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Self-Evident
After the famous “Phone Home” repeated incessantly by E.T. in Steven Spielberg’s 1980s film, we all need a return to our roots, something self-evident, like an incantation. Two words that alone inspire dreams: the first evoking escape and discovery, a verb that gives full dimension to vacations; and the second which, in its four letters, evokes a total change of scenery, letting go, and a deep, enchanting culture. Traveling to Bali is simple, short, and precise, but behind this desire to get to the point lies a long preparation, often filled with pitfalls and contradictions.
Where It Gets Complicated
Faced with the multitude of information found on various generalist sites, blogs, and Facebook pages dedicated to this destination, not to mention guidebooks, it is entirely legitimate to question the reliability of certain comments. Opinions are divided and subjective; everyone positions themselves as “The Specialist” after spending 15 days in Bali, offering advice on how to avoid mistakes where they themselves failed to make the right choices.
Abraham Lincoln said, “If you give me six hours to chop down a tree, I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” In other words, before you start organizing your trip, take the time to reflect on the format you desire and ask yourself the right questions.
Envisioning My Trip to Bali
Start by taking the time to picture your trip, and reflect on the very reasons why you decided to travel to Indonesia or go to Bali. Why did you choose this destination over another? Portugal, Thailand, Australia and Bali don’t offer the same kind of experience; each has its own culture, must-see sights and people to discover. Be clear about your expectations, the atmosphere and the pace – it’s your trip, so it should be enjoyable, rejuvenating and unique.
Before leaving for BALI, I ask myself the right questions
How many days of leave do you have? What will be the duration of your stay? If you have fewer than 10 days, perhaps it is better to choose a closer destination, considering the average flight time is about 19 hours, and then take more time to discover Bali during a future trip. Have you chosen the time of year? This will determine the budget for flights and hotels; Bali in October does not have the same costs as Bali in July or August.
How do you see your way of traveling? More of a backpacker, with adventure (or misadventure) at the end of the road? A Bali program featuring Balinese immersion, beautiful authentic encounters, and a mix of must-see sites, Balinese temples, and off-the-beaten-path locations? A sunny vacation with a clever blend of beautiful hotels, large swimming pools, and long massages? More wellness in Bali? A bit of all of that?
Will you be traveling alone, as a couple, or with children? Keeping in mind that a family trip to Bali requires specific organization. Or perhaps with relatives? This also implies planning your trip with friends to Bali by taking into account everyone’s personalities and their own experiences as travelers.
Depending on the duration of your trip, would you like to discover other islands? If so, which ones: Flores, Java, Sulawesi, Lombok, the Gili Islands, Nusa Penida…?
Do not forget the simple question that can make all the difference: What do you NOT want? To this, the answers are as varied as they are personal:
Managing everything yourself to organize this trip to Bali because you lack the time (or energy); taking a tourist circuit on a bus; bringing your mother-in-law with you; finding yourself having to manage everything on-site while the rest of the family has fun; worrying about pleasing everyone because you have become the “Bali trip leader”; seeing your budget “explode”… In short, you are spoiled for choice, but expressing “No, I don’t want that” is already halfway to finding tailored solutions that will lead you to “Yes, I love it!”
The “It Was Better Before” Syndrome
We all need our “Proustian madeleine”—that sensation of stepping back in time, rediscovering values and emotions, and hitting pause to indulge in a certain nostalgia. The smell of freshly cut grass, a long stretch of white sand suspended in time, the sound of cicadas in the pine forest… reminders of a simpler, more authentic life.
However, the world evolves: grass gives way to building plots, beaches are savagely concreted, and some even file complaints against cicadas for being too noisy (true story). Yesterday was better, today is not great, and tomorrow will be worse. With this glass-half-empty logic, we see our own universe through a prism that places the present as the beginning of the end, and with a certain fatalism, we look at yellowed photos of what could have been a better world.
We cling to the past while forgetting its flaws, focusing only on the essential: it was better before. Long bike rides to work become pleasant strolls, endless and uncomfortable public transport becomes moments of genuine conviviality, and the absence of social networks becomes the assurance that we had many more friends. Definitely, everything was more real, more authentic.
Hello, Earth?
Through social networks and the media, we receive news from those who share our dying planet with us. The news is bad because it is easier to comment on; happiness does not sell, fear is lucrative, and we become increasingly suggestible and manipulable.
Faced with this anxiety-inducing life, we go “elsewhere,” where the sun makes colors more beautiful and where people possess the secret to a good life. We cling fiercely to our dreams, hoping that our little corner of paradise—the one we have meant to visit for years—has not changed. We refuse to imagine for a single moment that “over there,” time has not stood still, and that they are no longer using steam engines, telegraphs, or mopeds sputtering on dirt roads.
Organizing My Trip Alone or Using an Agency
Obviously, since we are an agency in Bali and have all the assets to win you over, you might immediately think we will steer you toward us: not at all!
At this stage of the project, you have your dates, the number of days on-site, you know how many people are going, and what you expect from your stay in Bali and/or on other islands. You have dreamed of your trip to Indonesia, taken everyone’s requests into account, and calculated your budget—or at least a large part of it. To summarize, you have a good idea of what you want and what you wish to avoid.
If you are planning a trip to Bali in “DIY” mode, you do not need an agency. You can gather ideas from all existing media and guides. Book hotels on Booking.com, take advice from other travelers, and more or less improvise on-site. You can also hire a local guide, likely recommended by former clients, who may or may not be present to accompany you in discovering Bali. This will require time, energy, a great deal of motivation, and a more flexible budget, but is it not said that the important thing is not the destination, but the journey to get there?
You now have the option of traveling with a local travel agency in Bali. They are normally supposed to save you time, answer all your questions, and reassure you in your choices. This agency offers you services and security, with the idea that once on-site, all you have to do is slip into your flip-flops without worrying about reservations, logistics, or transport…
The Difference Between a Western Travel Agency and a Local Agency in Bali.
Let us take the time, however, to distinguish between a French, Belgian, Swiss—in short, French-speaking—travel agency and a professional French-speaking agency in Bali (or located in the country you wish to visit). Are you hesitating? It is true that it is not easy to trust people working more than 12,000 kilometers from your home, to be certain that the agency truly exists or will still be there when you arrive, and even more so to entrust them with your money.
Yet, whether they are “Authentic,” “Alternative,” or “With Passion,” these agencies are very real and have the merit of being at the heart of the action, possessing real experience to organize a tailor-made Bali circuit for you, which is not the case for agencies located in your home country.
The difference? In the first case, you will have a consultant who has been on vacation to Bali (sometimes several times) and “knows it very well,” and in the other, a consultant who (normally) lives on-site, who can answer you concretely without needing to guess or invent to answer your questions.
How to Organize Your Trip with a Local Agency.
Choosing to travel with a local agency should primarily be to make your life easier, save you time and often even money, and ensure you are making the right choices by utilizing their experience. Your consultant must show empathy, listen to you, and understand you. It is not simply a purchase or a commercial relationship between a provider and a client; the agency places its expertise, network, and responsiveness at your service, thereby becoming your travel companion.
This is, once again, the difference with choosing a classic travel agency: when you are on a circuit in Bali, your consultant will be in their office thousands of kilometers away, whereas your local agency will be there, day after day, with you, to ensure your trip to Indonesia goes well and will intervene in real-time if necessary.
A trip to Bali or a circuit in Indonesia with a local agency is written primarily based on the information you provide at the start. There must be a balance between your desires, what you expect from your trip, and the agency’s ability to make proposals.
There are no stupid questions. A simple “What time is it in Bali?” will tell you that there is a 6 or 7-hour time difference between France and Bali, and “Where exactly is Bali?” will give you a sense of the scale of Indonesia, with over 17,000 islands representing more than 1.905 million km².
The relationship does the rest. Do not try to impose your choices, but rather be in harmony with the agency to find the ideal format that will be both feasible and unforgettable.
The Other Side of the Mirror: Travelers as Seen by Agencies
Do you want a secret? Let’s take a peek behind the curtain… Come on… Let’s see instead how local agencies in Bali experience travel requests in general—what is left unsaid or only hinted at.
It might “sting” a little, but it is always interesting to share another approach to travel with you—one you might not necessarily know. This is also part of transparency.
In an anxiety-inducing society where productivity and efficiency prevail, often at the expense of the human being, requests are either vague, in Morse code, or hyper-detailed. Take our agency, which is 100% localized in Bali, as an example. After receiving a request, we suggest a phone appointment to fully understand your desires and ensure we can meet your expectations. In practice, we receive confirmation for 40% of the proposed appointments, which implies that 60% do not respond.
Making a copy-pasted request to all agencies is quite simple. However, deepening those desires, challenging your interlocutor, and accepting exchange and sharing seems more complicated for the 60% of travelers who will most likely turn to formatted programs with the assurance of seeing everything others have seen and the satisfaction of saying, “That’s done!”
After establishing contact with the traveler, we make an initial proposal, while taking the time to explain that there will likely be other versions with different budgets. This is the very principle of a tailor-made circuit in Bali: it must be private and personalized (otherwise, we are looking at a different program format offered on fixed dates). 20% come back to us with feedback.
Being a Responsible Consumer or Traveler
Far be it from us to criticize the requests made by travelers, but it is interesting to notice that for some, the trend is to consume “travel” as they are used to buying a product in a supermarket. They look at the label on the package, are reassured by certifications, and ease their conscience by buying organic while preferring major brands over local producers.
These same consumers know that for these major brands, half of their investment goes into marketing and advertising, that products are processed, and when it comes to animals, mistreated—it’s not a big deal. They find the references of their childhood, with pretty pictures of the countryside on the package and the assurance on the back that it is good for health, natural, and authentic.
Going through a local producer is more complicated: first, you have to find them, be certain they produce quality, organic goods; it often costs a bit more, and you don’t necessarily understand everything. We are no longer manipulated but guided; we have a choice, and that is perhaps the most unsettling part—having the opportunity to give an opinion.
Sometimes we take advantage of it to play “specialist”; with a knowing wink, we feel like we are doing the producer a favor, we get our hands in the dirt, and we pretend to master the subject. We would like to eat healthy and buy fair trade, but at the promotional rates offered by major brands.
Returning to travel, it is easy to make a request, compare, search, and consider the agency we consult as being at our service. The natural reflex is to want the prices of major brands but with the service of a local agency. Looking at Bali circuits sold by tour operators, we want the same thing, but “not touristy”; we want to be “exceptional” but at the lowest rates.
We become “buyers,” those who already know what they want and especially what they don’t want; we sniff out scams, we have choice, and therefore power. So, with a knowing wink, we pretend to master the subject, we play “Bali specialist” a bit, and we ask questions to which we are certain we already have the answers, to test or to detest.
Note: The majority of travelers wishing to go to Bali aim to see beautiful landscapes, discover another culture, and above all, make encounters—to be in the human element and sharing. Perhaps it would be interesting to start during the very preparation of the trip, by being attentive, benevolent, and respectful of the work provided by the agencies?
We reassure you about what follows: many travelers choose to be accompanied by a local agency because they have clearly identified the advantages of benefiting from the experience of specialists and being able to experience an original trip. They can have all the comfort of a tailor-made stay provided by consultants who are there day after day to organize unforeseen activities or improbable encounters on-site.
Taking the time, trusting, exchanging, and asking questions are all part of the process of writing a program that meets your desires. You are not buying a destination but accompaniment, ideas, advice, a multitude of scouting reports, and the peace of mind of knowing that we are here for you, because we live where you are going on your trip.
