Bali is like a second home for most of us. By now, we feel incredibly at ease with both the chaos and calm of the beautiful island, and we even picked up on some local Bahasa language. If for some strange reason you haven’t been to the famed nirvana, here are some tips to help you out.


We’re no weather forecasters, but the rainy season in Bali generally lasts from October to March, which means the dry season of April to September sees tourists trooping in. August and year-end holidays are considered peak seasons, so prices are going to be much higher than other months.


Most visitors will need to have greenbacks handy for the US$25 visa on arrival (check if you’re eligible for the visa, or if you even need it), which is valid for 30 days, and extendable for another 30 days. Do note that they only take post-1997 US$100 bills. You can also pay with Rupiah and with credit cards these days but it’s just easier and quicker if you have cash.


People tend to steer clear of the airport porters, who sometimes swarm you in the eagerness to get your bags (it can be a little scary). That said, they carry your luggage (Rps 10,000 each) from the conveyer belt to your waiting transportation, which is great if you have loads of stuff, like surfboards and prams. Don’t want their help? Just thank them and say you’ll be handling your own luggage.


Go with the flow, Jam Karet, which literally translates to rubber time in Bahasa, refers to the Balinese mantra that time is elastic, and getting stressed and frustrated (Indonesians generally don’t take confrontation too well) won’t make anything happen faster. That said, don’t leave things to the last minute, especially when it’s getting to the airport or the jetty, since traffic might be held up by a religious ceremony or a car doing a 25 point turn in the middle of the road.

Mind your manners goes without saying, being unfamiliar with local customs and beliefs is not and should not be a blanket excuse, so keep things like temple manners (make sure you cover up shoulders, upper arms, and legs with a sarong, and not to walk in front of praying Balinese) in mind. Avoid touching or giving the local people anything with your left hand or touching someone on the head. There are also offerings packages of woven palm leaves filled with flowers, herbs, snacks and incense that you might step on by mistake, but it’s deeply offensive to walk over one on purpose.

When shopping on the beach or at the markets, partake in bargaining only if you want to purchase the item, as it’s considered being rude to the vendor if you don’t have the intention. 
The cheapest way to get cash in Bali is to withdraw it straight from an ATM, so make sure your card is activated for overseas withdrawal. Otherwise, head to authorised money changers, like PT Central Kuta, with proper offices and receipts for currency exchange. Rates at smaller counters might look attractive, but what you’ll actually be getting, after dubious ‘commission’ charges and the like is not worth the confusion of being passed many piles of small note denomination bills.

Time share scams are especially prevalent in Bali. Don’t do any surveys and give out your hotel name; you’ll likely get a call later that evening saying that you’ve won a prize. To claim it, you’d have to go to a hotel to listen to a presentation. If you attend, you’ll probably find yourself in a hotel in the middle of nowhere with sales people trying to sell you an expensive timeshare (in case you’re wondering, it’s a notorious property sharing scheme where you’ll own an apartment/resort unit with multiple people).

We don’t have to tell you to avoid the Bali drug scene at all costs. Many of these drug sellers are working with the undercover police to nab unsuspecting tourists. Don’t let your guard down with the booze, too, and stick to legit places you know – locally made spirits might contain methanol (a cheap way to topping up the stock), which has caused causalities and fatalities in recent years.


An upset stomach is a sure dampener on your vacation so take precautions to ward off the infamous Bali Belly. Do not drink tap water always go with bottled water or filtered water. Be on the safe side and brush your teeth with bottled water as well. Either carry hand sanitizer to clean hands, or wash with bottled water, before meals. Pack charcoal tablets for the trip in the event of digestive upsets. Alternatively, take Probiotic tablets a week before your trip and continue taking them throughout. Buying travel insurance is always recommended.


The monkeys occupying many of Bali’s temples are good thieves, they love glasses, cameras, and purses, so be careful with your belongings. There are vendors selling bananas to feed the monkeys but don’t be tempted. The monkeys are used to humans, and will do anything to get at those bananas, including clawing his way up your body. Plus there’s the possibility of contracting rabies, so seek immediate medical attention if you’ve been bitten!

Bali is making the most of this tourism opportunity with many hotels offering special deals for travelers. Thailand's political crisis has helped boost Bali tourism, with Australians leading a surge in visitors to the holiday island in 2014.

Although a military-enforced curfew has only been in place for a few days across Thailand, instability over several months meant some nations already had active travel warnings. Thailand reportedly suffered a nearly five per cent drop in tourists in the first four months of 2014 compared to 2013.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association reports overseas visitors to Bali have grown about 10 per cent this year. Figures available, from January to the end of March, show 831,625 foreigners visited Bali, compared to 727,013 in the same period in 2013. Most (25 per cent) were Australians - 207,475 compared to 179,375 last year.

The association's Bali chairman Tjokorda Artha Ardana Sukawati says the trouble in its rival destination Thailand is responsible. "The impact of that is, there has been flow of tourists to Bali," he said. "Bali is not the only one receiving this flow. Vietnam is also receiving it. "I don't want to laugh over our neighbour's misery, but this kind of opportunity must be used to its maximum."

To capture holidaymakers reluctant to go to Thailand, Bali is ramping up its promotion and many hotels are offering special deals. The hotels association is also working with police to ensure Bali is safe for tourists, after two deadly incidents in the past two weeks. A British woman was found dead in a villa near Ubud and a South Korean woman died after bagsnatchers pulled her off a motorbike at Denpasar.

A local movement called We Heart Bali Safe is distributing safety leaflets. It held a lantern vigil at Tugu beach on Monday for the two women.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-essentials/travel-news/aussies-flock-to-bali-as-thai-turmoil-hits-tourism-20140527-391ic.html#ixzz32wH9lQUg

In terms of island count, Indonesia is made up of a staggering 17,508 islands, although some estimates put it at 20,000. There are at least 300 distinct ethnic groups speaking 742 languages and dialects spread out over 5,000 kilometers of mostly under touristed territory straddling the equator.

Famous as the Dutch East Indies in 18th century, Indonesia attracts travelers today in the same way it beckoned merchant ships braving the open ocean in search of valuable spices. Although there are clear favorites that leave travelers yearning for more, there are legions of islands and remote corners that beg exploration. Not surprisingly, Indonesia is often depicted as the last frontier of adventure and discovery, overloading the senses with the sublime and mundane, and every little thing in between.

Indonesia makes it easy for the traveler to decide when to visit the country. As an equatorial destination, it has only wet and dry seasons. Rains start coming down in October and increase in intensity through April, while the weather turns nicer and hotter starting May and becomes relentlessly hot until September.

There are regional variations in these two seasons: Some parts of Indonesia are only hotter during the summer and less so during the rainy season, whereas others experience marked difference in dry and wet by the occurrences of drought and flooding, respectively.

The wet season in Indonesia should not deter an eager traveler, but they should be advised that rains can fall non-stop during this period, and this makes back roads impassable if not altogether flooded. Airline and ferry schedules are often subject to cancellations or postponement during the wet season, so flexibility is key when traveling to Indonesia during the rainy months.

After months of careful research, planning and development, Serene Villas is pleased to announce the relaunch of its website. Serene Villas Bali based in Seminyak provides a high level of Villa Accomodation to its customers who visit Bali for their holiday vacations. The aim of the redesign is to make the website easier to navigate and to provide helpful and informative content to help customers both old and new learn why Serene Villas is the best choice in Seminyak for their holidays.

The site features a fresh new layout with new pictures of each individual villa showing what guests can expect upon arriving at Serene Villas. The Press and Media section shows some of the great articles that have been written about Serene Villas in the past by both guests and visiting media. With the News section, visitors can keep up-to-date with latest Bali information which is reguarly updated.

Financial controller of Serene Villas, Mr I Made Sujana, said: “Relaunching the website has been an exciting challenge and congratulations must go to Mr Putra Asnawa our competent Webmaster who has approached this large task with energy and enthusaism and the fine result is to his credit !". 

With these improvements www.serenevilla.com will continue to hold its position as one of the top 5 Bali Villa websites. As we own and operate our own villas guests can rest assured that they will get exactly what they are expecting with no shocks or surprises which often occour when renting a villa through an unknown 3rd party website" 

The website, which has been online since 2000, currently attracts more than 200,000 unique users per year, a figure which is definately expected to grow with the sites new and exciting design.