How to do Bali on a Budget 

For years, the Indonesian Island of Bali has been a favourite destination for backpackers. It’s popularity though, led to more visitors. This in turn meant prices have steadily increased. A formerly cheap destination, the sky is now the limit when it comes to Bali, however you may be surprised to learn that you can still afford to holiday in this tropical island, without breaking the bank.

Flights to the Island

The first thing to do is to compare flights online. Skyscanner allows you to do this easily. Breaking up your flight to arrive and depart from different destinations can keep costs down.

Transport on Bali

One of the joys of travel is experiencing different cultures. You may well be used to a regular and excellent transport system. Bali’s public transport, however, is sporadic at best. For those of you who want to save money though, this is great news. If you haven’t a fixed schedule, avail of the incredibly cheap, local bus services. Bemos, Bali’s open-air minibuses, are another budget option.

There are slightly higher priced alternatives to local transport. One is car/motorbike hire and also local taxis, where you can keep the cost of taxi fares down by finding fellow travellers to share the journey. If you plan to hire a car or motorbike, you need to get organised before you depart. Vehicle hire in Bali requires an international driving licence. Hiring your own car or motorbike is relatively cheap however. Compared to using local transport, it allows you to be in control. You can arrive and depart at your leisure and fit in as much, or as little travelling as you want!

Boat journeys to the same destinations can vary greatly in price. Rather than picking the first available boat, do your research. Boat transport operators charge different prices for the same journey. Find out the price from a few operators, then choose the cheapest option.

Accommodation

The best way to ensure your costs stay down is to choose your accommodation wisely. You can go ultra cheap and stay in very basic rooms with no hot water. Or, have a little more luxury by staying in cheap accommodation. Renting and sharing a guesthouse here provides a degree of comfort but at a reasonable price.

Finding bargain accommodation usually means avoiding the usual tourist spots and venturing further afield. There is no need for the bare essentials alone. You can get luxury accommodation for a reasonable rent, you just need to know where to look! A general rule of thumb is, the more extras you want, the more you’ll pay. Air conditioning will add on extra costs; as will a pool or hot, running water.

Food and Drink

As with accommodation, food in Bali is overpriced in the tourist streets. It can be up to ten times as expensive than in less well-known eateries. To avoid this extra expense, simply walk a couple of streets down. There will still be plenty of on-street restaurants, but without the over-inflated prices.

Most alcohol in Bali has to be imported. It is also subjected to a lot of taxes. This combines to make the price of alcoholic drinks high. To save money, either cut down on the amount of alcohol you drink or become a teetotaller for the duration of your stay.

Sightseeing

Guided tours and lessons can add a lot of expense to your Bali trip. For sightseeing why not instead hire a car or motorbike and drive to the paddy fields, temples and beauty spots yourself? It’s not always possible to do everything solo. For example, lessons in diving, or tours that require a guide mean you’ve to spend extra. However, as with boat trips, operators offering lessons or guided tours do so at varying prices. Research, once again is your friend. Before booking any lessons or day trips, find out the prices and choose the cheapest.

Enjoy your Trip

Bali might seem like an exotic paradise far out of your financial reach. However, with a bit of advanced planning you can holiday there without breaking the bank. You can easily reduce the cost of flights, transport and accommodation by researching and comparing. When in Bali, simply avoid the other tourists for food and accommodation and you’ll make big savings. Once you follow these tips, the only thing left to do is to enjoy every moment of your holiday in Bali.

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