Travel- Bali Trip in detail with expenses

Bali- A destination outside india that has pleasant climate throughout the year, which is beautiful with inviting waters, rich culture and lip smacking food all at an affordable price.

My trip to this place happened in November 2017. I chose that time considering less crowd since holidays were over. In this blog ive listed my day wise activities and expense to help you guys plan your trip accordingly. I’ve mentioned each and every detail and also mentioned cab driver number. It’s a bit lengthy but worth the read.

Currency- Bali has IDR. 1INR is equal to 207 IDR. The exchange rate we got here was 1 INR = 193 IDR. In my entire blog I’ve mentioned IDR price and conversion to INR to make it easier to understand.

FLIGHTS-

Our return flight tickets for 2 people cost us 41147 INR. We had gone by air Asia and our return was via Malindo airlines. Air Asia sucks. Don’t book it. It might show to be the cheapest flight but there are lot of hidden costs, for eg- u have to pay extra for check in luggage, u have to pay for food and water in the flight. Not even one glass of water is free on a 9 hour 25 mints flight.  I booked it and ended up paying 3100 INR for check in luggage and another 1000 INR for food at the airport and water bottle purchased on flight (which they sell for 50,000 IDR which is 238 INR for a half litre bottle).

Day 1-
When we said bye to mumbai, I spent 3100 on the luggage as mentioned above for one check in bag between 2 of us. 1000 rs on the international sim card of uniconnect which offered 250 mints of free talktime plus sms and some 3gb data free. That was a good buy since we had a working number as soon as we landed and it lasted us for 6 days without any recharge.  650 rs was spent on food at airport on subway and coffee.

The landing is a sight u don’t want to miss out. It feels like you are going inside waters where suddenly u feel the thump of the aircraft touching the land. Once we got our luggage we were on our way out to hail a cab we asked the locals for duty free at the airport and they guided us to Dufry- a small liquor store at airport. Everyone thought it was duty free and ended up buying so much alcohol from there. We just bought 6 beers and a 2 litre bottle of water which cost us 2798 INR. IT WAS NOT DUTY FREE-they sold us alcohol double the price of what u get outside from markets. It was money wasted so AVOID the Dufry.

We finally hailed a cab till hotel which was 30 mints away. The cab charged us 1295 INR. We reached Grandmas hotel at Seminyak where we had a complimentary stay for 2 nights (the price per night is 2000 INR). You can read all about this hotel on my blog-https://missbhukkad.wordpress.com/2017/11/25/grandmas-plus-hotel . We freshened up, and headed for a much needed complimentary couple spa in the hotel after such a long tiring flight. Post which we slept for 2 hours before we headed out to explore the city.

 

Evening we enjoyed a dip in the sea at Seminyak beach (which was 2 mints walking distance from our hotel), sunset by the beach and a stroll near those calming waters.

We headed back to hotel on our way purchasing water (costs 10000 IDR or 52 INR for a litre). Night we took it easy on day one and chilled at the rooftop bar of our hotel known as Kinky tiki bar- it was karaoke night, we sang, drank the amazing cocktails and devoured the lip smacking pizzas and hubby indulged in a game of pool. Our bill here was 3,94,000 IDR (2093 INR). We called it a night.

Day 1 total expense- 10488.

DAY 2-

We started our day with a complimentary Indonesian breakfast at our hotel and then got ready and left for sightseeing.

We hired a full day cab for 350000 IDR. We visited Uluwatu temple which is beautiful. We paid 60k for entry for 2 ppl. There are lot of monkeys here which ull get to see too. The view is mesmerizing we spent atleast 2 hours here. After temple we just stopped for nariyal paani (25k IDR). Then we headed to Padang padang beach entry paying 30k for 3 as we took our cabbie along with us. To reach this beach u have to walk thru a rock tunnel and outside the tunnel u r greeted with the view of this beautiful little beach. It has very clear waters but its too rocky. We went for a dip in the sea. We were famished by the time we got out. We had to reach Rock Bar before sunset so on the way we stopped at a roadside eatery called pit stop where we ordered freshly made burritos, coconut water and orange juice all for 85k. It was super delicious meal.

We reached Rock Bar just in time for sunset and sat by the waters. We drank, ate finger foods and enjoyed the stunning view for a few hours soaking it all in. All that for 444500 IDR. We then left for our hotel where on the way we stopped at a dessert place for the super delicate french pastries spending 35k since it was buy one get one free.  One of the yummiest desserts I had. Also bought water (7.5k IDR).

We reached back to our hotel, took a shower, enjoyed few Bintangs ( Bali’s beer) and then had a late complimentary dinner at hotel’s Miura restaurant.  We drank- vanilla passion fruit martini in vodka. Hubby enjoyed a whisky based cocktail.  We ate- Miura creamy patatas for tapas.
Hash patch salad- ruccolo salad with hash brown, hummus, grilled tomato, beetroot puree, and balsamic dressing. And penne pasta in red sauce. Ended with their pandan creme brulee which was a pan flavoured creme brulee made to perfection. It was an amazing dinner after which we couldn’t do anything but sleep.

Day 2 – total spending 5373 INR.

Day 3-

We left for Gili Trawangan. Talking about this place, it’s an island with the most beautiful waters and best for scuba diving and snorkelling. When u are booking your trip you will get option to book a boat ride from Bali to Gili. I would advice you not to book it online in advance since the prices online are double than the actual price ull pay directly in Bali. Online it showed us 14k INR for Bali to Gili return ticket for 2. We bought tickets from a place near our hotel and it cost us 6k INR for 2 with pick up and drop.

This morning we dressed and straight left for our pick up point. Cab from hotel to pick up point-Bintang super market, cost us 30k IDR. Return Ticket cost from Bali to Gili and back was 1120k IDR for 2. It was a beautiful ride via Patagonia Express fast boat.  It was luxurious AC boat with latest movie screening to enjoy till you reach. We also went up on the deck for a bit to enjoy the sun and the mesmerizing view as we sipped on some chilled bintang and munched on chips spending another 70k IDR. We were dropped at Gili harbour. Gili is a place where there are no motorable vehicles at all. The only transfers you get are horse carriages or bicycles.

Also the island is so small that u can see the whole island on bicycle in 1.5 hrs. We took a carriage to our hotel Trawangan Oasis, you can read all about this hotel on my blog written earlier-https://missbhukkad.wordpress.com/2017/11/30/staycation-trawangan-oasis-gili/ which was a 20 mint ride away and cost us 140k IDR. Our stay was complimentary for the first night and so was our tea time which offered us tea coffee and delicious freshly baked cake. This island is beautiful beyond words. We changed and went out to take a dip in the waters at the spot where there is highest probability of turtle viewing as suggested by our hotel owner Mark who was extremely helpful to guide us around. The white sand blue water beach was super clean and inviting. We rented the snorkelling gear for 50k IDR and enjoyed waters for few hours. We managed to sight a turtle as big as our size after 45 mints in the waters and actually swam along side the turtle for a good 30 mints. The experience was thrilling. We enjoyed the sunset by the beach and then got back to the hotel took a shower and then took our bicycles from the hotel and set to explore the night life in Gili.

If you are not into cycling and sports then that 45 mints of cycling on the uneven terrains could be taxing. We stopped for water (5k IDR) and fresh fruit bowl (35k IDR). Ended up eating mangoes and red dragonfruit. The fruits here are so good. We finally landed at Jiggy’s bar the same people who organise craziest Jiggy’s Yacht party. FYI the yacht party only happens on wednesday afternoons and they are the best ever. If u are planning this island try reaching by tuesday so u dont miss out. We missed it coz it was wednesday when we landed here. Jiggys bar however is the most fun place with the cheapest booze and shots on the island. Thanks to blogging I was treated to lot of complimentary drinks here. We got high and partied till 5 in the morning. It’s a cute shack like indoorsy place but the fun of partying here was dancing on those streets with all the strangers around becoming friends and joining in. We spent 160k IDR in partying. After which we went to this pizza place at walking distance which stays open till 5.30 am serving freshly made and tastiest pizzas. Small joint run by a local couple is worth a visit. We spent 145k on pizza and beer after which we cycled back to our hotel. We lost our way in between since there were no street lights, no phone network for maps and alcohol effect. We finally had one localite helping us with the way making us reach.

FYI- this whole harbour line is filled wit night clubs. We went to Jiggys but there are tons more in the same row so u can actually go club hopping.

Day 3 -Total spending for the day 9093 INR.

Day 4-
We had booked scuba diving on this day with Scuba Lutwala Dive at 11am. So we woke up had a quick light delicious breakfast at the hotel and walked to this scuba place which was 10 mints away. Here we were appointed one personal trainer for me and hubby. One thing is if you are suffering from cold or cough DO NOT scuba dive. Hubby was suffering from sinus which we informed the trainer. He still encouraged scuba diving and after that hubby’s sinus got escalated and suffered for 3 months, it could even kill u, so dont take a chance with your health. Anyway so we both started our training but after training I couldnt scuba dive due to my fear of deep under water, hence I just swam alongside the boat as hubby took the dive at 12mt depth in water, witnessing the most beautiful world inside water. This whole thing got over by 4ish where we spent 1418k IDR for training and scuba dive experience. We got our certificates too (i also got one since i completed the training). Hubby was adviced to not involve in strenuous activites for the day. We took a leisurely stroll with our bicycles and stopped at Dunia resto bar and bbq for a bite. This is a beautiful sea side seating on the beach and felt like a fairytale. Here we ate mini veggie burgers with olive tepanade, pesto fettucine with pine nuts n parmesan and beers spending 175k IDR. Then we got back to Trawangan oasis and paid 250k IDR for our stay plus 35k IDR for sandwich and beer that we ordered. We chilled at the hotel for a bit and then left for market area. We stopped a bit and sat for a drinks at Tir Na Nog Irish bar had 2 drinks paid 87K IDR plus 18k for purchased water. This night we splurged 200k IDR at Jiggys and we again went back for that pizza at 5.30 spending 127k pizza.

Day 4- Total spending – 11968 INR

Day 5-

We checked out took a horse carriage (120k IDR) ride back to harbour and bid a goodbye to this beautiful island. Once back we were dropped to our drop location. We saw a restaurant here called Pantarei and decided to grab a bite here. This place serves amazing food. We had- energy drink- avocado, almond, coconut milk. Welcome bread with green and black olive dip, greek salad, pasta with aubergine costing us 273125 IDR/1415 INR. We booked the same Grandmas hotel seminyak for the last 2 nights in Bali paying 2688 INR for hotel. Paid 30k IDR for cab ride to hotel. Once checked in we went to the beach for a dip in waters. Got back in few hours and again went for the hotel’s excellent couple spa which was just for 192k IDR spa (995 rs for couple spa). Showered and headed out. Shopped from the Mart for 29500 IDR. Then hailed a cab paying 50k IDR for party. This night was at Sky garden, this is supposed to be a very happening place for partying and was definitely amazing, however the crowd got a bit screwed up after 2 am hence we left. Here we spent 570k IDR for 6 beers and 6 shots. Hailed a cab back for 50k Idr.

Day 5- total spending- 9779.

Day 6

This day was packed with sightseeing. We had booked a cab for the whole day for 450k IDR. Our cabby was Tio and he was one of the best and actually showed us the whole place around properly and more sight seeing than what we planned. You can book him in advance by calling him on his bali number Tio- 08174744429 or you can DM on his insta handle- @tio7652.

First stop was breakfast at Pison Cafe. I would say this place is a must visit for its delicious food and cosy vibes. We had avocado tomato basil on toast with pesto. Sunrise- sunny side up on toast with salad and sauteed mushrooms and grilled tomato, and flatwhite coffee all for 169050 idr (876 inr). From here we headed to Mt. Batur to view the active volcano. Since this is at a height this place can really get cold. I was in shorts and top and I felt the chill, luckily Sari Restaurant which gives you the best view of Mt Batur does have blankets to offer. The view was breathtaking. It was calm, serene and quite foggy initially, the fog cleared temporarily giving us an opportunity to click pictures. We sat here cuddled in blanket me sipping on my hot chocolate and hubby on his chilled beers. We spent 1 hour and 176k IDR here. Now we were headed to Luwak coffee Plantation. On the way we got chatting with our cabbie and he told us to try the local fruits. We got 40k worth of mixed local fruits to try like- Mangosteen, snake fruit, rambutan, tarong balanda, star fruit. I loved them all but I became a fan of the snake fruit. We were happily tasting these as we reached the coffee plantation. This place is beautiful.  They not only grow coffee but also lots of fruits cacao beans and much more.  We were given a tour of this place. We also got to see the civet cat that makes worlds expensive coffee- Luwak coffee ( I call it cat poop coffee). We were explained the entire process of how the Luwak coffee is made. Though it sounded terrible the foodie in me did want to give it a try so we headed to their canteen area and ordered for a cup of luwak (50k IDR). Here we were also made to taste different kinds of teas, hot chocolate and coffees in tiny tasting cups alongside with cassava chips. The view from here was beautiful and we relaxed here for a while. Then we were shown to their store to make a purchase and we did buy few packs of coffee to gift back home. Spending a total of 410k IDR  (2124 INR) inside this plantation. Next was rice plantation where entry was 10k each. We paid 20k IDR and enjoyed clicking photos and taking a stroll in this scenic plantation. Next was tegenungan waterfall. So this waterfall can be skipped. Too much of walking to reach near it and the water looked muddy. We clicked a few pics here, had coconut water and did some cheap street shopping all for 95k IDR. After this we wanted to go shopping. We stopped at Rip Curl Bali and shopped for 593k IDR. Next we stopped at a market area for souvenirs. Here we spent 1707 IDR. This was definitely an exhausting last day which called for a massage. Reached our hotel just in time for the last massage. Again spending 192k IDR on couple massage. We showered rested and night got out to party. We visited this Mexican club- Motel Mexicola and danced till we were exhausted spending 180k here. We got back and indulged in the deliciously spicy cup noodles in our rooms before passing out for the night.

Day 6- total spending- 13755 INR

Day 7-

We had an early checkout at 7 to reach airport on time. It was time to get back home. We spent around 1853 rs for airport food and transfer. Our return flight was Malindo Airlines which was an absolute bliss. It had entertainment, excellent service, in flight food, blankets and comfortable seats.

Day 7- 1853 INR

Total spending of the trip including each and everything- 103438rs. (My first 3 nights stay was complimentary and so was one dinner and one spa, if It had not been complimentary it would’ve added total of 15- 20k making the total spending to 1.2 lacs INR for 2 people).

There are so many other things to do in Bali too. We were interested in these and hence stuck to it. Trust me it was every bit worth it. I hope this article was of help for people who plan to visit.