Welcome to Bali

It is a long journey from Cape Town to Denpasar, Bali. 44 hours in total, including 3 flights and 4 hours restless sleep in an hotel in Jakarta, but Bobbie and I arrived safely in Denpasar.

Notes for travellers to Indonesia

Some quick notes of my experience for anyone heading this way.

• Transport
  • There is an approved Tourist Travel Facility as you exit Jakarta Airport
  • I had Bobbie and all my luggage and it was nearly midnight so I was pleased to find a vehicle that could take my baggage and myself the 3 kms to my hotel that I had booked. I shelled out Rp650 000 for the privilege. The driver was super friendly and helpful, he assisted with the luggage and waited to be sure that I was booked in at the hotel.
  • The next morning at 05:30 I needed to get back to the airport. The clerk in the hotel called a large Blue Taxi Cab. Within 5 minutes it arrived, the driver was super friendly and helpful, he assisted with the baggage. He also made sure I was at the correct terminal before he left. I shelled out Rp 50 000 for the privilege. Note to self about Airport Transfer services!!!
• Bring mosquito repellent (I should have known from my previous trip)
• Visa on Arrival
  • Most countries, including South Africa, are eligible for a 30 day visa on arrival.
    There is an online visa application, but at the moment, you will need a sponsor in Indonesia to complete it on your behalf so VOA is the way to go.
    Follow the signs for Foreigners and you will arrive at the VOA hall. There are ATMs there. Make sure you have Rp500 000.00 in cash before you join the queue (about R590/GDP29)
    Join the Payment Services queue – not the VOA queue. Pay first and get a receipt
    Very important: Be nice to the man with many badges on his shirt and listen to his instructions. He controls the queues!!
    Join the VOA queue. Once you get to the counter it is a quick and painless process. Within 3 minutes you will be on your way with a 30 day visa in your passport
• Customs
  • You will need to logon to a website for your customs declaration.
    In the process you create a QR code that you save. It is scanned as you
    enter the customs zone. The process is then quick and easy.
• Covid
  • I was told at Cape Town Airport that is essential that I download this app on my phone:
    “PeduliLindungi” It is a tracking app for Covid.
  • You register and then scan QR codes whenever you enter a public space. It is a bit intense because you have to give it all sorts of permissions. It does not work offline so it is useless unless you have wifi or a sim card.
  • I saw no foreigners scanning the codes and very few locals
  • So far no one has asked me if I have the app.
  • You decide!!

Uluwatu

At Denpasar Airport

It still feels strange to me, having to unpack my baggage and assemble Bobbie in a corner of the airport. As always, I am super impressed that all of my luggage arrived at the right place simultaneously.

It takes a couple of hours and many conversations with interested onlookers to get everything set up and ready to ride. Then the apprehension starts to build, cycling for the first time in a foreign country since 2018. Postpone and procrastinate by wheeling Bobbie outside the airport building and stopping for a cup of coffee in a Starbucks, something I would never do at home, but they have wifi and (ostensibly) I need to check my route.

Eventually I run out of excuses and Bobbie and I hit the road – driving on the left is good. It took over an hour and several wrong turns before I arrived at the hostel. My new friend in the picture above warned me that there were some steep climbs on the way. I had to push, twice, up slopes with a 12% gradient – signs of things to come.

Exploring Uluwatu

At the hostel I shared a room with 5 super friendly ladies from UK: Mai, Kim, Polly, Ria and Kamilla. It was great to meet you all. Safe travels . We were too busy talking to take pictures but here is one of the hostel.

On their advice and that of other fellow travellers I decided to visit the beaches and temples on the Western side of the peninsula. I hired a scooter and joined the motorised brigade zooming around. It was a delightful exploration day.

Imagine this…..

Of course this blog is also about food not just fun

Next Episode

An update from “The Wailers” concert tonight (Bob Marley’s band) and what happens on Sunday in Uluwatu