Bali
Getting there
BY AIR
Flight time from London: 17 hours, including a 1-hour
stopover
From the UK
Singapore Airlines and
Cathay Pacific fly from
London Heathrow to Denpasar.
From North America
Cathay Pacific flies from
New York, LA and San Francisco;
Singapore Airlines flies
from New York and San Francisco.
From Australia and New Zealand
Qantas flies from Sydney and
Melbourne; Jet Star flies from
Perth and Darwin. Singapore
Airlines flies from Christchurch and Auckland.
From the Airport
Visitors arrive at Denpasar's Ngurah Rai International
Airport (DPS). Despite the misleading name, the airport is
actually located between Kuta and Jimbaran, roughly 30 mins away
from Denpasar. Taxis are readily available at the airport.
They’re very cheap, most have air-con and drivers will
anticipate you’ll ask them to switch on the meter.
back to topGetting Around
BY BEMO
After walking, the best way to get around Bali is by bemo, which
can be anything from a minibus to a truck with seats tacked on the
back, and these travel to just about everywhere on the island. At
official bemo stops the driver waits until he's filled the bemo,
and then he sets off; outside of the official stops, you simply
hail a bemo, and if there's room, he'll stop and pick you up. You
won’t get to your destination as quickly as you would in a
taxi, but, if you want to get to know the Balinese, there’s
no cheaper and safer way to break the ice.
BY TAXI
Bluebird and Nguruh Rai taxis are available at the airport and in
the southern tourist resorts. They’re very cheap, most have
air-con and drivers will anticipate you’ll ask them to switch
on the meter. Try also Bali Taxi.
BY KIJANG
In the resorts and Ubud, you will also be propositioned by Kijang
drivers, who’ll happily volunteer to take you anywhere in
their frequently tatty 4-wheeled drive vehicles. The price is
negotiable (your starting point should be roughly half of
what’s initially asked) and, once you’ve found a driver
and car you like, it’s worth making a regular arrangement
with him: that way, you can fend off the other transport
touts.
BY BOAT
Ferries ply between Bali and the major islands in Indonesia,
including Java, Lombok and Komodo.
BY COACH
Most Indonesians travel by coach as it's the cheapest way to get
around. However journeys are incredibly long, and you'll be
subjected to a fug of cigarette smoke and loud music videos en
route. If you're still tempted though, ask for a 'Lorena Bus' when
you book your ticket; these are air conditioned with a toilet on
board.
HIRING CARS / MOTORBIKES
You can hire both motorbikes and rental cars while you’re in
Bali, but the traffic around the airport and Denpasar is a
nightmare. Driving in Bali is also difficult because roads are not
always clearly signposted. Turning right is a rule-free game of
chance, and negotiating a roundabout is best done with your eyes
open (as all the other drivers will have theirs firmly shut).
Traffic cops can be rigorous in exacting fines from foreign
tourists so, on balance, unless you really know what you’re
doing, it’s best to have someone else do the driving for you.
When To Go
Bali, 8 degrees south of the equator, is blessed with a tropical
climate that’s divided into two seasons. The dry season runs
from April to September and most visit during this period although
climate varies across the island. The length of this season is the
reason why Bali has no malarial swamps. The rainy season, from
October to April, generally sees a rain-shower every day. It can be
humid, especially in the hottest months of January and February,
but the rain doesn’t tend to last very long and the ground
steams dry as soon as the sun peeps out again.
Temperature varies across the island – the northern and
eastern lowlands can be hot at about 33 Celsius (and it
doesn’t seem to get much cooler when the sun goes down),
while the southern beaches tend to hover around a more digestible
26 degrees. In Ubud in the centre, the temperature is moderated by
its proximity to the central mountains and it can feel quite cool
in the shade at 22 Celsius. The highland interior, which
experiences year-round showers, is a good ten degrees lower than
the coastal regions, and it can get to a cooler 18 degrees.
Visas/Entry Requirements
Currently, there’s a 30-day visa-on-entry fee, payable in US
banknotes at the airport by visitors from certain countries
including all of Europe, Australia and North America. It’s
mainly Far Eastern Countries, and, oddly, Chile, Peru and Turkey
are exempt. There are moves to get the visa scrapped though, as
it’s doing a lot of damage to the backpack trade.
There’s also a departure tax to pay when you leave the
country; make sure you have enough money left for it!