What to Do and What to Avoid in Bali

Bali may look a lot like paradise, but if you’re not careful, you might leave your Bali vacation with getting hurt or getting sick, instead of some great time.

That’s why you need to know about the dos and don’ts about Bali in order to be sure that you are having the time of your life.

Do's

Bali’s culture is one of the island’s main attraction but tourists may offend the Balinese by without even thinking about it. If you’re planning to dive into the local culture, and then make sure you create kind relationships wherever you go in Bali.

Dress in a proper way before you get into a temple in Bali. The guests have to wear shirts that cover their shoulders. The legs should be covered by a sarong.

Surfing in Bali is one of the island’s most popular activities, because of the gorgeous beaches in the south and north. So if you visit Bali for surfing, you should always look for the red flags. A unit of Bali’s beach extending from Kuta to Canggu is known to have rip tides and streams. When the local authorities raise these red flags next to the sea, do not attempt to swim there, you should stay out of the water and enjoy any infinity pool Bali has in almost every high-quality hotel.

Try exchanging your money at one of Bali’s banks, or try using their ATMs to withdraw cash directly from your credit card or bank account. Hotel front desks often permit currency exchange, but with lower rates compared to banks.

The most honest taxis in Bali are the blue taxis marked "Bali Taxi. They’re honest, and you should always catch a so called Bluebird taxi in Bali if you can. They are one of the best and safest ways to explore the island.

Don’ts

Don’t smoke in public areas. Smoking is not allowed since 2010 in most of the areas, including restaurants, hotels, temples, and other touristic places. You may need to get rid of this pretty unhealthy habit while staying in Bali.

Don’t force yourself to eat everything you are offered. Tourists in Bali run a number of some health risks. Travelers might catch “Bali Belly diarrhea, from local meals because they are not used to these tastes. So, don’t force yourself to eat something that you know your stomach cannot stand.

Don’t irritate the monkeys: The tourists often forget their limits and they act without using their common sense! Monkeys are pretty and smart and they do not have to be irritated because they may react and the tourists may not like that. Respect the nature and the animals too!

Don’t drink water from the tap. Your stomach doesn’t need to get tested when you are on vacation. You just need to drink a lot of bottled water in order to make sure that it is not going to affect you in a weird way.

Don’t use drugs: Bali’s drug laws are very strict and should not be trifled with. Indonesian Law lays down harsh penalties for drug users caught with drugs like marijuana, heroin, and cocaine: you can get life imprisonment for possession or the death penalty if you’ve been convicted of trafficking in drugs. So, obviously, don’t use drugs!

Bali is a really safe destination, so as you realized from all the above, the only rule you need to follow is to enjoy your staying on the island! Everything else is part of the island’s culture and you need to respect all the others’ habits, even though they don’t remind you of the way you were raised.

This is a contribution from one of our contributing writers.