Any opinions on touring Bali?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’m taking a family trip with my mother this summer, and she’s pretty keen on a place called Bali. I understand it’s a province of Indonesia, supposedly beautiful and friendly, but I don’t know much else about it.

Anyone here ever been there or know much about it? I’m just looking for travel suggestions, stories, photos, anything :slight_smile:

Because neither of us are familiar with the language, culture, geography, etc., we’re probably going with a tour guide. My first pick so far is Bali Eco Cycling’s 5-day tour (which isn’t all on a bike) because it has excellent reviews on TripAdvisor and a friend-of-a-friend has used them before.

I also have a few specific questions:

  1. Should I be concerned about safety? We’re two (Asian-)Americans and there have been a few terrorist attacks and bombings there in the past. USA Today warns that offending the locals could result in violence. I haven’t the faintest clue what’s likely to offend them.

  2. Is English commonly spoken there, or would an Indonesian phrasebook be necessary?

  3. Any idea how accommodating the restaurants are for vegetarians/vegans?

  4. Are there scenic outdoor areas that are worth checking out on our own and if so, are they safe for obvious-looking tourists to hike/bike through without a local guide?

Thanks in advance :slight_smile:

2

Okay, I’ve been a few times, but only for weekend trips and I must confess I haven’t explored far beyond the Seminyak nightlife. But here goes:

  1. Not any more so than when you visit any poor country. There is crime in Bali, and Indonesia generally. But the vast majority of Balinese are super-friendly and smiley. It’s a major tourist destination and they welcome custom.

  2. Yes. I would guess that almost every local speaks enough English to give directions, say hello etc., and everyone working in the service industry will be fluent, or pretty close. Of course, if you can manage to learn terimakasih (thank you) and apa kabar? (how’s it going?) you will get a bigger smile. Bahasa is supposed to be one of the easiest Asian languages for an English speaker to learn.

  3. There’s plenty of Balinese/Indonesian food that has no meat or fish, just make sure you check with the staff. Again, they’re used to such requests.

  4. Can’t help you much here, sorry! Visit the monkey forest in Ubud (I never knew monkeys swam until I went there), you can buy a bunch of ageing bananas and they will clamber all over you, they won’t hurt though.

Bali is where Indonesian money goes so some parts (Nusa Dua, Seminyak) are quite trendy. Kuta is where Aussies go on school/college holidays. There’s decent scuba diving there and plenty of other water activities. You’ll enjoy it, have fun!

3

First, my credentials vis-a-vis Bali: I’ve lived in Indonesia for a total of about 13 years since 1993, and I’ve spent a lot of time in Bali - I’ve been there more times than I can count, but probably 30+ trips. I also lived in Ubud for a month while volunteering for the Environmental Bamboo Foundation in Denpasar. Bali is an enchanting place (or a rolicking, rowdy one, if you prefer that kind of experience).

So - What do you want out of your trip, how long will you be there, how much money do you have to spend? All these things affect what is the right answer for you.

You can do everything in Bali from drunken revelry/nightclubbing with lots of hard-drinking Australians to quiet, pristine get-aways with sublime scuba diving. Beaches, batik, volcanoes, temples, exotic music and dancing … Bali has it all. You just have to decide what you want.

How good a shape are you and your mother in (and how old is she)? Keep in mind that depending on where you are from, Bali is likely to seem quite hot and humid. Cycling there could be beautiful - the scenery is fantastic - but also taxing if you aren’t ready to exert yourself in the heat.

Ubud used to be my go-to spot in Bali, but it’s gotten pretty touristy in recent years. Still, check out this site for information and ideas: www.murnis.com (Full disclosure - I know Murni and Jonathan, have stayed many times at the Villas and once at the Houses, and a couple of the articles on the website are reprints of articles I wrote for travel magazines.)

I actually think vegans may have a bit of trouble in Bali, unless you stick to the very tried-and-true, well-beaten tourist path, where they expect a lot of gaga “ooh! Eat Pray Love was such a life-changing movie!” types and have altered menus to match. Balinese flavor a lot of food with pork, duck, chicken or beef - there may not be a big hunk of meat in the dish, but there could well be some shreds of meat included. (Or take the rice cracker known as krupuk, for example - they are often flavored with shrimp or fish, so you may say to yourself, “oh, a rice cracker! It’s vegan” but it won’t be.) Eggs show up in a lot of food too. You will have to insist on eating tempe all the time if you really want to be vegan. Tempe is utterly delicious, so there are worse fates! Places like Murni’s Warung in Ubud will be able to serve you tasty vegan food.

Anyway, it’s a wonderful place and you’ll have a great time almost no matter what. I wouldn’t worry about language issues or personal safety. Be careful how much you pay for stuff, though, and bargain hard. People are happy to rip tourists off as much as they can.

4

My daughter went last year for a three-week tour arranged by her college. She loved it! She said the people were very friendly, the fruits fantastic (and some quite revolting smelling), the monkeys hilarious. She wasn’t there to party but to study, so she wasn’t in the really touristy places. She felt very safe, even when there were language barriers. Of course she’d like to go back.