How to Visit Bali on a Shoestring Budget?

Anjna Global October 5, 2019 Adventure Tour Packages, Attraction Tour Packages, DUBAI HOLIDAY, Food and Culture, Shopping and Fashion, Sightseeing City Tours, Top 10, Travel destinations, Travel Tips 1,782 Views

Bali has always been the backpacker’s paradise in the Southeast Asia. It is very common that holiday costs more than it is supposed to be in Bali. Unless you are set for luxurious digs on 5-star resorts with cliff-top views and a private pool, Bali group tour shouldn’t be that expensive. Here’s the rundown of the overall cost of everything and tips to save money. Keep in mind that US$1 is equals to over 14,000 rupiah and 1 INR is equals to around 200 rupiah currently.

Table of Contents

1.Transportation

Bali’s public transport system is not that tourist-friendly like other popular tourist destinations in Southeast Asia. There are local buses and bemos as their prices remain lower but the timings, routes, and connections are decided as per local needs, instead of tourists. So, you may want to book a Bali tour package for added convenience.

You may also hire a motorbike which costs around 40,000 IDR per day or a car which costs around 450,000 IDR per day. The prices may vary on type of car or bike you hire. To avoid trouble while riding, you should have an international driving license.

2. Accommodation

When you go outside the bustling tourist places, you can book a homestay for around 50,000 to 70,000 on per night basis (i.e. under US$10 or 350 INR). But you will get only basic facilities like a fan and perhaps, a bathroom with cold/hot running water. For air-conditioned stay with more comfortable larger air-conditioned rooms, be sure to pay around 100,000 rupiah.

In major areas like Kuta, Ubud, and Seminyak, be ready to pay almost double each of those cateogories. The guest houses also have a lot of options, such as swimming pool with serene views. They charge around 300,000 IDR for non-AC rooms and 600,000 IDR for AC rooms.

3. Bali Sightseeing Tour

When it comes to sightseeing, there are different places you can visit. If you are heading to Bukit, visit Padang Padang, Uluwatu and Bingin and Medewi or Balian in West Bali for surfing. Food and accommodation are cheaper and surf is even better for the pro surfers.

You can head to East Bali or Munduk towards the west for a perfect yoga retreat or visit Ubud for the perfect views of rice paddy and mountain panorama. If you love snorkeling and dive, head out to Amed, Candi Dasa or Pemuteran instead of Nusa Dua or Sanur.

Even after trying all the activities, you might be spending more than you expect on Lombok or Java. Be ready to spend enough so you can cut short your time. Bali is truly a great place where you can enjoy your weekends without putting much load on your wallet. To save more, be sure to book group tour package with Bali DMC.

4. Dining Out

In Indonesia, street cafes and local restaurants are known as warungs and they both offer cheap and good food. You can easily buy a noodle soup for just 5000 IDR, meat and rice dish cost up to 20,000 IDR and a multi-dish and heavy meal costs around 30,000 IDR. Even in tourist places, you have to pay around 5 to 10 times higher in touristy restaurants located 50m down the road.

For example, you can buy a noodle soup for 5000 IDR in a local warung in Seminyak. When you go in tourist warung, it costs 15000 and it goes whopping 30,000 in a tourist restaurant. Yes, it costs 6 times higher for the same meal. The dish on tourist restaurant is served with tomato on the side.

It is very easy to order Balinese or Indonesian food and you can also find it in display cases. Even though you don’t know the local language, simply point and pick your favorite dish and taste something new.

5. Beverages

Skip the booze if you are on a limited budget. Even a small Bintang would cost around 25,000 and a large one would go up to 40,000. Though they may still seem to be cheaper than a swift beer in your home nation, they are even more expensive than the overall cost of accommodation and food. It will charge more than double cost of a dinner if you go for a large Bintang.

Especially imported spirits and wine are very highly taxed. So, it is best to skip them if you are on a budget. A glass filled with imported wine would cost even more than a cocktail, which costs around 120,000. Don’t think of trying local wine and the local spirit as they highly vary in quality.

There are western style cafes which are very popular as they offer almost everything, i.e. from a latte to double shot, decaf, and vanilla soy milk with ice. Prices may highly vary. Even a local café in Seminyak offers a standard latte for around 25000. You may go for a local coffee (Bali Kopi) which comes at a fraction of cost with acquired taste in a nearby warung, which costs around 5000. But don’t drink more coffees in a day.

6. Activities in Bali

You can enjoy a lot of activities in Bali. Whitewater rafting, rock climbing, bungy jumping, surfing, biking, bird watching, diving, snorkeling, and visiting ancient temples and cultural villages are some of them. All such activities are costly as compared to daily cost of traveling. If you are on a limited budget, find cheaper options. If you join a school to learn surfing, it would cost you around $100 for up to 3 hours of tuition. It is better to approach a life saver and they will teach you a good lesson for 100,000 rupiah for few hours.

For rice-field bike tours, you can easily hire a bicycle through the homestay or guesthouse you are staying in. It can save you around $40 on the go. Some activities like diving, rafting, or climbing are set in their fees as they need proper equipments and guides. You can find operators who charge varied prices for a trip. A day of rafting on the same river in same boat type can cost you around $100 for a trip. So, you may want to consult with a destination management company for the right itinerary.