As French people, we idealise this magnificent island a lot, and we often think that a simple swimming costume will suffice. And that’s not entirely untrue. But before you leave, there’s a list of things to do that are very important and need to be anticipated.

Administrative papers

To come to Bali, you need a visa. Before, there were agreements with certain countries and we could simply enter the country. Now you need a visa. There are different types of visa, the most common being the tourist visa. This visa is valid for 30 days, and can be extended for a further 30 days. To apply for this extension, you will need to go back to immigration and make arrangements in advance. A longer visa is also available, generally used by digital nomads, or people wishing to work. This visa is more expensive and requires an endorsement from a partner company. This means you have to go through an agency to get it. Once you’ve landed and cleared customs, you’ll need to fill in a form describing the business you have and are bringing into the country. This form is available online, so you can do it in advance, but it is only valid for 24 hours. In the event of an extended stay, you must declare your electronic devices.

In addition, insurance in the event of accident or illness will be very useful. This insurance is often included with your home insurance and guarantees repatriation in the event of a problem.

Health care and vaccinations

As you know, some illnesses can be contracted here. Vaccinations are not compulsory, but they are strongly recommended. To come here, I had 3 doses of rabies, hepatitis A and B, the vaccine for thiphoid fever and Japanese encephalitis. There are a lot of these vaccines and they need to be done well before you leave to make sure they’re active when you arrive. 

Don’t forget to take your medication with you. Although pharmacies are available here, we don’t know where the medicines come from. Hospitals are clearly indicated, the Denpasar hospital is a renowned international hospital which attracts patients from all over Asia. Before you go to the hospital, don’t forget to tell your insurance company if you want to be sure that your treatment will be covered. What’s more, some hospitals will not pay for your treatment unless you can prove that you have insurance to pay for it. The same applies to visits to the doctor. Find out from your insurance company before you leave so that they can provide you with the paperwork to be completed by the doctors.

Things to pack

When in doubt, before leaving, I packed all sorts of clothes to make sure I had everything. It’s a shame, because I’ve crammed myself for very little. Being here during the summer, my jackets aren’t very useful. I’d advise you to bring a thick jumper and a scarf, as there’s air conditioning everywhere and you can quickly fall ill. As for the rest, pack as you would for the South. If you don’t have flip-flops or even small outfits, don’t worry you’ll find what you’re looking for here. There are plenty of shops and stalls where you can find what you need.

In terms of basic recommendations, I’d advise you to bring good walking shoes if you want to do a bit of hiking or just go for walks. You should also take mosquito repellent. There are different sizes of repellent, so take a special repellent for temperate zones if you want to be safe. Also, take your sun cream with you from France. There are sun creams here, but they don’t perform as well as ours, or they’re extremely expensive.

If you’re used to using skincare products, I’d recommend taking your own directly. You’ll find moisturising creams here, but be careful when you choose as many of them are lightening creams.

Things you should know before you leave

Be warned that you won’t be able to do any walking. So if you’ve never driven a scooter before and want to, take a scooter course before you go. If you don’t want to drive your own scooter, you can easily get drivers using Grab or Gojek. This works in the same way as Uber, but the advantage is that you can hire drivers on scooters, which saves you an impressive amount of time in view of the traffic. Any car journey will take 2 to 3 times as long as a scooter journey.

Animals are present in the streets, on the side of the road, where you’ll be staying… You should be aware that many dogs roam the streets. Many bark, but very few bite. If you do get bitten, you should go to hospital to make sure you don’t have rabies. Not all animals are vaccinated and we are never really sure of their health.

Accommodation in Bali

The market is booming, so it’s easy to find accommodation, but you may not get the best. We therefore recommend that you use our Bali real estate agency to take care of your project and find the right property for you. We have Bali villa rental for an evening, a week, a month or a year, and it’s also possible to buy a villa for 10 to 30 years. Our agency specialise in the management villas Bali, so we will be most attentive to your needs. You can also choose the location villa Bali according to the regions you wish to visit. Depending on your wishes, there are villa Bali in the heart of the liveliest neighborhoods, as well as others secluded in the jungle amidst the calm of the rice paddies. 

I’m sure you’ll enjoy your stay on the island as much as I did. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact our estate agency and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.