Bali, just the name gets people excited. This island has been attracting surfers, backpackers, vacationers, art collectors, spiritualist, and soul searchers for decades. Exotic beaches, friendly culture, great weather, and good food are just some reasons why Bali Indonesia scores well on my travel scale from 1-5.
Travel Score = 4.5
Affordability= 4
Food= 4
Culture = 5
Safety = 4.5
Activities = 4.5
Hotel Value= 4
Transportation = 4
I spent two months traveling around the circumference of the island on a bicycle. It was a great experience but not for everyone. Normally people rent mopeds for about 5-10 dollars a day, however buses, tourist vans, and taxis are all available at reasonable prices.
Bali does well in affordability. It has been at a 30% discount for the past 3 years for anyone holding US Dollars. Depending on where you stay and where you eat will make a huge difference for anyone's budget.
With it's famous name and reputation you can expect plenty of high-end resorts; but Bali hasn't lost touch with it's South East Asian backpacker roots. All throughout the island you can find budget accommodations ranging from 5 dollar dorms to negotiating a week for 10 dollars a night at a nice beachfront bungalow.
On the popular Kuta Beach the backpacker area is around Poppies II then to the left on Legion street. Here you can find good deals on accommodation and most of them have a swimming pool and a good social atmosphere as well.
There are good restaurants between Poppies I and Poppies II and on the road connecting the two called Bedugal. Here you can find colorful plates of Balinese style food for between two and five dollars. Also popular on the Island is buffet style Balinese restaurants. Basically you take what you want to eat and they calculate and you pay. It never costs much.
The Balinese food is a tropical Asian style. They make use of all sorts of vegetables, spices, and herbs. They are big on the fried rice called Nasi Goreng. They have no problem finding a spot for tofu and tempe (a fermented bean curd) in many of their dishes. You can also easily find chicken satay and Babi Gulang which is a small suckling roast pig!
There is a lot to see and do in Bali and each part of the island offers something different. Surfing is huge in Bali so if you don't know how, Kuta beach is the place to learn. Between visiting Hindu temples and feeding monkeys or both at the same time; there's something for everyone here.
Buleleng on the north coast offers good snorkeling and even spear fishing right from the shore. Visiting the two crater lakes in the volcanic center of the island makes for a great afternoon. Traveling through the country you will see incredible nature and beautiful terraced rice fields.
Ubud is the best place to take in the rich Balinese culture. The entire town is filled with art shops of different varieties. All over the island there are specialist villages doing oil paintings, woodwork, silver smiths, hand carved masks, even traditional musical instruments! A lot of the work ends up at the shops in Ubud making it's way to tourist's hands.
In Ubud you can spend an afternoon in the famous monkey park but you really do not need to venture in if you want to see monkeys. They are everywhere here and part of the fun is watching them steal food from unsuspecting travelers. Some are fearless and if you're not careful you may find yourself in a tug of war with a monkey over a bag of chips!
In Ubud you can see the traditional cultural play "Chakacha". It's quite exciting, but be careful the front row is at risk of getting burned by flaming coconut husks which they use as a soccer ball near the end of the play!
What really makes Bali glow is their art and culture which permeates through every aspect of life on the island. There seem to be exotic sculptures, masks, and paintings of Hindu gods and warriors all over the place. Along with beautiful exotic beaches and wildlife you realy feel like you are a guest in a very special place.
The inspiring people and rich culture really separates Bali Indonesia from just another beautiful tropical island; there for I give it two big thumbs up and highly recommend a visit!
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