Bali Bible: Day One

Bali, Indonesia; an amazing island escape jam packed with beautiful sights, popular amongst party animals and cultural trekkers alike. I would definitely consider myself a member of the latter, and was recently lucky enough to spend a week exploring the different areas of Bali and relaxing & rejuvenating at some gorgeous villas. Follow my posts over the new few days to discover my tips & guide for Kerobokan, Canggu, Seminyak & Ubud!Flying from Brisbane, Queensland is an easy trip, which takes around 5 hours. All major airlines fly to Denpasar from Brisbane, and flights are generally rather inexpensive (unless you are wanting to travel at peak times). You are able to book flights as cheap as $300AUD return, especially if you are happy to travel in November. The airport is always busy, so ensure you book a transfer with your hotel/villa (basically all offer these) to simplify your arrival and avoid the free-for-all that cab rank.The first Villa I stayed at was The Widyas Luxury Bali Villa, located in Kerobokan, a location chosen for it's quiet nature and centrality. The Villa itself was gorgeous, and offered a range of services including room service, Wi-Fi & a private personal pool (many villas offer these amenities). For the first day, I would recommend ordering meals within the villa, as it will give you an idea of what sort of Indonesian foods you may be inclined to try whilst in Bali. My tips around travelling with your phone would be the following. If you have an older phone, bring that as opposed to a brand new phone - I actually did this and felt so much safer using my phone as a camera etc. as a result (not that I had any incidents at all!).  If you are with Vodafone, check out their travel plans for data. Failing this, if you have an unlocked phone, I would recommend bringing that and buying a SIM card from the airport. I packed extremely lightly for this trip, as I knew I wanted to buy a few articles of clothing on my trip. Here, I am wearing a pair of high-waisted white shorts & a linen button up shirt, from H&M and Uniqlo respectively. I also opted for this strapped, tie up satchel bag from Sportsgirl to maximise security & safety of my items. In the case of money and how much cash to bring, it's really down to personal preference. I budgeted $150AUD per day, and bought around half in cash with my to change at the airport on arrival. This was then stored in my personal room lockers. I used an ATM via a 'Circle K' (7/11 style shop) once and, although it was compatible with my Mastercard, I was hit with a $5 international withdrawal fee, and had to visit 2 separate Circle K's to find a working ATM. Also be wary that certain ATM's have maximum withdrawal amounts of $150AUD, meaning multiple fees for multiple withdrawals. Plan your cash wisely, as searching for ATM's & money exchange will get tiring, especially in more remote areas. It is my recommendation to spend the first day you arrive gaining your bearings of your surroundings. I took a walk in the surrounding area of Kerobokan and really got a feel for local life as a result. My tips include dressing modestly and casually when exploring these areas, to avoid extra unwanted attention from street vendors. Local areas are also the best areas for great streetside deals from food stalls known as 'Warungs' - awesome for the daring! If you do want to venture out on your first day, I recommend La Plancha in Seminyak/Legian. It is a central location with beachfront music, restaurants and bean bags - the perfect place to watch the sunset and relax. There is a wide variety of food (Western, Chinese, Italian etc.) in the immediate vicinity, the area is safe and buzzing, and you will avoid the party scene and traffic jams of nearby Kuta - perfection. If, like me, you don't normally drink, I would strongly recommend sticking to pre-bottled beverages (Bintang, the local beer, became a favourite of mine!). Alcohol free pour is far less regulated in Indonesia, and scams such as watered down clear spirits are far more rife - choices! If you are wanting to indulge in a cocktail or two, just stick to the more reputable chains (such as Hardrock). My first day was spent exactly as I recommended. I was able to enjoy my surroundings, and catch an inexpensive taxi (my recommended mode of one off transport in Bali) to La Plancha to enjoy this stunning sunset! Stayed tuned for tommorow's tips & travel pictures. xxx