INDONESIA

Location: Kuta, Jimbaran, Nusa Dua, Benoa, Sanur, Gianyar, KlungKung, PadangBai, Candidasa, Tirta Gangga, Amed, Lovina, Ubud, Denpasar
Length of stay: 30 Days
Cost per Day: $17

Phew... I am completely exhausted and could go a little 5* right about now...
Backpacking for 30 days around Bali in the heat has completely worn me out.. 2 weeks probably would have been enough, still you dont know till you experience it do you...

So... my thoughts on Bali...
Kuta and Ubud are the two sizzling hot and very cool spots to visit on anyones itinerary... however the rest of Bali did absolutely nothing for me...

Shopping is fantastic... I saw many, many things I would have loved to have purchased. Exercising self restraint was most challenging... there are some stunning designs and creative products out there...
One of the 1st things I noticed, is the extremely high quality of workmanship... the Balinese take great pride in their work and I have been most impressed... Definately well worth the cost of a flight here just to go shopping for Balinese home decor items, furniture and quality designer fashion...

Food as expected is pretty good... I have dined like a Queen for just several $ a day... and been able to sample so many new and interesting dishes... I have done all my dining in the local Warungs - where the locals eat, however even the restaurants catering to tourists are very reasonable...

Traffic is quite horrendous... you really do take your own life into your hands when you attempt to cross the road here... There dont appear to be any road rules and certainly no one sits for a drivers license so I was told, and when you see children as young as 10 riding motorbikes, well it is a little frightening...
One literally has to walk out into oncoming traffic, put your hand up and trust that people will see you and slow down... still I did have one collision in Kuta where a motorbike knocked me to the ground... just a few grazes fortunately...

Getting around Bali has been quite a challenge and a steep learning curve... I can tell you this... Bemo - public transport in the form of small minivans is by far the cheapest way to get around... It is worth remembering though that bemo's are assigned a specific region and for each region a specific colour to their van... So if you want to go from Town A to Town C then the Blue Bemo in Town A will charge you steeply because he is venturing outside his region... BUT if you catch Blue Bemo from Town A to Town B, then change to Red Bemo to go from Town B to Town C... you will cut your travelling costs hugely...yes it makes travel time longer, however makes for a much more interesting road trip... And if you can get in the front seat up with the driver, then you will get the best view...

I have predominantly stayed in homestays/losmens for very little... ADVICE... you generally will be shown your room before you say yes or no... several things to check... The toilet... While they are rarer, I still did come across several that had the old fashion squat wc - hole in the floor... also check the sheets... as I came across several places where the sheets had not been changed from the previous guest... I think this generally doesnt bother the locals, however I kindly asked for the bed to made up with fresh linen and there was never a problem... Always ask for towel, top sheet, soap and toilet paper... sometimes you get it, sometimes you dont... Cold showers and Mandis are the norm... but quite ok and refreshing since the heat is so stifling at times...

I have 2 big gripes about Bali... no make that 3...

#1 is the hawkers... the constant hassling to buy something literally drives you to the point of wanting to scream... You want transport, motorbike, taxi, sunglasses, watch, sarong, massage, manicure, bali boyfriend.... No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no and NO... just go away and leave me alone...
#2 is the overcharging of tourists... my travel guide mentioned several times that tourists are commonly overcharged here... what an absolute understatement... and in my book is downright cheating, stealing and dishonest... I dont have alot of respect for the Balinese in regards to this matter... its not about the money... its about principle... funny that they dont see that they are only damaging their own reputation...
The most common examples are... buying fruit from the market or food from a warung...there are no fixed prices... when you enquire on the cost of something, you can see their heads ticking over thinking hmmm what shall I charge this tourist... and when you know the person served before you was charged a completely different price... well... its not really a very nice way to do business with people...
and also the bemo... while it is definately the cheapest way to travel, guaranteed you will still be paying many, many more 1000's of rupiah to travel the same distance as a local...
#3 are the beggars... in particular the children beggars - with the mothers standing in the background pushing them towards you... I read that Jakarta has recently banned begging and any tourist caught giving money to a beggar will be fined... good move I say...

I managed to spend several days in Nusa Dua which is touted as one of the exclusive places to go in Bali... Crystal clear water and stretches of white sandy beach so they say... as does the picture postcard...
Have to tell you that its not... and in my opinion is extremely over-rated... I dont doubt that the 5* resorts with their stunning Balinese architecture are beautiful... the food superb... the service impeccable...the day spa's and facilities divine... but walk outside, lay on the beach, swim in the water and you would have to be terribly disappointed...
As an alternative... Sanur is a much nicer place if you want 5* on the beach... they have imported sand from somewhere so while still not a gorgeous beach in my view, it is at least much more acceptable...

As for my little rat experience in Fiji... well I can tell you that it was merely an introduction to the onslaught I would have to deal with here in Bali... They are absolutely everywhere... monstrous, miniscule, dead, alive, day, night, in the streets, in the shops, running under the warung dining bench while you are eating, running across the warung dining table while you are eating... :) what can you do but just laugh in amazement...

Ok... so enough of Bali...Next stop Singapore... and how exciting... I am meeting up with a friend from Australia who is flying in for the Singapore Grand Prix... We just might have to go have an authentic Singapore Sling together at the Raffles...

Till next time... x

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