Beat the Bali Cliches With These Travel Tips

Bali is an incredibly popular place to visit, so much so that you can probably picture the type of person who goes there. It’s a big destination for backpackers, people looking for amazing beaches, and people who want to party. But Bali has something for everyone, from solo travelers to families. You don’t have to follow the crowd if you want to visit Bali. You can enjoy your time there without doing the stereotypical tourist stuff, and without annoying the locals too. If you want to be a little different when you visit Bali, you can do lots of things to make your trip more exciting.

Learn Some of the Local Language

Whenever you travel abroad, it’s always polite to try to use at least a few words of the local language. Not only does it show that you’re respectful and trying to connect to the culture, but it’s useful too. You can’t always rely on other people being able to speak English, particularly when you consider situations like getting lost or medical emergencies. Indonesian isn’t too difficult to pick up, and a few key words and phrases could get you far. As well as making it easier to get around, it will give you an in with the locals too. They’ll appreciate that you’re trying.

Be Respectful At All Times

This should be something that goes without saying when you’re traveling, but unfortunately, it’s something that many travelers can find hard to grasp. If you’re visiting another country, you need to respect the local culture. It’s understandable that there are sometimes cultural practices that might be hard for you to swallow. However, if you really can’t stand the thought of them, it could be best to choose another destination. You’re a guest when you’re traveling, so you need to follow the rules. Brush up on what to do and what not to so before you go so that you can be on your best behavior.

Go Beyond the Typical Tourist Spots

When you start researching where to go in Bali, you’ll come across a few of the same places again and again. People will tell you to enjoy the nightlife in Kuta, visit Pura Tanah Lot, and go to the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary. There’s no reason you can’t visit all the top tourist attractions if you want to. But if you also want to experience more of Bali, you should think outside of the box too. Try finding the more obscure places that fewer people know about. Find out where the locals go and follow them.

Settle Into (Semi) Permanent Digs

Staying in a guesthouse, hotel or resort while you’re in Bali means you’ll mostly be around other tourists. If that doesn’t sound like something you want to do, renting an apartment or villa might be a better choice for you. Check out https://rumahdijual.com/bali/ to see what could be available that might suit you for a longer stay. If you set yourself up in a proper home, you can come and go as you wish, and you will mostly self-reliant. You will have the chance to meet more local people and live a bit more like a local, instead of like a tourist. You’ll avoid being in the enclosed environment of a resort, where it can feel like you’re not even in a different country.

Set Out to Explore

When was the last time you decided to explore somewhere new, without simply picking a place to go to, and then returning to your accommodation? Day trips are fun, but what if you set out to discover new things without really knowing what you were looking for? All you need is a map and a little bit of map-reading knowledge, and you can go on adventures without having any particular destination in mind. You never know what you could discover if you allow yourself to get a little “lost”, instead of just planning to go from A to B and back again. Going off the beaten path allows you to come across things you might never have found.

Don’t Bother With Shopping

There are some great places to shop in Bali, whether you’re looking for clothes or souvenirs. But if you really want something cool to take home with you, focus on creating some great memories, instead of collecting stuff. It’s better to have an experience you’re going to remember for years than to have an item you’re going to lose or throw away in a year or two. You can still help to support the local economy when you pay for other goods and services, like food, transport or trips and tours. If you can’t resist buying some things to take home, give yourself a strict budget, so you spend your money wisely.

Look Up From Your Phone

A lot of people have developed the habit of experiencing things through their phone. It’s understandable that you want to capture special moments so you can remember them later through photos or video. But in the process of recording your experiences for later, you can forget to enjoy them in the moment. Instead of experiencing everything through the camera of your phone, try to put it away once in a while. Not only will you enjoy things more, but you’ll also avoid annoying other people by getting in their way and being unaware of your surroundings.

Give the Cliche Photos a Miss

When you do have your phone or camera out – because you don’t have to put it away all the time – wield its power wisely. If you only take photos occasionally, it’s worth making them count. There are plenty of cliche photos you can take, and some of them might be lots of fun. But do you really want a hundred photos that are just like everyone else’s? Aside from avoiding being an annoying tourist, giving the cliche photos a miss helps to make your trip more unique. Get creative and do your own thing, and maybe develop your photography skills along the way. Try some of the tips at https://digital-photography-school.com/travel-inspiration-bali/.

Do Your Best to Avoid Bali Belly

Visiting another country where sanitation isn’t as good as you’re used to or the food is just a bit different can be tough. A lot of people take it as a given that you’re going to have some digestive trouble while you’re in Bali. However, it doesn’t have to be that way, especially if you’re careful. There are lots of things you can do to try and stay healthy and avoid being the cliche ill tourist. Firstly, avoid tap water, including any drinks with ice in them, which are likely to be made with tap water. Wash your hands often and look for reputable restaurants with high standards of hygiene. It’s also helpful to avoid certain foods, including raw fruit and vegetables. While you might want to eat like the locals and try all the streetfood, it’s often best to avoid it.

Stay Clear of the Tourist Scams

Whenever you’re in a foreign country, you can almost guarantee there will be people ready to take tourists for a ride. If you want to enjoy your time in Bali, being aware of the common scams you might encounter will make your trip more fun. For example, be careful when you’re looking for ways to get around. Private drivers could rip you off by taking you to expensive places they have deals with, while taxi drivers might try to charge you an expensive surcharge. Watch out for touts trying to sell you various things too.

If you want to enjoy a unique experience in Bali, follow your own path. Be smart while you travel, but don’t just copy everyone else.

Image Credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pura_Bratan_Bali.jpg