HOW MUCH IS A HOLIDAY IN BALI GOING TO COST ME?
This again is one of the most common questions I get asked.
But it is kind of a relative question...
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If you want to stay at Ayana Resort (which is one of Bali's prestige properties) then you are looking at around $1000 pn to stay in one of their basic hotel rooms...if you want to experience Bali on a budget, then too you could honestly have a great holiday living on $20 a day!
The choice is really yours.
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For us...we have a pretty "middle of the range" budget.
I'll break down some of the costs down in the middle range. You can titrate this to suit your own budget. Maybe you'd like to stay in a budget villa, then spend your last 2 nights in Bali at The Double Six Luxury Resort.
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The choices are endless and this is the beauty of Bali!
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(All prices shown in AUD)
Our budget:
Flights for 4 (keeping in mind we fly with Garuda, you can score cheaper flights with different airlines)
$3000
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Accommodation:
About $1500 per week
(For this price you'll get a pretty damn sweet private villa or score yourself a hotel room at one of the beachfront resorts)
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Spending money:
We budget around $50 per day, per person. So, $200 a day. One day you may splash out as we did at The W hotel and blow the entire $200 in the first couple of hours...but then the next day we went out for dinner and enjoyed eating 4 huge meals, garlic bread to start, 2 rounds of Bintangs for my hubby and I and drinks for the kids for approx. $35!
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Food and drink:
Most of the spectacular pool and beach clubs like Mrs Sippy normally have a minimum spend to get a daybed with pool service and will also include your towels (so you don't have to drag your own from your hotel!) It is normally $100. However, the $100 is all redeemable on food and drink and after ordering a few cocktails and meals, this is easily hit! But I feel well worth it to have a day of relaxing luxury! You can get around the minimum spend at some by being seated in the restaurant attached and can still use all the pool facilities, you'll just have to maybe approach the bar on your own rather than being served.
If you are coming to Bali on a budget, this may be a good way to still experience all the luxurious pool clubs, but be able to keep track of your spending rather than ticking up your tab!
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Eating out and about can vastly vary and we found too that sometimes prices varied also depending on your location.
Seminyak is the hub! It boasts world class restaurants on it's Eat St- Jalan Oberoi. One night we ate at La Favela...one of the Eat St favourites, had entrees, 4 meals (mine seafood) cocktails and drinks for the little ones for $90. If you're not a foodie like we are and just want a meal to fill your stomachs then you can head to one of the less expensive restaurants and find adult meals for about $10 and kid meals for $3. Don't forget that most menus in Bali do not include the 21% service and tax charge. In reality...it doesn't make a big difference to your bill but just be wary if you are counting your pennies!
Drinks vary depending on the venue you are at. Bintangs at The W are around $7, at the local mini marts dotted around the streets they are around $1.50-$2.
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Taxis
If you are just staying local and wanting a lift down to the beachside restaurants in Legian then you will pay between $3-$5 for your ride. Try and get a metered Bluebird Cab and if you are just travelling nearby, you most likely won't go over their minimum of $3. You can also negotiate your fare before hopping in and if you're unhappy with the price, then you can shut the door and about another 50 cabs will be lined up behind you to take you where you want to go! Just remember, when bartering....and dealing in thousands or millions of rupiah, it is easy to get lost in thinking you're being ripped off...but the difference may just be $2 that you are deciding whether or not to jump in. That $2 may or may not make the difference in paying their bills that week!
For us, post dinner and a big day of activities we didn't usually even batter and instead would just jump in to get our tired kids back to our villa!
Private Drivers
If your hotel or villa does not include airport transfers, then you can employ the services of a private driver to shuttle you around. You will be looking at about $25 one way.
You can use a taxi if you are planning a day trip out of town, but most use a private driver. They will give you a price say...if travelling from Seminyak to Ubud with multiple stops along the way, then you will pay a fixed price of around $50 for the entire day.
If you do want to get in touch with a great driver PLEASE get in touch with ours:
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Diet will journey you around to your hearts content with a big smile and bellowing laugh. He's priced very reasonable and I can garautee by the end of your holiday you'll be BFFs. His motto: "No problem!"
And honestly anything you wish, he will make come true. With the help of his local knowledge, you will enjoy getting to know Diet and he'll be able to give you some great tips on tourist attractions.
If you do engage the services of another private driver...honour him by using him for the duration of your holiday. In doing so, you'll not only make a friend for life, but they will honour you by trying to get you the best seat at a restaurant or take you to the front of a waiting line whilst helping you get there with all your kid stuff!
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Spas and massages
Welcome to your holiday of daily or maybe twice daily massages! If you're not fussy (like me) you can walk out onto the street and choose from an abundance of day spas along the street. You will be looking at about $6-$8 for a full body massage and let me tell you, the price does NOT reflect the service...the Balinese are A grade therapists and I found myself dribbling into the aromatherapy candle thing set up below the table when I was face down on numerous occasions! The street salons aren't glamorous by any means but they are clean and when you can spend 2 hours in there for about $30 then I don't really care where I am. Yes, the Enya dolphin music was on repeat and I'm pretty sure my facial was 6 treatments of the same thing...but as a tired working mummy, I simply just appreciate having some time out and relaxing despite the venue!
Now, if you're a little bit more high maitenence or simply want to splash out for the day...then Seminyak offers you some of the most exquisite day spas you'll find in the world!
Prana Spa (a Morrocon themed spa) and the newly opened Spring Spa will have you relaxed from the moment you check in! In comparison to Australian prices...you will still be only paying about $100 for a 2 hour package deal using the most luscious products.
My husband and I scored a few hours away from the kiddies on our last trip and splashed out with a 2 hour couples treatment...and I can vouch...it WAS amazing.
We paid $60 pp for
Foot bath and pedicure
Full body massage
Full body scrub
Full body cleanse
Rain shower
Long soak in the spa filled with fresh flowers
Local teas and refreshments included
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Photo: Spring Day Spa- Seminyak
Photo: Prana Day Spa- Seminyak
Photo: Merah Putih- Seminyak
Scooters
I would say, without a doubt one of the easiest ways to get around Bali is on a scooter! If you feel confident that you would be able to weave in and out of the busy Balinese traffic, then you can hire a scooter for around $5-$10 a day.
I did try my hand at scooting while we were out on the islands with far less traffic and ABSOLUTELY sucked at doing it! It looks so simple when you see the Balinese scoot past with 5 of their family members in tow and a weeks worth of groceries balancing on their heads...yet within minutes of hopping on the scooter, I had ran it into the wall and also had a moment on the narrow islands roads where I could either veer off the side of a cliff or go head on into the truck thrusting towards me in the opposite direction. So after all my "near misses" and "close calls" my husband demanded we turn around and head back to our resort. Once back to the comfort of our lumbung and far away from playing real life Super Mario...I admitted, he was right. Scooting around Bali with ZERO experience with no helmets and our kids on the back...was plain and utter stupidity. My safety conscious husband revelled in the fact he could say "I told you so!" Ok mate. Settle down.
You see, the traffic in Bali is like organised chaos. It feels like their only road rule is "try not to hit stuff." But don't judge the crazy antics of the Balinese drivers...they are absolute experts in judging the traffic and know the dimensions of their vehicles down to millimetres. They could rival some of the most seasoned professionals here in Australia...and because of this....for the remainder of our holiday we left the driving up to them!
However, if you're not as uncoordinated as me and feel confident you'd be able to weave in and out of the busy Balinese traffic then you'll be able to hire a scooter from any of the outlets dotted along the streets. Within 10 metres of walking out your villa you should have about 20 offers...and if you don't by some chance...then just ask one of the locals.
They'll know someone who knows someone's brother who's Uncles son can get you in touch with a mates dad who has one.
And they'll sort you out!
Photo: Local scooting the streets of Bali. Author unknown.
Laundry
Attention tired and overworked mums!!!!! This one is for you!!
Hate the arduous task of coming home from holidays, jetlagged, tired (and depressed your not back sipping coconut cocktails under the shade of a palm tree) and having to do 5 billion loads of washing with resentment (like , did you actually even wear your ugly polka dot shorts or just decide to put them in the washing to make me hate housework even more than I do?!)
Well, my fellow mums (and anyone that hates doing household chores just as much as I do) I have VERY good news for you!
Getting your laundry done in Bali is soooooooooo cheap!
On our first trip to Bali, we stayed for 2 weeks...one of my friends gave me a heads up "you MUST get all your laundry done just before you come back!" She recommended to use one of the outlets on the streets rather than through the hotel.
When we walked out the front of our resort we dropped it at the first sign "LAUNDRY" we saw...as we walked down the dark and scary alley, we reached a small hut with 2 ladies whizzing around busy folding and washing....it looked...dodgy. I had second thoughts, knowing that pretty much the entire contents of our suitcases were in the bags we were handing over to these ladies that could not speak a word of English besides "You're welcome" and after they'd already spotted us with loads of plastic bags hanging from our arms jammed pack with washing spilling out of them, we didn't really have a choice to turn around and say "Oh nah, it's ok...we're just going for a little walk" (yeh down a dead end alley) and after doing a little bit of a tug-of-war as they pried the washing out of our hands (knowing some of my favourite dresses were in there and I potentially will never see them again) we left with the promise our washing would be done in a few hours.
I have to be honest...I was expecting to go back to pick it up and the entire little laundry shack would be empty and they've just taken my money and ran. Thinking I may see my favourite dresses being paraded around the streets being worn by the locals...but instead...
I came back to all of our washing cleaner than I could ever wash them, smelling fragrant like the sweet smell of incense, ironed and flat packed into plastic bundles ready to throw into our suitcase with ease...my favourite dresses hung on coat hangers (that you keep) and as I paid my $7 YES!!! You heard right! $7 for about 6 kgs of washing, I felt like I owed them an apology for all of my pre conceived ideas and judgements!!
Instead we left $10 and some BIG thank you
and received our clothes with some huge smiley
"You're Welcome!!!"
Do- trust the street vendors with your washing
Do not- be a judgemental hero like I was
You can also get your laundry done through your hotel or villa...however prices may vary. On our last stay the luxury hotel we were staying in was charging per item and around $3-$5 depending on what the item is! Instead, we jumped into a taxi and asked the driver his recommendation and got our 6kgs done for about $7 again!
I would warn though...if you've got your $700 pure silk Camilla needing to be washed, maybe save that one to be washed back in Oz. But for the rest of your holiday basics...throw them in!
When you arrive home from your Bali holiday with no need to do anything but put clothes away and thinking how wonderful this is, remember this post...
"You're Welcome!"
Shopping
Husbands! No need to hide the credit cards or break out in a rash because your wife has declared she is dedicating a day to hit the shops and markets, because shopping is relatively inexpensive!
You know all those fancy homewares shops in Australia that boast the most amazing and perfectly positioned flay lays that you pin or save to your Instagram account to draw inspo from...well most of those delicacies are most likely from BALI!!!
If your vibe is costal chic, bohemian elegance or the Byron Bay "I haven't really tried hard, but I have" look...then you will be greeted with an absolute MECCA of shopping in Bali (flashback to when I said if you fly with Garuda you can bring 3 empty suitcases!!) If you head out to the markets you will have to barter...
As a rule of thumb: when bartering the vendor will most likely give you a price that is double the amount they are willing to sell it for.....we usually offer just under half of what the initial offer is and work up from there until we can come to an agreement. It's actually quite an effort to have to barter and on our last trip we did ZERO shopping (except for one little bag purchase for me) for the same reason...
You have to be willing to spend time negotiating a price and if you REALLY don't like the price (but REALLY want the product) then you have to get into the cat and mouse game of pretending to walk away (this is when they know you mean business and will do anything to win your sale) then you'll be dragged back again for another 10 minutes of negotiating, FINALLY come to an agreement on a price and then you can go!
God, I'm bloody exhausted just even thinking about it!
But if you're hell bent on coming home with some awesome homewares to deck out your pad, just so you can now have the privilege of when someone asks where you got your awesome shell cross wall hanging you can say "I got it in Bali" then try your hand at it! If you buy in bulk, you can work out a deal with the shop owner and they are usually very fair!
Last year we visited one of the streets kids clothing shops to buy crap loads for our kids, presents for friends and family. We ended up buying around 25 pieces of clothing and we negotiated a price of about $120. The more you buy, the cheaper it will be.
If you love the thought of scouring through the markets to find some unique bargains then the Double Six area is great (on the border of Legian and Seminyak) but the absolute haven for market shopping is in Ubud and WELL worth a day trip there just to roam!
If you can't be bothered bartering, then there are also numerous boutique style shops with set prices. Most of the shops in Legian and Seminyak are set prices, a lot of the same labels as in Australia.
Theyre pretty much on par with Australian prices, MAYBE a teensy weensy bit cheaper but not by much!
If it's your birthday or anniversary and you can convince your better half that it would be in his or her best interest to treat yourself to a little shopping spree...then head to Bungalow Living or Kim Soo .
Just don't mention my name please when he get's his credit card statement!
Photo: Kim Soo Seminyak via Tripadvisor
Bungalow Living Canggu via Bali-Indonesia
So there you have it! A pretty detailed budget plan of what to expect when you're in Bali. Rememeber, regardless of how fat your wallet is...you're going to have an amazing time! That's the beauty of Bali!
Happy budgeting xxx
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Exchanging money
A quick paragraph on exchanging your AUD to IDR (Indonesian Rupiah)
The best tip that I can give to you is to only exchange enough AUD in Australia needed for your first day. Around $300 AUD would be pretty sufficient. This is because here in Australia the exchange rate is absolutely horrible.
Before we left on our last trip to Bali we stupidly exchanged $1000 before we departed the country. At the time the rate was $1=89000 rupiah. We also got charged a commission fee of around 10% (close to $100) for the transaction.
The IDR is usually 1=10000 rupiah
(which too makes it quite easy to calculate when overseas)
So we got ripped a brand new one, and it wasn't even our birthday!
Thanks Australia.
When you arrive in Bali there will be numerous money exchange outlets.
DO: get your money exchanged at an outlet recommended by your hotel/villa or trustworthy driver that will be all too happy to take you.
The rate will be around 1:10000 or even higher and they will not take a commission.
Count your money and once counted place into your hand instead of replacing onto the counter. Take all the time in the world you need to ensure that you have all of your monies. There is no rush. At an authorized dealer they will also give you a receipt for the money that has been exchanged.
DO NOT: get your money (like we did on our first trip to Bali) from one of the local market stalls.
They will advertise a rate that is too good to be true.
And it is. And we learnt the hard way.
With the convenience of this little stall straight out the front of our resort and also needing some IDR fast as we were on our way to dinner, we decided to trust them...
Well...if your happy to get your money exchanged there with a big commission of being able to watch a magic disappearing act that even you won't believe...then go for your life.
They are WORLD class magicians in these dodgy joints and I reckon could rival Chris Angel. They will count, recount and triple count the IDR before your eyes and even you will count and recount it too...
The only downfall being...you are most definitely going to leave minus a few hundred, because, you know...
You didn't buy a ticket to their magic show!