Bali: A Waste of Money and Energy – A 6-Day, 5-Night Independent Trip

📍 Bali · 👁 5569 reads

After three years of the pandemic, it's been a long time since I wrote a travelogue. Suddenly I realize I've forgotten many skills T_T... If I don't go out and travel, I'll be left behind by the times...

This trip was completely unexpected. Originally, I planned to go to Thailand or Vietnam, but then I had a love-hate relationship with Trip.com, and for no apparent reason, I switched to a direct flight during the Spring Festival holiday. Seeing the 5,000 yuan per person airfare, I felt my heart bleeding. Before the pandemic, when had I ever bought such expensive tickets? Spring Festival trips were always made with mileage tickets swapped in advance. It's really a disgrace to the name of frequent travelers... The miles in my account are not far from becoming worthless...

Alright, let's get to the point:

Shanghai — Kuta — Ubud — Jimbaran — Shanghai

1. Visa. Visa on arrival, remember to reserve 500,000 pesos per person.

2. Airfare. The 6-hour direct flight is actually a bit long. Choosing a connecting flight might be more suitable (and the key point is that connecting flights are cheaper).

3. Hotel. I suggest 2 nights in Ubud and 2 nights by the seaside. Actually, there are many good hotels in the north, where you can get a pool villa for 1,000. Unfortunately, my itinerary didn't allow it. Influenced by the frequent traveler program, I chose Holiday Inn Express Baruna, Adiwana Monkey Forest (originally I wanted to go to Nusar Holiday), and InterContinental Bali (yes, the favorite of crypto big shots).

4. Currency exchange. Exchanged at Bank of China, the rate was average. I suggest exchanging in advance; the local rate is very poor. Alternatively, you can withdraw from UnionPay machines. I chose to pay for a lot of Taobao tours, and local expenses were mainly for food and daily needs. In 6 days and 5 nights, a family of two adults and one child didn't even spend 3,000 yuan, and finally, all the remaining cash was used to pay the hotel bill.

5. Credit card. It is said that the credit card environment in Bali is very bad. I usually use cash for transactions (later I found it seemed okay). After all, there are no Alipay or WeChat Pay, so I suggest using Visa.

6. Medicine. Stomach medicine and motion sickness medicine are must-brings. It is said that local food is not particularly clean, especially roadside fruits, so do not try them. Except for package meals, I basically ate at the hotel and had no adverse reactions.

7. Adapter. Different from mainland China, it's a two-pin plug. Suggest preparing in advance.

8. WiFi. This time I used a combination of WiFi and a phone SIM card. In practice, WiFi on the island was better than mobile data.

9. Beautiful clothes. Actually, you can buy them locally, depending on your preference.

10. Private car charter. The distances between attractions in Bali are long, and transportation is inconvenient, so I suggest chartering a car.

11. Insurance. Bali's traffic conditions are very poor, people's safety awareness is average, motorcycles are rampant, and accidents happen frequently. Be sure to buy insurance.

The Juneyao direct flight had okay timing: 15:00-21:20. It was even a Genshin Impact co-branded flight. Unfortunately, the preceding flight was delayed, so we didn't take off until 4:30 PM. We arrived in Bali at 10:20 PM, and the visa-on-arrival line was long, taking another hour to clear customs. Traveling with a child is truly painful...

The visa on arrival is very simple. First, queue to pay (you can use various currencies, including RMB, but using Indonesian rupiah directly is the best deal), then queue to pass through customs. If the child is under 5 years old, there is a fast lane without queuing. I didn't expect Indonesia to have a humanized side. Apart from the average efficiency, it does have some international airport responsibility.

You also need to declare information when leaving customs. I suggest doing it in advance and saving the QR code in your phone; otherwise, you'll have to print it, which takes time. Below is the airport QR code (image width is not enough... no fate).

Here I want to praise myself. On the first day, arriving at a strange place, I cleverly used 10,000 points to book a hotel with airport pickup (finally, being a hotel frequent traveler paid off). Although it was already more than an hour past the planned arrival time, the hotel pickup person was very dedicated, waiting early at the airport exit. After verifying the information, we didn't need to carpool; we left directly. In just over 10 minutes, we arrived at the hotel and were in bed before midnight.

There are many hotels in Kuta that offer airport pickup/drop-off. I suggest first-time travelers choose such hotels for a transition, as they are both convenient and safe. You can also use Grab to call a car; a certain mini-program has launched a Chinese version that allows direct payment in RMB, but it's said to have pitfalls, so I didn't try it.

Below are photos of the Holiday Inn Express Baruna. Breakfast was quite good, far above the domestic standard. There was also an infinity pool on the rooftop, but unfortunately, I didn't try it.

Today's private car day tour: Hotel (Holiday Inn Express Baruna) — Ayung River Rafting — Tegallalang Rice Terraces — Hotel (Adiwana Monkey Forest)

Bali's rafting is divided into Ayung River and T River. If you like excitement, choose T River. I brought my child, so I chose the relatively gentle Ayung. Although gentle, it's definitely more exciting than domestic ones.

Thanks to Bali's 'excellent' infrastructure, it takes about 1.5 hours from Kuta to Ayung, and about 3 hours to T River, even under relatively smooth traffic conditions. Ayung rafting usually lasts 2 hours. Adding lunch and preparation, you need to allow at least 3 hours. Also, note that there are multiple rafting operators on the same river, but their starting points and service capabilities differ. Compare carefully, especially to match your itinerary. The spot I booked on Trip.com was not on the Ubud side of Ayung River, so the whole day's trip cost an extra 30-60 minutes of driving. If you don't want to hassle, you can also book through your driver (he gets a commission), which makes the whole trip smoother and saves you worry.

After rafting, you can shower. After lunch, it was already past 1 PM. I hurried to Tegallalang Rice Terraces. The whole drive took about 2.5 hours, arriving at almost 4 PM.

Bali actually has many rice terraces. Our spot was in a village, about 30 minutes from Ubud city center. It is said that some terrace clubs have better views, with internet-famous infinity pools. They are mainly distributed around Ubud or in northern Bali. If interested, you can look them up.

This time I chose Tegallalang Rice Terraces. The scenery was quite nice, with internet-famous swings, bird's nests, cliffside afternoon tea, and all the Instagram elements. You can also rent large skirts. Ticket prices can be referred to on Trip.com, but need to be booked a day in advance. I was lazy and paid at the front desk (as a compensation to the driver, since I didn't go to any of his recommendations). I remember the entrance fee was 50,000 pesos, and the swing for two was 400,000 pesos.

My wife is very timid, didn't dare try the swing, and even didn't dare go up to the bird's nest. She is just like our cowardly little son. Too bad she missed the chance to dominate her WeChat Moments, to soar in the air. The view at the edge of the sky is truly something only those who try it know.

The afternoon tea here was really average. I was scared by the lunch buffet, so I ordered something that looked decent to calm my nerves, but it was disappointing. Local food is really not good (Western food is better). Just buy a drink and take photos; you can have dinner later in Ubud.

Leaving the terraces late, I didn't go to the coffee factory the driver recommended. The originally planned Monkey Forest and Ubud Palace were also skipped. A 30-minute drive brought us directly back to the hotel in Ubud. Asking about Ubud's famous Dirty Duck, the driver recommended a waterside restaurant, but online reviews were average, so I decisively gave up and went to the original Dirty Duck restaurant I found myself.

The Dirty Duck main restaurant is very close to the hotel, about 15 minutes on foot. On the way, you pass the Monkey Forest, inevitably encountering monkeys. The monkeys here are quite wild, not afraid of people. My two timid kids took a detour when they saw them.

The Dirty Duck main restaurant is where the dirty duck dish originated. It is said that because ducks in the rice terraces get dirty from the muddy water, they are called 'dirty ducks'. The original preparation was good, but now the son has inherited the business and hasn't maintained the tradition, making it progressively worse. The flavor is strong and the meat is dry, better to just get a crispy duck. However, the dining environment is nice, with rice paddy views. In the spring low season, half the customers around were Chinese, which provided a platform for exchanging experiences.

Today's private car day tour: Hotel — ATV — Guide's home (you read that right) — Safari Park — Ubud Palace — Hotel

I originally planned to wander around Ubud on my own, since the hotel was in the center of Ubud, to have coffee, visit art galleries, and enjoy afternoon tea. But my wife is not interested in art, so we had to choose the thrilling ATV.

By the way, the breakfast at this hotel was quite good. The three of us tried about six kinds. The minibar was free and restocked daily, and it also came with a 15-minute massage.

This charter was impressive: a guide with 12 years of experience, with his own driver and car, following us all the way (how much money does this charter make?). He kept introducing attractions, gave us free snacks, sang songs, and occasionally recommended spots. Old ginger is spicier; in the end, I fell into a trap, which is a story for later.

Like rafting, there are many ATV operators in Ubud. This time I chose Kuber ATV from Taobao. It might be the best service point I saw in Bali. The service point environment was very nice (looked like a legitimate business). There was free welcome drinks upon entry, and unlimited self-service. But it was quite crowded, so we waited a while before starting.

ATV is quite dangerous. My wife, with her delicate constitution, didn't want to go, but since we paid and couldn't get a refund, she summoned up her courage and got on the 'thief car'. After the car repeatedly ran off the track, the instructor finally felt pressured and took the driver's seat. My wife could finally take photos in peace.

According to the guide, this ATV was just average, only the hardware was decent. But for me, it was enough: rice fields, streams, caves, mud pits—all the elements were present. The entire activity lasted 1.5 hours, with little exposure to the sun, so it wasn't too hot. I felt it was just right, especially the lunch sandwich. Although the taste was average, among all the included meal packages, it was really quite good, making me feel that Bali can be clean and hygienic.

This guide is a local Chinese Indonesian. Her husband is a native Indonesian. She is his second wife (the local sect allows up to three wives). Their home is over 2,000 square meters (are guides so wealthy?). Legend has it that they are native Indonesian tycoons. Even Indonesian ministers have visited their home. We experienced local customs: locals have a family temple to worship their ancestors, and they need to arrange their own future positions in advance, with separate rooms and many rules. There are also places for big meetings and small meetings. Imagine how many people one can support with three wives. Since Indonesia's population under 17 is 50%, housing prices will surely skyrocket in the future.

Today's third stop was the Safari Park. There are two zoos in Indonesia; don't go to the wrong one. Since I bought tickets online, the guide couldn't enter with me (I didn't expect the charter to include a guide+translator). I had to go alone. The main attractions were animal shows and a safari tram. You can also choose services like feeding and elephant riding. There's a restaurant where you can watch animals while eating. Because we went to the guide's home, we missed the first show, unfortunately. But the kid had a good time. The tram was clean, and importantly, it had air conditioning, so watching animals wasn't hot. On a scorching day, the safari experience was quite good.

Because of the heat, we finished the zoo early. The guide recommended Kopi Luwak coffee. We thought it was a coffee shop and happily went along. When we arrived, it turned out to be a coffee gift shop... After tasting more than ten cups of coffee and tea, I reluctantly bought two packs of coffee powder...

We arrived back at Ubud Palace after 6 PM, missing the folk performance. We saw a long-lost Mixue ice cream and tea shop, packed with people. I couldn't resist taking a photo and then went to the Ubud Market.

Ubud Market is similar to Qipu Road in Shanghai. I don't know why so many people online recommend it. If it weren't close to my hotel and across from Ubud Palace, I would have been furious!

Finally, it was happy hour. With the lessons from yesterday and advice from fellow Chinese, I chose Western food for dinner today. It was absolutely the right decision. I recommend a pork rib restaurant: Ginta Grill and Inn. See the picture below? A whole slab of ribs for less than 90 yuan, and cocktails buy-one-get-one-free. Great taste and value, worth a try.

Summary of today: because we went to the guide's home, we missed the animal show; because we went to the guide's recommended coffee shop, we missed the palace performance; to save 200 yuan, I booked the Nusa Penida trip through the guide, which later turned out bad. So, stay away from the guide! Stay away from the guide! Stay away from the guide! Important things said three times.

Today's private car day tour: Hotel (Ubud) — Tanah Lot — Uluwatu — Hotel (Jimbaran)

Ubud is a severely congested city. Following the guide's advice, we left the hotel at 8:30 AM, which proved wise. We arrived at Tanah Lot in 1.5 hours. The morning wasn't too hot, so we could stroll around. The view at Tanah Lot was great. Westerners were surfing in the sea, though I don't know how they got there.

We had a drink halfway up the hill. Nice view, and the coconut tasted better than those at the entrance, though 50,000 pesos more expensive.

For lunch, we originally planned to eat at Garuda Wisnu Kencana, but my wife suddenly wanted pizza. We found a place in Canggu: Pizza Fabbrica Canggu. The taste was indeed good, industrial style, full of Westerners. But there was no air conditioning—many places here don't have it. I really don't know why; it's so hot!

On the way, we made a quick stop at Canggu Beach. Its positioning seems higher than Jimbaran and Seminyak. I didn't see a single Chinese person, but the beach itself was average.

After another 2.5 hours, we arrived at Uluwatu. Uluwatu is combined with a temple. To enter the temple, you need to wear pants that cover the knees and tie a sash. So hot!

At Uluwatu, I didn't see any lovers jumping off the cliff, but I saw a lot of monkeys. The monkeys here seem trained to snatch tourists' belongings: hats, glasses, phones. If you're not careful, they might grab them. Be extra cautious.

I walked a path of the brave, paid homage to the monkeys' ancestors, offered a bottle of nearly finished holy water, and then, because it was so hot, under the guide's surprise, we completed exploring the monkey park—sorry, I mean Uluwatu—in 15 minutes.

30 minutes later, we arrived at the famous crypto big shot hotel—InterContinental Bali. The old brand hotel is actually okay. It wasn't affected by the incident. The hotel has Chinese-speaking customer service, but they are busy; I never saw one. There are two lounges, with happy hour where you can order food, but children are not allowed in... I was disappointed; the benefits I had were useless. I had to spend a fortune dining at multiple hotel restaurants. Personal rating: Italian restaurant > Garden restaurant > Sunset bar. If you don't want to eat at the hotel, there is a row of seafood barbecue stalls on the hotel beach.

Today was the only day I booked through the local guide's itinerary. The experience was poor: first, the facilities at various points were bad; second, we had to carpool on the road, not as comfortable as previous days; third, the service level in Bali is too low. We were picked up by different people each time, feeling like we were sold multiple times. The root cause is that Bali's entire tourism industry chain is not well-developed. If Chinese people could run it, they would definitely beat local tourism companies.

Because the distance was long, we had to leave at 7 AM, and it was the kind that doesn't wait. So miserable. I took a quick look at the InterContinental breakfast, wolfed down a few bites, grabbed a few breads for my younger son who was still in bed, and set off.

The road was smooth, not too congested. We arrived at the meeting point around 8:15. Many people were there, sitting in a dirty, messy waiting area. After waiting for an hour, I realized they brought us here so early to make us buy breakfast...

Maybe because of the G20, the pier was very clean. Our boat was relatively large. The boat ride took about 1 hour. If you sit on the top deck, you need to buy beer. I thought the cabin was fine, not too sunny.

At the pier, a chaotic crowd moved forward. Suddenly someone asked my name—it was my assigned guide. Hard to know how he recognized me...

Arriving at the snorkeling spot, it wasn't great either. The shower facilities were poor: one pipe with five showerheads, water flow intermittent. There were very few changing rooms. It felt like a slum, far worse than Malaysia or the Philippines.

We were sold onto an English-speaking boat with about 20 people and four snorkeling spots. No one taught us; at the spot, they told us to go down. It was chaotic. At first, nobody knew what to do. There was a crowd clinging to the boat. The instructor only went into the water to take photos, not really caring about us. A bit disappointing.

After snorkeling, we went for lunch. We were grouped with three British people. After about 30 minutes of bumpy ride, lunch was a nightmare: a buffet of fried noodles, chicken nuggets, cabbage, and skewers. I saw flies everywhere. Later I learned that you could swap the buffet for fried rice. As expected, my wife was clever; fried rice saved the three starving people.

The originally planned three stops on the west line were compressed into two. The return trip was late; we boarded at 5:40 PM. Thinking back, it was because none of us listened to the guide's arrangements; we liked to wander on our own. The guide had to search for us at the attractions for a long time, both the British and us. Indeed, no fate, we couldn't stay together, haha...

Happy hour in the evening was at the Garden Restaurant. My wife specially ordered seafood. To be honest, although locals don't make seafood well, the hairy crab with rice cakes was passable. The coconut was opened for us; the pulp was very fresh, moist, and completely different from domestic ones.

On the last day, we decided to lie flat at the hotel, sleeping in. We checked out the InterContinental lounge breakfast. It felt similar to the restaurant, but with a lot of à la carte items. No wonder it's the crypto big shots' favorite.

After breakfast, we took a thorough tour of the hotel: pool, game room, clinic, and the 'resting place' of the crypto big shot. I think I forgot to go to the gym. Never mind, the special forces itinerary didn't require extra energy.

Messing around until 2 PM, I planned to try the InterContinental afternoon tea, but found the lounge had nothing... Great disappointment. Had to use room service; food could be ordered to the game room. But again, I spent extra money.

Ambassador benefits allowed late checkout until 4 PM. I originally wanted to go to a cliffside restaurant for dinner, but it was still too hot. I tried my luck at the lounge, and surprisingly, I got in. Spent another 2 great hours. The kid played games and even did his homework (poor thing).

The final dinner was at the famous Sun Set restaurant. The view was just okay, far from the promotional photos, even far worse than the sunset I saw in Malaysia years ago. Maybe it wasn't the right time. After eating, we took a Grab to the airport, which was convenient.

The return Juneyao flight was delayed again. Looking at recent records, all flights were delayed. Shanghai's premium airline is disappointing. The former time advantage is gone. The delay was precisely 1 hour 50 minutes, so we didn't get the three-person delay insurance. So miserable.

I really can't understand why Bali is so famous. The local infrastructure is terrible: congested roads, motorcycles speeding, attractions far apart, riding in the car is nerve-wracking (wheels inches from the cliff). The tourism industry is incomplete, fragmented, and service facilities are poor. Except for the hotels, it doesn't match a major tourist destination at all. The only advantage is the natural scenery. If you like islands, go to other Southeast Asian countries. Spending money and having a bad experience is the biggest takeaway. Low value for money. Relatively speaking, staying in hotels or heading east to see volcanoes and chase dolphins are better options.

Travelogue directory

1. Overview

2. DA1 Shanghai — Bali, Check-in: Holiday Inn Express Baruna

3. DAY2 Kuta — Ubud, Check-in: Adiwana Monkey Forest

4. DAY3 Around Ubud, Check-in: Adiwana Monkey Forest

5. DAY4 Ubud — Canggu — Jimbaran, Check-in: InterContinental Bali

6. DAY5 Jimbaran — Nusa Penida — Jimbaran, Check-in: InterContinental Bali

7. DAY6 Bali — Shanghai

8. Final thoughts

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