Bali, as most people mistakenly believe, is not a country, but one of the 34 provinces of Indonesia. It has a total of 17,508 islands, of which Bali is the most visited in the country. Indonesia borders many countries: Malaysia, East Timor, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, the Philippines, Australia, Thailand, Palau, and the Andes and Nicobar Islands.
Bali is the main island of the Little Sunda Group. It lies between Java and Lombok. It covers more than 5,633 km². Among foreign tourists, Bali is a very popular destination. As with other Asian countries, life in Bali is very affordable. It offers everything a tourist desires, from monuments to breathtaking nature.
Basic information about Bali
April to October
Why Bali
The island of Bali is the most visited all over Indonesia. There are several reasons to visit Bali.
Bali or the island of the gods is suitable for visiting with children as well as without children and only with a backpack. In addition to typical holiday requirements, which include beautiful beaches and supernature, it also offers a unique underwater world, rich historical culture, active volcanoes and an endless number of hours that we can spend in the waves when surfing. Bali is one of the best surfing destinations in the world.
As in the whole of Asia, very nice and smiling people live here. It’s a joy to just walk down the streets and smile with everyone around you. You can diversify the experience by relaxing and strengthening in a local restaurant. Indonesian food is very tasty and the menu is varied.
The capital of Bali
The capital, Indonesian province of Bali, is Denpasar. Bali is one of 34 provinces. It is also the most visited island in the country. Denpasar has a population of approximately 800,000 and is the main tourist center that connects most of the islands. It has not been the capital in the beginning, but it was from 1958, when it replaced the original Singaraja in the north of the island. Prior to that year, Denpasar was the capital of the kingdom of Badung until 1906 before it was occupied by the Dutch. After the takeover by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, there was a mass suicide of the royal dynasty and nobility. In memory of this event, a statue of Puputan is exhibited in the square.
Although Denpasar is the capital, it still retains a characteristic of the countryside. It is very quiet, composed of many small tangled villages, Hindu temples and family communities. On the other hand, it is also very modern, there are many new buildings and departments and stores. We can get to know Balinese culture right from Denpasar, just visit the Bali Museum. Other sights and attractions not to be missed include Bali Arts Center, Puputan Monument, Pura Jagatnatha Hindu Temple and Ngurah Rai, the largest mangrove forest in Bali.
Flag of Bali
Bali, as one of the provinces of Indonesia, has its own flag. It is very simple. The base is an orange rectangle and a pentagon in the middle, which is the emblem of the province. No further explanation of the meaning of the flag is available.
The flag of Indonesia has two stripes, top red and bottom white. It was founded in the 13th century and since 1945 has been used as the official flag of the country.
Population
The island of Bali has more than 4 million inhabitants. The capital Denpasar has about 800,000 inhabitants. The main ethnic group are Indonesians. The majority of the population is of Hindu religion, followed by Christianity and Islam.
Holidays in Bali
The best opportunity to get to know Balinese life is to attend a national holiday or celebration. Some holidays have a fixed date, others have a changeable date according to the Balinese calendar. The Balinese calendar is called Pawukon and has only 210 days. The calendar is very specific and very different from our Gregorian. Prices are rising very high during the celebrations.
- 1st January - New Year
- 23rd January - Chinese New Year
- 1st February Galungan Day - a celebration of the victory of goodness over evil
- 4th February Birth of the Prophet Muhammad - this is a Muslim holiday
- 23rd March Nyepi - a festival of silence, or a celebration of the Hindu New Year
- 6th April - Good Friday
- 5th May - Hari Raya Waisak - a holiday to celebrate the Buddha, the day of enlightenment
- 17th May - Assumption of Jesus Christ
- 16th June - Isra ‘Mi’raj Nabi Muhammad - Assumption of the Prophet Muhammad
- 20th July - 18th August - Lent month of Ramadan
- 17th August - Indonesia Independence Day - a national holiday
- 18th August - 20th August Hari Idul Fitri - End of Ramadan
- 26th October - Day of Sacrifice Idul Adha
- 15 th November - Muslim New Year
- 25th December - The birth of Jesus Christ
Time in Bali
New York is in the UTC - 5 and Bali UTC + 8 time zones, so the difference is 13 hours. If we are at 12:00am, it is 13 hours behind Bali, ie 11:00pm.
Currency of Bali
The only currency in Bali is the Indonesian rupiah. The world brand is IDR. It is best to exchange euros or dollars in Bali. Banknotes have a value of 1,000 - 100,000 and coins are 25 - 1,000 rupees. Rupees are further divided into paisa, which is not used much.
In conversion, 1,000 IDR is approximately 0.071 USD.
Money can be exchanged at the airport, but the rate is worse here. It is best to change money in the bank. Local exchange offices are also not recommended to use much. Tourist areas are richly equipped with ATMs, but there is a charge for them. Card payment is not as common here as in Europe or the USA. In tourist resorts, the price is a bit exaggerated. The advantage is that you can bargain in almost every store.
Prices in Bali
In tourist resorts, prices are very inflated. As elsewhere in Asia, Bali can be well-negotiated in local markets.
- Accommodation in a double room for less demanding from 13 - 26 USD
- Accommodation for the more demanding from 53 USD
- Food in a cheaper restaurant about 1 - 5 USD
- Food in a more expensive restaurant about 5 - 11 USD
- Beer 2 - 3 USD
- Bottled water approx. 0.2 - 0.6 USD
- Massage 4 USD
- Taxi 1km 0.4 - 1 USD
Visa in Bali
To enter Bali, European citizens are allowed to enter without a visa or “free visa” for up to 30 days of stay.
If we are planning a longer trip, choose from two other types of visas - Visa on arrival and Visit visa. Visit visa needs to be arranged at the Indonesian Embassy, it is a long-term visa. Visa on arrival at the airport, unlike Free visa, can be extended to additional 30 days. The price of a visa is 35 USD.
Vaccination in Bali
Bali is a very popular destination for travelers. There is a large population here and hygiene habits are not like in other countries. No vaccination is mandatory, but a few are recommended for prevention.
These are jaundice A + B, typhoid fever, tetanus and rabies. Vaccination against jaundice type A + B is usually three-phase and its advantage is that you are then immune to jaundice for life. Vaccination against typhoid fever is for about 3 years and its price is from 36 to 54 USD. Every traveler should have been vaccinated against tetanus. Its protection lasts from approximately 10 to 15 years. Then revaccination is needed. At your district doctor, revaccination against tetanus is free, paid for by the insurance company.
Vaccination effective depends on the schedule of the trip and the areas visited. Contact your general practitioner or travel medicine institute for more information.
Interesting facts about Bali
Bali is the most visited province of Indonesia. A plethora of interests can be found here.
We have selected few of them for you:
- Hinduism - many would think it is a religion, but it’s not. It’s a way of life. Well, it depends on a defintion of religion …
- Names start with “I” - most names in Bali start with the letter I.
- More temples than houses - in Bali, each family has its own temple.
- 18 letters of the alphabet - The alphabet in Bali has only 18 letters and vowels are writen as one letter
- Bali is not a country - Bali is not a country, but one of the provinces of Indonesia
- Many tourists - you will feel almost like in Europe. There are really many tourists here. You will meet the original Indonesian life here more marginally, it is located on the eastern islands.
Many tourists - you will feel almost like in Europe. There are really many foreign tourists. You will find the original Indonesian life here rather marginally, it is located on the eastern islands.
Important contacts
Where to call in case of an emergency in Bali?
- Firefighters 113
- Police 110
- Rescue Service 118, 119
The area code for Bali as well as throughout Indonesia is +62.
Contacts at the U.S. Embassy Jakarta:
Address: Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan No. 3 - 5 Jakarta 10110, Indonesia Phone: +62-21-5083-1000 Email: indonesia@ustraveldocs.com
Contacts at the British Consulate Bali:
Address: Jalan Tantular No 32 Renon, Denpasar, Bali, 80234, Indonesia Phone: (+62) (21) 2356 5200 Website: <www.gov.uk/contact-consulate-bali>
Contacts at the Australian Consulate-General Bali:
Address: Jalan Tantular, No. 32, Renon, Denpasar - Bali 80234 Phone: +62 3 612 000 100 Email: bali.congen@dfat.gov.au Website:https://bali.indonesia.embassy.gov.au
