Bali independent island tour. Independent travel in Bali

There are no regular direct flights to Bali. There are only charters from Transaero from Moscow, but we were not happy with the price. We managed to buy cheaper tickets through a promotion from Thai Airways, however, we had to make a transfer in Bangkok, and our flight was somewhat delayed. Excellent service and comfortable chairs compensated for all the inconveniences. Denpasar greeted us with light rain, although the rainy season had long ended, it was an episodic phenomenon.

Transport

There is almost no public transport in Bali. A taxi ride costs approximately 5-7 dollars. It is much more profitable to travel on a scooter, which can be rented for the whole day for the same money. For long, long trips around the island, a car is more suitable. The price depends on its condition and brand. You can always bargain. There is no need to leave a deposit. A driver's license is required, and you also need to provide your phone number and the name of the hotel where you are staying.

Kuta - the center of life

We lived in Kuta. This area includes several settlements: Tuban, Legian, Seminak-Kerobokan and Kuta itself. This is the most party place on the island. Our hotel was called Best Western Kuta Villa. Small, cozy, clean, tidy with Balinese style rooms and just a 10 minute walk from restaurants, shops and stalls. Trade is brisk there. Sellers are not shy about pushing their goods at an inflated price, so we always bargained. It was easy to cut the price in half.

From Kuta we went to Ubud. We didn’t take the excursion because the price seemed inadequate to us. We paid the hotel, rented a junked jeep and went on a trip to Bali.

Ubud is located in the interior of the island. Green hills, rice fields, jungles and a mountain river can compete with a beach holiday. There is an ancient city here. A visit there is the best way to understand Balinese culture. Craftsmen and musicians live in almost every house. You can visit a wood carving center, a jewelry gallery, a workshop where fabric is painted, and a local market. The level of hotels there cannot yet be called high, but this is hardly a serious disadvantage. Although there are real masterpieces with “infinity” pools in the treetops.

Almapur and Chandidasa

The next stop was Almapur. This architectural gem is located on the east coast.

The road to it goes through rice fields and palm groves. We stopped at the village of Candidasa. Quite a tourist place with reasonable prices, because there is no normal beach here. In some places there are strips of sand and pebble shore. Catamarans are “parked” on the water and taken out to sea for swimming or snorkeling. We managed to find budget accommodation. By the way, most villas are equipped with a swimming pool, which, as planned, should compensate for the lack of a beach. Prices in restaurants are obscenely cheap. I was very impressed by the lotus lake. It is impossible to drive past and not admire the beauty of nature.

After taking a couple of wrong turns, we finally reached Almapura.

Long ago, the city of Almapura was the capital of the kingdom of Karangasem, which fell into decline when the Dutch arrived on the island. It should be noted that the colonialists behaved with restraint, so most of the palaces have survived to this day. True, only Puri Agun, the residence of the rulers, is open to the public. An intricately carved gate leads to a courtyard containing several buildings. The territory of the park is very picturesque; in its center there is a pond.

Lovina

I persuaded my husband to go to Lovina, even though it was not very convenient and was not planned. Lovina is one of the most picturesque regions surrounded by flowers. Local beaches are notable for their black volcanic sand. We went on a boat to see dolphins and also visited the hot springs.

Without going into details of our movements, I would also like to mention the Besakih Temple, located in the northeast. It is the largest Hindu temple in Bali and is also called the mother of all temples. The complex occupies 6 levels and consists of 20 structures, each of which symbolizes a specific deity.

The Batur volcano made a huge impression. It is one of the most attractive points of the island. The fact that the volcano is active seriously tickles the nerves. You can get to the top of the giant on your own or as part of an excursion group. We preferred the second option. The rise began at 4 am to catch the stunning sunrise. The view from the top is colorful.

Beaches

The beaches on the island are municipal, with the exception of Nusa Dua and Jimbaran, there are private ones at hotels. In general, the beaches are clean and have everything you need. Kuta is quite crowded; at its southern tip you can watch planes take off and land, as there is an airport nearby. Legian is a quieter place.

Surfing

Bali is a mecca for surfers from all over the world. This is not just a sport, but an art. I had only seen this on TV before. Naturally, my husband and I did not take part in the water exercises, but only observed. The most extreme sports are in Dreamland, Uluwatu, Padang Padang, Binjin and the southern tip of the Bukit Peninsula.

Diving

We couldn't give up diving. The best place for this is in the village of Tulamben in the northeast. Not on land - Volcano Agung, many exotic inhabitants and emerald jungles, under water - bizarre sea inhabitants and a sunken ship. Getting into the water is very comfortable.

Food and restaurants

It is impossible to go hungry in Bali. Local restaurants offer dishes from all cuisines of the world. The prices are quite reasonable. Regular guests are greeted with joyful smiles. Our favorite restaurant in Kuta was Totemi. The menu is extensive and the staff is friendly. If you miss European fast food, you can find it in abundance in large shopping centers, such as Discovery.

Night life

Some streets in Bali consist entirely of bars and clubs. Every day they are filled with music and crowded with people. The nightlife center is located in Kuta on Legian Street. We liked SkyGarden the most. This is a universal establishment. On each of several floors, music of a certain format is played. During the evening you can change your location.

Surfers and hip-hop fans love to visit Eikon. The Hard Rock Cafe offers live music from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. The Anantara Hotel features Sos Club with a panoramic bar. You can admire the Seminyak coastline from comfortable and spacious sofas.

Spa

It would be a crime to visit Bali and not indulge in a spa. There are massage parlors that call themselves spas, but have little relation to this service, and there are real salons where you can relax your body and soul. I went to The Body Spa in Kuta. I ordered a three-hour stone therapy, which cost almost $80.

Bali is a great place. We will come to the island again, because there are so many places left that we have not yet seen.

Many people believe that traveling is very expensive and that it requires exorbitant amounts of money. In general, this is the case with the classic tourist approach - when you use the services of travel agencies, live in tourist places, eat in establishments designed for tourists, use the services of expensive guides, excursions, and so on.

However, everything will change as soon as you begin to practice an independent approach - learn how and where the locals live, where they buy food and things, learn the basics of the local language. Then an exciting path of independent travel will be open to you, which always turns out to be much more interesting and much cheaper.

Today, using the example of the island of Bali, we will demonstrate how to live while traveling, spending less than 22,000 rubles per month. In this case, you will have a visa, insurance, your own room, a bike, a local SIM card with mobile Internet, money for food and even some money left over for entertainment. This is a basic budget option. Of course, you can increase costs depending on your needs.

So, let's go. Let's simulate the following situation: you flew to Bali for 2 months, together with your friend/girlfriend/girlfriend/boyfriend/relative or someone else. Do you plan to live all this time in the cultural center of Bali - Ubud? We will calculate expenses both for a single trip and for a trip together as a couple. We achieved the declared amount of 22,000 rubles per person per month with the second option. All prices indicated in the article are valid for May-June 2016!

How much does a visa cost for Bali?

The first issue that we have to decide when we find ourselves in Bali is visa. Russian citizens can fly to Bali, put a stamp at passport control and use it to stay in Indonesia for 30 days - it’s completely free.

If we feel that a month is not enough for us to explore the island, and it is quite likely that this will be the case, we can get a so-called “visa on arrival”. To do this, you don’t need anything special other than paying the visa fee at the checkout counter at the airport. The fee is $35. After they put the visa in our passport, we will be able to stay in Bali for the same 30 days, but with one big caveat - the visa can be extended at the immigration office for another 30 days - that is, in total our period of stay in Indonesia may be already two months (60 days).

To extend your visa on arrival, you will have to make 3 trips to the immigration office in Denpasar. The first time is to submit documents. The second time is for a photo, fingerprints and payment of a fee ($27). Well, the third one, respectively, is to obtain a passport with an extended visa.

Total expenses for 2 months - $62. 2000 rubles per month per person.

Transport from the airport and back

When you go through passport control and go out into the common area, you will be attacked by a whole crowd of intrusive taxi drivers who will offer to take you anywhere. If this is your first time in Bali and you don’t have the skills to bargain, it’s better not to mess with them. An adequate price for a taxi from the airport to Ubud is 200,000 Indonesian rupees ($15), but they can offer 300 or even 400 thousand.

Therefore, we recommend using Uber taxi services, which are available in Bali! If you have never used it, all you need to do is download the application to your phone and create an account by linking a valid phone number and bank card to it. Also, for the first time you can use the promo code b473hfxcue, it will give you a discount on your trip of 400 rubles or 75,000 rupees if you are in Indonesia. The remaining amount will be debited from your card.

From the experience of travelers, according to the Uber meter, the cost of a trip from Ngurah Rai airport to Ubud will be around 150,000 rupees ($11.5). And if you use the promotional code indicated above, you will get there for only 75,000! Yes, and no one is stopping you from finding additional travel companions at the airport so that you can share the cost of a taxi with them.

Total expenses for 2 months - $23. 750 rubles per month per person (if you are alone) or 375 rubles per month(if there are two of you).

Long-term rental housing in Bali

If we want to live on a budget and for a long time, there is no point in wasting time searching for housing on the Internet in advance. All you need is to book an inexpensive guesthouse for the first 2-3 days. This can be done using the hotel aggregator Hotellook, which compares prices on different sites and shows the most profitable ones. So, a night in a simple guesthouse in Ubud will cost $13-15.

Why is this needed and why exactly 2-3 days? Because that’s how long it usually takes to independently search for long-term housing, and while you’re doing this, you need somewhere to live!

1. You decide on the area where you want to live. It’s almost impossible to find something budget-friendly in tourist areas, so you need to look for an area away from the center. In Ubud, we recommend paying attention to Penestanan and Sayan.
2. Rent a bike. But not for 2-3 days, but immediately for the entire stay in Bali. More details about bikes will be in the next section of the article.
3. You ride your bike to the chosen area and look for a suitable housing option.

How to look for housing? The best way is to simply go into each courtyard and ask if there are rooms or houses for rent. There is nothing wrong with this, the Balinese are very welcoming and friendly, they will be happy to talk to you. If they tell you that nothing is coming up, you can ask about their friends or neighbors, it is very likely that they have something. Or just ask which direction is best to go for further searches. A simple rule works here - the more you communicate and ask, the more options appear and the more actively your search for housing progresses.

If you are on a bike and can move easily and quickly, then you can easily find a home in 1 day, or maybe even in 2-3 hours.

As for the cost, a good room with air conditioning can be rented monthly for $185-200. If you are sure that you can do without air conditioning, the cost can drop to $140-150. This article is about budget travel, so we won’t consider houses and villas here.

It is customary to conclude contracts in Bali only for long-term rentals of a year or more. When renting for a month or several months, it is enough to ask the owner for a receipt for receipt of money, which is usually provided without question. Always check in advance what is included and what is not. As a rule, the rental price in Bali already includes water, electricity and the Internet. And you yourself will only have to buy gas and drinking water.

If you want a specific example, here are the coordinates of a house in the Sayan area of ​​Ubud: -8.507738, 115.244933. The house is large, new and modern (see photo above). There are 4 rooms on each of the two floors, which are rented either daily or monthly. The cost of renting a room without air conditioning in May 2016 there was $150 per month, and a room with air conditioning was $190. The owner of the house is called Ketut, a very pleasant and interesting person.

Expenses:

Guesthouse (2 days): $30. 1000 rubles per month (if you are alone) or 500 rubles per month(if there are two of you)

Permanent housing (2 months): $300. 10,000 rubles per month (1 person) or 5000 rubles per month(2 people).

Drinking water and gas

Electricity and water, as mentioned above, are in most cases included in the rental price. You will need to buy gas and drinking water yourself. A small gas cylinder will cost 24,000 rupees ($1.8), and with average use it will last for a month. A 20-liter bottle of drinking water costs 18,000 rupees ($1.35) and will last one person for about 6 days. You can buy both at any small local shop, which are everywhere here.

Expenses - $8.5. 550 rubles per month per person.

You can't live without a bike in Bali without your hands. No, of course you can try, like we did, but it only lasted for one week, after which we left this torment. There is no public transport, you cannot go to the store or market by bus. There are only taxis, but this is not about budget travel. Therefore, in order to look for accommodation, buy food, go to temples, beaches and waterfalls, you will need a motorbike!

The cost of daily bike rental is $4, the cost of monthly rental is $45. The two most popular models in Bali are the Honda Vario and the Honda Scoopy. To rent, you don’t need anything other than a passport; you won’t be asked for your license. Before entering into a contract, be sure to check the brakes and wheels, and also take photographs of any scratches or scuffs on the body. In addition, be sure to ask for a helmet, and if there are two of you, then two helmets, this is included in the rental price.

The following precautions should be taken when riding a bike. First, always ride with a helmet. This is not only required by the rules, but also for your own safety. Secondly, do not ride in the rain or on wet roads, and if this happens, do not accelerate and avoid sudden braking - falling off the bike can be very unpleasant. Third, if possible, wear closed clothing to avoid sunburn and to protect yourself from unnecessary scratches in case of a fall. And finally, if you don’t have enough experience, first practice for a couple of days on busy streets.

Officially, to drive a motorbike in Bali you need an international category A license, but in reality this is not so strict and many people travel without the necessary documents. In case you are stopped by the local traffic police, just be prepared to part with an amount of 50 to 100 thousand rupees ($4-8) as a bribe, depending on the compliance of the inspector.

Gasoline in Bali costs 8,000 rupees ($0.6) per liter. We recommend refueling at large gas stations, they are called Pertamina, because street vendors who sell bottled gasoline usually dilute it with water. Even if you actively travel around the island on a bike, you are unlikely to spend more than $15 per month on fuel. Let's add another $3 to our budget for parking, it's paid in many places here, it costs 1000-2000 rupees ($0.07 - $0.14).

Expenses - $45 (rent) + $15 (gasoline) + $3 (parking). 4100 rubles per month (1 person) or 2050 rubles per month(2 people).

How much does food cost in Bali?

In Bali you can eat very cheaply in local cafes, which are called warungs here. The key word here is local. Tourist establishments on tourist streets and near famous attractions are not classified as such; there is nothing for a budget traveler to do there!

Local cafes look unremarkable in appearance, are located in places where ordinary tourists rarely go and speak there, as a rule, only in the local Bahasa language. However, if you have a bike, you can easily get to such a warung in a few minutes, and having learned the basic names of local dishes, you can easily navigate the menu selection.

In a local cafe, one good dish costs 10,000 rupees ($0.75). As you can see, the price is very, very attractive! Here are the main names of local dishes:

• Nasi putih (plain boiled rice).
• Nasi goreng (fried rice with vegetables and tofu/tempeh).
• Mie goreng (fried noodles with vegetables and tofu/tempeh).
• Nasi campur (plain cooked rice with a few extras - vegetables, tofu, tempeh, etc.).
• Gado-gado (mixed vegetables and tofu/tempeh with peanut sauce).
• Plecing kankung (spinach with very spicy sauce).

We are vegetarian (sayuran in the local language), but if you are not, you can choose a dish with chicken instead of tofu or tempeh. Most often, local food is prepared quite spicy, so if you are not a fan, then inform us in advance. The local hot sauce is called Sambal, say you want to eat without it.

In addition to inexpensive cafes, Bali has excellent inexpensive fruits and vegetables. You need to buy them not in supermarkets (where they are much more expensive and often unripe), but in local markets. The markets are called pasar in the local language and are open from 4 to 8 am. There you can buy papayas, watermelons, pineapples, tangerines, pomelo, dragon fruits, mangosteens, cucumbers, tomatoes, corn, and many other fruits and vegetables. Here is an approximate price list:

But it’s worth going to supermarkets for bakery products, dairy products, and hygiene products. Large Bintang Supermarket in Ubud: -8.499788, 115.252299.

We recommend eating as follows: a kilogram of fresh fruit in the morning, afternoon and evening - lunch at a local cafe, which, if desired, can also be replaced with fruits/vegetables. In this situation, you will spend about $90 per month on food.

Expenses - $180 (2 months). 5850 rubles per month.

Mobile communications in Bali

If you come to Bali for a long time, a local SIM card will be very useful for you - to call the owner of the house, the owner of the bike, new friends, acquaintances, and so on. Plus, it's nice to have the Internet at your fingertips when you're not at home. And even at home it can be useful in case of interruptions at the provider. There are four main operators in Indonesia - Telkomsel, Indosat, XL, Tri. The first one (Telkomsel) is the most advanced, with the largest coverage area, the others are a little worse in terms of signal, but cheaper. On average, for 100,000 rupees ($7.5) you can buy a SIM card, an Internet package for 3 gigabytes, and also leave some money in your account for calls and SMS. And yes, the same rule applies to SIM cards as to cafes - the more touristy the place, the more expensive the price.

Expenses - $15 or 500 rubles per month.

Entertainment

In the most modest scenario, you can, of course, limit yourself to traveling on a bike, but we also want to see those places where you need to pay for entry, don’t we?

Here are the entrance ticket prices for some attractions:

• White Sand Beach in Candidasa - 5,000 rupees ($0.4).
• Nung Nung Waterfall - 10,000 rupees ($0.75).
• Monkey forest in Ubud - 50,000 rupees ($3.75).

And the prices of some popular entertainments:

• Balinese massage, 1 hour - 80,000 rupees ($6).
• Climbing Batur volcano with a guide (in a group of 4 people) - 125,000 rupees ($9.5).

Also, in Ubud you can find

Most tourists stay in Bali in the city Kuta, where nothing but high prices and crowds of vacationers awaits them. The real Bali is revealed to those who are not afraid to discover it for themselves! Therefore, for the sake of the most vivid impressions Grab your bike and ride around the island! And here is a practical route to the main attractions of the island.

But first... Let's saddle the iron horse. How to rent a bike in Bali?

You can rent the most popular transport in Bali at every step (the best option is at your hotel). 4 days rental and gasoline will cost on average 50 dollars. And the most popular and universal model Honda Vario(I recommend taking it).

Formally, to drive a motorbike in Bali, you need an international driver’s license, but in fact you can drive not only without a license (checked personally!), but also without knowing the rules of the road at all (also checked!).

Although there are rules in Bali, in reality they are not followed at all. But this does not mean that hell is going on on the island’s roads. I personally, a person with absolutely no driving experience or knowledge of the rules, managed to drive around the island for 4 days without a single accident. So don't drift, but also be careful!

Extremely bad advice: If you are riding without a license and the police suddenly decide to stop you, just drive past, pretending that you didn’t notice them. There is a 99% chance that no one will chase you. And if they chase and catch up, just put it in their hand 50 thousand Indonesian Rupiah (approx. 4 dollars) and move on calmly. Luckily for you, the police in Bali are terribly corrupt :)

Gasoline in Bali is also inexpensive. You can find it in any wilderness, both at standard gas stations and on the side of the road in alcohol bottles (and you can buy one without any problems).

And now the route through the most impressive places on the island:

Stop one - spiritual: Uluwatu Temple

ULUWATU- one of the most important Balinese shrines, located on an incredibly picturesque cliff height of 80 meters. Entrance to almost all temples in Bali paid. But the price is symbolic everywhere: 2-4 dollars. To enter the temples, men and women will need sarong(similar to a long skirt), which can either be purchased or rented at the entrance.

The temple itself, for all its importance for the Balinese, is unlikely to impress you. But the view that opens from there is truly breathtaking (especially during sunset). Walk along the cliff, meditate in one of the temple pagodas and move on happy.

Advice: watch out for monkeys! In this temple, they take special pleasure in taking personal belongings from tourists. And don't go to the ritual in the evening Kecak dance taking place in the temple. In truth, there is nothing special about it. And you will waste money and time.

An equally spiritual stop: Tanah Lot Temple

Tanakh Lot or "Land in the middle of the water"- another temple that is worth getting to. It is interesting because it is located on a rock standing in the ocean, and you can only get to it at low tide. You won’t be able to go into the temple itself (it is closed to the public), but for a small donation you can go through a small Balinese ritual at the foot of the temple, where they will sprinkle you with water, read some prayers, put a flower behind your ear and draw a dot on your forehead with rice . Some call these rituals a scam for the sake of money. But be that as it may, it’s still nice to think that now you are under the auspices of Balinese spirits.

It is most convenient to travel further from Kuta inland to the cultural capital of Bali - Ubud city(You can also spend the night there). In our understanding, Ubud can hardly be called a city, rather a village with private houses mixed with rice fields. And it is called the cultural capital because of the large concentration of artists and craftsmen with their workshops.

Advice: Cafes and restaurants in the popular cities of Bali are not cheap. To save on food, look into the so-called "Warungi"— a cafe where locals eat. The interior of the warungs is simpler than Michelin-starred restaurants, but the food is tasty and inexpensive.

Ubud city

*Here you can find cheap tickets to Bali*

Educational stop: Tegallalang Rice Terraces

The beautiful rice terraces that dot the entire island are one of the main attractions of Bali. A Tegallalang, located just half an hour from Ubud, are the most popular among tourists. If you have never seen how rice is grown before, you will be interested in walking along the narrow path between the terraces. Just wear comfortable shoes!

Mystical stop: Gunung Kawi

This place is famous for the royal burials carved directly into the rock. A little mysterious and even sinister(especially in rainy weather), it will definitely remind you of episodes from Indiana Jones or Lara Croft. Gunung Kawi is called one of the "places of power" in Bali, so it’s worth coming there to wander through the mysterious landscapes and feel (or not feel) the magical energy of this island.

Zoological stop: Monkey Forest

Even if you have never had a particular love for monkeys, you should still stop by the monkey forest for a couple of hours. First of all, it's incredible. beautiful dense cool forest with amazing vegetation. And secondly, the monkeys there are still cute.

Lifehack: There are two ways to get into the forest for free: either just come after 18:00 (but, to be honest, it gets a little scary there in the evening), or find a free entrance on the road connecting Jl. Monkey Forest and Jl. Nyuh Kuning.

Advice: attentively keep track of personal belongings(jewelry, glasses, cameras, etc.) and don't try to take it away found in monkeys I'm going. These creatures biting(alas, also tested in practice).

Peaceful stop: Lake Beratan

On the third day of your trip to Bali, you will probably already be convinced that if there is any attraction on the island, it must be holy and magical. Yes and on Lake Beratan there is a small but extremely important temple for the Balinese Ulun-Danu. Those ignorant of the world of spirits will simply love this lake and temple for their beauty and harmony.

Most impressive stop: Sekumpul Falls

If you haven't made it to Sekumpul Falls, consider You flew to Bali in vain. I’ll say right away that there are a lot of waterfalls in Bali, and on the way to the city of Singaraja there are two more: Git-git and Nung-nung(original titles:). But, to be honest, after Sekumpul, they are unlikely to impress you. The road to the Sekumpul waterfalls is long and difficult: in the fog and along mountain serpentine roads. And then another fifteen minutes on foot, but it's worth it!

Advice: If you don't plan to get wet standing next to the waterfalls, take a raincoat with you. And also be sure to wear comfortable shoes (flip-flops or flip-flops are definitely not suitable). There are no convenient paths there, and you will have to make your way along narrow paths or wade through water obstacles. This is where you will definitely feel like a real traveler.

Main: looking at the main and largest waterfall from below, go back a little and find the path leading to the very top of the waterfall, and be sure to get up there for the stunning views. And then, don’t be like many unsuccessful tourists and don’t miss out three more stunning waterfalls, to the right of the main one (there is a sign there). By the way, if you have long dreamed of swimming in a real waterfall in a real jungle, this is where your dream should come true. You only need throw away all fears!

Advice: Plan on at least three hours to climb these waterfalls.

Remember the heroine of “Eat, Pray, Love”? The final point of her journey was precisely. Why? On this island you can find the very harmony that she was looking for. This is very easy to do when there is a pleasant atmosphere around you, endless rice fields and the ocean. And yes, here you can easily follow Ketut Liyer’s advice “Smile even with your liver.”

Sounds nice, doesn't it? But the majority now thought: “All this, of course, is great, but how much will you have to pay for harmony? How much will it cost me to travel to Bali?

I lived on the island of Bali for two months. I've been dreaming about this for several years. This was the highest goal in two years. And now I am writing this article with a smile on my face. Bali changed me a lot and made me reconsider my life.

In this article I will share my life hacks that will greatly help you save money and properly organize your trip.

magicinfoto/Depositphotos.com

Tickets

It is because of expensive tickets that the island of Bali is not as accessible as. Cost - from 80,000 rubles for two people there and back. Saving is very easy. Subscribe to the Skyscanner or Aviasales newsletter. One day at two o'clock in the morning I received a notification that a sale was open for Asia with a 50% discount.

Visa

If you are traveling to Bali for less than a month, the visa is issued free of charge at the airport. If for more than a month, then 35 dollars per person. An extension for the next month will also cost $35.

Accommodation

There are two options: a hotel or local accommodation. That is Booking or Airbnb. I am all for the second option. Firstly, if you are traveling for three weeks or more, you can safely ask for a 30-40% discount. Secondly, communicating with locals will help you a lot. They will show you all the shops where you can buy food cheaply, and tell you about places that are inaccessible to an ordinary tourist. No matter how insidious it may sound, being friends with the locals is very profitable!

The cost of living depends on the area and comfort. For the first month we lived near the ocean and rented a room in a villa for 10,000 rubles.

In the second month, we moved to the center of the island and rented the entire floor for 11,000 rubles. We had a view of the jungle and rice fields, a swimming pool and a cafe below, where we got everything at local prices.

A one-story villa can be rented for 20,000 rubles.

Getting around the island

Moving can be a huge hole in your budget. Saving is very easy: download the Uber app, GrabTaxi or the cheapest option GO-JEK (bike) in advance. The cost is 5–6 times lower than a regular taxi. An Indonesian number may be required for registration. A SIM card can be bought at the airport, the cost is about 150–300 rubles.

Once you get comfortable on the island, you can rent a bike or car. It's cheaper to rent by the month, even if you only plan to stay for 18 days. The rental price for a month is 650,000 rupees (3,250 rubles), and for three weeks - 850,000 rupees (4,250 rubles). You can turn it in in advance, no one will tell you anything.

The car is rented out for 500 rubles per day. You need to have international rights.

Nutrition

The cheapest place to eat is at warungs. This is a cafe where locals eat. No inflated tourist prices. The average cost of fried rice with seasonings and chicken is 50–70 rubles. Freshly squeezed juice - 35–60 rubles.

Shopping and souvenirs

urf/Depositphotos.com

Bargain! Bargain until your knees shake! Here you will have to face discrimination: prices for whites are increased by 5-10 times. Typical market conversation:

- I like that glasses. How much?- I like these glasses. How much are?

- Only for you RUB 200,000.- Only for you 200,000 rupees (1,000 rubles).

- What? It's expensive. I can give you 30,000 rup.- What? It is expensive. I can give you 30,000 rupees (150 rubles).

- No, give more.- No more.

- I'm sorry. It's expensive. Bye.- Sorry, it's expensive. Goodbye.

- Okay. Okay. 30,000.- Fine. Fine. 30,000.

Excursions

The cost of the excursion is 50–100 dollars. In fact, you don’t get anything other than a guide and transfer. The life hack is simple: go to Google, read the history of this place and go there. Sometimes it’s even cheaper to take a taxi than to take a tour.

Thoughts

This is an unexpected item on this list. The island of Bali is prayed for. Three times a day the Balinese make offerings to the spirits. You may believe it, you may not, but everything that happens in your head will come true.

“Pfft,” you thought now. - I want 100 thousand tomorrow. Just".

We thought the same. And one day they wished for this. Believe it or not, but in the morning the amount of 160,000 rubles arrived on the card. Wrong translation. Unfortunately, the money was frozen and could not be used.

Conclusion: formulate your desires correctly and watch what is happening in your head.

Bottom line

To summarize, we spent 30,000–33,000 rubles a month for two. This includes food, accommodation, bike, gas costs, etc. But it is worth noting that we were not luxurious and did not live poorly. Something in between.

My personal advice: don't go for less than a month. It seems that this is a lot and there is nothing to do here. But this is not true. I lived here for two months, and that’s very little. The tourist area (Kuta, Seminyak, Canggu, Nusa Dua) ​​is very similar to other resort areas. But as soon as you leave there, you will find yourself in a completely different world.

With travel, life becomes much more interesting, and a thirst for life appears. A thirst for real emotions, when you can raise your arms high at speed and catch air currents, see deserted beaches, be in the same forest with monkeys who are trying to steal at least something.

Thirst to learn, to see something new. Thirst. And absorb it all into yourself like a sponge. Internal energy appears, which really begins to flow in full swing. No seminar will do this.

I hope my article was useful to you.

When going to Bali on your own, you need to keep in mind that you cannot save much on this. But you can get much more pleasure and exoticism by planning a savage vacation in Bali, and even along an ideal route developed by yourself.

When going to Bali on your own, you need to keep in mind that you cannot save much on this. But you can get much more pleasure and exoticism by planning a savage vacation in Bali, and even along an ideal route developed by yourself.

So, here are the key questions to consider when planning a trip to Bali on your own.

For a trip of up to 30 days, a visa can be issued upon arrival at Denpasar Airport in two minutes. This pleasure costs $25.

If the duration of a savage’s vacation in Bali is from 30 to 60 days, it makes sense to apply for a “social” visa at any Indonesian consulate abroad, including in Moscow, at the Indonesian Embassy. It will take 3-4 days and cost $45.

Insurance and medicine in Bali

Insurance is inexpensive - about $1 per day. It is necessary to take out insurance, because... Medical services on the island are very expensive. No special vaccinations are required before travel.

When traveling to Bali on your own, take a first aid kit with you. Here is a small list of what should definitely be present in it (especially if you plan to go surfing):

• Hydrogen peroxide is the best antiseptic for a savage holiday in Bali.
• Various patches with antiseptic impregnations.
• Levomekol or any other ointment with antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.
• Solcoseryl or Actovegin is an ointment to accelerate the healing processes of wounds and abrasions.
• Bepanten or panthenol is an ideal remedy for sunburn, which often happens to tourists in the first days of their stay in Bali. In addition, the ointment is good for burns.
• Star balm or any other remedy for mosquito bites and other insects will also be needed on the island.
• Any remedy for bruises and sprains with diclofenac is an indispensable thing in the first aid kit, especially for a surfer.
• Enterosgel is a wonderful remedy for various intestinal disorders and abdominal pain.
• Ibufen or other drugs with antipyretic and analgesic properties.
• Theraflu, Coldrex or other remedies for an incipient cold.

Also keep in mind that skin irritations from jellyfish or insect stings can be easily relieved with lemon juice - cheap and cheerful.

Flights

If you don’t know how to get to Bali, then keep in mind that you can fly to Indonesia by direct and charter flights, and with one or more transfers.

You won’t be able to save much on tickets, because... Indonesia itself is located far from Russia. You should expect airfare prices of $1000-1500 per person when flying in economy class with one or two transfers. Direct and charter flights are more expensive, and obtaining tickets for them is quite problematic.

When planning a vacation several months in advance, it makes sense to monitor official airline websites or aggregator sites for the availability of cheap air tickets. You can also buy last-minute air tickets at a low price ($600-800) a couple of days before departure, but this is a somewhat risky option and you need to be ready to depart in the coming days.

Housing

Renting a villa or house in Bali is not a problem. This island is literally crammed with hotels, houses, villas and guesthouses and bungalows so that you can choose the accommodation option that suits you. You can choose accommodation on the spot, or you can pre-select and book a villa rental in Bali quite inexpensively.

It is important to choose the right area for your first acquaintance with Bali. The best places for this are Kuta, Jimbaran or the non-tourist but beautiful Amed, Tulamben, and Pemuteran. Renting a villa in Bali inexpensively is quite difficult in areas such as Nusa Dua and Seminyak: the most popular resorts have high prices for houses and villas in Bali, rent - up to $1000 per day.

The cheapest option is a bungalow near the beach with a minimum of amenities for $7-10 per day. If you want to rent a house for a month at a price of less than $1,000, it’s better to look on your own, right on the spot, driving around houses with “For rent” signs.

You can rent a house inexpensively in Bali for $100-150 per day. This will be a house with a pool for 1-2 bedrooms, a little far from popular resorts. Villas closer to the ocean with 2-3 bedrooms and more spacious will cost $250-350 per night.

If you decide to stay at a hotel, the best option is to choose and book a room in advance via the Internet, then it is quite possible to get a discount of up to 60%.

Nutrition

Food in Bali is no problem: inexpensive, varied and tasty. A variety of options are possible:

• If you decide to rent a villa in Bali inexpensively, you can sometimes cook on your own, fortunately there are plenty of shops with European products. Moreover, renting a house in Bali inexpensively usually means having a kitchen with a gas stove, although without an oven.
• If you stay at the hotel, you are guaranteed a wonderful and varied breakfast.
• On the street you can eat in cafes and restaurants: prices are low and the dishes are varied. You can have a great dinner in an average restaurant for $20-25 for two.
• The cheapest option is street family cafes “varungi”, where behind a glass display case a rich assortment of several types of differently prepared meat, side dishes and vegetables is presented. You can order a little bit of everything and get a huge plate of food for just $2-3. Plus, freshly squeezed juices are very tasty in Bali at a price of $1-2 per glass.
• In Bali you can eat your fill of exotic fruits: rambutan, lychee, feijoa and others, which cost only $2-4 per kilogram.

Please note that alcohol in Bali is expensive, you can do without it.

Transport

Having arrived in Bali on your own, the question arises of how to get around on the island. The ideal and most common option in Bali is renting a scooter. It's inexpensive and 100% worth it.

Thus, renting a slightly used scooter (the most popular are automatic Honda Scoopy Honda Vario) will cost only $50-60 per month: choose a bike in good condition and don’t think of overpaying. Daily bike rental will cost $3-5 per day. Even if you have never driven one, learning to ride a motorbike is as easy as shelling pears; many tourists learn it on the spot.

If you prefer a motorcycle, be prepared to pay about $100 per month, and renting a car costs at least $150 per month or $10-15 per day. The advantages of a scooter are obvious:

• Cheap rent,
• Ease of Management,
• No rights required
• Convenience and speed of movement.

By the way, if the police stop you, in almost all cases you can easily pay off $3-5.

Internet

With the Internet, everything is simple: the best and cheapest thing, once you are on the island, is to buy a local SIM card and connect to a special tariff with mobile Internet.

Budget: SIM card - 3-5 $, mobile Internet - 7-10 $ per month.

The most popular providers in Bali are TELCOMSEL or XL. You can buy a SIM card and connect it immediately in a shopping center, for example, Bali Galeria in Kuta.

Excursions and entertainment

It is better to read about excursions and attractions in Bali in a separate article, because Bali is a whole world, the beauty of which cannot be described in one paragraph. Let's just say that here any tourist will find a vacation to his liking.

Your savage holiday in Bali will leave only the most amazing memories!