20th August 2019 - Aina Matamoros

Last year I thought about going to Bali during the summer, but in the end it did not work out. So I decided that in 2019 I was definitely going to Bali, no matter what. And I did it. I wanted to go because I feel very connected to the Asian culture and especially the South-East Asian traditions and landscapes. I thought I would love it and it happened this way.

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I went with my best friend to celebrate our 25th birthday this year; it was like our present from us to ourselves. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner to do this trip and I am so thankful for the whole experience we’ve lived together in Bali.

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I know I lot of people have been going to Bali lately and you may find it typical or boring, but it is really very beautiful and worth the (so long) trip. And it also depends on how you travel, the places you visit and the things you do. So here are my 14 things and fun facts you need to know about Bali that will convince you to go there:  

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1. TRAFFIC IS TERRIBLE: for starters, the roads are narrow, 90% of them with only one lane per way. There are almost no traffic lights and no signs, so they do whatever they want. And then, there are the motorcycles: most of the people use scooters (I think there are more scooters than people in that island and they are 4,225 million people living there) and they drive like crazy. They pass the cars for both sides; they go like 3 or even 4 people in one motorcycle (with the kids in the front. They even ride babies on them), they carry all kinds of staff that difficult the driving for them and for the others… So be prepared to spend a lot of time on the road to go from one place to another. It will take you 2 hours to do 20 km by car during the day. Oh, and FYI, they drive on the left side. However, I must encourage you saying that I think this is the only negative point of my trip to Bali.

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2. PEOPLE ARE SO NICE: people from Bali are the nicest I have ever met. They are so happy to see you on their island, enjoying and loving it. Anything you need or ask for they will give it to you or, at least, will try (for example, if you want the whole fruit instead of the juice, they will serve it to you). They say Hello to you on the street and when you say it back to them, they smile and look so happy, especially the kids but also adults. They also know English pretty well and ask you about the things you’ve done in Bali, how long you’re there and other questions that they have learned by heart to be able to talk to the tourists and make them feel good.

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3. STREET (religious) DECORATION: because of their religion, they put a little box made of palm leaves in front of every door on the street and they fill it with flowers and sometimes some food like rice and they put incense on it. It’s an offering to the gods and a way to say thank you for the day. They also have these big like palm posts on the streets. They are colorful and have a kind of box in the middle where they put the offerings. There were a lot of them because the celebration of the Independence Day of Indonesia was close and they made the streets look so beautiful (also with lots of Indonesian flags).

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4. GAS STATIONS: if you go to Bali it is like 99% sure that you are going to rent a scooter to move around the cities. It is not that difficult, but you have to be careful about the other cars and scooters from locals, so do not rush. Then you need to know a little about gas stations, since they do not look like a normal western gas station at all. There are two types: one is like a small stand with two gas pumps hanging from a 5 L deposit; the second one is a wood stand with reused plastic or (more commonly) glass alcohol bottles filled with gas, so you buy one bottle to fill up your deposit. It is funny. Oh and they also refill some water bottles with Arak, the typical alcohol from Bali, so be careful when you are at the supermarket and ask for the mineral water bottles (which you will need all the time since you cannot drink at all the tap water).

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5. BALI FLOWER – FRANGIPANI: I literally fell in love with this flower. You are already familiar with my love for flowers and this one has my heart. Frangipani can easily be found everywhere around Bali. Balinese use it in some dances to decorate the dancers’ hair. You can find this flower everywhere, especially near temples and houses. There are a lot on the floor, because they fall from the tree, so you can also see lots of tourist girls wearing them on their hair. The most common is the white and a little yellow in the center, but it goes up to full yellow and there are also some pinkish ones.

 

6. VEHICLES FOR TOURISTS: you cannot walk 1 whole minute in Ubud without some man saying to you: “Taxi? Scooter?” They offer you this while walking on the street and also from their cars or scooters like I also can walk you know? It can be a little annoying but you say no and they do not insist at all. Also related to taxis, they are not expensive but there is this app called Go-Jek (like an Uber) which is a lot cheaper. The only problem is that it is not very well accepted by local transport people.

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7. TRENDY CLOTHES FROM THE 2000’s: Bali is a paradise for surfers and that is why there are a lot of shops from surfer/skater brands that were super trendy during the 2000’s such as Billabong, Rip Curl, Reef, Quicksilver/Roxy… There are also huge outlets from these brands so if you like them, go to Bali. Also related to fashion, there is this shop called Bamboo Blonde which is like the Zara from Bali. It’s cute and not expensive but also not so cheap.

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8. TEMPLES: there are lots of temples around the streets of the cities, especially in Ubud, and some big ones. But, before entering one, you need to know that:

1. You should dress properly with their kind of skirt, which you are given at the entrance of almost all the temples

2. Women cannot enter a temple if they have their menstruation at the moment (Hello?) and also their hair has to be tied up.

3. If you go to Pura Tirta Empul, the temple of purifying water, you can do the ritual, but I do not recommend it, since it is packed (locals and tourists at the same time), you have to go fully into the water (and then it’s cold outside).

4. They dress up the Buddha statues also with these skirts. I just find it a fun fact.

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9. SPAS: there are lots of spas in every street. South-East Asian cultures are known also for their good massages and treatments. That is why there are so many spas where you can get a massage, a manicure or pedicure, or a beauty treatment for a very low price. We got our manicure done but I must say it was not very good. The funny thing is that the staff is witting outside waiting for people to go in, all dressed in their uniforms. Also, I think that surprised was that there were lots of men (foreigners) getting massages at the Spas.

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10. TOURIST ATTRACTIONS - INSTAGRAM: one of the “sad” things in Bali is that a lot of tourists, especially girls, go there only to take pictures for their Instagrams and Balinese people know it so they are prepared. There are tours named Instagram Tour, there are lots of swings in restaurants in the middle of the jungle or rice terraces where you have to pay to get on it and swing only to have a picture, in the rice terraces there are local people that make you pay to take pictures with them or with their typical dressing, and the worst of them all: these like made up branch frames shaped like a circle or (even worse) like a heart that is everywhere and that you also have to “make a donation” to take a picture inside them. So if you go there do me a favor and enjoy the landscape, the nature and take pictures where nobody makes you pay for it and where beauty is natural.  

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11. MOUNT BATUR HIKING: this was one of the highlights of the trip. There is this organized excursion to climb up the Mount Batur volcano to see the sunrise from there. So you have to start hiking at 3:30 am to get there before 6 am. It is a very different experience and it is worth the hike to see the sunrise from there. Only bad thing is that it is FREEZING COLD at the top, because of the wind, mostly. I think it is one of the moments I have been colder in my entire life. Also, another not so good fact is that it is packed and when you go up and, especially, down, it is like walking down Las Ramblas in Barcelona. But it is a really different experience and if you like hiking you must definitely do it. Also, big shout out to all the local guides who go up to the top of the mountain EVERY DAY.

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12. CANGUU/UBUD/ NUSA PENIDA: these are the three cities/regions I visited and I highly recommend you to go there. Do not go to Kuta (it is like Benidorm) – I already did not go because I was also advised not to.

1. Canguu: it is the surfers’ paradise and full of expats living there. It is a very cute village, with lots of small rice fields in the middle of it and a nice beach, but so windy (surfers here). There are lots of nice shops and (international/healthy/trendy) places to eat. It is a bit of a hipster’s and postureo people paradise. They are building a lot of new houses and hotels, though.

2. Ubud: it is the center of the island, surrounded by nature, full of culture. Even though it is also a little corrupted by tourism, if you go around you can see the real jungle and the city is pretty authentic.

3. Nusa Penida: there are these two Islands people usually go during their trip to Bali. Ones are the Gili Islands, which are more for parties and couples, and the others are the Nusas, and Nusa Penida is the most popular for adventurers. We decided to go to Nusa Penida and it was the best decision. The water there is wonderfully blue, there are beaches where you can lay down (like Crystal Bay) and others that are impressive and wild (like Kelingking), the food is good and people are also very nice. Only thing is that the “roads” are not the best and they are suuuuuper chill so do not go in a rush.

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13. PINK DRAGON FRUIT: this is the thing I will miss the most! Kidding apart, Dragon fruit is one of my favorite fruits and I cannot eat it in my country, so I ate it in Bali every day: in juice, smoothies or as a whole fruit. It is delicious and whoever says the opposite is not a normal person and should leave this planet.

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14. OTHER FACTS FROM BALINESE DAY TO DAY LIFE

1. Kids go to school from 7:30 am to 10:30 am (1st period) and 10:30 am to 12:30 pm (2nd period). They also wear a uniform.

2. The typical Balinese house has its own temple and 4 different buildings, one for each cardinal direction.

3. Words in Indonesian we learned from our driver: Aku Cinta kamu (I love you) / Apa Kabar (How are you?) / Suksma (thank you)

4. Balinese coffee is very good and typical. There are lots of coffee plantations.

5. The animals you can see on the street are dogs and roosters, especially.