How to Arrive in Bali, Indonesia.

Hello, my name is Cee. I am a full-time traveller, writer, photographer, filmer and explorer. With a previous two-decade career in hospitality and over a decade in tourism, and media with digital experience and skills, I am here to share my latest thoughts, tips, guides and adventures with you.

How to Arrive in Bali, Indonesia.

Okay, so you are on your way to Bali, Indonesia. A place both you and I have dreamed of for many years. A simple Instagram search will flush you with images of white sandy beaches, where horses frolic about. Rice terraces and people in long flowing red and yellow dresses, who look like they are gliding through the air. Yoga studios and retreats have started popping up as ads on your home feed, and the idea of spending your days lounging by the pool in your private villa has interrupted your thoughts at work. You are ready to head to what is known commonly as “The Island of The Gods”. While not everything may be as it seems on Instagram, I am here today to help you navigate your arrival, so that you can have the smoothest and easiest transition, from the big city to the beautiful island of Indonesia.

How to Navigate the “I Gusti Ngurah Rai” International Airport.

Great! You have landed in Bali, Indonesia. The plane has come to a halt, the seatbelt light has switched off, and everyone is slowly but surely disembarking the aircraft. The airport in Bali is not the most complicated - in fact, I will go so far as to say, it is one of the easiest airports I have travelled through, in terms of knowing where to go, what to do and how to do it. Communication between staff members and the signage throughout the airport is really clear and so far I have found it really friendly and welcoming.

Having said that, I wouldn’t be adding this section to my guide, if there weren’t a few things, I think you needed to know, in order to have the smoothest arrival. So here are some need-to-know tips and advice.

1. Bring a book - or make sure your phone is charged. I say this because, although the airport is laid out well, it is also an incredibly busy one and things take time. It can easily take between 45 minutes to 1 hour to get from the plane to your bag if not more on some days. Patience and respect are needed. You will be standing, this entire time as well. On our first visit, we saw that some people were well aware of the wait, and they had come prepared. Spread out on the floor with a deck of cards, they kept themselves entertained, playing several games, as we all waited for the line to move.

2. Cash is king in Bali (but sometimes card works as well). Ideally, if you are arriving in Bali, Indonesia you have either prepared your E-Visa, or Offshore Visa. If you have not attained these ahead of time, then you will hopefully receive your VOA - Visa On Arrival. The VOA is the most common visa that people get when they are coming to Bali - especially for the first time. This Visa allows the visitor 30 days to spend on the islands, and it is renewable for an additional 30 days. I will write more on this soon.

- Once you have disembarked the plane, you will follow a line to the main entrance hall, where both the VOA and Immigration checks are completed. If you do not have a Visa, there are 3 main desks allocated for the VOA registrations and payment. This is where you need to go first. If you have a visa, simply skip this desk and head to the Immigration lines, which you will notice immediately behind the VOA desks.

- The VOA fee changes quite often (last time it was around 35 euros), so it is always good to check the current fee before arriving in Bali. The main advice given commonly is to always carry cash for the VOA. While there are card machines, these sometimes do not work or do not recognize some bank cards. You HAVE to get your VOA before you can enter Bali and or head to the Immigration lines, so carrying cash is highly recommended. We have personally used our cards when doing VOA but we also made sure to carry enough cash in the event that the card machines were not working.

3. Bag Collection - Once you have made it through the Immigration desks, you will walk directly into the luggage collection area. I know - it really is as simple, as I told you. Due to the long lines at Immigration often you will find your bags in a group on the floor, don’t worry this is not cause for concern. A staff member takes all the bags off the carousel after they have repeatedly gone around a few times. This is because there are MANY flights arriving in Denpasar daily. So if you cannot find or see your bag on the carousel, simply look around on the floor. Everyone is pretty good about only taking their own bags and we have never had any issues with finding our luggage.

4. Declaration Forms and IMEI registrations - This one is important and can be complicated if you are not paying attention. When you arrive in Bali, before you exit the airport you will find an area near the luggage claim, with desks, computers and signage everywhere. If you have not scanned the QR code while still onboard your plane, you can use the computers stationed on the desks to fill in your declaration form. This MUST be done. Once you have filled in the form, you can print the ticket directly from the computer or a QR code will be sent to you on your mobile device. If you are planning on staying in Bali for more than 60 Days you need to do the IMEI Registration as well. This will prevent your mobile device from being blocked and disconnected during your stay. Once you have completed these steps, simply head through the next passageway, where you will show your form to an officer who will scan your QR code. At this point, you would have done all the needs to be done upon arrival. Simply follow the line and step outside into Bali, Indonesia.

How to Transfer from the Airport to your Accommodation.

You have collected your luggage and you are winding your way through the exit point of the Airport. The next thing on your agenda? Find your way to your accommodation!

Unfortunately at this stage (although there are now talks of introducing it) there are no rail lines of trains one can take from the Airport into the various areas of Bali. Most travellers will head to Canggu, Uluwatu, Ubud, Sanur and Kuta on their first arrival. These areas all take some time to get to, due to the traffic and time of day. However, I am here to make life easier for you, so these are my suggestions.

1. Get a sim card, at the airport - Just typing that, made me feel like I was breaking some cardinal travel rule. The usual advice is to never get a SIM card at the airport right? Well in this case I disagree. If you are travelling alone, obviously you will need to get the sim card yourself. If you are travelling with someone or a few people, then only one of you needs to get a SIM card.

- The reason I suggest getting a sim card on arrival, is so that you can book a driver yourself. There are many drivers outside the airport who will offer their services, but honestly, we found this to be far more costly than just doing it ourselves, through an app like Grab or Gojeck. We used Grab the most when we first arrived and were happy with the results.

- We usually choose the Telkomsel Network for buying our airport SIM card. They have various packages but all you need is the cheapest data package you can find. You can and will top up later on the island, where it is cheaper to do so. This is just to get you from the airport to your accommodation.

2. Book your own taxi to your accommodation - We like using Grab and apps where we can book drivers ourselves, as it takes a lot of communication struggles or fare negotiations out of the picture.

- The price or fee is set on the app, and the driver knows where to pick you up and where to drop you off, which makes life easier for everyone involved. You also have a history of the driver and can communicate with the app if anything happens.

- Grab further allows you to book insurance on your rides, in case of accident or injury etc. I will be honest here, I always take the one with insurance. The roads in Bali can be chaotic if you’re not used to it, and accidents do happen even if you or your driver didn’t cause them yourself, it is always wise to be covered.

3. Be Patient - Once again, patience is the name of the game here. The roads are busy and depending on where you are going it can take some time. If you are heading to Canngu from the airport, this can take 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on what time of day.

- Another deciding factor is, what type of transport you’ve booked on the Grab app. If you have checked-in luggage, big or heavy suitcases, then you’ll need to book a car. However, if you are a light traveller, with only a carry-on backpack, you are in luck. You can book a Grab Scooter and get to your accommodation much faster. Beware, if you have not ridden as a passenger on a scooter before, if you have not ridden a scooter yourself or if your bag is too heavy, this may make the drive a little daunting and difficult.

Accommodation Check-In and Getting Settled.

Success, you have made it to your accommodation. Your stay in Bali, Indonesia is about to begin. There are only a few things left to do until you can put your feet up, sit back and relax!

Once you have arrived at your accommodation there are a few things to take care of, let’s walk through them.

1. Check-in - Informing your host of your arrival time is pretty important in Bali. Depending on whether you are staying at a hotel, hostel, guesthouse, Airbnb, or Booking.com. The reason for this is that the manager, owner or staff are not always on duty 24/7. If you are arriving late or really early in the morning, arrangements need to be made for you, so that you can access your room.

- Secondly, there are MANY traditional and cultural holidays in Indonesia. And they don’t always fall on the same date or time. Festivities can happen in the middle of the week, or over the weekend, depending on what is happening. You need to coordinate with your accommodation to note if anything like this will be happening during your arrival.

2. Payment - Payment should be made, before heading to your room, unless you have made other arrangements beforehand. It is just respectful to sort out any payments due, on your arrival. I always suggest that you get a receipt with all the payment information from your host. Unfortunately, there are some businesses operating illegally here and if something happens, you could be in some trouble. Always check that your accommodation is legit, registered and allowed to trade.

- Another thing to note, most things in Bali are done in cash, people prefer cash payments for pretty much everything. You can also use Wise.com for bigger payments like accommodation, scooter rentals and so on, but even then deposits will need to be done in cash. Always get proof of payment and receipts.

3. Communication - While we are on the topic of the last things you need to know to begin your journey. WHATSAPP! WhatsApp is gold here! Everyone uses’ WhatsApp for everything. If you are from a country where it is not widely used, then you need to get on board and start learning. Everyone from your landlord to the cafes, and restaurants, to your drivers to everyone and everything in between will communicate with you via WhatsApp.

Welcome to Bali, Indonesia…

You are here! You made it through, you’ve gotten to your accommodation. You can put your feet up, jump in the pool, or go for a walk around the block. The choice is up to you.

Thank you for reading, I hope my insights and experience, help you navigate a smoother entrance into this magical island. I will be writing more guides, helpful tips and tales of our adventures here in Bali and around the world soon. I always appreciate it when people link or share my articles on social media. So if you enjoyed this, you can find me @CeecesTravel. Or hit the email button to get hold of me.

Have a great day in Bali….
Cee