Trip to Bali
Bali packing checklist: visa and fees, dengue and Bali belly protection, temples, rip currents and scooter rental. Answer two questions and the list adapts.

[ ] Check your passport validity
    Indonesia requires at least 6 months of validity from entry and a blank page for the stamp.
[ ] Get the e-VOA and pay the Love Bali fee
    The visa on arrival (VOA) can be bought online in advance at molina.imigrasi.go.id — the e-VOA line moves faster. Add the Love Bali tourist levy. Amounts and rules change — verify before flying.
[ ] Buy travel insurance
    Check that scooters and surfing are covered — basic policies exclude both, and they're Bali's top two injury causes. Good clinics (BIMC, Siloam) are painfully expensive uninsured.
[ ] Save tickets and bookings offline
    You may be asked for a return ticket — sometimes as early as airline check-in.
[ ] Cash + use bank-attached ATMs only
    Withdraw only at ATMs attached to bank branches — standalone street machines are Bali's skimming classic. Cover your PIN and check the card slot for wobbly parts.
[ ] Make copies of your documents
    Photograph passport, e-VOA and return ticket to cloud storage. The original passport stays in the villa or hotel safe.
[ ] Repellent with 30%+ DEET — from night one
    Dengue on Bali is a routine reality, not a scare story, and there's no tourist vaccine. Carrier mosquitoes peak at dawn and dusk. Add a plug-in repellent for the bedroom.
[ ] A Bali belly first aid kit
    Traveler's stomach here is so common it has a name. Sorbent, rehydration salts, anti-diarrheal, probiotics. It usually hits on day 2–4.
[ ] Watch the water and ice
    Don't even brush your teeth with tap water. Bottled only; tourist cafés use safe factory ice, street stalls — gamble.
[ ] Sunscreen SPF 50
    Equatorial sun burns through clouds, and ocean reflection doubles the dose. Sunscreen is pricey on Bali — bring it.
[ ] Remember: swim between the flags only
    Bali's ocean means rip currents, and they take lives every year. Swim at lifeguarded beaches between the red-yellow flags. Caught in a rip — swim parallel to shore, never against it.
[ ] A sarong for temples
    Temples require covered legs — a sarong is mandatory; rentals exist at entrances, but your own is nicer. Note the local rule that menstruating women shouldn't enter temples — it's taken seriously.
[ ] Know: monkeys steal
    In Ubud and Uluwatu monkeys snatch glasses, phones and earrings — some literally trade loot for food, they've learned. Nothing shiny in hand, no visible snacks, no eye contact.
[ ] Plan around the wet season (Nov–Mar)
    Rain comes as short violent bursts, mostly nights and mornings — days usually survive. Pack a poncho and quick-dry footwear, and keep sunrise volcano hikes flexible these months.
[ ] Light clothes + an evening layer
    Cotton and linen. The layer is for the highlands (Ubud and volcano evenings get cool) and icy AC.
[ ] Chargers: check your plug type
    Type C/F sockets (European standard). US and UK plugs need an adapter.
[ ] Set up an eSIM or buy Telkomsel
    Telkomsel has the island's best coverage. An eSIM (Airalo etc.) costs more but works from touchdown.
[ ] Install Gojek and Grab
    Rides, moto-taxis and food with upfront pricing. Note: in some areas (Ubud, Canggu) local taxi cartels ban app pickups — your driver may ask to meet around the corner.
[ ] Download offline maps
    Signal dies on mountain switchbacks and rice terraces. Offline Google Maps of the south and center saves the day.
[ ] Check in online for your flight
    Opens 24–36 hours out. It's a long haul — seats together are worth grabbing at opening.
[ ] Kids' documents
    Their own passport with 6 months' validity and their own e-VOA. Birth certificate if surnames differ.
[ ] Kids' first aid kit
    Child-dose fever reducer, kids' tummy remedies, thermometer, child-safe repellent. Bali belly hits kids harder — rehydration salts are essential.
[ ] Kids' sun protection
    Kids' SPF 50+, UPF swim shirt, sun hat. Villa pools burn kids just as fast as the ocean.
[ ] Kids swim at pools or lifeguarded beaches only
    Rips and shore break are no place for kids. For child-friendly swimming pick Nusa Dua or Sanur — the calmest coasts — or stick to the pool.
[ ] Snacks and entertainment for the road
    It's 12+ hours with a connection. Offline cartoons, small new toys, familiar snacks.
[ ] Bring an IDP with motorcycle category
    Bali police specifically stop tourists on scooters to check licenses: no IDP with motorcycle category means an on-the-spot fine — and void insurance in a crash.
[ ] Helmet — always, even to the corner warung
    Rain-slick roads, dogs, potholes and unlicensed tourists — everything's against you. Helmetless fines target tourists too.
[ ] Video the scooter at pickup
    Every scratch and mirror on camera before you ride. Never leave your passport as deposit — cash or a copy.

Checklist from Unload: https://unloads.me/c/bali