Traveling to Bali anytime soon? Want to save money without compromising fun? In this article, we will tackle some Bali money-saving tips that will make your trip frugally fun.
Going to Bali. Australians always enjoy discounted direct airfares for most of the year. Of course, low season warrants cheaper airfares wherever you originate from.
Check that you’re flying outside of various holiday times for your country as well Citizens of the Philippines, Hong Kong, Brunei, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, or Laos have an advantage entering Bali since they’re not required to pay for a visa upon arrival.
Bali cash tips. Cash is the major payment form in Bali, so make sure that you always carry enough with you to pay for all of your shopping, transportation, as well as food and drinks. The 100,000 bills are only useful if you want to buy a highly-priced item or spend large amounts of money at the same place. Most small street shops and sellers will struggle to find change, so 50,000 and 20,000 Rp notes are the way to go.
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Most hotels and resorts accept credit cards, but guesthouses, homestays and other smaller places do not.
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Check first if a store or restaurant accepts credit cards and if their machine is working.
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You should hold on to a few Rp. 500 and Rp. 1 coins and forget the smaller ones as they take up too much space and are hardly worth it.
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Carry cash at all times. It will come in handy when buying grilled corn cobs, coconut, or the ever-important sarong on the beach. Tipping is also generally done in cash.
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Cash is also king at markets, small shops and all food stalls. Don’t expect to be able to use your cards here.
Avoiding scams. Entering post-immigration and luggage collection are typically when hordes of money-changers, drivers, and other overly friendly people will approach you with different rip-offs and scams. It’s best to keep your guard up to make sure that you and your money won’t be so easily parted.
Most airport drivers band together to keep their prices mutually high, and unless you walk out the airport, you won’t get a metered taxi. You may choose to walk out of the airport to get a public metered taxi. It’s a slight inconvenience, but you can expect to save up to 50,000 Rp.
Lodging and eating. You can find the backpacking abodes in Kuta, Legian, as well as around Denpasar, while other cheap guesthouses operated by locals are available in other resort areas like Ubud and Sanur. Some of the cheapest Bali hotels you can find on AsiaWebDirect come with free nights, and there are also mystery hotels worth looking at. They are expensive hotels trying to fill rooms at rates more heavily discounted than what they advertise.
Try avoiding fancy Italian and French foods, as well as those flashy sushi places and the modern fusion Asian eateries. You’re in Bali, so eat local! ‘Warungs’, or local style restaurants serve a variety of sumptuous Balinese dishes from the famous Mie Goreng and Nasi to meatball soups for dirt cheap prices.
Finding more information
Of course, there’s so much more Bali money tips out there. It’s worth researching travel agency websites for travel deals, forums for tips and tricks and other resources out there to make the most out of your pocket money when traveling to Bali. Why not buy a book or subscribe to online travel magazines, especially if you’re aiming to travel a lot this 2017? Best of luck and have fun out there!