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Bali Travel Diary

Indonesia Travel Diary (Bali & Lombok)

Over three months of my Indonesia trip I keep this travel diary and would like to give you valuable tips for a great time in Bali, Lombok & Co. about the preparation of your Indonesia trip, tricks to save money and the most attractive sights of Indonesia.

It should be noted that I can't be everywhere in Indonesia, of course. So if you have any additional tips & tricks to share or have also had breathtaking experiences on your trip to Indonesia, please feel free to let off steam in the comments. You can get information about my plastic waste cleanups in Indonesia in the parallel CleanUp diary in Indonesia.

Here is a brief table of contents of the article 🙂

Preparation of the Indonesia trip - visa, vaccinations, packing list & Co.

Before your trip to Indonesia can begin, there are still a few preparations to be made to ensure that your trip to the breathtaking islands of Indonesia can start smoothly. Last but not least, there is the visa, the vaccinations that need to be taken care of beforehand and, of course, your flights. Below I will give you my best tips for preparing your trip to Indonesia. But first things first: if you really want to save money, DON'T book every single tour or transfer in advance and be a little more "risk-averse". Your wallet will thank you!

Visa for Indonesia

The visa for Indonesia is basically available in 4 different forms:

  • Visa Free Entry (up to 30 days stay, free of charge, non-extendable)
  • Visa on Arrival (up to 30 days stay, 35 USD and extendable)
  • Visit Visa (60 - 180 days, about 50 EUR, exit ticket required)
  • Social Visa (same as Visit Visa, but a "sponsor letter" required).

Depending on what exactly you want to do in Indonesia, you may need a different visa. You can either apply online (e.g. at 1avisum.com/indonesia) or directly at the Indonesian Embassy in Berlin (located in Lehrter Straße near the main train station). I applied for the visa at the embassy and everything went smoothly. All you need to apply for the visa is the following:

  • Passport (must be valid for at least 6 months after the return date)
  • 1 completed application for the Indonesia visa (available online or at the embassy)
  • 2 colored passport photos
  • Flight tickets/flight data in copy (outward and return flights)
  • 50€ fee for the visa

You can get a detailed report on the visa for Indonesia here at my friends from Indojunkiesif you need more detailed information.

Vaccinations for Indonesia

Indonesia Travel Vaccinations
A great overview of the 5 most typical travel vaccinations / Source: indojunkie.com/vaccinations-bali/

Opinions differ when it comes to vaccinations for Indonesia. According to experts, the following vaccinations for Indonesia should be available 2 weeks before the start of your trip:

  • Diphtheria
  • Tetanus
  • Hepatitis A
  • Hepatitis B
  • Typhoid fever (every three years)

I got vaccinated at the Institute for Tropical Medicine and International Health in Berlin (Augustenburger Pl. 1). They give you honest advice and you don't have to worry too much about which vaccinations are really necessary for Indonesia (Bali etc.).

In consultation with the Tropical Institute, I decided against the following two vaccinations:

  • Rabies: Danger from dog and monkey bites, but you have at least one day to go to the hospital.
  • Japanese encephalitis: Vaccination very expensive, I prefer to invest in mosquito repellent

In the end, everyone has to decide for themselves what they invest in vaccinations. With a certain amount of caution towards monkeys & dogs, as well as good protection against mosquitoes (this mosquito spray and if required also this mosquito net) you can therefore save a bit of money on vaccinations. However, insurance companies often also cover the vaccinations, which of course has to be checked individually for each person. I hope that I have been able to give you a brief overview of the necessary vaccinations for Indonesia.

Indonesia - Flights and airport

In Bali, Denpasar is your destination airport. In Indonesia you can also fly from island to island for little money, but please choose the more environmentally friendly option and do the island transfer by boat if you want to "island hop". I flew from Berlin via Doha (Qatar) to Denpasar (Bali). Each flight took about 7 hours, at night. The cost for a return flight is around 700€. If I had booked a one-way, I would have paid almost twice as much. So always book a return flight in one go. If you want, you can keep your ticket flexible for a fee. In any case, you will have to make one stopover from Germany. But given the duration of the flight, this is really quite pleasant. You can check in your luggage in Germany and get it back in Denpasar. So no stress during the stopover. If you have any further questions about the flights, just write me a comment below.

Finance and save money in Indonesia

Indonesia is generally very cheap. But if you are recognized as a tourist, you may have to pay more than a local. However, if you know this in advance, you won't have any problems with your finances on your trip to Indonesia.

ATM/Card: Basically, you will find at least one ATM in every town where you can withdraw up to IDR 2,500,000 million (around €150). With a credit card, you usually have the option of withdrawing this amount 5 times in a row, so you can withdraw around IDR 12,500,000 million per day. It can happen that the machine does not work. To be on the safe side, you should always have enough cash with you. You can usually withdraw money anywhere with both your bank card and your credit card. You can almost certainly use your card to pay in modern accommodation. If you are on a low-budget trip in Indonesia, you should rely more on cash.

Scooters: Costs around IDR 60,000 (around €3) per day to rent on all islands in Indonesia. A tank of gas costs the equivalent of about 1.80 (about 25,000 IDR). As you can see, the cheapest way to get from A to B is by scooter.

Food: In tourist regions, the food is of course a little more expensive, but still cheap. Balinese food in particular is very cheap. For a normal meal you can expect to pay about 30 - 60 IDR (about 1.50 - 3.20€).

Language in Indonesia

If you want a great and above all sustainable journey it is always a good idea to adapt to the culture and language of the country you are traveling to. The language in Indonesia differs Indonesian (spoken almost everywhere in Indonesia) and Balinese (is the language of the Hindu population on Bali and Lombok).

It is always a good idea to know a few words of the local language. Below is a small overview of the most important words in Indonesian, as this is usually sufficient in Bali.

GERMANINDONESIAN
HelloHalo! / Shark!
Good morningSelamat pagi!
Good daySelamat sore!
Good evening / Good nightSelamat malam!
Bye byeDahh! / Mari! / Yuk ah!
GoodbyeSampai jumpa! / Selamat tinggal!
Yesya
Notidak
Thank youTerima kasih!
PleaseKembali.
Cheers!Tos! / Pros!
SorryMaaf
HelpTolong.
My name is ...Nama saya ...
I come from GermanySaya dari Jerman
I would like to have ...Saya mau ...
Numbers pleaseSaya mau bayar
ToiletKamar kecil / WC
I do not speak IndonesianSaya tidak bisa bahasa 
I come from GermanySaya dari Jerman

Mobility in Indonesia

To get from A to B on Bali and other islands in Indonesia, I would like to separate my tips according to whether you are traveling alone or with several people.

  • When you travel alone... you should definitely hire a scooter, as it takes about 5 hours to get from North Bali to the south. You can easily reach all destinations by scooter. In addition, a taxi/driver for one person is a bit expensive and the scooter makes you super-flexible and allows you to change locations depending on your mood. Cost of the scooter: 60,000 IDR/day = about 4€. One full tank of gas (enough for about 50 km) costs 25,000 IDR = 1.80€. As you can see, riding a scooter is really cheap. Be sure to use the Google Maps offline maps so that you can easily find your way on the roads even without the internet.
  • If you're traveling with more than one person.... you can either share a scooter or the cost of a driver to your destination. Because when shared between two or more people, the cost of a cab or driver is very manageable. What you lose, of course, is the wonderful feeling of freedom that comes with riding a scooter across the island 😉.
  • From island to island... To get from island to island, you can travel very cheaply by boat. If you want to go faster, there is often a speedboat. You can simply book the ticket through your accommodation or ask other people. Everyone will help you. As a comparison: A good price for a speedboat from Bangsal (Lombok) to Nusa Lembogan (Bali), for example, is 500 IDR = about 32€.
  • In principle, the following applies: A scooter is the cheapest way to get around and fuel is available super cheap on every corner. Often in small bottles at the roadside.

Travel Packing List Indonesia

There are a few things you need to think about when traveling to Indonesia. I would just like to my travel checklist that ensures you really don't forget anything before your departure. Of course, you can do without some of the items on the list depending on your needs. Tip: Make sure you take sunscreen with you, as you can easily spend €10 on sunscreen in Indonesia. 

Experiences on my Indonesia trip

Of course, everyone has their own preferences and plans for their trip to Indonesia. Depending on the length of your stay, you often have to think carefully beforehand about what you would like to experience in Bali, Lombok and the like. As I am in Indonesia for my Beach CleanUps and can combine this wonderfully with a trip to Indonesia, I am making a three-month hybrid vacation out of it, so to speak. Work & Travel, so to speak. I started in beautiful Ubud, about an hour north of Denpasar airport. From Ubud, you can get to pretty much everything in Bali. Whether by scooter or with a driver. I personally use AirBnb because I think it's the most personal form of accommodation and at the same time I can get in direct contact with local people and support them. If you feel like it, I'll give you 30€ here for your start with AirBnb. I stayed for a week with a very nice couple at Pangkung House Ubud. You can also book very cheap day trips at the front of the street.

In the following I would like to talk to you about my Instagram profile and gradually introduce you to the beautiful things I was able to experience on my trip to Indonesia. Note: Of course I did a lot of Nature & Beach CleanUps on my trip to Indonesia. You can find them in my separate Beach CleanUp Diary Indonesia. 🙂

Ascent of Batur Volcano (Bali)

 

On the way to the top of Batur ? #batur #volcano #bali #indonesia

A post shared by Christoph Schulz? (@careelite.me) on

For me, this is already one of the highlights of my trip to Indonesia. I was able to book this tour directly in my homestay. Cost 350,000 IDR = about 22€. The only downside to the volcano tour: getting up at 2am! Because if you want to see the sunrise, you have to get up at this inhuman hour. At 2.30 a.m. I was picked up by a driver to collect other participants. On the drive north to the Batur volcano, I was able to catch up on some sleep, but also get to know my really cool fellow passengers.

Arrived in front of the volcano and equipped with flashlights, we went in about 2 hours in the darkness towards the top. Every day about 500 people from all over the world climb up here. Very touristy, but still worth every penny. You can perhaps already guess that from the picture.

Rice terraces and tea tasting in Tagalalang

 

Gettin' some fresh Ginger-Tea ☕ and Hot Chocolate at the #riceterraces #tasty #fresh #handmade #gingertea #tea

A post shared by Christoph Schulz? (@careelite.me) on

The rice terraces in Tagalalang are only about 20 minutes drive from Ubud. As already mentioned under the point Mobility in Indonesia it is always worth renting a scooter for backpackers traveling alone. When I arrived at the unique rice terraces of Tagalalang, I was invited to sample some of the locally handmade tea. I can only recommend this to you. Please don't exploit this shamelessly and give a little tip here too 😉.

Then we went on to the trekking trail of the rice terraces. It was the first time I had seen rice terraces and I found them really impressive. Of course, there are also a lot of tourists here. I always recommend starting your tours very early to avoid the crowds. Mass tourism to get out of the way a little. Mind you, of course, you're just a tourist yourself 😉 I spent about 4 hours at the rice terraces and met some great people here too. Admission was free, only a tip was required at a stopover on the trekking trail.

Tegenungan waterfall in the south of Ubud

At 8 o'clock in the morning I went by motorcycle to Tegenungan Waterfall in the south of Ubud. With Google Maps offline maps at my side, it was no problem to get there in 30 minutes. Cost of the entrance fee: I think it was 25,000 IDR = 1.60€ entrance fee. Affordable, like everything else here in Bali and Indonesia. On the few meters walk to the waterfall, I discovered another smaller waterfall, which I went to a little later, when the first tourists arrived at the waterfall around 9 am.

At the bottom of the waterfall, you will also find many stone figures stacked on top of each other. These stone figures have a religious origin and also serve as a warning of danger. You really don't need to book this excursion on your trip to Indonesia. Grab your scooter and drive the 30 minutes to the waterfall. It's worth it!

Hindu temple Pura Tanah Lot & sunset

Indonesia Travel Tips - Tanah Lot
This is the Hindu temple Tanah Lot

I simply booked this tour in my homestay. The Hindu temple Tanha Lot is located in the south-west of Bali and is said to offer the most beautiful sunset in Bali. The temple was built right on top of a cliff and can only be reached at low tide if you don't want to get wet. The temple was built by a Javanese Hindu priest who fled from Islam to Bali and meditated on the small rocky island. He sensed the energy of this place and built the Hindu temple.

Indonesia Travel Tips - Sunset Tanah Lot
For a unique sunset, you also need a bit of luck

To experience the perfect sunset in Bali, the sky should of course be clear. You don't always have this luck. Nevertheless, it was a cool experience. Around 7 pm, thousands of bats came out of the caves and gave us a great natural spectacle. I remember this phenomenon from my Sri Lanka trip and therefore assume that this spectacle also takes place here every day.

Bali Swing in the west of Ubud

Bali Swing is a "swing park" set up for tourists where you can take really cool photos. The atmosphere on site is great and the big swing gives you a little adrenaline kick. However, the cost is around €25. But you can spend the whole day there and get the best pancakes in Bali and free drinks. Getting there from Ubud is relatively easy by motorcycle, just use the GoogleMaps offline maps again.

Green School in the west of Ubud

I will write a separate article about the Green School Bali. It is great what has been created here in the west of Ubud since 2007. This school should be a role model for all western schools, because children here learn from an early age how to live in an environmentally conscious and natural way. Especially with regard to the fight against plastic waste in the environment, this school is the perfect long-term alternative. You can tell that the pupils have fun and enjoy going to school.

The Green School breeds its own animals and grows food. Plastic waste is collected from the surrounding area every day. The school also teaches the normal subjects that we are familiar with. The difference is that the children really have fun in this bamboo village. If you like, you can book a tour here and take a look at the Green School. The cost is 190,000 IDR = about 12€.

Co-Working Space Hubud in Ubud

Co-working spaces are not just for digital nomads! It's worthwhile for everyone to take a look outside the box at Hubud and see the modern working methods of completely different entrepreneurs. You can book into Hubud for the equivalent of around €50 a month and work on site every day. The co-working space is made of bamboo wood and provides a very fast internet connection. I like this place, which is also made unique by the people you meet there. If you are looking for motivation and inspiration for your own project, stop by Ubud.

Gili Trawangan (Gili Islands Lombok)

The three Gili islands (Lombok) can be divided thematically into party (Gili Trawangan), couples (Gili Meno) and relaxation (Gili Air). For me, however, Gili T combines everything, because here you can party, experience something and also switch off. You can walk around the whole island in about 35 minutes and choose the most beautiful spots. There are no scooters here. If at all, you might see an electric scooter from time to time. Otherwise, you can easily get around by carriage or bicycle. I really liked that about Gili T. However, I also started another clean-up here, as the "party island" naturally has a lot of garbage on the beaches.

After a short acclimatization period, I did my diving course (Open Water) at UBER SCUBA on Gili Trawangan. The course lasted three days and now I can dive almost anywhere in the world. I've seen manta rays, turtles, scorpion fish, an ostopus and lots of other amazing marine animals. Snorkeling is already cool, but diving opens up a new world and unique experiences.

Mount Rinjani (volcano on Lombok)

Having done this tour once on my own, I would also come up without a guide. For the first time, however, you should definitely book a professional guide or simply book the ascent as a tour. I paid about 1.7 million IDR (= about 110€) for a 2-day tour with meals and an overnight stay in a tent camp, 3 hours before the top of the volcano. This was the view from my tent after about 8 hours of climbing with lots of great people.

During the night we went up to the top of the Rinjani volcano in about 4 hours. The climb was really hard, but it was really worth it. Because we were exactly at 6 o'clock in the morning on the volcano and could see the unique lake in the crater at the onset of sunshine.

It was really super cold up there. You really don't need to go up there without a jacket, gloves and long loose clothing. We were at the top for about 10 minutes, then it was back down again. The descent is not as easy as you might imagine. But the motivation was the breakfast at the camp. I met great people and climbed the Rinjani volcano at 3726 meters. If you fancy this tour, you can also book it through your accommodation. Make sure you do this on site and not online beforehand. You can't bargain there. Notice: I wouldn't go on this tour if I had knee problems, as the descent is quite a strain on the knee joints.

A visit to the beach of Kuta Lombok

I drove around the whole island of Lombok on my scooter and experienced a lot. The beach in Kuta in the south of the island was also really cool. The beach is cleaned every day and attracts many tourists to the south of Lombok. Everything was a bit cheaper here, whether it was accommodation or the cost of living. The only problem for me as a digital nomad: Every time it rained, there was a power cut throughout the south. No electricity, no internet. So I had to move on again relatively quickly. Nevertheless, Kuta is a great place with really nice people. I recommend the beach "Tanjung Ann" about 15 minutes from Kuta.

Tanjung Ann Beach (Lombok)

If you are traveling in Kuta Lombok anyway, a visit to the beautiful Tanjung Ann beach is also a good idea. The beach is about 15 minutes by scooter from Kuta. Unfortunately, the road there is anything but easy to drive on, but it works. Just drive carefully. As you can see in the picture, the sand is a dreamy white and the water is a beautiful blue. Enjoy half a day with a cool coconut and take a cool photo on the swing with a view of the sea.

The islands of Nusa Lembongan / Ceningan / Penida

The islands in the south of Bali are an absolute paradise for any nature lover. I had my best day in Indonesia here so far. Nusa Lembongan has super beautiful beaches and you can do diving and surfing courses here. Like everywhere else on my trip to Indonesia, the people are unique and super nice. I then took the boat over to Nusa Penida, the largest of the islands. I can already give you four unique recommendations here. Crystal Beach, Angels Billabong & Broken Beach, and Kelingking Beach. We booked a driver who drove us all day to the most beautiful spots on Nusa Penida for around IDR 170 per person. In the photo above you can already see Angels Billabong, a naturally formed pool. Have a look at a few more photos on Google, it's unique.

Crystal Beach (Nusa Penida)

Crystal Bay is unique. Here you can go snorkeling and see for sure some manta rays, but depending on how much time you have brought with you on the day, you should spend a maximum of 1-2 hours there. Because more great destinations await you on your Indonesia trip on Nusa Pendida.

Angel's Billagbong and Broken Beach

You can already see the natural pool Angel's Billabong in the first photo above. You can take really nice photos in the pool. The same applies here as almost everywhere else: The earlier you get there, the sooner you can enjoy this beautiful place alone and in peace. A few meters further on you will find Broken Beach. You can see Broken Beach in the photo above. This is basically a naturally formed bridge to a beautiful beach. Unfortunately, you can only look at it as you don't have a chance to get down. Depending on how much time you have left in your luggage, you should plan about 2-3 hours for these two natural wonders.

Kelingking Beach

Kelingking Beach is one of the most beautiful destinations in the whole of Indonesia. For me, it was the highlight so far. Kelingking Beach is located at the foot of a huge cliff face, which you can climb but should avoid for safety reasons. We did it anyway, like many others. It is very strenuous, but a relatively safe, quiet path leads down to the beach. The water is blue, the sand white. And the steep, green cliffs. Kelingking Beach is a unique natural experience and should definitely be on your list of destinations for your trip to Indonesia.

Snorkeling at Nusa Ceningan

Nusa is not only unique on land. We treated ourselves to a snorkeling tour at Nusa Ceningan, with really great people. One of the three spots was Buddha Point, which you can see in the photo. Our boat was accompanied by dolphins. With a bit of luck, you could also see manga rays at the other spots alongside the fantastic corals. Unfortunately, luck was not on our side this time. Nevertheless, the snorkeling trip is definitely worth it!

Ubud Trash Walk

 

Next Trash Walk at Bambu Indah ? #johnhardy #bambuindah #ubud #bamboo #beautifulnature #trashwalk #trashwalker

A post shared by Christoph from CareElite ? (@careelite.me) on

I went back to Ubud for a few days and took part in the Bambu Indah Hotel's Trash Walk twice. The founder of the hotel is John Hardy, who also set up the Bali Green School. The hotel is unique, but that's not the point. I think it's also a really cool travel experience for tourists and therefore still a real insider tip for Bali travelers. The CleanUp starts every morning at 7 a.m. You don't have to bring anything, just be there. You go through the jungle with spears, hunting for garbage. John Hardy is a positively crazy guy and he usually takes part in this trash walk.

Danau Buyan Lake (North Bali)

On the way to Lovina, I passed Danau Buyan Lake. A really beautiful sight, which I enjoyed for an hour. The lake is huge and in the middle of the mountains, over which the only road in this area leads to the far north of Bali. For anyone who is traveling to the far north of Bali anyway, I can recommend a detour here!

AlingAling

The Aling Aling waterfall is the highlight of my trip to Indonesia and, in my opinion, the most beautiful waterfall in Bali. You can go swimming and cliff jumping here. There are also other waterfalls at this location, all just a few meters away from each other. And now I'll show you why the waterfalls here are the highlight of my trip to Indonesia.

One thing first: you don't have to do this! 😀

I met an older man at the waterfalls who seemed crazy at first. He asked me if I would like to slide down one of the waterfalls. A cliff jump takes a lot out of me, but I really thought that was crazy. When I smiled a little, he went up the waterfall and plunged headfirst down the rocks. When he emerged at the bottom, he laughed his head off. And so did I. Less than 2 minutes later, I also threw myself down the waterfall. Nothing happens, except that you have a unique experience and are overjoyed. Try it out!

Batu Bolong Beach Canggu

I spent most of my trip to Bali in Canggu because I just love it there. One reason for this is Batu Bolong Beach. Here you can surf, eat very well and also see a unique sunset. That was the last day of my trip to Indonesia and I know I'll be back here again soon.

So, that's it! Back to cold Germany!

It was a great time in Indonesia! I am grateful for all my hosts, the support I got from all of you during my time, the people I met and the experiences I had! Feel free to write me about your own experiences on your Indonesia trip and any questions, tips and suggestions!

Best regards,

Living plastic-free - Less plastic waste in the environment

PS: In the CleanUp diary about Indonesia you can find all my Plastic waste CleanUp events in Indonesia.

Coffee box Suggestions for improvement Newsletter

* Links with asterisks are so-called Affiliate linksIf you click on it and buy something, you automatically and actively support my work with CareElite.de, as I receive a small share of the proceeds - and of course nothing changes in the product price. Many thanks for your support and best regards, Christoph!

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Christoph Schulz

Christoph Schulz

I'm Christoph, an environmental scientist and author - and here at CareElite I'm campaigning against plastic waste in the environment, climate change and all the other major environmental problems of our time. Together with other environmentally conscious bloggers, I want to give you tips & tricks for a naturally healthy, sustainable life as well as your personal development.

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