Bali Stuff You Should Know, Part 4: General Tips

We put together this blog with our Balinese friend Dipta, to give you local insider tips.

For more on our local guides, see our Destination Services.

Swank Guide’s Don Bunnell and our Balinese guide Dipta

We feel you Follow our general tips for your best Bali

Bali’s official language is Indonesian, but Balinese and English are also widely spoken. English should get you where you need to go 99% of the time.
Credit and debit cards are accepted at most hotels and many restaurants.
In terms of cash, the Indonesian Rupiah is the main currency and there are ATMs all over the island. Expect to pay transaction fees of 2 or 3%.
Power is 230V and plugs are the European kind, which look like this:

European plug The plug you’ll need for power in Bali

Don’t drink the tap water, but ice quality in Bali is regulated by the government.
Even in more remote areas, mobile data connections work but they’re not great.
WiFi is available in almost all hotels but speeds can vary dramatically. Don’t expect super-fast speeds anywhere.
Drug possession and trafficking are treated as major crimes. If you are confused about this watch the film Midnight Express (and thank us later).
Same goes for driving under the influence (DUI).
Ladies, don’t go topless.
Beer is cheap and locally made. Wine is expensive and imported.
Mosquitoes like Bali as much as tourists, so bring or buy bug spray. Dengue fever still exists here.
Hotels and drivers often use WhatsApp, so come prepared and download it.