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You have consulted all the travel sites to prepare for your stay and leave for Bali. You know the basic advice, but you want to know more, to better plan and anticipate. Here are five tips passed on by our travelers who have visited Bali and many others who travel the globe all year round. It is often common sense, but some are lesser-known and can make all the difference.
THE PRINCIPLE OF “3 IS 2 — 2 IS 1 — 1 IS NOTHING”
A mathematical formula? A Chinese proverb? Not at all.
It is a rule that all travelers should know, originating from the world of survivalism. Let us recall, if necessary, that a survivalist is not necessarily a person waiting for the end of the world, but someone who prepares for a disruption of daily life.
And if you think about it, unless you spend the entire stay in a holiday club, travel is precisely made for stepping out of the daily routine, sometimes taking risks, being open to the unexpected, moving differently, and changing locations quickly.
How many times have you looked for your glasses? A lighter? A pen? Your iPhone charger?
More seriously: has it ever happened to you to look for a medication, an essential product… without finding it?
Losing an important object while traveling is common:
“But I told you to put it in this pocket!”
“You saw me put it in this bag, didn’t you?!”
“I am certain I brought it, I can see myself putting it in the satchel!”
“Well done, we lost the lighter to start the fire, and now, what do we do?”
All these exchanges will surely seem familiar to you.
For important objects, items you consider indispensable, accessories you cannot do without (prescription glasses, medical devices, etc.), double or triple the copies. Place the duplicates in different bags, ensuring that one is always with you in your carry-on luggage.
Does this seem excessive? Do you think it will overload your luggage?
Rest assured: it is not about doubling everything, but about anticipating losses that could have real consequences.
If you start from the principle: “I will be careful with it,” then precisely, it means it is important to you.
MASTERING KEY TRAVEL INFORMATION
You are going abroad, which implies that you will lose your bearings. You will no longer be able to react according to your habits or immediately obtain essential information. You must therefore rely primarily on yourself.
Being autonomous means having the assurance that if your trip to Bali does not go as planned, you will be able to react quickly.
Even if our Amanaska agency is there to support you and organize your stay, it is important that you hold certain key contacts, which will reassure you and simplify your life.
Some information will only need to be collected once but can serve you for all your travels.
Information to note for the peace of mind of your trip
In your country of origin:
- The number of your local police station (useful if you need to have your home secured remotely).
- The number of your building manager and/or a close neighbor to whom you have entrusted a spare set of keys (to check something or welcome a contact).
- The contact details of your travel insurance, with at least 3 different contacts (in case of unavailability).
- Your bank’s numbers, also with 3 contacts.
- The number of your travel agency or airline.
- The number of the person taking you to or picking you up from the airport.
- The contact details of reliable taxi companies (in case your contact forgets you).
In the visited country and particularly in Indonesia
- The contact details of your embassy.
- The contact details of hospitals along your itinerary.
SWITCH TO IMMERSION MODE IN INDONESIA
Leave your habits, your culture, your apprehensions — and even your pace of life — at the exit of Bali airport.
You have dreamed of this trip. It is time to live it the Balinese way. You have anticipated the unexpected; you can now let go.
In Indonesia, your days will be made of encounters, shortcuts that look like detours, unforeseen halts, and unlikely culinary discoveries.
Before your departure, you will receive a document titled “Before You Go”, which will guide you in preparing for your trip with complete peace of mind.
On-site, depending on the Indonesian islands you visit, you will receive the “Amanaska Traveler’s Guide”. Learn a few words, share your impressions with the locals.
Be curious. Initiate interactions. Conversations are born on the doorstep of a shop, in the rice fields, by the beach. In Indonesia, there is no rigid protocol, only respect. You will see that curiosity is shared… and contagious.
Take the time to observe, to marvel: a sculptor at work, a fisherman returning to port, a rice farmer preparing his land.
BECOMING A ‘TRUE’ BALINESE TOURIST AND ADOPTING NEW FUNDAMENTALS
It may seem logical to rely on what we know, to keep our bearings. However, according to our travelers, they very quickly let go. Not out of abandonment, but through adaptation.
They have almost become fatalistic: if you cannot change the habits of the country, you might as well adopt them… or at least understand them without judging.
It is not that obvious. On paper, it seems simple. But our visions are influenced by our daily lives. And our daily life is neither better nor worse: it is just different.
The spirit of Indonesia hovers over your trip, with all its complexity, its contradictions, its traditions, and the specific history of each island.
Each island has its own culture, often thousands of years old. These cultures may clash with our sensibilities, but they are fundamental to those who practice them:
- The cult of the dead in Sulawesi
- The relationship with spirits in Bali
- The matriarchal society in Sumatra
- Animal sacrifices in Flores
So many practices that are foreign to us — just as our nursing homes, bullfighting, or the force-feeding of geese can be to an Indonesian.
We go on a trip to discover another way of living, another rhythm, another relationship with the world.
We go to meet women and men to understand their way of seeing, loving, and perceiving the universe.
So, let us forget Western society with its norms for a moment. Let us accept that others live differently, with other priorities, other traditions.
Let’s share, test, and exchange.
And perhaps, on our own scale, we will contribute to changing the world — for the better.
