A Basic Guide to Bali | Keabe Mautla

As you may know, if you follow me on social media, I have just returned from a 2 week trip to Bali, Indonesia. If you don't know, why aren't you following on Instagram and Twitter? I’ve wanted to go to Bali for a while now but the timing was just never right. I haven’t travelled overseas in 2 years and I was feeling despondent and just knew I needed to go somewhere soon. I booked my tickets 6 weeks prior to my departure date and only finalized my accommodation about 3 weeks before I left. This was the most ill-prepared trip I’d taken but I was determined to go. I was in a rut, I needed a break desperately and I decided if I didn’t just do it I probably wouldn’t travel anywhere this year. See, I know I love traveling. It’s one of the things in life that brings me utter joy and contentment. I work to save up to travel. My goal is to travel 3 times a year, every quarter, so you can imagine my frustration when I hadn’t been on any big trips in 24 months.

I spent a few days wondering how exactly I was going to share the details of my trip on my blog. I don’t want to bore you with a day to day travel diary but I also want to give you a guide that you can use as a starting point for when you visit Bali. Because trust me, if you enjoy traveling you HAVE to visit Bali. Someone suggested I vlog about my trip, which I think would be a great idea but I’ve never used that medium before and didn’t want to start on such a big event. So I decided to break my whole trip up into a few posts. I met up with a local photographer to capture some images of me so I can keep my blog layout the same (ie. anchored by personal style images) but I also plan to add some other images I think will add richness to my posts. This post will be an introduction to Bali, and in subsequent posts, I will discuss the various areas I visited, what I enjoyed doing, what I wish I'd skipped and what I wish I could’ve done.

The first thing that struck me when I landed was the humidity. Coming from a plane, where I’d been breathing in the same dry, recycled air for hours, it felt like Bali’s humidity slapped me in the face. I landed in the evening but it was still very hot. For the first week, I spent time in Ubud which is considered Bali’s cultural hub. Then I moved on to Seminyak which is further south. Seminyak is more luxurious and modern with beach resorts, clubs, shopping areas and restaurants. I wanted to have a balanced, all-round view of Bali.

Bali Basics

VISA | Bali requires no Visa if you are a South African passport holder which is why I could plan this so late.

Climate | Bali is hot and humid. For the weeks I was there it averaged around 27 - 33 degrees celsius daily. Bring sunscreen, a hat and mosquito repellant. It rained a few times while I was there too. It was light rain in the afternoon or in the mornings. I found it better to go about my day while it rained because it wasn't as hot. It also never lasted long. I brought a light utility jacket with me to use in case it rained but I didn't end up using it.

Currency | Bali’s main currency is the Indonesian Rupiah. Most stores also accept USD. I knew before hand that there were markets I might want to shop at so I converted cash and informed my bank I would be traveling in case I wanted to use my credit card. All restaurants and stores I shopped at accepted Mastercard and Visa. Cash is required at markets, for taxis and to buy at warungs which are small, usually family-owned businesses. R1 is equivalent to around IDR1000, so just take note that most prices on menus etc are in 100 000 IDR denominations. There are licensed money changers at the airport which accept major currencies (ie. Not Rands). Make sure you have US Dollars, Australian Dollars, Pounds, Honk Kong Dollars, Euros or Yens to convert to IDRs.

Public Transport | There is no shortage of taxis in Seminyak and Kuta. The reliable and trustworthy taxis to use are Blue Bird Taxis. They have a reputation for good customer service, not ripping people off and always using a meter. Blue Bird Taxis are identifiable by the blue bird logo on the top, the name Blue Bird Group on the windscreen and each taxi has a reg number on the side. That sounds simple enough but other taxi operators have realized this and have made their taxis look very similar. They’re blue, have something written on the windshield, usually something like Blue Taxi Group to confuse you, but they’re not Blue Bird Taxis.

I noticed Ubud doesn't have any Blue Bird taxis at all but instead has scooter taxis and unbranded taxis. To get around Ubud I preferred to use my hotel's service or hire a driver for the day.

Accommodation | Bali has accommodation to suit every pocket. There are very cheap backpackers lodges (if that’s your thing), medium priced hotels and villas and ultra luxurious resorts and villas. Trying to find accommodation in Ubud was a problem for me because I couldn’t seem to find anything modern. My friends know how pedantic I am about which hotel we stay in while we’re away. I need to make sure I’m getting the best place for the money I'm spending and that I’ll be comfortable enough to sleep in that room. I spent hours looking up reviews and combing through people's experiences before making my booking. While in Ubud I stayed at The Mansion Resort Hotel and Villa which wasn’t very modern, but my suite was large, as was the property. Ubud is a traditional area so I battled to find any accommodation which was contemporary. While in Seminyak I stayed at the L Hotel which was a stone's throw from most of the places I wanted to visit. My room was smaller but still spacious enough for me. More about my chosen resort and hotel later.

Is Bali safe? | I traveled solo, and not once did I feel like I was in danger or in an uncomfortable situation. Having said that, I didn’t walk down deserted roads by myself in the evening and took the usual precautionary measures I would take wherever I was in the world. It’s important to always take care of your belongings and of yourself and if I was going out in the evening, I’d let the hotel staff know what my plans were. I do believe Bali is safe, but I'm also not naïve enough to believe that nothing bad has ever happened to anyone visiting.

About the Look

Paulina Katrina is one of the few brands I fell in love with while in Bali. I was surprised to stumble upon this store as there aren’t many like it in the area. I actually thought I was going to come home with some of my money to spare before finding this store. This jumpsuit is from the brand's resort wear line aptly titled "Wanderlust". The essence of the range is vacation chic, combining designs that are versatile with an effortless, elegant appeal. Founded by sisters Surya Paulina and Ratna Katarina who grew up in Bali, the label is inspired by the laid-back sophistication of their island home and their travels around the world. I identify so much with the Paulina Katarina woman, who’s life is spent traveling from one exotic destination to the next and her wardrobe reflects a true, living embodiment of her lifestyle. She is independent, fearless and sophisticated. She exudes confidence and her energy is contagious. She designs a life she loves. I mean this is the woman I endeavor to be. When looking for what to wear in Bali the fabric was the first thing I considered. Any items I purchased had to be lightweight and flowy but still be a little sexy and sophisticated.

Jumpsuit | Paulina Katarina

Sandals | ZARA

Hat | Forever 21

Sunglasses | Tom Ford

Earrings | Witchery

Photographs | ADW Photography

Location | Ubud, Bali

Follow:

4 Comments

Manavi
May 6, 2017 / 1:58 PM

Just came back from Bali. I too hadn’t travelled in a while. Unfortunately my trip wasn’t too long so I couldn’t explore everything but liked it so much! Your photo shoot has come off very well
- Keabe Mautla
  Author
  May 7, 2017 / 8:56 PM
  
  I also wish I could have stayed for a while longer. But at least now I know what else I want to do when I visit again
  Thank you!!
Kef_T!na
May 8, 2017 / 3:11 PM

Oh my darling that jumpsuit is gorge, great find! Now I want to plan a trip to Bali.
- Keabe Mautla
  Author
  May 8, 2017 / 10:45 PM
  
  Thank you! Please do! It’s well worth it.