It can also send you a little crazy … as in crazy silly.
I’ve seen it first hand, amazed at how my normally sensible, responsible friends take crazy risks and do wild things they’d never contemplate at home.
Take my trip there last year with a bunch of surfing girlfriends. We hired a van to get around and one day as we’re scooting down the mad, chaotic road towards town I was suddenly incredibly nervous for our safety – there was our self-appointed driver with a mixer drink in one hand, a ciggie in the other, trying to take a photo of the road as she drove. And did I mention she was driving a manual car?
My ‘please could you keep your eyes on the road’ was met with laughter and ‘Don’t be a Nanna’ accusations … from the GP and the mothers-of-three in the back, no less!
The ‘How did I get here?’ moment strikes plenty of Aussie travelers each year and with so many heading to Bali, we’ve pulled together a list of travel tips so you can make the most of your Balinese holiday:
By far the biggest problem faced in Bali is Bali belly. Don’t drink the tap water or use it to brush your teeth – bottled water is cheap and available everywhere – so don’t tempt fate as it could ruin your holiday. Avoid salads and uncooked foods and make sure you peel any fruit. Avoid ice cubes too.
Remember to pack some anti-diarrhoea medicine and take loads of hand sanitizer. If you’re travelling with children, you can never have too many sanitized hand wipes – make sure they use them before eating anything.
It’s also a good idea to take some disposable toilet wipes – public toilets in Bali are very basic at best and if you get hit with a dose of Bali belly, you’ll be grateful you’ve come prepared.
Watch where you walk on the footpaths. The infrastructure is pretty poor in places and the footpaths can be dangerous with big holes and gaps, making it easy to trip or fall. Keep an eye out for motorbikes riding on the footpath too – they veer off the road for a quick detour and can take you by surprise. With the state of the footpaths you might think twice about taking a stroller for your baby or toddler – a backpack will make it easier to get around.
Be super vigilant when changing money. Watch really carefully as the notes are counted out; there are so many of them, it’s hard to keep track and some money changers will quickly swipe some back under the counter if you’re not paying close attention. If you’re not sure, count the money again yourself before walking out.
Beware of the heat. It might sound like stating the obvious but you’re in the tropics and it’s easy to get dehydrated so drink plenty of (bottled) water. You’d be surprised how many people get fried on their holidays too so slip, slop, slap on the sunscreen.
Don’t pat any stray dogs, or have direct contact with cats or monkeys. There is a risk of rabies in Bali, which is usually spread by an animal bite or animal saliva. Without treatment, or if treatment is delayed, rabies is almost always fatal.
Dengue fever is also a risk in Bali and is carried by mosquitoes. Use maximum strength insect repellants for yourself and use infant or child-strength repellants for your children, and make sure to wear loose-fitting, protective clothing to keep from getting too sweaty, as your sweat attracts mosquitoes. Mosquito-proof your accommodations with nets, sprays, mosquito coils or insecticide mats.
If you’re crazy enough to drive in Bali, make sure you have an appropriate license, either a local or international driver’s license. Better still, hire a driver. With a motorbike, you need to have an appropriate license that covers the capacity of bike you intend to ride. For example, if you want to ride a 600cc motorbike then you must be licensed to do so in Australia. And you must wear a helmet. It might seem wild and carefree to get on a bike for a free-spirited ride but without a helmet it’s extremely dangerous and you’re an easy target for the local Indonesian police officers.(By DianaWatts)
0 comments:
Post a Comment