Travel Itineraries for Bali

by Barrie | August 5th, 2011   Tweet

Believe it or not but, a lot of people who travel to Bali seldom get out of the touristy areas and travel up country to see and admire the beauty and culture that Bali has to offer. Choosing a day trip or half-day trip depends mainly on your likes and dislikes and what you want to see. Some people loathe the idea of trekking from temple to temple. Bali is more than temples.

Most hotels can organise day trips for their guests and have their own driver to take you from place to place on these set itineraries. The bemo touts on the streets of the tourist areas also have their set itineraries for trips up country as do the smaller travel agencies you will see as you walk around the tourist areas. All costs are different.

Hotels are a set price per day trip as do a majority of the travel agencies. However, the bemo touts are probably the best bet but there are a few things you should know. Firstly, ensure the driver is reliable and this is unfortunately an assumption on your part and make sure the vehicle is in good shape. Secondly, set the price [don’t forget to bargain!] and make sure that price includes all fuel. Thirdly, ensure the driver will take you to where you want to go with no time restrictions.

The variation in itineraries the hotels and travel agencies offer varies very little but cover some interesting places. Most are ideal for first-time travellers or those wishing to see that little bit more of the island. Here are a few of the set itineraries:

Batuan (wood carving) – Batubulan (stone carving) – Celuk (silver) – Sukawati (makets) – Ubud – Kintamani (volcano)

Mengwi (royal temple) – Sangeh (monkey forest) – Alas Kedaton (monkey forest) – Tabanan – Tanah Lot (sunset over temple)

Candikuning (local markets) – Bedugul (Danau Bratan) – Twin Lakes (Buyan and Tamblingan)

Kerth Gosa (royal courts of justice) – Goa Lawah (bat temple) – Besakih (mother temple – Bangli (pura kehen)

Although these are brief tours in content, when you travel with a driver that you have hired then you can add as many places as you want; within reason of course. However, if you have a desire for a bit of adventure then get off the beaten track when travelling in Bali. Have a look at the series of articles here.

Bali Travel Warning for Dengue Fever

by Barrie | December 18th, 2010   Tweet

The climate in Bali is one that is a natural breeding ground for germs. Add to that some of the local methods of washing and cooking and so its no wonder tourists get ill occasionally, and now, the Health Department in Australia has put out an alert regarding Dengue Fever and the growing number of people suffering the malady is increasing. In fact, there had been over 430 reports of dengue fever in West Australians this year and that is a threefold increase on last year.
Dengue Fever is transmitted by a virus carried by mosquitoes. Today I read about this potentially deadly disease and the symptoms can develop within three to 14 days of being bitten and include fever, vomiting, severe headaches, aching joints and muscles, rashes and pain behind the eyes.
There is no medication to stop or treat dengue fever. This mosquito tends to attack during the day and is slightly larger than the malaria carrying variety. In an article I read the Health Department suggested people take the following precautions to avoid being bitten by dengue fever infected mosquitoes:
Ensure accommodation is mosquito-proof. Use mosquito nets, insect sprays, mosquito coils or plug-in
insecticide mats in rooms
Wear long, loose-fitting, light-coloured protective clothing
Use tropical strength personal insect repellents
Ensure infants and children are adequately protected, including using infant-strength repellents
Most 5 star hotels smoke out their gardens every couple of days to keep mosquitoes away. One good piece of advice is to ensure you have travel insurance so if you do contract this disease, you ill be covered for treatment at one of the excellent facilities in Bali.

Travel Insurance IS a Prime Necessity

by Barrie | November 18th, 2010   Tweet

More so than ever travel insurance should be a priority and organised for you and your family even before you leave for Bali. It’s no good saying “I’m healthy and have nothing to worry about. Besides, it’s only for a few weeks” The problem with that attitude is that bad things DO happen and the spiralling cost of medical attention in foreign lands would put a hefty dent in your budget not to mention the anguish caused.
Only idiots travel anywhere without insurance. Walk down any street in the tourist strip on your holidays in Bali and sooner or later you will notice somebody in a plaster cast or a limb bandaged in some manner. Travel insurance is a necessity. To give you an example of cost for medical care, earlier this year I suffered an extreme bout of food poisoning and was hospitalised for two days. The cost was heavy at Rp6 million.
Fortunately, Bali has a good selection of hospitals and clinics. The Clinics favoured by tourists include SOS International and BIMC, both located in the Kuta area. Obviously if you have medical / travel insurance you would want to go to a western standard clinic but if you don’t have insurance those places are very expensive.
There are many good travel insurance companies and one that I would highly recommend is the one provided by BootsnAll. There are other travel companies and also your own medical insurance company in your home country can assist you.
With travel to Bali it is imperative you are well covered and especially for medical evacuation and this can run into the tens of thousands of dollars. There are too many strange bugs ‘out there’ that are more than willing to spoil your holiday.