----- Flights, Accommodations, Costs, Exchange Rates, Food, Transport and Maps -----
All very important when it comes to travel, but sadly, not the biggest page-turner. Let's get this out of the way.
Flight: I went with Air Asia, a budget airline if I ever saw one. Lucky for me, I come from America, land of the I hope you don't know any better, because our airline sucks airtravel opportunities (CONTINENTAL!!!!!). I do know better, but I was prepared for the worst, and what I got was still far superior to any US carrier (you all should be ashamed of yourselves). Nice, big leather seats. That's what they had to offer me. For the four hour flight, a shorter distance than NY to LA, a nice, big leather seat was all I needed. I could also stand up straight and my bag fit conveniently in the overhead compartment. Additional bonuses.
It cost 11900 baht ($360.28). Purchased 4 days in advance.
6 days in advance, you're looking at 7555 baht ($228.73). Not too shabby.
Accommodations: For this, I did a bit of research online and booked only my first night prior to arrival. There are literally dozens of options in Ubud (pronounced U-bood), ranging in price and comfort level from crackhouse all the way to fancy, schmancy uppity resort. You could spend anywhere from $5 to $200 a night, depending on what you want. I made a reservation at Brata 1 guesthouse, and ended up staying my entire trip. It was clean and safe, and they made breakfast. It is a traditional Balinese housing compound (made a bit more comfortable for the traveling westerner), so most of the people who lived there were family. It was nice to see the granddad wandering around. There was a temple on the grounds, which I thought was pretty awesome. And I really enjoyed how open and willing they were to talk about the lifestyle and the culture. I would imagine most of the guesthouses are similar, but I was happy to be where I was. I used them to book all tours (after shopping around), and they consistently made me a better deal.
My first two nights, $12 USD. Last four nights, $10 USD.
I am positive I could have found something cheaper had I really searched, but I was very happy with my diggs and therefore willing to spend the extra $3 a night. I realize you are probably in shock that I might have wanted something cheaper than ten dollars, and cannot understand there really is a difference between $7 and $10, or $10 and $12. But in Bali, living off Thai Baht, yes sir. Every little bit counts.
Cost: Bali can be as cheap or expensive as you would like. I had 300 USD for 6 days, and I was fine. I spent it all, but it was very easy to budget. All of my money went to tours. I could have easily lived on $15-$20 a day had it not been for that, but you know, I wanted to see the sights. It costs anywhere from $15 - $100 for a tour, depending on what you want and your bargaining skills. Mine were all in the thirty to forty price range, and I got anywhere from $2-$10 off the asking price. And I shopped around. Listening to what other people paid, I would guess out of every 10 people, I was in the top two for cheapest price. Always go cheaper, you'll get it.
White Water Rafting - $30 (asking $35)
Cycling - $30 (asking $32.50)
Volcano Trekking - $35 (guesthouse price and I paid in full;
in town they were asking $45 - $50 after negotiation)
Souvenirs were shockingly cheap, and I should have taken more advantage. If you have the chance to go, look into it. They have some really amazing stuff. If I have one regret for Bali, not looking into the shopping is it. I am so quick to turn hagglers away, but their culture is so rich and unique, it would definitely be worth it to have a reminder.
Exchange Rates: SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!! You will get screwed here. When I saw how much money I was given compared to how much it was actually worth I felt bamboozled. They got me, and they got me good. I'll introduce the players and then let's break it down into a mathematical equation.
I'm dealing with Thai Baht, US Dollars, and Indonesian Rupiah. Now, I looked into it a bit before heading out, but I don't worry too much about exchange rates here because I pretty much assume I'm never gonna' get a deal when I'm dishing out baht. With that said, let's take a look.
First, I tried to go to a bank in Thailand. No bueno. No can do, no sireebob. Next stop- airport.
I brought 15,000 THB with me. All of the following information is according to online currency converters and Lonely Planet. I fear this will look like a bunch of mumbly jumbly numbers of no relevance, but go with me for a second.
15,000 THB = 455.08 USD
455.08 USD = 4,272,300 IDR
Taking it one step further one could reasonably assume 15,000 THB = 4,272,300 IDR; this is in fact supported by online converters.
Soooo, you can imagine my dismay when at the Bangkok airport my 15,000 THB equaled a mere 3,300,000 IDR. That's a loss of $100!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Straight bamboozled.
Get this. It's even worse in Indonesia (and you thought that wasn't possible). Thanks to the effing airport tax!!!!!! I had to learn the hard way. Why in the world would nobody tell me about this??! I feel like I properly prepared for my adventure with more than adequate research, and no where did I read, Oh and by the way, if you actually want to leave the country, you have to pay a tax at the airport. Suck on that, suckah. We got you, bitch.
They got me good. I did not have the whopping 150,000 Rupiah on hand (which is necessary at this airport to even think about getting your butt back home), so I had to exchange my bahts (incorrect, it's most definitely baht). And a big thanks to them for a fantastic sixty six cents on the dollar rate. It was sweet, really. Buuuurrrnnnn.
Quick Recap:
- I should have been vacationing with 4.3 million Rupiah, instead I had 3.3. Ouch.
- Bali airport bamboozles suckers into paying to leave the country while offering a very generous 66 cents on the dollar rate.
Food: As you would expect, the more touristy, the more expensive the food. For a full meal, including a water, fruit drink and dessert (or beer), I was paying about $7 in town. Food ranged from one to three bucks. Outside of town it was easily half price. I read Ubud was the best place in all of Bali for food. I don't know what they're talking about, unless they mean Western food, and that's absurd. After two and a half days of searching for Balinese food, I succumbed to the kitschy coffee shops and romantic eateries that lined the streets. Could have been Austin or San Fran. How exciting for me. I did get some great Mexican food, but I mean, come on, let's be a little authentic. I'm not going to go so far as to say local food wasn't there, but it certainly wasn't convenient.
I did enjoy traditional Balinese breakfast every morning at my guesthouse, and by enjoy I mean absolutely loved. Two slices of toast filled with warm bananas and gooey deliciousness, pressed together in toastie form (aka jaffles), complimented with tea or coffee (both amazing) and a bowl of fresh fruit. Yumm!!! I'll delve more into the coffee a little later, but for now you should know there is a reason they're famous for it. It is soooo soooo yummy. I loved it all. The tea, surprisingly, tasted like tea from home. 100% not expecting this, but what a nice little treat.
Also, they have amazing desserts. They call them pancakes, but they're not. More like Ethiopian bread, only sweeter. They are perfect filled with bananas and sprinkled with a bit of chocolate sauce.
Transport: This was hands down my biggest issue on the island. Publicly, it kind of doesn't exist. They have only bemos, an open mini-van of sorts. These run on no schedule and don't have specific routes. For me, with only 6 days, not so possible. I would have to be living there for it to be worth losing an entire day to travel 25 km. So like, what do you do? I'm not really sure... Some people rent cars, but then there are signs all over about environmental awareness and how bad that is, plus for me it was simply out of the budget. They do have tourist shuttle busses that are crazy expensive, but will transport you to all major parts of the island (this is what you do), or you can just rock the tours (what I did). Also, if you are crazy, you can walk or cycle or rent a motorbike. I give a solid no recommendation to all unless you are not concerned about possibly losing your life in a treacherous motorbike accident or happen to be a trained long distance cyclist or whatever. Otherwise, the answer is no.
Maps: Coming soon, which could of course mean never.
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