I decided to write this blog to share with you some good tips about Bali.

I booked my trip 4 days before flying from Berlin to Bali, I obviously had very short time to get ready. I was lucky because I had few friends who have been there recently.

I booked only the first 3 nights in Kuta, after that, the plan was to figure out my next destination based on the mood and the people I meet. So this is how I did during my whole stay there, just spontaneously moving from one place to another and booking sometimes hotels and sometimes hostels.

My unplanned trip started, first in Kuta, then I moved to Ubud, after to Gili T before I finish it in Seminyak.

Bali and its region have everything to offer from super romantic vibes to crazy beach parties and beautiful nature.

As a solo traveler, I was trying to skip all the romantic places and focus more on parties and some nature.

Golden rule: you should always negotiate the prices.

Airport

• Change the minimum money you need, you get usually more interesting rates in the city. The best I saw was in Seminyak, around 17.800 rupiah for one euro, while in the airport it's around 16.200, this of course can change.
  Don't take a taxi driver from those who are inside the airport, go outside to the car parking.

• Ask many drivers for their prices.

• The best is to simply use apps Grab or Go-Jek. They are super cheap and reliable.

From my side, I didn't know about these two apps, so I had to negotiate myself. I think I did quite good compared to other tourists. I paid from the airport to Kuta 110.000 rupiah, it would have cost me only 40.000 using the apps, but most of the people I met paid between 300.000 and 900.000 rupiah to the same destination.

Kuta

This is a very popular and touristic district, if you are familiar with Marrakesh, this will be like the old Medina. It has a lot of breathtaking cheap hotels and hostels, great popular restaurants and a lot of cheap massage spots.

One other fact about Kuta, there are a lot of prostitutes and drug dealers. They will approach you everywhere, especially if you are a man. But they are cool and kind, they won't be aggressive.

• Go to Sky Garden, they have a great food deal everyday 100.000 rupiah for a buffet including drinks. The food is really good and the crowd is nice.

• Sky Garden is also a popular nightclub, so you will have to give it a try at least once. A lot of tourists like it, but personally it's not my favorite.

• Go to the beach

• Hostel: 7 euros / night.

Ubud

If you love Yoga or nature, you should visit Ubud.

• I took a grab to go to Ubud, it cost me 115.000 rupiah.

• DON'T miss the yoga barn, it's like the mecca of all Yoga lovers. Even if you are not into yoga, you can give it a try there, they have some classes for beginners, also they do provide everyday a free class or session. You should check their website http://www.theyogabarn.com/

• Monkey forest, a classic.

• Tegallalang Rice Terrace, it's just a beautiful spot for nature lovers and also for taking iconic pictures.

• Swings in the Rice Terrace (you can get it for 50.000–100.00 rupiah).

• There are a lot of waterfalls nearby, just rent a motorcycle (50.000 rupiah/day).

• One of the best things I did in Ubud, was a volcano trekking. It starts at 2 am, so that one can catch the sunrise. It's just an amazing experience. It is quite hard tho, so be prepared. The price is usually 350.000 rupiah, you can pay less if you book in some agency in the city, but don't pay more.

• The best location for hotels or hostels for me personally is between the monkey forest and the Yoga barn.
  Rafting.

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Gili Trawangan

This island has everything to offer, parties, romantic spots and a lot of natural beauty.

• I took only a one way shuttle + fast ferry from Ubud, it cost me 250.000 rupiah everything included. I paid the same price to go back after to Seminyak. The best boat is Eka Jaya.

• If you are a couple, I would rather stay on the west part of the island.

• As a solo traveler, I will stay in the east side of the island. This is the actual center and where all the parties are happening.

• In Ramadan, clubs are closing at 11 pm. So no parties, make sure you check the dates before you go.

• The best massage I had in the whole trip was in Gili T, in a very hidden part of the island. It is an open air massage facing the sea. You can find it in the south of the island not far from The Trawangan resort. You may ask people for the Traditional Massage if you are lost.

• Snorkeling, another classic. But make sure you take some sea sickness pills or Ginger. A lot of people are not actually fit after all the parties they have there.

• Riding a horse

• Book a dinner in one of the beach restaurants, it's quite romantic and chill.

• My favorite club is Jiggy bar, they also organize day boat parties.

• Hotel 28 euros/night and hostel 12 euros/night.

Seminyak

This is my favorite place in Bali. It is quite costly compared to all the places I mentioned before, but I liked it.
It is just fancy with a lot of relatively expensive restaurants, bars, cafes.

• Shopping

• Beach bars, my favorite one is Potato Head. You can go and enjoy the day there, or go a little bit later to enjoy the sunset and some night music. The crowd is just awesome.

• Best club: La Favella, you can also try Mexicola if you are into Latino music.

• hotel 40 euros/night.

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More tips:

• You can use Go-Jek to order massage or food to be delivered at home.

• Cheap shop to buy gifts: Krisna Oleh Oleh

• Most of the night clubs are without entrance fee

• Beach bars may require some minimum amount to be spent, it also depends on where do you sit inside: couch, bar, …

• Better use a backpack rather than a suitcase

I stayed there two and half weeks and spent around 2500 euros including my flight ticket (750 euros two ways). You can definitely spend less, especially if you are planning to stay only in hostels. I always paid for for two people in the hotels even when I was alone, because there was no option to pay less for single guests.

Bali is one of my favorite spots in the world. People are amazingly kind, the service is just incredibly good and it is super cheap compared to a lot of places in the world that offer the same experience.

Gili T is one of the most romantic places I have ever seen, I am definitely going back there with my future girlfriend.
I hope I could help you planning your trip to Bali.

For more adventures you can follow me on instagram: zakariajaiathe

Enjoy your time,

Zak