Bali for Dummies
 

65+ years couple and experienced travellers, but not to this region. We are planning to trade apartments with English speaking Bali residents. What months are best for staying four weeks? What shoes, gear to bring? What questions should we be asking? General suggestions to get us started ?

Hi Yakkity,
Bali's on the Asia forum - you will find more answers if you re-post there.

Someone asked very similar questions to yours recently & got some really good responses.

Best time is June - September. http://www.bali-paradise.com/news/weather/

Bali is very casual and, as you will see from the chart, warm to hot all year round, so clothing needs are simple. I like cotton & linen. Typically during the day, shorts, 3/4 or capri pants or a sarong and singlet/short sleeved top or shirt, or a "shift" dress (if you're 65, you'll remember the "mu-mu" - perfect. Minus the bobble braid hem though!)
Night wear is also casual, I might wear a long wrap skirt, loose "patio" pants, or a short dress. Most restaurants are air conditioned, so I take a light wrap.

Most men wear shorts or light chinos.

There are quite a few nice shops where you can find some lovely clothes, ideal for the climate. And who can resist a new outfit or two on holiday?

Sandals & walkers are ideal footwear. Anything goes, provided it's comfortable & stable. The footpaths aren't conducive to stilettoes.

Where in Bali is your swap apartment?

It's a beautiful island with warm & friendly people, and a month will give you a chance to experience a good deal.

Someone smarter than me will see this & move it to the Asia forum for you. Or you could just re-post there.

www.balitravelforum.com is also a good source of information on Bali

You get the "best" weather June-September -- less rain though it still rains, and some say it's a bit cooler though I can't say I notice much difference. The problem with these months plus December, however, is that it's high season and prices go up and restaurants are crowded. If you choose the low season -- February to May or October/November -- you'll get more rain but it's quieter.

Dress is absolutely casual. People tend to dress up at the trendy restaurants, but it's still casual. Go with natural fibers. In shoes, you'll want some ankle support if you're up for walking especially up and down hillsides and in the rice paddies.

Home exchange is a good idea. Some questions to ask. First, obviously, where? Bali is a small island but it still has distinctly different regions -- Southern beaches, Ubud area, East and North coasts. In four weeks you'll want to try more than one locale.

If you're interested in the beach find out how far it is and which beach.

Second, what staff are included? Car, driver, maid, cook, gardener? I know it sounds excessive, but in Indonesia it's fairly standard and it's not so easy to do it yourself. In the tropics everything requires extra maintenance.

Who pays for the incidentals like drinking water, electricity (especially with aircon)?

Be sure to have evacuation insurance as you don't want to take a chance with Indonesian hospitals.

I'd also ask if the owner is doing this swap legally -- meaning s/he pays the occupancy tax -- or "off the books." Lately the Balinese government has been cracking down on unregistered villa rentals. This most likely won't be a problem but you should know.

we are the same age group and we leave sunday for bali for our 3rd time...

bali is very laid back, a wonderful inexpensive place to vacation...

casual is the only way there, but conservative casual, which i suspect is not an issue for you guys...

nice walking shoes will help.... loads of shorts and natural fabric loose fitting clothing.... cottons and linens....

may to september is the best time....we love may and june there just before the high prices of july and august... book early...

look at the alam shanti in ubud, it is fantastic... any room there is great but gangga is the best....

food is fantastic and very very cheap.....think filet mignon for $8.50... great indonesian rices and other dishes...

hire putu for a few days as a guide....

watch for my travel report probably starting next week...

Four weeks in Bali! What a wonderful swap!

In addition to reading some of the many threads about Bali here (type Bali into the search box) pick up a good guidebook. There is a lot of cultural material you'll want to know before you go.

Just got back from Bali and it was very hot...even in Ubud. If you're visiting temple ceremonies, and you will, you'll need a 3/4 or long sleeve blouse, preferably light colored, to wear with a sarong and sash, that often is provided by your guide (at least Putu did...or you can rent them). I hate to wear hats...but I did for sun protection. I loved my Keens for general walking...they can get wet (white river rafting) and dry quickly. My new favorite night sandals are by Naot...they looked dressy enough but were super comfortable and easy to walk in. Get the Luxe guide to Bali for good restaurant and shopping ideas....Putu is listed in there as a great guide too.

"What questions should we be asking?"

I just returned from Ubud 2 weeks ago and the number one concern, in hindsight, should be medications and immunizations for your trip. Beware of "Bali belly" which is much more prevalent than I initially thought. If I had it to do all over again, I would bring an antibiotic specifically for diarrhea, "just in case".

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Vic's travels: http://my.flightmemory.com/vogilvie

Questions you should be asking:

1. Where is the apartment? There are actually very few “apartments” on Bali. It’s mostly fee-standing homes, consisting of small bungalows and some larger homes. Many rentals are in groups of semi-detached villas, and there are some time-share type “condos” in some locations (which usually are part of hotels and are similar to hotel rooms but have kitchens), so if someone says they have an “apartment” meaning a unit in a building with several other apartments, I would want to know where that is. If it is in Denpassar, that would be less than ideal for 4 weeks, as that is the only major city on the island and has traffic and noise and is not really my choice for a Balinese vacation.

2. What is the square footage? Spending 2 nights in 25 square meters is one thing, spending 30 nights in a similar cramped space is another.

3. What are the kitchen facilities? Is there an oven? Any other appliance you can’t live without? (It would not be unusual for an Asian apartment not to have an oven and many do not have dishwashers.) Does the house come with all linens, cooking utensils, cleaning supplies? Is there any daily maid service?

4. What are the laundry facilities? There are not a lot of self-service laundries on Bali, and few dry cleaners unless you are in Denpassar, so you may end up having to pay for a hotel laundry if the flat does not come with laundry facilities.

5. Does each room have air conditioning? Or just bedrooms? Is there a bathtub or just a shower? (If you care about a bathtub).

6. If a TV/DVD wireless, etc are important to you, ask about those items. I assume you have a mobile phone which will work, so you don’t need to be too concerned about having a working land line.

7. Is there any outdoor space? In a place like Bali, to spend 4 weeks without a porch, terrace, deck, garden etc would really seem like a shame. Is there a pool?

8. How close are the nearest supermarkets or local markets? Can you walk? If not, is this going to be a pain getting groceries on a daily basis?

9. If a beach is important to you, how close is the nearest beach, and which beach is it? There are lots of beautiful inland areas in Bali, so I am not sure I would care if I were near a beach, esp if you have pool access.

As for time of year, the temperate on Bali does not vary much during the year, it is the amount of rainfall rain and humidity which change. The heaviest rains are December – February. They don’t get monsoon type rains like in India, but if you can avoid going then you may want to. You may want to avoid Christmas as it is crowded then in any event, same with the Lunar New Year (mid Jan to early Feb, changes each year). As religion is really the centre of Balinese culture, if you have a choice of months, you might want to pick a time when you would be able to see some of the major Hindu festivals which will be celebrated, including the Balinese New Year. Some to look for are below. The actual dates will depend on the moon phase, so check local websites and ask around. Festivities would be centered around temples, sometimes there are parades, and usually there are special foods on offer as well.

Hari Raya Nyepi –this is the Balinese Hindu New Year. This is a major holiday on the calendar, and there is a day of silence before it. You can find information in guidebooks and websites.

Hari Raya Saraswati /Vasant Panchami This is dedicated to Saraswati, the goddess of learning. This is a fairly important goddess in the Bali pantheon.

Maha Shivaratri –. This is dedicated to Shiva.

Holi – This is the spring festival, usually celebrated in March or April. It is hugely celebrated in India, I have not been in Bali for this holiday so can’t say the extent to which it is celebrated.

As for clothes and shoes, as you are well-traveled, you would know what works for you in a tropical climate. There are no special dress codes other than at some temples, where women and men in shorts may need to "rent" a sarong and sash if knees are not covered.

Thank you all so much for all of the good advice. Our location will be Sanur in a compound with pools, just two condos and gardner/maid. view of sea over trees???? I will ask the questions I would never have thought of and continue learning, learning, learning. Ideas for cheap travel from the West Coast of US or Hawaii? We are thinking of taking time to acclimate and relieve jet lag before such a long flight(s). Ideas?

Sanur is a nice beach and a nice community.

My son is also looking for a cheap flight with a stopover from San Francisco or Seattle, so please let me know what you find. He's going to Jakarta, not Denpasar, but it's much the same. He's looking at UA with a stop in Tokyo or CX with a stop in Hong Kong. I like SQ best, but they tend not to be the lowest fars.

Good to know that you are in Sanur, you will find restaurants and shops within walking distance and also there are some grocery stores (most likely not walking distance, although you should find small convenience stores with basic items). Sanur is a bit more “old” Bali, than places like Nusa Dua. Sanur’s beach is wide, long and flat. There is a supermarket just off the main road leading into Nusa Dua, past the police station on a street off to the right there. I vaguely recall the name as something like Dairy Farm. There is also a good local produce market on this road. There is also the BaliDeli an upscale gourmet supermarket, which is in Seminyak/Kuta, which would be a further drive, maybe 20-30 minutes. I know that they have vegetables from the US/Australia, and also imported cheeses. They have a little take-out deli restaurant as well. Excellent fresh breads and pastries.

If there is maid service, that might include laundry service, or you may be able to pay the maid separately to take care of laundry.

You won’t find flights from Hawaii to Bali or to anywhere in Asia other than Tokyo, which would work if you want to see Tokyo, but is quite far north of Bali and will take 7 hours to fly down to Bali from there. (The other small issue there is that there are mostly day flights, so you lose the better part of a day flying between the two. But with 30 days in Bali, this may not matter so much to you.) Of course, I don’t think there are any non-stop flights between the US West Coast and Bali either, so you probably have to connect via some city.

However, unless you plan to spend a few days in Japan or elsewhere, I have to say that I don’t find any advantage in trying to “break” a journey and “get used to jet lag” by stopping someplace for one night. I actually think it is far more exhausting to deal with the airport, immigration, baggage claim, a hotel for one night (on top of jet lag) and then reverse it in the morning to continue the journey. I would strongly urge you to just keep going (bleary eyed) if you can get good connecting flights. If you want to see Hawaii or Tokyo or Hong Kong, that is one thing, and therefore a stop for a few days is fine, but just for an overnight to “adjust” to jet lag and climate is not going to help. For example, Tokyo and Hong Kong are going to be cool to cold in November, but Bali is going to be hot and humid. (And Hawaii is 18 hours behind Bali, so it won’t help you to “adjust” to jet lag.) I would not bother with only an overnight anywhere. You have 30 days to adjust to jet lag, so you aren’t really going to have a problem, IMO.

Korean Air, Eva Air or China Air may be cheaper options to get you from the West coast to Bali, you will have to route through Seoul or Taipei. Not sure either are worth stopping, although I think Taipei offers more to see and do than Seoul (several excellent museums) and has some really good food (of course Seoul has good food too; but may not be a great option in say February when you would need winter clothing). I would vote for Hong Kong if you have a choice, as it’s a great city for a few days and you may find flight times and connections to work the best. Singapore would work as well if you can get a non-stop to Sing and then a connection to Bali. Another great little city for a few days.

Thanks again for great advice. Yakity

Yakity, how did you find a house to trade? A friend of mine is interested in doing something similar in Bali.

i had dinner in sanur tonight at the village restaurant---excellent, give it a try...

its very quiet in sanur, very few visitors

BAREFOOT, a friend found it on our local Craigslist and we fit their description i.e. a similar condo in a US place they were interested in. Good luck

MARMOT We have decided to delay our trip until 2011 (medical issues). Sorry to be of no help with your son's efforts. Please post here when he is successful, which I'm sure he will be.

Yakity, Hope your medical issues are not serious. Bali will wait for you. Our son decided to fly from SF to Tokyo to Singapore on United. The fare was about US$2500. He's experiencing Tokyo right now.