Arriving in Bali
I arrived at Denpasar’s airport early the morning of September the 22nd, 2018. I didn’t have any hostel booked so I decided to start my adventure like a truly backpacker: sleeping at the airport. After a “great” night of sleep, when I saw the first signs of the new day starting, I decided to get going. Ahead of me was a new country and a new island. I didn’t know it just yet, but I would end up spending 10 days in Bali, the Island of the Gods.
Indonesia was not the first country I was visiting in Southeast Asia. I had already been to Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia (just Kuala Lumpur). I say that because I kind of knew the culture of bargaining and how sometimes some locals can be kind of annoying. Even before leaving the airport, as plenty of people would approach me trying to sell me their taxi services, I started to feel what I had just described. As we speak, I think the place where locals have annoyed me the most has been at Denpasar’s airport and its surroundings. I remember once a guy asked me to use his taxi while I was already inside the airport, and I replied if he wanted to drive me to the elevator lol.
How to get from Denpasar’s airport to Kuta?
My “problem” was that I didn’t have a local SIM yet, meaning, I had no data connection. The Wifi at the airport was not working very well and so, after pondering my options for some time, after minutes of bargaining, I got into a taxi and I was taken to Kuta. The city of Kuta is super close to Denpasar’s airport but, back then, with all the excitement and the lack of knowledge, I felt like it was enough far away. And you might be thinking:
“Why didn’t you buy your SIM card at the airport?”
“Well, because the prices were far from right”.
So, if you are not in a hurry, want to save some money and want to avoid bargaining as soon as you step on the country, do yourself a favour and walk from Denpasar’s airport to Kuta, it’s not that far!
How to buy a SIM card in Kuta? Make friends with a local!
Once in Kuta I started to walk around trying to get done with my first target: buying a local SIM card so I could have Internet everywhere and I could find my way “easily”. Don’t get me wrong. I try to avoid using my phone as much as possible, specially when I’m on holidays. But at that time, having just arrived in the country and knowing I was gonna be moving around all the time, I thought having an Internet connection was going to be a good help.
I found several shops but all of them were asking way too much money for the SIM card. How did I know that? Because a friend of mine told me some prices before going and because I did some research on it. After trying and trying without success I decided to change my approach. I found a local (a young kind kid) who didn’t speak much English but who could understand well enough my situation.
He was so kind that took me on his scooter and drove me to some other shops. The problem though was still the same: they wanted to charge me way too much. I told him I believed the problem was “me” and so he pretended he wanted to buy a SIM card for himself. The result: instead of charging me 300 K for the SIM card with 8 GB they charged me 75 K. Welcome to Indonesia 🙂
Renting a moto in Kuta
After having achieved my first target I went on to get the second one: renting a moto/scooter. I didn’t have much experience driving. I drove my grandpa’s a few times back when I was a kid but that was about all. Whether I was going to spend 10 days in Bali or a month, I knew riding a moto was the best way to enjoy Bali. And why was that? Well, because the roads were good enough, the distances were short enough and the freedom that it gives you is immeasurable. As I’m writing this post, I still remember how I would suddenly start screaming, laughing and grinning as I was riding my moto. It wasn’t because I was on drugs. But because the feeling of freedom that it gave me as I was enjoying beautiful landscapes and going wherever I wanted to.
I saw plenty of shops renting motos but I ended up renting my 125 cc to a guy who was working at “RAMABEACH” hotel. After bargaining with him for sometime I closed the deal for 55 K per day during 7 days. As the trip went on I realised that price and that moto were really good. So, if you are hesitating on where to get your moto/scooter, I would encourage you to go there!
With my last goal achieved, I decided to take a break. I had just arrived in Indonesia and I needed to get used to the heat and the humidity. Once I felt I got my energies back, I got ready for my next step: proving myself I was able to survive driving a moto on the left hand side of the road in the chaos of Bali. Next stop: Ubud.
2 days in Ubud
I arrived in Ubud without having any accommodation booked. After parking my moto and walking around for a bit, I got my shared room at Ojek’s Homestay. The city of Ubud seemed kind of touristic, but I liked what I saw. I met plenty of people taking yoga or meditation courses, what helped given the town a chilled vibe. I spent one day wandering around Ubud, checking its market, temples and shows and trying local food at different Warungs. The next day I drove my moto outside of Ubud to see highlights such as Goa Gajah, Tegalagang Rice Terrace, Gunung Kawi Sebatu and Tirta Empul. Do you want to take a deeper look at my 2 days in Ubud? Then, click on the image below 🙂
What’s to see from Ubud to Amed?
I felt pretty amazed with what I saw during my first 2 days in Indonesia, but I still wanted more. To that extend, I decided to travel from Ubud to Amed. I checked the different options and I decided to take a detour, instead of following the shortest path. During the detour, I saw trees as interesting as the jackfruit. I saw Mount Batur from way closer than expected. I visited the biggest and holiest temple of Bali and I made it to the Balinese “Alhambra”. All of that while driving through astonishing landscapes. Do you want to find out more about what’s to see from Ubud to Amed? Then, click on the image below 🙂
Stay in Amed, dive in Tulamben
Thanks to a friend’s advice I ended up staying in Amed and diving in Tulamben and, after 2 days and 3 nights, I felt like it was the right choice. None of the towns are big or too touristic, but Amed has more to offer when it comes to bars, restaurants, nightlife and beaches. On the other hand, diving in Tulamben is such an unique experience. I got my Advanced Open Water certification with Dive Concepts and I had the time of my life! Do you want to experience what it feels to stay in Amed and dive in Tulamben? Then, click on the image below 🙂
2 days in Nusa Penida
I still had with me the excitement of having become AOW certified when I arrived to Padangbai. I found out the public ferry was broken down and I had to leave my moto on firm land and take a speedboat to Nusa Penida. While waiting for the boat, I met three girls from Spain. We ended up spending 2 days together enjoying and surviving the beautiful Nusa Penida. Do you want to get a taste of my 2 days in Nusa Penida? Then, click on the image below 🙂
Nusa Lembongan and Ceningan
After my 2 days in Nusa Penida, I felt like I wanted to take a look at its smaller siblings: Nusa Lembongan and Ceningan. To that extend, I took a speedboat from Nusa Penida to Lembongan. I met Vanessa there, the French girl I had met back in Amed. We rented a moto and we travelled around both Nusa Islands, enjoying their landscapes and their roads, nothing to do with the ones in Nusa Penida. Do you want to feel the blue of Nusa Lembongan and Ceningan? Then, click on the image below 🙂
From Kuta to Kawah Ijen
I returned to Kuta after 9 days and I had the feeling that neither of us were the same anymore. It had just been 9 days, but to me it felt like months. I felt like my time in Bali was up and I wanted to visit the island that dominates Indonesia: Java. I had seen some images of the beautiful blue fires from Kawah Ijen and I really wanted to check it out. The problem? I couldn’t find an easy and clear route from Bali to Java or, more precisely, from Kuta to Kawah Ijen. After an evening of research I found a pretty good route. Do you want to find out how to get from Kuta to Kawah Ijen on a budget? Then, click on the image below 🙂
I hope you enjoyed reading my 10 days in Bali guide and you were able to find some useful stuff. Enjoy travelling around the Island of the Gods! Sampai jumpa!
