Tips to cut down Your Holiday Expenses to bali
// August 7th, 2010 // No Comments » // Travel tips
Although we chiefly aim this article at visitors to our part of the world in Bali, Indonesia, you can apply a lot of the advice to holidays anywhere in the world.
Among the great attractions of bali is that it’s cheap. The Tourism Authority of bali can carry on pushing their vision of bali as a millionaire’s playground for as long as they want but still the majority of visitors will be people who have a limited budget.
It is simple angles to assist you attain your money go further. We are not talking about the sort of penny-pinching measures that backpackers use to make their tiny budget stretch a year. We are not going to suggest you eat noodles every day. After all, you are on holiday and holidays are meant to be enjoyed. However, most people have worked hard for their two-week holiday in the land of smiles and there is no reason why they should not get the best from their money. Here are a few simple tips to make the money go a bit further.
Accommodation
Whenever you need budget accommodation then usually you are able to ascertain good deals just by walking in off the street. Walk around the side streets of any of Kuta’s beach resorts and you will find guesthouses. During peak high-season (Xmas & January) it is better to book in advance as there may not be any rooms available. Whatever you do, do not ask a tuk-tuk driver for a recommendation. They will just take you somewhere that pays them commission.
Whenever you need mid to high range accommodation then you should book in advance. If you walk in off the street, you will pay more for your room. It may seem strange but it is cheaper to book in advance through a travel agent or internet-booking site. The internet booking sites have the best rates. An excellent tool for finding the finest rates brings forth Bali villas. This Bali based website does a price comparison across 30 internet-booking sites and finds the cheapest available offline rates.
Money Exchange
Don’t change money in your home country ahead coming to Bali. You’ll get a a good deal better rate of exchange in Bali. Bring an ATM card or travelers cheques. In fact, it is nice to have two sources of money in case of problems so why not bring both.
Don’t exchange your money at hotels. They give bad rates. Exchange booths at airports also give poor rates. The best way to get money when you first arrive is to use an ATM at the airport
Tours
The tour costs in Kuta are generally very competitive. These organised tours are a convenient and reasonably priced way to see Kuta’s tourist attractions. There are a lot of tour shops and lots of tours so the competition keeps the prices down. Just go to any tour shop and you are likely to find some good deals.
The only afflict with booking tours is you do not know the quality of the tour service. The price may be competitive but if the experience is poor then you’ll still be discomfited. Most of the tour organisers provide a good service but there are also a few stinkers.
Tipping
Tipping was never actually a part of Bali culture. It is a custom that we visiting westerners have introduced and which Bali customers have now taken up. Most western visitors over-tip.
The pattern tip in Bali at restaurants or bars is USD 1. That may seem like a derisory sum to leave by western standards but in Bali they do not expect any more. You are not being tightfisted by leaving so little. As a matter of fact, some claim that westerners who come here and tip big are actually causing problems for everybody else. They’re making an anticipation of big tips from westerners that never used to exist.
