng (for breakfast, lunch and dinner!) anything with rice really
- Fresh fruit juices galore
- ‘Double doubles’ (Arak) the Balinese locally distilled alcohol – be careful on this!
- Magic Mushrooms (still not entirely sure if these are legal or not but we did have a good time on them at a place called Love Buzz!)
Tips and tricks
- Bali Belly: This does happen and most people I know get some form of ‘Bali Belly’. We all got it and you just need to maintain fluids and the rehydration sachets work a treat. We got told that apparently satay sauce is a no-no and to stay clear – who knew?!
- Bali offerings: A wisp of smoke rises from an incense stick perched in an exquisite array of orange flower petals on a banana leaf no bigger than a deck of cards. You’ll soon realise these offerings are everywhere – outside our hotel room door, a tiny shrine on the beach, at the end of most driveways even at the end of the bar. Try not to step on to many of them if you can help it..!!
Indonesia blog posts