Let’s start with getting to the airport. First of all you’ll need a Visa-On-Arrival when you enter the country. The visa can be purchased at the airport in Bali and will cost you US$10 for a stay of up to 7 days, US$25 for a stay of up to 30 days.

Balinese people are extremely kind and friendly. When I arrived to the airport they immediately offered help to carry my luggage and obviously because I was so tired and LAZY I was more than happy to accept it. After walking 5 meters to the cab I realized it already cost me $10…

Basically this is the first thing you will learn in Bali. Everything is extremely cheap but you’ll have to pay for EVERYTHING. A couple of dollars here, couple of dollars there and if you don’t have a high budget to spend I’m pretty sure you’ll end up having a big BIG headache:). But look! I’d be the same if I lived there so I totally understand. One thing is for sure No matter how poor these people are, they never stop smiling.

1 tip! If you hate bargaining never stop when someone wants to sell you something on the street. I was on a daytrip and stopped at a nice temple. There were some cute kids selling some really nice woodcarvings. They said ONE DOLLA, ONE DOLLA! I was like yeah, why not… ONE DOLLA IS NOTHIN. As soon as I had the money in my hand suddenly 10 other people were around me pushing me to buy their stuff as well. It was so scary that by the end I ended up spending $20 on 3 small woodcarvings and just when I got back to the hotel I realized all three of them were exactly the same. DUH! So I think it’s better if you go to the shops but then again don’t forget: you always have to bargain. ALWAYS!!!!!

Bali is also called The Island of Millions Shrines. There are approximately 50000 temples and more than one and a half million shrines filled with beautiful flowers and colourful cloth.

Bali is so small that you can drive around the island in a day. I hired a cab for 2 days but if you’re brave enough you could also jump on a scooter. Well, it’s all up to you… I think people are very crazy in Bali, they don’t follow any rules on the road… I’m telling ya it’s pretty dangerous driving there.

Kuta

Kuta equals partying, shopping, surfing… The beach is flat and sandy and stretches for over 3 km. This is a good place for first time surfers.

Pura Luhur Uluwatu

This place is probably the most beautiful examples of Balinese architecture. It is best to visit late in the afternoon to enjoy the sunset and the spectacular view. As in most of the Balinese temples there are lots of monkeys running around in the area that makes the place even more interesting.

Pura Titra Empul

This temple is a major tourist stop. It’s most famous of its rectangular bathing-pools. The spouts dispense of  holy water .

Taman Ayun

Drive to the home of the Royal Family. The most beautiful temple in Bali, Taman Ayun Royal Temple.

Sanur

Bali is most famous of its sunny skies and white sandy beaches. The interesting thing is no one really ever mentions that Bali is actually a volcanic island and its black sandy beaches are even more beautiful than the ones we got used to.

Alas Kedaton

Visit Alas Kedaton, the Holy Monkey Forest, feed the monkeys (be careful if you’re not quick enough they jump on you straight away) and close your trip at the Tanah Lot temple one of the most photographed temple in Bali. When you plan your trip make sure when you get to Tanah Lot it’s low tide otherwise you’ll not be able to walk close to it.

Elephant Cave

It is thought to date from the 11th century. The temple and other monuments are about 15m below road level.

Pura Pengastulan Bedulu

Another nice temple that it’s worth to visit.

Gunung Kawi

Nine monuments are carved in a natural rock wall. There is also a temple and a holy spring. A flight of stairs leads to the monument complex, it’s pretty long and is very tiring climbing back up to the top.

More pictures of Bali

Travel Alert: High level terrorism-related warnings have been issued by Western governments concerning travel in Bali. Check your local consular information and monitor the situation in Bali before making travel plans.

Pictures in this article are all copyrighted by the author Melinda Balazs.