Bali remains idyllic after 4 visits in 30 years.
Its charm and magic is striking. So are its culture, people and their strong devotion to their religion. All the elements that make Bali as we continue to know it, special in so many ways.
But in that 30 years change is obvious yet it remains unspoilt.
New places, range of cuisines both foreign and local, jungle retreats, spiritual getaways and long term residential havens have opened up. Along with the internet, digital nomads have found a new home in paradise.
The change has not diminished any of the island’s treasures. None of the good have been lost.
On the dark side, nothing new. The usual urbanisation, traffic woes, tourist traps, refuse disposal, taxi fare price flips etc are evident but all manageable or avoidable.
Our Backyard
Bali is Australia’s closest overseas holiday and lifestyle destination, 2 hrs and 40 mins from Darwin. It’s in our backyard.
Australians continue to make up the biggest source of tourists for the island. Although New Zealand, the Land of Long White Cloud is close, it is the Land of the Gods, Bali that wins.
Charm, magic, idyllic, enchanting, nature, calm, stunning, pristine are evocative terms that cannot be taken away. Fiji is yet another close neighbour and another island but Bali still trumps many times over.
Trip Advisor announced in Jan 2023, that Bali came in second as the most popular global tourist destination in the World. So how lucky are we Australians?
Bali is served by 45 airlines and handled approximately 700 flights per week pre Covid. Its airport is modern, large and well maintained. The numbers speak volumes.
As the crow flies
Bali is 2,600kms from Perth and a flight time of 3 hrs 45 mins. And both share the same timezone. From Sydney, it is 6hrs 20 mins, Melbourne 5hrs, and Adelaide 5hrs 15 mins.
There are direct flights to Bali from 6 Australian cities with Darwin costing slightly over AUD 1k for a return.
There are 3 Australian airlines, Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia with Indonesian airlines, Garuda, Malindo and Batik Air serving the Australia-Bali route.
And it is affordable, very affordable
To give context, 4 nights for a luxury room, king sized bed with direct pool access from the room cost AUD 1,950 at Sofitel Nusa Dua beach resort. That includes full breakfast plus access to their executive club.
And that is the high end 5 star accommodation cost. So do the math what the cost is likely to be for other types of accommodation and amenities.
Season to visit
The time to visit is during the dry season from April to October. During the rainy season it rains nearly everyday and it is not a drizzle but a heavy equatorial downpour.
But do aim for late March or early April to get the best of both worlds. This is when Bali is at its greenest and most lush. It’s this striking visual element that permeates thru all its sights and activities. It goes all the way to early April before it’s time to harvest. All that remains after are stubbles.
Tegalalang is the most beautiful rice terrace fields in all of Asia. Located in the northern area of Ubud at an altitude of 600m. And it is not just rice fields.
The now famous Bali swing is an instagram moment to be treasured.
It has become a sort of pilgrimage for the gentler sex when you travel to Bali. To have that single iconic shot to be framed back home. To help create that moment, a range of flowing outfits readily available for rent. So do a bit of research on best swing location to pick in terms of backdrop. Not all are the same.
With the lush green rice terraces on both sides of the hill, river flowing below in the valley the backdrop is exceptional.
So plan well for the best times to visit.
Accommodation places and lifestyles
The good news is that Bali caters for everyone. From backpackers, off the grid types, digital nomads, surfers, spiritualists, the rich to those who need a good break.
You can make the most of your stay if you pick the location with the right vibe and you on the home run. This is very important. And people do get it wrong often.
I have seen some reviews and invariably its the location. Imagine you are young and full of beans and you picked Uluwatu, a a beautiful, relatively remote location but still popular with tourists and surfers . Quiet, untouched with pristine beaches, towering cliffs and breathtaking sunsets. When it should have been buzzing Canggu.
Kuta and Nusa Dua
Kuta and Nusa Dua are the long and best known. One handling one end of the tourist spectrum while the other covers the other end.
Kuta, which was Bali’s original tourist and beach haven has lost some of its charm due to urbanisation and traffic jams.. Its once famous and fabulous beach has been lost somewhat to erosion. It however remains popular for its wide range of accommodations, cafes, shops and great street and club nightlife. It is the busiest tourist part of Bali.
Nusa Dua, the prime high end resort area caters for those looking for a romantic interlude as well those with families.
It is the prime 5 star hotel location and the whole area is gated. It hosts leading hotels such as the St Regis, Hyatt, Riz-Carlton, Conrad and lifestyle Club Med.
Every one of the 5 star hotels are complete resorts with fabulous private beach frontage. It’s quiet, reserved and rather exclusive. Popular with the matured and the well heeled crowd.
Nusa Dua has also become a wedding destination of choice for couples around the World. Hotels are able to run various themes, along religious and non-religious lines and cuisines for the occasion.
The single biggest attraction for hosting weddings in Bali is the photo and video opportunities that the Bali backdrop offers. Only a few places in the World can do it well. Something to treasure for life for the couple, their families and all their guests that flew in from thousands of miles away.
Canggu, Semanyik and Uluwatu
Canggu (pronounced Changgu) is the relatively new playground for the young and the beautiful. We are talking about 30 and below. Anyone else will stand out. And you do not want to stand out for the wrong reasons.
It is also the foremost digital nomad hub in Indonesia and arguably in Asia. Ahead of Chiang Mai in Thailand.
The beaches here are popular for swimming and surfing plus beach clubs. The Beach clubs are a draw and packed during the high season.
Hipster cafes and food of Canggu
Canggu has the best selection of hipster cafes and eateries with wide ranging cuisines including organic and vegan choices.
It rather remarkable that in the midst of Asia is a tiny place that is churning out western world’s Gen Z preferred selection of healthy, fresh eco-friendly and creatives dishes.
I have not seen anything like the range that Canggu offers elsewhere. We are talking about crisp buttered sourdough, smashed avocados, salmon teriyaki, pulled oyster mushroom sandwiches, organic jasmine jewelled rice and much more. Coffees, cocktails, mocktails, smoothies and their favours are endless.
Canggu is popular with both short and long term tourists. It is also the main hub for digital nomads. It spells a clear lifestyle choice.
Canggu has possibly the widest array of new accommodation types mostly owner operated villas that can go from the affordable to over AUD 5000 a month.
Long term tourists
Committed long term tourists cum residents have either entered year long leases or bought homes. Some have built them. And nearly all foreigners including “residents” are either on visa runs or repeat extension of visas. The maximum is the 18mths with B211 visa first 6mths with up to 2 extensions.
The most popular and the cheapest visa run is to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and back on a budget airline.
Foreigners who are keen on building their own villa can acquire a maximum of 30 year leasehold. After which it reverts to the original Indonesian landowner. Options to renew at prevailing market is common in the lease agreement.
These villas typically follow Balinese outdoor patio architecture with flowing water or plunge pools and well curated gardens. Some are built for rental or AirBnb with income funding their stay in Bali.
Semanyik is similar to Changgu and next to it down South. More matured both in terms of development as well as the crowd that it attracts. It too has great beaches and hotels.
Uluwatu is at the southern tip of Bali close to Nusa Dua and has become a paradise of sorts. Far away from the madding crowd and is the place where tourists staying over in other parts of Bali come over for day or two for respite.
It is also a surfers haven. Its beaches and beach clubs and hipster cafes are attractive. But it is not the first port of call to someone new to Bali.
Ubud
Ubud is Bali’s cultural capital. Its the spiritual Mecca of the island, and maybe the World. It is special on its own.
It very local and probably the best experience and something to treasure amongst all your travels around the World. It’s like God ordained where pilgrims to Bali must visit.
It draws a special group of western tourists. Both young and old. Those that are looking for solitude, to be close to nature, to immerse themselves in meditation. To recuperate mentally, to find themselves and to even re-draw their next stage in life.
Ubud is also famous for its artist colony, statute and craft shops, rice terraces and a variety of places for spiritual accommodation. Made up of valleys and hills with views that are unsurpassed plus the sound of water, pool. streams, rivers and waterfalls.
Infinity pools at the edge of cliffs are a theme here and they are magnificent. Closeness to nature is striking and hard to explain. Serenity and maybe serendipity. .
This is also where yoga and drones come into play. Two unlikely allies. And Ubud is also the home of the jungle swing.
While sipping a cocktail at the poolside bar, I watched in awe as a bunch of bikini clad influencers and instagrammers from Europe perched at the far end of the infinity pool doing what they came to do.
They were taking multiple shots while navigating their drones remotely. And it went on and on. To get that elusive yet perfect photo or that video clip. It was certainly hard work. But when you travel thousands of miles, nothing is hard.
Little extras on Ubud
Here is a tip. Pick a jungle resort run by locals with a local name and an infinity pool over looking the valley below. These come with high standards of accommodation, hospitality and F&B.
Coupled with traditional Balinese architecture including staff attire and conduct. So do your research. Check out YouTube to see what the actual place looks like.
Pramana Watu Kurong and the Kayon Jungle Resort are two among many. Outstanding is the best description.
Second tip is to immerse yourself in Ubud in terms of people, food, the warungs, the markets and temples. See rice terraces and the Royal Palace of the once Kingdom of Ubud. Capture the sights and sounds.
It does not matter where you stay in Bali, you will visit Ubud. And again, God said so.
Places to see and the gear to bring
There are just too many places to name.
Temples, volcanos, waterfalls, rice terraces, Balinese styled landscaped villas, jungle infinity pools and the Balinese people and their daily routines are all sights to behold. And you will remember them.
Bring all your media equipment including drones. If it is not in your inventory make the purchase as it will be an investment.
This is one place where the visuals both day and night are stunning. This is the island where instagram moments are made. Google “Lempuyang Temple” and you will see what I mean.
From low light or action cameras like GoPro, Insta 360 and DJI Action with waterproofing, DJI drones, selfie sticks etc, they are all in play. There should not be any regrets.
Here are my posts on travel media gears that might be helpful. The first is the just the gear and how to prepare for it and the second is the gear I took to the 2022 World Cup at Qatar.
Digital nomads and co-working spaces.
It started in Ubud but it became big in Canggu and this community is growing.
The co-working spaces are plenty and range from the serious to extensions of already existing cafes. You can only be amazed by the sheer number of people that are working at these places.
High speed network, purpose built work stations, enclosed quiet spaces to meeting booths for ultra quiet teleconferences to handle companies and clients around the World.
And fully equipped gyms with ice baths to break the routine for the day are the norm.
The profile of digital nomad is clear. Young and prepared to take a punt. And typically content creators and budding online entrepreneurs.
There is a second group, older in the their late 20s and mid 30s and they are typically software engineers, coders, website and app developers. Both males and females are equally represented.
I won’t be surprised if an employer is not aware that Jane is not in Leeds remote working from her home.
The creative juices tend to flow more freely in the realm of tropical breezes and where the eye holding nature’s visuals are plentiful. Whether it is a body of water in front, the volcano in the background or the quietness of the jungle, it all there.
Thing to do and not to do
There are somethings to be careful of.
The first is to show respect to the Balinese people and their religion. Their temples and the daily flower offerings seen on the streets and in front of their homes are to be respected.
Balinese by nature are docile, gracious and peace loving people. This is not Ibiza. Do behave and dress accordingly when in public.
Taxis can be adventurous with their pricing so you better off finding out the usual cost and make it clear that you want it to be metered. Or take the Blue Bird taxis which has an excellent reputation.
Parts of Bali are no-go zones for Uber version of Grab and GoJek or even metered taxis. Ubud is one with signboards saying so. A rift between local transport owners and the big chains.
One option is the do your pre-arrival research and look for a guide and driver for the duration of the stay. You get safety and it is lot more affordable. The rates can be worked out in WhatsApp before you land. And he picks you up at the Airport.
Affordability too has a limit. All imported items including basic supermarkets items carry high mark-ups.
The other which is unusual are expensive beverages such a smoothies at cafes which can be the same cost as the main meal or more. Changgu is the only place compared to the cities and countries that I have seen this where this sort of pricing exist.
Again on affordability. AirBnb has become so popular that prices have gone up significantly. You are better off finding hotel accommodation of same standard or better or check out alternative villa leasing sites.
Alcohol drinks
Avoid consuming spirits and alcoholic cocktails. Import tax for alcohol is high so it is typically replaced by boot legged spirits or by local arak. It is such an unusual phenomenon for a tourist destination and a World class one at that. This rule applies generally to discos and nightclubs big and small and no matter how high end they are. The exceptions are the hotels.
Popular beer Bintang or any bottled beer is fine and it will not stopping you having the night of your life.
If you are into late night clubbing and have a tendency to drink more than you can handle, bring along a reliable friend. Inebriated customers are the target of pickpockets loitering in the early hours of the morning at Club entrances.
Lastly plan well ahead to get the best out of Bali. It remains a gem.