Things to Know Before Your Trip

Bali Island in Indonesia is a beautiful and enchanted island and an exotic province to visit. Bali, the home of the famous Bali Island, settles at the Westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands. Bali is at the center of Java (to the West) and Lombok (to the East) and its capital is Denpasar which can be found in the southern part of the magical island.

Bali Island is a famous tourist destination where you can find the exotic mountains and breathtaking beaches blend with nature. Bali is also considered as the “Land of the Gods” where you can enjoy the spectacular and authentic beauty of nature. Mountains, volcanoes and hills are a beauty to behold. Rich rice fields which depicts abundance and good harvests sprawls the island.

Ubud is located 35 km northeast of Bali's International Airport. It is attractive to tourists for a variety of reasons. On a relatively small island with a horde of attractions, Ubud is centrally located, there are plenty reasons why Ubud was voted in recently as the most fascinating city of Asia.

If you can’t get into Indonesia than your trip is over before it’s even begun. But never fear - when it comes to visas and entry here’s what you need to know:
• You’ll need at least 6 months validity on your passport or you won’t be allowed into Indonesia.
• The Indonesian Government has introduced visa-free short visits (30 days) for Australians. 
• For other visas you will have to contact the Embassy or Consulate of Indonesia.

Be careful what you bring into the country too - Indonesian customs allow you to bring in a max, per adult, of:
• Maximum 1 litre of alcohol
• 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 100 grams of tobacco
• A reasonable amount of perfume.

Bali weather is typified by sunny, tropical days and balmy nights. It is mostly warm and humid with temperatures that range between 26-31 degrees Celsius throughout the year. The dry season, from May to September, sees sunnier days, while one can expect precipitation levels to reach the highest during the wet or ‘rainy’ season, with intermittent downpours between October and April.

This island, eight degrees south of the equator, is an all year-round travel hotspot, good to visit in any season and with a collection of things to see and do that would suit any travel plan.Be it the hottest months for lounging on the beach, cooler and drier times for some outdoor adventures in the central highlands, or enjoying the wealth of festivities that usually take place mid-year. This page has all you need to know about the weather in Bali.

Emergency Call Number 112
Police 110 or (0361) 751598
Tourist Police (0361) 155 4
Ambulance 118 or (0361) 257550
Fire Brigade 113
Bali Taxi (0361) 701111
Bali Government Tourism Office (0361) 222387

There are lots of adventure activities you can undertake in Bali, like white-water rafting, surfing, scuba diving, paragliding, volcano climbing and quad biking just to name a few.

Take the right precautions, always get travel insurance and make sure you’re covered for any activities you plan to take part in.

Currency:
USD 1 = IDR 14,000

ATMs:
ATMs dispense IDR 50,000 or 100,000 bills; withdrawal fees using foreign bank cards, Visa or Mastercard vary and can be high. Beware of skimmers and rigged units, and remember to take your money and card after each transaction.

Exchange:
Always check your money when exchanging money at street-side money changers, even if they’re signed ‘Authorized’. Scams are more than frequent.

Bargaining:
Bargain hard, from half tag price, only at traditional and art markets. Not at shopping malls.

Tipping:
Tipping is not compulsory since prices are subject to 10% government tax and up to 11% service charge, but appreciated (usually 5-10% of the bill).

Bali is part of Indonesia. Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia, but it does not share the same time zone with Bali. Bali time is one hour ahead of Jakarta. Bali shares the same time zone with Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Perth (AUS). Sydney is two hours ahead.

Bali is within WITA, Indonesia Central Time Zone (UTC+08:00)
WITA or Waktu Indonesia Tengah is 8 hours ahead of UTC, Coordinated Universal Time.
Bali has only one Time Zone. Denpasar, Kuta, Seminyak, Jimbara, Lovina, Gilimanuk, etc. all have the same time.

There are government tourist offices in the major tourist destinations and often several in one town. 

Opening hours are Monday-Thursday, 7am-2pm; Friday, 7am-11am; and Saturday, 7am-12.30pm. Offices in the main tourist centres keep longer hours. For more information visit the Bali Tourism Board.

Water:
Tap water is not potable; ice in drinks at established bars, hotels and reputable restaurants are usually safe.

Drugs:
The penalty for drug is death. Take it seriously.

Monkeys:
Wear minimum accessories when visiting monkey forests; don't feed or approach the monkeys – they are wild animals, not pets.