Culture:
Unlike any other island in largely Muslim Indonesia, Bali is a pocket of Hindu religion and culture, although Balinese Hinduism is so far removed from the original Indian variety that the casual eye will be hard put to spot any similarities. Every aspect of Balinese life is suffused with religion, but the most visible signs are the tiny offerings (sesajen) of flowers, glutinous rice and salt in little bamboo leaf trays, found in every Balinese house, restaurant, souvenir stall and airport check-in desk. They are set out and sprinkled with holy water no less then three times a day, before every meal.
Balinese dance and music are also justly famous. As on Java, the gamelan orchestra and wayang kulit shadow puppet theater predominate. Dances include:
barong or "lion dance" a ritual dance depicting the fight between good and evil, with performers wearing fearsome lion-like masks
kecak or "monkey dance" Actually invented in the 1930s by early German resident Walter Spies for a movie but a spectacle nonetheless, with up to 250 dancers in concentric circles chanting "kecak kecak", while a performer in the center acts out a spiritual dance
Time
Bali is in the UTC+8 time zone (known in Indonesia as WITA, Waktu Indonesia Tengah), same as Singapore, one hour ahead of Jakarta.
Electricity
Electricity is supplied at 220V 50Hz. Outlets are the European standard CEE-7/7 "Schukostecker" or "Schuko" or the compatible, but non-grounded, CEE-7/16 "Europlug" types. Generally speaking, U.S. and Canadian travelers should pack an adapter for these outlets if they plan to use North American electrical equipment in Bali.
Talk
Balinese is linguistically distinct from Bahasa Indonesia, although the Indonesian lingua franca is spoken by practically everybody. In touristy regions English and some other foreign languages are widely spoken.
Get around
Bali's a fairly big island and you'll need a method to get around if you plan on exploring more than the hotel pool. The traffic is chaotic. There is a daily traffic jam in Denpasar, Kuta, and tourist centres in Bali. Driving is on the left side.
For different excursions around the island sometimes it is more reasonable to buy a trip at one of the street agencies (they are seen everywhere in special tents "Tourist information"). One of the most trustworthy is MBA.
Once you arrive at your destination you may encounter difficult walking conditions if you need to walk along streets. Sidewalks in parts of Bali are simply the tops of sewers and in a few places only 2 ft wide, which makes for extremely uncomfortable single-file walking as heavy traffic screams past. Often the sidewalk is blocked with a motorbike or caved-in section, necessitating dangerous darting into traffic. The some of island's streets are simply not pedestrian-friendly, mostly around Kerebokan. However around Jalan Legian in Kuta, and throughout Sanur, and much of Ubud the footpaths are good and wide. Sanur in particular has a wide beachfront pathway with many cafes and bars.
By taxi
Metered taxis are very common in southern Bali up to Denpasar but not available elsewhere. The starting fee is Rp 5,000 for the first two km and the meter ticks up Rp 5,000 per kilometer afterwards. Waiting time is Rp 20,000 per hour. Trips outside southern Bali will incur an extra charge of 30%, as the driver has to go back empty if day-tripping, it's often cheaper and more convenient to arrange for your driver to wait and take you back.
You may also rent a car with a driver for half a day or for the whole day in order to travel around the island. You pay appr. Rp. 375 000 for the whole day and tell him what you want to see. The price is fixed and to be discussed before your trip. Do not pay until the end of the day.
By bemo
Bemos, basically minivans which serve as a flexible bus service, are Bali's "traditional" form of transportation, but they have largely given way to metered taxis in the south. Fares on shared bemos can be very cheap, but drivers will often insist that foreign tourist charter the entire vehicle, in which case they'll usually ask for taxi prices or worse.
By car or motorbike
Car and motorbike rental is available, but may not be safe for drivers used to more formal traffic rules. Consider hiring a car and driver as you can relax, be safe, and not get lost. If you rent a vehicle, good bargaining skills should allow you to rent a car for about Rp. 80 - 120,000 per day, depending on the length of the rental and the type of car. Newer, large cars will cost more, but are of dubious value on Bali's narrow roads. Motorcycles, typically 125cc, some with automatic transmissions, rent for Rp. 30 - 35,000 per day. A proper-fitting helmet should be included, and its use is compulsory in Bali. Guide books state that Bali is no place to learn to ride a motorbike, and this is good advice. In areas outside of the tourist enclaves of south Bali, a motorbike is a wonderful way to see the island, but in south Bali, with its crush of traffic, the chances of an accident are greatly increased. An International Driving Permit is required for vehicle rental, with motorcycle endorsement if renting a motorbike. The IDP is seldom requested by the person renting you the vehicle, but will be required (along with the vehicle's registration papers) if stopped by the police. An IDP is easily available from motoring clubs in your home country (AAA in the United States provides them for $10) and it is valid for one year.
By bicycle
Travel by bicycle is quite possible, and provides a very different cultural experience to other means of transport. You should bring your own touring bike, or buy locally there is at least one well stocked bike shop in Denpasar, but with a racing/mountain bike focus. While traffic conditions may appear challenging at first, you can acclimatise after a few days, especially once you escape the chaotic heavy traffic of southern Bali.
By rental car
Rental car services owned by individuals or companies are easy to find in Bali. For the first timers, it's better to hire a rental car with drivers including gasoline. Using rental cars is for sure cheaper than taxi, and more efficient than using other public transportations. The drivers are usually English speakers, and they can also act as a tourist guide who will recommend you some good tourist destinations and good restaurants. Using rental cars from rental car companies is more expensive, but you can hire a cheaper rental car owned by individuals. You can ask a hotel staff or a security officer to recommend you a good individually owned rental car. Price is Rp. 400,000 - 500,000 for 1 day (10 hours) depending on your negotiation. Make sure the price already included gasoline and driver. Entrance tickets of tourist destination and parking fee will be charged to guests. To visit most of the entire tourist destination in Bali, you will need about 3 days.
Eat
Bali has a huge variety of cafes and restaurants, serving both Indonesian and international food; see Indonesia for a menu reader. For better or worse, some American chains have established a presence here, although almost exclusively confined to the southern tourist areas. You'll see KFC, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, and Starbuck's Coffee. Interestingly, the menus are often highly adapted to the local tastes. The menu at Pizza Hut looks nothing like one you'll find in the U.S. Try the smaller local restaurants rather than touristy ones, the food is better and cheaper. Be sure to try the ubiquitous Indonesian dishes nasi goreng (fried rice) and mie goreng (fried noodles). These dishes should rarely cost more than Rp 25,000 (sometimes a bit more if you add chicken ayam or shrimp udang), so their cost on a menu can be a good indicator of a restaurant's relative cost and value.
Some of the most authentic food can be found from roving vendors called kaki lima, which means "five legs." This comprises the three legs of the food cart and the vendor's own two legs. Go to the beaches of Seminyak at sunset and find steaming hot bakso, a delightful meatball and noodle soup, served up fresh for a very inexpensive Rp 5,000. You can season it yourself, but be forewarned: Indonesian spices can be ferociously hot. Go easy until you find your heat tolerance level!
Actual Balinese food is common on the island, but it has made few inroads in the rest of the country due to its emphasis on pork, which is anathema to the largely Muslim population in the rest of the country. Notable dishes include:
* babi guling Roast suckling pig, a large ceremonial dish that must usually be ordered several days in advance.
* bebek betutu Literally "darkened duck", topped with a herb paste and roasted in banana leaves. The same method can also be used for chicken, resulting in ayam betutu.
* lawar Covers a range of Balinese salads, usually involving thinly chopped vegetables, minced meat, coconut and spices. Traditionally, blood is mixed into this dish, but it's often omitted for tourists' delicate constitutions. Green beans and chicken are a particularly common combination.
* sate lilit Minced seafood satay, served wrapped around a twig of lemongrass.
* urutan Balinese spicy sausage, made from pork.
* Grilled Chicken with Sliced Shallot Chilie and Lime (Ayam Panggang bumbu bawang mentah)
* Grilled Chicken with Red Chilie and Shrimp Paste Sauce (Ayam Panggang bumbu merah)
* Steam Chicken Cooked with Balinese Herb and Spicy (Ayam Tutu - Ala Kak Man Restaurant)
* Steam Duck Cooked with Balinese Herb and Spicy (Bebek Tutu - Ala Kak Man Restaurant)
* Mince Chicken with Shredded Rind combine with Spicy Sauce (Lawar Ayam, Klungah, Buah Kacang)
* Sliced Chicken mixed with Herbs and Spices Steam in Banana Leaf (Tum Ayam / Ketopot)
* Grilled Snaper (Ikan Bakar Bumbu Terasi)
* Special Balinese Salted Dry Fish (Sudang Lepet)
* Sliced Fish mixed with Herbs and Spices Wrap in Banana Leaf (Pepes Ikan Laut)
* Special Mixed Vegetables from Klungkung (Serombotan ala Klungkung)
* Water Cres with Shrimp Paste and Lime (Pelecing Kangkung)
* Fern Tip Vegetables with Shrimp Paste and Lime (Pelecing Paku)
Drink
Not being Muslim, the Balinese have nothing against a drink and alcohol is widely available.
Indonesia's most popular beer Bintang is ubiquitous, but local brand Bali Hai is nearly as popular. Bintang is a fairly highly regarded classic light Asian beer, but Bal Hai is a rather bland lager. Also available is the Bali-brewed microbrew Storm, available in several different flavors. Beer is, however, relatively expensive, though still cheap by Western standards: at Rp. 10,000 and up, a small bottle costs at least the same as a full meal in a local eatery. In tourist centres, happy hours are widely available before and after sunset, with regular bottles of beer going for Rp. 7,000 and the giant sizes for around Rp. 12,000.
Bali produces its own wines, with Hatten being the most popular brand, available in white, red, rose (most popular) and sparkling varieties. Quality can be inconsistent, but the red is usually OK and at least it's cheaper than imported wines, which can easily top Rp. 100,000 per bottle. Wine aficionados are better off bringing their own bottle in from Singapore or other countries from which they fly into Indonesia. Imported wines are readily available in Bali, but are very expensive relative to everything else. Nicer restaurants will let you bring your own bottle; some will charge a (very modest) corkage fee. Smaller establishments likely won't mind, but neither will they have a corkscrew!
Bali's traditional drinks are arak, a clear distilled spirit that packs a 40° punch, and brem, a fermented rice wine sold in gift shops in attractive clay bottles that are much nicer than the taste of the stuff inside.
Tap water on Bali is not drinkable, but bottled water is universally available and extremely inexpensive (Rp. 3000 or so per 1.5L bottle) and restaurants usually use purified water for cooking. "Filtered" water shops are also common, providing on-site treatment of the mains water to a potable standard. These shops are much cheaper than retail outlets, selling water for about Rp 5000 per 11-litre reusable container, and avoid the waste created by plastic bottles.
Very cheap (Rp. 10,000) are fresh juices or their mixes (it can be watermelon, melon, papaya, orange, lime, banana or any other possible juice). In Bali, avocado (alpukat) is used as a dessert fruit. Blended with sugar and ice and sometimes chocolate this is a beverage you can rarely get in any other locales!
If you do not consume alcohol, Bali's fresh juices and creative combinations of fruits will please you to no end. Almost all restaurant menus have a section devoted to various non alcoholic fruit based beverages.
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