South Bali, Indonesia Travel Guide
About Getting Around Attractions Hotels Eats & Nightlife Essentials & Practicals
Practicals in South Bali
Bali Layout
LAYOUT
Bali, one of Indonesia’s 33 main provinces, is just one of a staggering number of islands in the Indonesian archipelago (estimates are between 13,600 to 17,508 islands). Bali may look simple but there are several districts, towns and villages make up Bali. Three regional districts make up the central and southern part of the Bali island: Badung, Denpasar and Gianyar (the other major regions surrounding these three are Buleleng at the north, Jembrana to the west, Tabanan, which is adjacent to Jembrana, Karangasem at the very east and Bangli, which is inland and adjacent to Karangasem).
Tourists flock to the southern peninsula, the Denpasar district, which includes Kuta (I lump Legian, Kuta and Seminyak together), the most popular area in Bali, Tuban, where the airport is located, Sanur, Nusa Dua and Jimbaran. The second most visited area is Ubud (see Ubud section) in the Gianyar district, which is located in central Bali in the Gianyar district. Directly north at the top of Bali is Lovina, a beach community with a smaller crowd.
DENSPASAR
Bali’s West Coast: Kuta, Legian, Seminyak
Beaches. Babes. Bars. That’s as accurate as you can get. Kuta, Legian and Seminyak (and Jimbaran) dominate the scene with their restaurants, bars and blazin nightlife. Seminyak is a bit more upscale and has better beaches than the overcrowded party zones of Kuta and Legian. Seminyak is still a party town. Jimbaran has nice oceanic scenery and great seafood restaurants.
Bali’s East Coast: Sanur, Nusa Dua
On the east coast of Bali’s peninsula are Sanur and Nusa Dua. Better, cleaner beaches are found here and your expats, families and older folks stay here for the quieter life. It’s a quiet place, especially at night time. Nusa Dua is a well-manicured resort town.
Main Streets
Jalan means street and is often abbreviated to JL. Raya is highway. On the west coast of Bali’s peninsula, Jalan Raya Seminyak is the main north-south highway through Seminyak. It turns into Jalan Legian and then Jalan Kuta. Popular streets that branch off are Poppies Lane 1 and 2 in Legian and Kuta.
Jalan Ngurah Rai Bypass runs from the airport in Tuban along the entire stretch of Sanur. Jalan Danau Tamblingan is the main north and south street through Sanur It’ll hit Jalan Kusuma Sari and Jalan Cemara. Off these streets, you’ll find your major hotels, restaurants, bars and local shops.
VISAS
VOA (Visa on Arrival): if you’re from the United States, Canada, Europe (parts), you can get a visa on arrival at the Ngurah Rai Airport.
Cost: $25 for US
GETTING THERE
The following airlines, both international and domestic, fly into Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) aka Denpasar International Airport, Bali’s airport:
Domestic
A couple of the major regional/local (domestic) Indonesian airlines are Garuda Indonesia, which is Indonesia’s national carrier, and Lion Air, which covers a couple dozen routes in Indonesia as well as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Peneng, Malaysia.
International
Major International airlines include Air Asia, which I flew from Kuala Lumpur, Cathay Pacific, Eva Air, Qantas Airways, Japan Airlines, Korean Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines.
Country Code: 62, area code: 0361
Departure Fee: Rp150,000 = $15
Time Zone: GMT +8
Electricity: 220V 50 Hz.
Sim Cards
It’s important to note that sim cards are not sold at convenience stores. SIM Cards in Bali can only be bought at mobile stores that have the “SIM Cards” as well as photo shops. Sim cards in Indonesia have to be registered and you need an ID number for that. The clerks at the stores have to put sim cards into their own phones and register them. This is the process that I had to go through in Kuta as well as in Ubud.
Times to Go
High Season: Summer and December – January
Low Season: February – April is the hot season
Language: Balinese is the main language in Bali. English, however, is extremely common because of Bali’s tourism industry.
- Jalan – Street
- Raya – Highway
- Puri – Palace
- Selamat siang – Good day
- Selamat tinggal – Good bye
- Terima kasih – Thank you
- Tidak terimah kasih – No thank you
- Berapa harganya? – How much does it cost?