When I got the opportunity to go and live in Bali for my studies, I took it with both hands. Like probably many of you thinking now, that are either planning on a short or long stay, a lot of research needs to go into the preparation before stepping on that plane. And now that I am actually living here, I discovered more and more tips and tricks that would have been useful for me to know beforehand. If you are like me and love to be well prepared before takeoff, keep on reading!

Vaccinations

First things first, relatively long before I left, I looked into the type of vaccinations I needed for Bali. At that point in time nothing was a requirement, however they did have a lot of recommend vaccinations. Because in the Netherlands there can be a waiting list to get the vaccinations, I made the appointments far in advance and would recommend this to anyone planning to do the same. The best thing to do is to ask the organization, which is going to give you the vaccinations, for more and professional advice regarding what you need. Personally, I do think the Rabies shots are important. There are a lot of stray dogs and cats roaming the streets as well as some aggressive monkeys in the forests, if they happen to bite or scratch you, there could be a chance of getting sick. The first two shots you need to get are more difficult to get within Bali’s hospitals, by getting them before leaving it will prevent a lot of stress if you happen to get into a situation like this. The remaining shots that you will need are most of the time in stock in their hospitals or way easier to be delivered to your location. But let’s hope this will not be the case for any of us!

Tourist Visa or Visa on Arrival

When arriving at the airport of Bali, after passport control, you can pay for a tourist visa, this is 500.000 IDR (around 30 euros). This allows you to stay in Bali for 60 days (30 days plus an extension of 30 days). If you are here for an internship or work-related tasks, be sure to arrange the right visa documents before coming to Bali. Personally, I am here on an academic internship visa, which cannot be used if you will be making money with your work and can stay here for a maximum of 180 days.

Money

Certain debit cards don’t work here and therefore, I would really suggest getting a credit card. It can otherwise be difficult to pay in stores or withdrawal cash from ATMs. Talking about cash, it would be a wise investment to get a bigger wallet, most of the money here is in bills, so it is most likely that you will be carrying a substantial amount of cash. In a lot of cafes and restaurants you can pay by card, however, for most markets or local places this is not the case, so always bring cash! Also remember when eating out, you will have to pay tax and service costs, which are calculated in the end. Furthermore, the national wage is low, tipping is greatly appreciated by the people!

Useful Apps

Before coming to Bali download the Gojek and/or Grab app, because it needs a number to register it is easier to download these beforehand. On these apps you can order products, food, and drinks as well as taxis (both motor and car). Downloading these apps is especially useful once you have landed in Bali. There will be a lot of people offering their taxi services to you and their prices are way more expensive than the apps.

SIM card

I am sure you are in need and want to get a SIM card for your phone and I recommend Telkomsel. This provider has shops all over Bali and is way cheaper than buying at the airport.

Water

The tap water does not have the best quality compared to other countries. If you do not want to get sick soon after arrival, I would suggest staying clear of drinking and even brushing your teeth with the tap water. This also includes ordering iced drinks, make sure they did not make the ice using tap water (if the ice has a whole in the middle, this means it is safe to drink!). This all might seem a bit overboard but trust me when I say you should not drink this water. Consuming tap water can cause food poisoning symptoms and to a lot of foreigners this is also known as the Bali Belly (using this term can be offensive towards the local people). The same goes for the shower, I purchased a shower filter, and the easiest way is if you purchase one before your trip and take it with you (If you are staying for a short time, this might not be needed).

Tip: bring a good conditioner or hair serum with you, because it can be harder to find them on the island.

Sunscreen

Bring enough sunscreen and after sun! You are more likely to get sunburned since you will be closer to the equator (at least this is definitely the case for me). The sunscreen here is more expensive and most of the time there are chemicals in the products to whiten your skin.

Medication

If you are not used to the way the locals live, you are more likely to get sick from either their foods, the air pollution, tap water or other causes. I suggest bringing some medication like diarrhea stoppers and probiotics to strengthen your immune system. As you will be sweating a lot (at least I did and still do) ORS can help in preventing dehydration.

Tip: bring or buy a strong mosquito repellent as you can get Dengue fever.

Remaining tips

If you are going to rent a bike, be sure to remember to drive on the left side of the road.  To me it looks like there are no rules and they are all doing their own thing, follow the flow of the traffic and don’t go making unexpected moves. Let’s keep our stay an accident free one!

When walking somewhere be careful as local people place offerings in front of their doors and stores, so watch out and do not step on them.

Don’t be afraid to haggle but please do it respectfully, don’t go asking for insane cheap prices as you will offend them with your low offer.

In the airport there are also people offering help with getting your suitcases, if you accept their help, please know that they do want money for it even if they do not disclose this information beforehand.

As a Dutch person, coming to Bali was quite the change and getting some used to. Europe’s overall environment is so different and easier for me to navigate through and know what does and does not work for me. Here, in Bali, I have to figure it out all over again and see for myself if it works or not. It is one thing reading about it and another experiencing it. Either way an adventure I would not have missed for the world!