We want to give our guests the best information possible to
help them prepare for the trip of a life time to Bali. Bali is in the process
of making huge changes to their roads and highways. Traffic is probably the
biggest problem for visitors to the island. Long waits in a car on the way to
an activity or site is the last thing people want to be doing on their
vacation. The good thing is that the government in Bali has already begun an
extensive project to modernize and improve the islands relatively weak
transportation infrastructure.
It takes about one hour and possibly ten minutes to reach Ubud Villas and Villa Amrita from the
Airport. On a Sunday, on a holiday like Galungan (usually in February and
August) or later at night (after 8pm), it is possible to reach the airport from
Ubud in less than 45 minutes.
You do not need to plan more than 1.5 hours to reach the
airport from Villa Amrita.
You should always prepare 150,000 IDR (rupiah only) to pay
the exit tax to leave the NgurahRai Airport. On arrival, you can buy a visa on
arrival for $25 USD. It is possible to expedite the long wait in the airport by
paying the young men in the blue shirts approximately $20 USD per person to
speed you through without waiting. However, we do not recommend this. Instead,
you should examine the situation and choose the immigration line that is being handled by TWO immigration officers. Even with long lines, lines
serviced by two immigration personnel will go remarkably fast.
Always plan airport pick up in advance. It may seem pricy or
you may feel like you can get the best deal by haggling, but you may find
yourself sweating, nervous, tired, thirsty or just plain annoyed if you don’t
plan your airport pick up in advance. It costs no less than 250,000 rupiah to
go to Ubud from the international airport. We believe that it is impossible to
get cheaper than this unless you have your own car.
Always bring a bottle of wine or your favorite spirit with
you to Bali. The cost of alcoholic drinks in Indonesia is exorbitant. We advise
guests to plan ahead and buy something at duty free.
There are a lot of activities, spa trips, meals and places
to visit that can be arranged quickly, easily and cheaply. For the best price
and most favorable conditions we urge you to plan ahead. This is both to ensure
safety, clarity and also get the best price.
Electricity is 220v. The electricity plug for Indonesia is
specialized. Most of the higher end Bali
resorts; villas and hotels have adapters, but beware lower end Bali
accommodation.
Do not change too much money in the airport as the exchange
rate is always 5% lower than out on the street in the popular tourist areas. Be
careful using ATM’s because they will never provide more than USD$350 in local
currency and will likely top you out at $120. Cash remains the best way to
travel in Bali.
You can easily get a cheap Bali SIM card and simple phone
for maximum 300,000IDR (roughly $32 USD). You can add credit to it as you like.
Wireless internet is available in a lot of pubs, restaurants and hotels for
free, so having a device like a tablet PC, smart phone or notebook is handy.
It is important to know that Bali is currently of creating a
road that will directly connect the international airport with the road to
Sanur, Ubud and to other parts of the island such as Candidasa, Tulamben and
Amed. This is an incredible development as it will cut the travel time to these
areas by at least 30 minutes. This is a major improvement. The international airport itself is undergoing
major overhaul and the new, larger and much more modern airport is supposed to
open in 2015.
There is also construction underway to improve the trip from
the international airport to Kuta, Legian, Seminyak and beyond. Due to Bali’s
important role in the region as a hub for international conferences, including
the 2013 APEC summit, the mad dash to improve driving conditions is officially
in full swing. By the end of next year, there
will be tunnels and other traffic improvements that will make it no longer
necessary to wait if you wish to go straight to Seminyak, Canggu or Tanah Lot.
If this kind of development did not happen Bali would and
could never emerge as a full-blown, first-rate vacation destination in the
region. Granted Bali is already incredibly popular with tourists, both foreign
and domestic, but for the island to really become a lasting, premium location
it needs to improve these problems.
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