Useful Bali information, Do's and Don't

Dress standards

Balinese are generally modest and conservative people. Shorts and singlets are generally acceptable while shopping or just browsing around, but long trousers for men and dresses for women are highly recommended when visiting friends and calling on government offices.

Dress code for temples

You are expected to be appropriately dressed for entering a temple. This means you need to wear a temple scarf (a sash tied loosely around your waist), sarong, long dress or pants. Women are requested not to enter the temples during menstruation.

Priests need to be shown the highest respect during ceremonies. That means that you shouldn't put yourself higher than them by climbing up on walls to take photographs.

Events and festivals

Temple ceremonies constitute the main events in Bali and are held with great fervour, festivities, dance and drama. The major festival of the Balinese is the Nyepi festival usually held in the end of March or the beginning of April. It celebrates the end of the old year and the beginning of a new one as per the saka calendar. All activity except emergency services, international air terminal, special airport buses and taxis, come to a halt. If you are staying in a vacation villa, you are advised to stock up for the day in advance. Another major festival is the Galungan, a ten day festival when lots of activities take place in the home and community temples of the people of Bali.

Places to visit in Bali

If you are a sports enthusiast, you can try snorkelling or diving in the crystal clear waters of the northern coast from Amed to Pemuteran.
Laze away the days in the sun, sand and surf of Kuta, Seminyak or Sanur.
Explore the local art, culture and handicrafts and enjoy the scenic beauty of the rice terrains in the surrounds of Ubud.
Relax and soak up the silence of the cool gardens and lakes of the Central Mountains. You can also take a guide and climb some of them.
Walk through the tranquil Gunung Kawi to see some of Bali's most beautiful temples.

Dining in Bali

You may choose to eat in a five star hotel restaurant, or dine out in a breezy open sided bamboo cafe. Hotels and restaurants in Bali offer guests a wide variety of excellent dishes to satisfy every budget and taste. There are dozens of good restaurants to be found in the main streets of Kuta, Legian, Ubud, Candidasa, Lovina, Sanur and most other tourist areas in Bali. Most major hotels and some restaurants include a 10% service charge in your bill. When this is the case, no additional gratuity is required or expected.