Many people ask me where to go and what to do in Bali. I’ve written about a few favourite places and some of the things I love about the place. I recommend you get the current Lonely Planet guide too. Dollar amounts are US dollars. Bear in mind that prices and places change rapidly in Bali. This post was updated in 2016.

We always use Nyoman Murka to drive us around (Mob 081 2397 7369, office 0361 771 661, 773030). We pay him about 80,000 Rp per hour (8-hour day is about 600-650,000 Rp). He will take you anywhere for the whole day and wait so you can keep your parcels in the car while you’re shopping, swimming, drinking, eating etc. He is very honest and nice. If you need to get a taxi on the street, always get the metered taxis and pay what’s on the meter (the Bluebird taxis are best). If you get the other taxis which are mostly big four-wheel drives, you will have to negotiate every time which can be a pain. If you have Nyoman for the whole day, it is customary to give him about 30,000 for his lunch on top of the cost of the driving. Try to avoid transport from about 3-5 pm in the afternoons as the traffic jams are horrific! Add extra time if it’s raining.

The best and most honest money changer in Bali is at the Bintang Supermarket in Seminyak. However, there are ATMs everywhere. Some only dispense 50,000 Rp notes so check as you will need to get too many – 100,000 Rp notes are best to get from the ATM. Any Circle K has one. There are high bank fees for withdrawals so it is good to withdraw quite a lot and just keep the cash in your deposit box in your hotel/villa. You need to have a good amount of small bills on hand as a lot of the taxis pretend they don’t have change so you might have to pay more than you expected.

Look at bargaining as a game that is entertaining and keep your sense of humour. It can get a bit frustrating after a while, so try to keep your cool! There are some shops which just say they are fixed price so you have to get an idea where it is appropriate to bargain. Mostly prices are negotiable. A lot of shops take only cash so be prepared; the ones that take Visa are much more expensive and are often fixed price shops. The markets and shops along the road all bargain.

Get the seller to give you their price first. Generally offer one-third to half the asking price. If the seller asks for 60,000 Rp, offer 30,000 Rp and work towards a mutually acceptable amount. If they won’t come down to the amount you want, just walk away. Often they will come back with a yes or a better offer. Once you have agreed on the amount, you are committed to the purchase and you must buy the goods.

Tipping

You can get a cheap mobile phone for about $40-50. Then you can use prepaid phone cards. You can get them for 100,000 Rp ($10) which lasts about a week depending on how much you use it, of course. It is a good idea to have a phone so that you can call your driver and get him to pick you up when you are out and about. Just go into a local shop with the phone sign out the front (Telkomsel or Wartel). The shopkeeper will set it all up for you and show you how to use it. You might have to go into Denpasar to get a cheap phone. There is a big electronics store in Denpasar about four levels high (Rimo) where you can buy anything electronic including phones and computers. Your driver will know where it is.

Kuta is the place for cheap shopping.
Discovery Shopping Mall – a huge mall
Matahari – good place for cheap stuff of all kinds – near Kuta Square. There are two but don’t go to the one that isn’t at Kuta Square as it is very expensive.
Bali Galleria – ok but a bit expensive
Seminyak – great shopping but more expensive designer type stuff

Food is always reasonable but when you add anything alcoholic (other than beer), it gets much more expensive. Wine is imported and very expensive. Cocktails range from 40,000 Rp up to 100,000 Rp in some places – average is about 45,000 Rp ($4.50). Some hotels and bars have two-for-one cocktails (Mandira in Legian is nice for sunset cocktails). You should get to a place for sunset cocktails around 5-5.30 pm to see the sun go down. Other good places are Pantai (on Double Six in Seminyak) and any hotels or restaurants along the beach. Upstairs overlooking the beach watching the crowd’s activities is great.

Other good places for sunset drinks are:
Chez Gado Gado on the beach in Seminyak
Ku De Ta but the drinks are phenomenally expensive
Cocoon – Seminyak
SOS (Anantara) – Seminyak
Rosso Vivo – Kuta

Go to Bali Deli for gourmet (not very cheap) but delicious delicacies and everything delectable to eat. It has a great bookshop next door called Periplus.

La Lucciola – on the beach, great for breakfast overlooking the ocean
Ku De Ta – very trendy, hip and sophisticated right on the beach
Hu’u – beautifully romantic, outdoor, trendy
Sarong – Indian – expensive
Blossom – expensive
Chez Gado Gado – on the beach
Waroeng Bonita – Balinese food, on Friday nights they have a drag show – you have to book, starts at 9 pm
Zappaz – great atmosphere, you can eat, drink or watch the very good band, friendly local place – highly recommend a visit! Owned by a Brit named Norman.
Sate Bali – cheap and good food, has a cooking school
Trattoria – Italian, great food and cheap (entrée, bread, pasta and glass of wine for about $8)
Ultimo
Metis
Chandi

Mamasan

Ryoshi – restaurant/bar with awesome jazz

Poppies Restaurant – oldest in Bali – in Poppies lane – there are two, both are good
Kori Restaurant and Bar – lovely setting, great food – in Poppies lane
Balcony – on a balcony above the hubbub below

Hotel Tugu, beautiful setting with a gallery, just have coffee and have a look. Very expensive for dinner
Echo Beach – Beach House on the beach

Waterbom park – Kuta – for frolicking in a pool
Hard Rock Café Kuta swimming pool – fabulous for a few hours. Pay 100,000 Rp to get a towel and key to the locker where you can store your stuff. Great pool, sandy beach in the pool, cabanas – right on Kuta Beach
Jimbaran Bay – restaurants on the beach for seafood – quite nice watching the sunset but can be expensive. The restaurant you choose can organise a car to come and get you and bring you back included with the restaurant meal. You have to book. Don’t do it if it’s raining or cloudy
Uluwatu temple – monkey temple on a cliff over the ocean – spectacular view, beware of monkeys

You should go to Ubud for a few days. See the Kecak dance – traditional Balinese dance
Visit the Monkey Forest – be careful you don’t get too close as the monkeys can be quite aggressive and steal your stuff!
Walking up and down Monkey Forest Road is interesting.
Museum of Fine Arts is interesting for art as Ubud is known mainly for its artists and artwork. There are loads of art galleries and museums.
Blanco Renaissance Museum – Antonio Blanco was an artist and his former palatial home is now the gallery – very interesting
Komaneka art gallery
Ubud market at the top of Monkey Forest Rd, great ambience and the fruit/vegetable market is interesting
Loads of walking tracks around Ubud
Balinese cooking course at Casa Luna
Have lunch at Indus restaurant – owned by Janet de Neefe, an Australian woman and her Balinese husband (they also own Casa Luna). Great food and not bad prices. Other restaurants that are good are Casa Luna, Café Lotus, Ary’s Warung, Lamak, Coffee and Silver, Tutmak Café, Mozaic, Dragonfly, Bumbu Bali, Café des Artistes. There are loads.
Go to Jazz Café for dinner and jazz
Bird park
There are silver shops and wood carving places that drivers will want to take you to. Most are just for tourists and can be quite expensive but you do know that the silver is good with good craftsmanship. You can get these at the market but the quality is probably not as good
Bali Safari and Marine Park near Gianyar is very good value. Costs about US$25-30 to get in but you can spend the whole day there. You drive in a van that gets you close and personal with loads of African and Indian animals in relatively authentic settings.

These are very cute islands – very unspoilt, beautiful crystal clear warm water and nice beaches, should stay for a few days. Trawangan is mostly for young people interested in diving. Meno and Air are much quieter for older people or families who like an easier pace. There are lots of restaurants on Trawangan, and many backpackers. It has a carefree atmosphere, no cars but there are cidomos (donkey and carts) which you can catch if you’d prefer not to walk or you can ride a bike. The donkeys are not treated well.

The boat drops you on the beach and you either walk or hire a guy with a motorbike to take you around. There are no cars. Go to Mushroom Bay and Dream Beach. Or you can go on a cruise from Benoa that will give you a day trip of snorkelling island tours and a buffet lunch.
It’s great to stay on this island for a couple of days for is laid back vibe. Stay at Nusa Lembongan Bungalows, Bungalow number 7 or Oka Bungalow Number 7 – all are cheap and good with nice restaurants. Get one with a pool. Gorgeous views.

Lembongan Island Beach Villas is more upmarket.

Lembongan Beach Resort

Book with Rocky fast boats to get over there

Candidasa – good to stay for a couple of days.
Amed – very quiet little village, lots of good snorkelling. Try Café Amed and stay for a couple of days. Lots of cute places to stay.
Lovina – right in the north, black sand beach
Singaraja – the ancient capital city
Munduk – right in the centre of the mountains, lots of beautiful walking tours through jungle, with an old Dutch feel about it. Stay a couple of days and soak up the vibe. Lots of nice places to stay. I stayed at Meme Surung which was great and cheap – nice view over the valley
Medewi – famous for surfing beaches

Bodyworks
Chill
Cool
Suku
Jari Menari – the best in Bali at a premium price (male masseurs). There is also one in Nusa Dua

I would advise against getting your laundry done at your hotel or villa. Ask your driver to take you to a ‘local’ laundry, you can get your washing done for about $1 instead of $20 and it is still a very good service. There are many

Take lots of DEET-based mosquito repellent and wear it everyday both during the day and at night. The non-scented, non-slippery one is best.
Take a medical kit containing some basic items. There are many chemists in and around Seminyak but it’s best to stock what you can. If you need one, there is a doctor in the main street of Seminyak – Jalan Oberoi.

Buy your limit of spirits at the airport before you go (and at Denpasar airport on your way home). Spirits and wine are very expensive; the Bintang beer is nice and very cheap. Be careful of cheap venues which have been known to spike/dilute cocktails and mixed drinks with methanol.

Enjoy!