Being just slightly below the equator means that Bali is blessed with the tropical weather. Simply said, you can expect to see the sun throughout the entire year (even during most part of the wet season). Depending on your purpose of visit to Bali. If you are a pro surfer, Bali offers some of the best waves, particularly during the month of April/May to October. Nonetheless, the weather in Bali can be distinctly categorized into either the dry (April to October) or wet (November to March) season. Thanks to the global warming and its impact on climate change, I discovered from my recent trip that the year end (December) was wetter than usual. In short, if getting tanned is part of your resolution for the year, the best time for you is probably April to October. If you are on a Honeymoon and you are looking forward to get rid of all the wedding preparation fatigues and you have booked for yourselves some of those romantic hotels, then I would say the best time for you is throughout the year. If you are a thrill seeker and you have planned a list of outdoor activities, the best time for you is the dry part of the year.
When you are Shopping
Do not be afraid to bargain. I'm not sure which "business school" the Balinese attended, but some of the shops in Bali put some of the most ridiculous price tags on their items. The only logical explanation that I could think of is that these store owners are probably treating their business as a gambling table (afterall some Balinese are notorious for their gambling addiction), preying on gullible tourists, hoping to catch that one big fish and then done for the day. So... Bargaining is a must, especially in the famous art markets such as Kuta Art Market or Ubud Art Market. The rule of thumb is to go for one third of the price for your initial try. You probably have to give it several tries. After you are done bargaining, remember to keep an eye on your items and make sure that they do not replace your item with other inferior ones.
If you hate to bargain, you can go to one of the souvenir superstores. The prices at these mega stores are fixed and reasonable.
When you are Visiting a Temple
Temples are probably the most sacred places in Bali. Some of them have been around for more than a thousand years. There are few important things to take note when you are visiting any temple in Bali.
- Ladies, you are not allowed to enter into most of the temples when you are menstruating. So, if there is any particular temple that you do not want to miss, plan your visit in advance.
- Sarong is a piece of cloth that you need to put on when you want to enter most of the temples in Bali. Rental of the sarong is usually included in the admission ticket. But if you want to take some nice pictures of yourself, you can bring your favorite batik or beach sarong.
- Ladies, your bikinis, beach thongs and sexy attires are off-limit. You can give them a break, at least for a day or two. Wear decent attires as temples are considered to be holy grounds.
- Local guide. ask your local guide to accompany you as you roam around the temples. If you do not have one, freelance guides are at your service in some temples. But they are not free. Ask for their rate before you hire them. If you appear to be lost, sometimes they will just tag along with you and you might be fooled into thinking that they are there for free. It is only after you finished roaming around that they will come to you for the money. Remember this! Nothing comes free in Bali!
No comments:
Post a Comment