V SURESH NAIR
When my wife told me to include Bali to our recent March-April Singapore itinerary, I recollected that I had wanted to travel to Bali since long. Long back when I had once tied up everything for a trip to Bali, I changed the destination to China at the last moment at the insistence of my Chinese colleague at the UN in Cambodia, where I was a military observer with the UN Peace Keeping Force. I jumped at the opportunity being offered by the Chinese Colonel, as it was almost impossible to get permission and visa to China from India, being a serving Indian army officer. I did not regret the change of destination then at all; it was one of the most memorable overseas trips that I had undertaken. China in 1992 was nowhere what it is now. There were only a few cars on the roads in Beijing and cycles were the most preferred form of transportation. If one goes to Beijing now, it will be unbelievable to those who had seen it in 1992.
Getting back to Bali, this turned out to be another memorable holiday. Hailing from Kerala, also a coastal state and a great tourist destination, frankly I did not expect Bali to be such a nice place to visit. I give full credit to the people of Bali for making it such a wonderful tourist destination. Balinese people are the best part of Bali, quiet, unassuming, polite and not spoiled by the extensive tourism which is the backbone of their sustenance. They have excellent community living, most Balinese are Hindus but there are many Muslims and Christians too living in complete harmony much like in Kerala. Due credit also should be given to the Indonesian government, a Muslim majority country, for promoting this harmony without interfering unnecessarily.
Bali, the beautiful Island
Bali is a small tropical island stretching 140 km east to west and 80 km north to south in the Indonesian archipelago between Jawa and Lombok. Located eight degree south of Equator, Bali has a tropical climate with just two seasons (wet and dry) and an average day temperature of 28 degrees Celsius. The wide and gently sloping southern regions play host to Bali’s famed rice terraces. In the hilly northern coastal regions, the main produce is coffee, copra, spices, vegetables, cattle and rice. The flora and fauna is typical of tropics, lush green due to abundant rains. Though tourism is the main sustenance of the islanders, yet amazingly it is not commercialized like, say, Thailand. Many people are still poor; not abject poverty but still not prosperous either.
Getting there
Bali can be reached easily either from Singapore or Kulalampur (Malaysia). For travellers from Orissa, Silk Air (subsidiary of Singapore Airlines) which flies from Vishakhapatnam could be convenient. I took this airline to Singapore (Rs 46,000 return fare for two); there are any number of airlines including low cost ones flying from Singapore to Bali. Denpasar is the capital where Ngurah Rai, Bali’s International airport Is situated. As we spent a few days at Singapore, we flew Tiger Air, which seemed to be the cheapest option from Singapore (`23,000 return fare for two, which includes airport tax at Bali of `200 IDR per ticket). Silk Air also connects Bali from Singapore. Fares are high. Much cheaper options are available by low cost airlines from India. Air Asia is commencing flights thrice a week to Kualalampur from Vishakhapatnam from mid May. One can get a through ticket to Bali on this at remarkably low rates, if one books well in advance. One can also take similar options on Tiger Air or Air Asia from Hyderabad. Air Asia also flies from Kolkatta. You can visit their websites and see the best option and rates.
Visa Requirements
If you are flying through Singapore, you will need to get a multiple entry Visa for Singapore, which can easily be obtained on line within 48 hours through authorised travel agents. If you are travelling in the same airline visa is not required as you will be in transit. A multiple entry visa costs 30 SGD (approximately `1,400), the travel agent charges `2,500 at worst. Similarly, for transit through Kualalampur, visa is not required if the ticket is through.
Bali offers Visa on arrival. The immigration card doubles up as the visa application; visa charges are stiff at $35 per person for one month stay. Earlier, they had a seven-day visa scheme for $15 which has since been scrapped. A passport valid for six months and return air ticket are only required. The whole process takes less than 10 minutes. When you exit Bali, please keep 200,000 IDR (Rs 1,000) per person ready as airport tax, if it is not included in your air ticket.
Stay
There are any number of hotels, resorts and villas situated all over the island depending upon your budget and requirements. Kuta in the south just 5-10 minutes drive from the airport is the preferred destination for many tourists, looking to stay in a bustling location with shopping, eateries etc. yet with beaches nearby. Ubud in Central Bali is hilly, cooler with plenty of vegetation. But there no beaches. Up north in Singaraja it is quieter with plenty of serene beaches, but almost three hours’ drive from the airport and more isolated. Then there is Canggu to the north-west of Kuta and not very far either. If you want to stay near the sea, Nusa Dua and Sanur are good choices in the south and south-east. Options are plenty, one can surf the various web portals to get your choice. It is good to read the reviews of the hotel on the ‘Trip Advisor’ where hotels are reviewed by other hotels. Febris Hotel and Spa in Kuta is an excellent option we chose. At the Agoda portal we got it for `4,100 per day for a couple with breakfast, which I can recommend. The hotel is centrally located in the heart of Kuta close to the airport and with all the amenities required for a comfortable stay.
People
Balinese have strong spiritual roots and despite the large tourism influx over the years their culture is still very much intact. The main religion is Agarma Hindu Dharma, which though originally from India, is different from the Hinduism as in India today. It is comprised of a unique blend of Hindu, Buddhist, Javanese and ancient indigenous beliefs. They worship the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, who are considered as manifestations of the Supreme God Sanghyang Widhi. They also worship Ganesha. In their temples, the Gods are uniquely Balinese. Many Balinese can recite the Gayatri Mantra! It was in the 11th century that Bali, an erstwhile Buddhist country, received the first strong Hindu influx from Java. We can see the influence of Hindu classics like the Mahabharata and the Ramayana in the forms of monuments across Bali. They speak Bhasa Indonesia but courtesy tourism, most are familiar with English. Balinese Hindus eat beef and pork. Many Balinese names are strikingly Hindu. Parvati, Govardhan, Veda, Nyeti, etc. are common names. They have Mongoloid features; the girls are pretty, always donning a fresh flower on their ear. It is said that many Singaporeans marry Bali girls. We felt fully at home in Bali, each and every one we encountered endeared us.
Currency
Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) is the official currency. One Indian Rupee is approximately 200 IDR and one US dollar is approximately 12,900 IDR. IDR currency notes come in the form of 100,000, 50,000, 10,000, etc. For a rough conversion which we Indians are fond of, multiply the first part of the IDR denomination by 5. Thus 100,000 IDR would be `500 roughly. There are many money changers; always check the rate of exchange and, more importantly, count your money before you leave, using your own calculator if needed. US and Australian dollars are the most used foreign exchange, though all currencies are exchanged. No passport is required nor is there any form to be filled.
Moving around
Organised tours are available. One can take a taxi (tourist) to visit various destinations in Bali. Rates are very reasonable; one could strike a bargain with the taxi driver cum guide. As a rough guide, one can get an Innova type vehicle for about eight hours and 80 km for 400,000 IDR or less. Strike the bargain before you take the tour. Buses are also available but the heat and humidity of Bali requires air-conditioned comfortable travel.
Tourist Destinations
Being an island with serene seas and beaches, adventure water sports is the largest draw. Many such sports are offered varying from para sailing, flying boat, diving, snorkelling, underwater sea walk, speed boating, sea scooters, wind surfing, sailing, etc. Nusa Dua in south and almost all other beaches offer most of these activities, costs are generally in USD, though local currency is accepted. Before going in for an adventure sport, it would be worthwhile to check if the company takes care of insurance. You could also do island tours and short cruises from Sanur in the south-east. For the less adventurous, don’t miss the Turtle island tour which includes a 45 minutes glass bottomed boat ride in the sea to the island where turtles and other animals are reared.
There are many outdoor activities on offer like the elephant safari, bird park, tree top adventure park, quad biking, zoo park, etc. One can choose the preferred destinations beforehand depending upon one’s taste and interest. A trip to Ubud in central Bali region is worthwhile, where one can visit the monkey forests, palaces and see finest Bali art and paintings. En route the taxi will stop by at Sari Dewi Batik where one can see and shop Balinese clothes. Though there is a myriad sarongs and other clothes available across Bali, only few are indigenous, most of them coming from Java. Tourists are also taken to a jewellery emporium, Sari Dewi Gold and Silver Collection. Silver is sterling pure (99 per cent) and Balinese work is intricate. Silver comes from Sumatra.
For those interested in Golf, there are many courses available. I played at the New Kuta Golf Course, a wonderful links course (meaning adjacent to the sea) with excellent fairways and greens. One of the cheapest deals is sunset golf (Tee off at 3 PM) at New Kuta, which is $88 including pick up and drop back at the hotel, green, cart and caddie fees. Some of the landscapes are picture card type.
Luwak coffee (Kopi Luwak as per Indonesian pronunciation) is world famous, very expensive you may not drink if you know how it is made. It is from excreta of an animal, reared for this purpose. It refers to the seeds of coffee berries once they have been eaten and defecated by the Asian palm civet. Civet is a small, lithe-bodied, mostly nocturnal mammal native to tropical Asia and Africa, especially the tropical forests. Normal Bali coffee is also very aromatic and tasty. One must not forget to buy some when you leave Bali. Fresh sea food is best available at Jimbaran situated at the neck of the southern peninsula. Balinese massage is world famous, do not miss to get one in an authentic spa. Febris has an excellent Spa. One and a hour Balinese massage costs 220,000 IDR (Rs 1,100), a steal compared to the ones available in hotels in India.
Markets are filled with cheap Chinese goods; malls, etc. are not common, some new ones have cropped up. Most tourists are from Australia and many of them have bought or constructed villas in Bali. Tourists are also from Europe, Canada, Singapore and India.
Monsoons end in March and tourism is sustained throughout the year. Good time to visit is in the dry season when it is cooler and dry from April to November. August is the busiest tourist season when it is coolest.
So, next time you want a holiday in an exotic island, choose Bali … you will not regret it.