Backpacking in Bali

To get into the backpacking mentality, you have to think longterm. Backpackers are often on a year long, around the world trip. All over the world, guesthouses and youth hostels are the places backpackers aim for, simplicity and cost being the key. Even as I get older, I still feel most comfortable checking into a cheap guest house in Bali, as its low stress, and I feel as though I have the time to take it easy, explore, and do whatever without the meter running to fast.

•Arriving in Bali and getting downtown:
Arriving at the airport in Bali, you can find guest houses within 2 miles, located mostly in the Poppies Lane area of Kuta.

Getting there should cost around 30,000rp using an airport taxi. You could try waiting for a bemo, or independent taxi, to pass outside the airport, and save some money, but for the hassle, its not always worth it.

Some taxi drivers will attempt to drop you in Tuban at a low end hotel. This means they can get a commission sometimes and turn around to the airport quickly. If you buy a taxi ticket to Poppies Lane, do not let the driver say “Here okay boss?” and drop you on Jl Kartika Plaza.

•Cheap accommodation in Kuta:
Taxis can drive into Poppies I & II off of Jl Pantai Kuta, the beach road, so you’ll have a choice of places to stay. Both Poppies I & II have affordable options and its worth checking out 2-3 places before making your decision. Signing into a guesthouse is simple, they’ll need your name, address, passport number, flight number etc. The whole thing will take 2 minutes. I travel in Bali and don’t even bring my passport, I tell them I live here.

Most guest houses in Kuta are fan / cold water. some of the newer ones have the option of AC, for a higher price. In the old days many guest houses used to have a shared bathroom, but that’s a thing of the past, at least in Bali. One of the things I always check out before choosing a place is the ventilation of the bathroom. Nothing worse than a stinky cement room, that
ventilates through the bedroom. I need at least a window or extractor fan.

•Transport:
Many backpackers don’t want to get into hiring a car, due the expense. I advise you not to try to explore Bali by bicycle. In the villages okay, but not for getting around the island. Hitch hiking is out too, as most people don’t do it and people who might stop will want money. The safe route is taking the Perama bus to locations in Bali. Back in 1993 we used bemo’s, but the result is the same. Perama bus’s office in Kuta is located at the bottom end of Jl. Legian. You buy a standard ticket and the bus pulls up, according to the schedule, for set locations. For a more freestyling trip, you might consider using bemo’s.

The most obvious place to go from Kuta is Ubud.

•Getting to Ubud:
The Perama bus from Kuta takes about 90 minutes to get to Ubud.

•Where to stay in Ubud:
Perama will drop you at the bottom of Jl. Hanuman in Ubud, which is downtown and has many affordable guest houses right there. You will also find more guest houses in the Jl. Kajeng area, which is off of Jl. Raya Ubud.

Ubud guesthouses, often called ‘homestays’ are cool because they are often located inside a family’s compound. You’ll be there in your little structure, while the family carries on with their daily life right in front of you, rituals, ceremonies, food preparation, artwork, all going on. This makes the Ubud guest house scene cool and a big attraction for me.

•What to do in Ubud:
Ubud has the status of the Arts Center of Bali. Ubud itself is quite relaxed, totally without the frantic, shopping and nightlife of the Kuta area. There are many nice shops, offering artwork and fine restaurants and warungs. Hanging out downtown for a few days is cool. Around Ubud and the surrounding villages are famous art galleries, including the ARMA, NEKA, Simon and Antonio Blanco. Villages such as Nyuhkuning, Campuhan, Peliatan and Penestenan, are famous for producing a range of artwork from beaded purses, to paintings, to carved masks. Very enjoyable to cruise around and explore.

There are a couple of cool hikes in the Ubud area that are worth checking out. The Rice Paddy Hike is a 2 hour, 30 minute, almost circular hike, starting at the western end of Jl. Raya Ubud, between Casa Luna and the aqueduct, and finishes at northern end of Jl. Kajeng. Along the way views of rices terraces and the Walter Spies like views are to be seen. This hike is best done at day break.

The Campuhan Ridge Walk is a 90 minutes, circular walk, that starts from the grassy area behind Pura Lebah, and heads in a northerly direction, around th outskirts of Campuhan. The hike finishes at the main road, 1.5km NW of the NEKA Gallery. Along this hike you’ll see coconuts trees, savannah, rice terrraces and beautiful nature.

•Where to eat in Ubud:
Backpackers love the cheap places and there are some in Ubud. local warungs, serving Indonesian food will always be a good deal, your bill including drink may be around 10,000-15,000rp. One of my favourite places for a snack in Bali Buddha, on Jl. Jembawan, which serves delicious sandwiches, cakes and drinks. Jl. Hanoman has a selection of places selling juice, sandwiches etc. that are inexpensive.

Heading up Bedugal, the location of Lake Bratan, and the lakeside temple, Pura Ulun Danau Bratan, is often people’s next step, as it provides a change in climate, the skies often overcast and the temperatures refreshingly cool.

•Getting to Bedugal:
Perama serve Bedugal.

•Accommodation in Bedugal:
On the southern bank of Lake Bratan is some cheap accomocdation, where you’ll get a simple room for 50,000rp a night. To the west of the lake, in an area known as Candi Kuning, you’ll find several more places of the same caliber.

•What to see in Bedugal:
Hike Gunung Catur. Lake Bratan has boats available for hire, allowing you the traquility of a lake cruise. The main temple, Pura Ulun Danau Bratan , is one of the most important temples in Bali and is seen on many postcards, jutting out into the lake.

There is hiking around the area, including one starting from between Lake Tamblingan and Lake Buyan, at the Bukit Kember guest house, around the edge of Lake Buyan to the bemo terminal near Pancasari. A really good hike is around the sounthern edge of Lake Bratan, past Taman Recreasi, up to the top of Gunung Catur. This 4 hour hike will give you great views of the whole lake. The top section is a tad steep, so only healthy people should try this hike.

•Where to eat in Bedugal: Limited options at night as most places cater to the passing tourist trade in the day and close at 8pm. Ask at your local guest house where the nearest place is. When I stayed on the south bank of Lake Bratan, there were a couple of places about 2 minute back up the hill towards Bedugal, serving cheap Indonesian and Chinese food.

Lovina is a handy stop on the north coast for some R&R after cold nights in the mountains and limited food variation.

•Getting to Lovina:
Perama goes to Lovina and will drop you off at the Perama station, which is located across the street from the petrol station in Anturan.

•Accommodation in Lovina.
Best place to stay in Lovina is probably Kalibukbuk, if you are on a budget. Its the center of the tourist scene and has a good selection of accommodation, including the Nirvana Seaside. Lovina used to be a backpackers hideout years ago and has been going upmarket. However you can still find homestays here and there.

•What to do in Lovina:
Lovina has an 8km black sand beach. The ocean is safer to swim in the on the south coast and activities such as snorkeling are popular. Lovina can be a good place to take it easy in a beach environment that is lower key than Kuta. You can catch local bemos to waterfalls and hotsprings nearby.

•Where to eat in Lovina:
Kalibukbuk’s main street is lined with inexpensive options. Its all bamboo shacks, but nice to have somewhere to hang out in the evening. I ate at Bombay which was decent.

Batur / Kintamani, the mountain, crater and lake offer a certain allure and the area is pretty in places.

•Getting to Batur / Kintamani:
Perama serves Batur / Kintamani.

•Accommodation in Batur / Kintamani:
The best accommodation is down inside the crater. Spending a night there makes for an intersting experience, I mean how many times have you slept beside a lake, inside a volcanic crater! Guest houses are relatively simple and cheap, maybe 40,000- 50,000rp.

•What to do in Batur / Kintamani:
Check out the huge Pura Ulun Danau Batur temple on the main road above the crater. Also you can drive out of the crater, around to Blandingan (check your amp and ask locals). Here’s a hike I did last year.

Hiking Batur crater part 1
Hiking Batur crater part 2
Hiking Batur crater part 3
Hiking Batur crater part 4
Hiking Batur crater part 5
Hiking Batur crater part 6

•Where to eat in Batur / Kintamani:
Its the guest house’s kitchen mate. That’s it aprt from a couple of places inside the crater entrance.

For an East Bali beach experience check out Candi Dasa / Padangbai. Both were sleepy fishing villages until hippies found the white sand beaches. Both places boomed a bit in th 90’s, then slackend off.

•Getting to Candi Dasa / Padangbai:
Both places are served by Perama. You can get there directly from Kuta in 2-3 hours.

•Where to stay in Candi Dasa / Padangbai:
Accommodation in Candi Dasa’s main street is lined with places. You can get a room for 2, AC, with pool for 150,000rp a night.

•What to do in Candi Dasa / Padangbai:
I call Candi Dasa, ‘The Gateway to East Bali’. If you have your own transport it helps a lot. Exploring the villages and going on small day trips up to Tirtaganga, and enjoying the ‘Bali atmosphere’ is what its all about. Candi Dasa’s beach has deteriorated, but further around the bay at Manggis, Sendiku, Mendira and Buitan its in better shape. There is also some hiking in the hills behind Candi Dasa. Padangbai has 3 beaches, the main beach which is also the fishing beach and 2 quieter ones, including Blue Lagoon, a 15 minute hike away. Snorkeling is popular and it is advisable to go with a boat.

•Where to eat in Candi Dasa / Padangbai:
Candi Dasa has a string of busget places to eat. At night the town seems dead, which is good if you want quiet…with some choice. The main road goes through Candi Dasa, so make sure your room is not next to the road. Padangbai is at the end of a dead end road, terminating at the beach. Its main selection of guest houses run along the beach. They are all virtually the same, bamboo places with fan, cheap and okay. Take your pick of which grilled fish place you want to eat at.

Amed is the ultimate East Bali chill out spot, you can’t go any further east.

•Getting to Amed:
Perama goes to Tulamben from Lovina, so you could take that across the north coast, then catch a bemo. Ask at the Perama office, the company i always expanding its routes and tours, and even goes to other islands.

Where to stay in Amed:
Amed to Selang offes the most choice. Amed Cafe is very inexpensive. Another cool place in Good Karma, a bamboo style place on the beach, 150,000rp.

•What to do in Amed:
This is relaxation central. Even the cheaper guest hotels have a pool and in this part of Bali, life is very laid back.

Snorkeling and diving are the main activities, however, I always seem to end up drinking tuak (palm beer) with the local fishermen. I tell you, the more you drink, the better your Indonesian gets!

Where to eat in Amed:• Many good places, thoguh itys not a lively scene. Wayan John (Blue moon Villas) and The Pavillion, in Selang, are both fun and serve good food.

Kuta: Kuta once again makes a handy transit stop. Up until your last moment in Bali, you can shop, eat good cheap food, hit the beach and not have to stress about being late for your plane.

So as a backpacker with limited cash, you can get around Bali using a combination of Perama bus and bemo’s. Kuta, Bedugal, Lovina, Batur, Candi Dasa / Padangbai and Amed, all have budget options.