Travel Planning

You’ve been interviewed, internship is accepted, the flight is booked, all docs are prepared,, the suitcase is packed and you are ready for your Bali trip! Well, even though Bali has no insider tip among the island trips anymore there are still some extra insider tips that you should know before heading off to Bali. We will clarify some falsities and provide information on how to master the little challenges and enjoy the trip to tropical Bali to the fullest.

You definitely should – you are going to the tropics! But there are two reasons why not to stuff your suitcase exclusively with summer dresses and sleeveless shirts. Firstly, it can get quite “fresh” in the morning and evening hours during July to September. Especially when you are planning to rent and drive a scooter, you may easily catch a cold. During the rainy season from October to March long clothing is useful in the evenings to prevent yourself from getting bitten by mosquitoes. Secondly, there are so many good shopping opportunities where you can buy individual summer clothes at a more favorable price and amazing designs. With these opportunities it would be a pity, if your suitcase is already full to bursting on the way to Bali.

Credit card, traveler’s checks or cash? The credit card is still the best solution, as traveler’s checks are not very common and you should never travel with too much cash. But even though almost everyone has a credit card, is it possible to use this in Bali? It’s very important to not just head off for your journey, but to contact your bank and ask them whether your Maestro Card is sufficient to use in Indonesia or not. Not all ATMs with a MasterCard character enable all European banks to withdraw money. Just to be safe it’s best to bring a Visa credit card, which is working at all ATMs in the touristic south of Bali. If you plan on going further north, you should be prepared that the ATMs are getting fewer there and some of them do not accept foreign bank cards. So you should withdraw some money in the South to make sure to not run out of money during your trip.

Seen on many pictures and on TV and greatly feared: driving with an automatic scooter. Unfortunately, it can not be avoided if you want to get flexible and cheap from A to B. FIrstly, you must possess a national driver’s license from your country and an international one.Follow all traffic regulations and rules and always remain calm while driving, you will learn quickly and naturally how to drive an automatic scooter or any type of motor vehicle in Bali’s traffic. Finally, you can only apply for your international driver’s license back home, not in Bali, Indonesia, it is impossible to obtain such a license with your entry permit.

Even a holiday does not prevent you from diseases and accidents. An international health insurance is compulsory on the tropical island of Bali.Without this even a brief doctor’s visit can cost a lot of money. Another very important fact concerning your health are the vaccinations, to enter Indonesia you have to possess COVID19 vaccine certificates, other than that you should consider getting a rabies vaccination. This seems to be a bit beaten off the track in paradise, but everyone who has ever been in Bali knows about all the stray dogs and cats. Better safe than sorry!

Mass tourism and Bali are often mentioned in the same sentence. A trip to Bali does not necessarily have to be a holiday package. There are many ways to organize your trip in a sustainable way and travel in harmony with the culture and magic of Bali. During voluntary work you have the opportunity to engage into everyday life and the traditions. But it’s already a big move not to nest like the majority of the tourists in one of the innumerable hotels in the south, but to travel somewhat north – whether on the west or east coast. It will also benefit your trip and facilitate your orientation on site if you do some proper research beforehand to avoid some of the main tourist trails.