Picture yourself on the beach. Relaxing in a cabana. Drinking out of a coconut. Maybe every now and then you take a refreshing dip in the ocean. You might even try out surfing or snorkeling. If that is what you are looking for in a tropical beach vacation, you need to get to Bali. Here’s why.
The Cost
The US Dollar is very strong against the Indonesian Rupiah. One dollar is about 13,800 rupiahs. That means that everything is incredibly affordable in Bali. We stayed in a bungalow about 150 meters from the beach for about $30 per night, and we could even afford the drinks stocked in the fridge in our room! Dinner for two with drinks for under $10, and we weren’t even trying to be cheap; we ate at the restaurants on the beach.
The People
You may be visiting a different country, but you don’t need to worry about not speaking the language in Bali. Most people you meet in the area can speak English, and even if they don’t they will patiently try to understand your charades. Everyone greets you with a smile in Bali.
The Food
Indonesian food is delicious, and we’ve already mentioned how cheap it is. We pretty much just pointed to the menu, said ‘yes’, and were pleased with a great meal. They do a few things different than the US even though the name is the same, milkshakes for instance aren’t as thick and have less ice cream. The most surprisingly delicious difference was the banana smoothie. Every place we ate at offered an incredible array of fresh fruit juices and smoothies.
The Beach
The major beach in Bali is at Kuta, but we’d recommend going a little bit further abroad. One of my favorite things about our beach day in Bali was the crowd, or rather the lack of. We stayed at a small surf villa in Canggu (Andy’s Surf Villa), which is just a short walk to Echo Beach. Echo Beach is not the main tourist area which is precisely its charm. A beautiful gray (all 50 shades) sand expanse for miles. The beach is lined with cabanas, which you can use for less than $4 per day. Just claim the beach chairs of your choice, and someone will be there shortly to collect the fee. You can also order drinks from them.
The Surf
If you are into surfing then look no further than Bali. The surf varies from beginner to advanced spots, and the cost to rent a board is very cheap. Surf lessons around $30 each on Echo Beach but that gets you around 2 hours and a private 1 on 1 guide. But you should be ready for a workout, the surf here kicked our butts.
Our time there was short but amazing and we are already looking forward to going back.
genserttravels 
This was a really useful post for someone thinking about a trip to Bali. Thanks!
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