Skip to main content
Missions101 is part of the Adventures In Missions network.

Bali

Safety

Safety in Bali, Indonesia
What do other Racers need to know in order to be safe? Current safety protocols/precautions in place? Any relevant issues/concerns? Any precautionary suggestions?

People’s Opinions

  1. Just like the other log posts, Bali is pretty safe where we were at the C3 office. Most people here are friendly and helpful.When out in public, keep your bags close and preferably where you can see them at all times. I simply carabinered my zippers together when I went out for ministry on the streets to keep pick pockets out.The office where we stayed is reasonably safe. We did have a drunk guy walk in one night. We had to keep the doors cracked for airflow and he tried to come in the front. Our host says that he was lost and trying to get home, but keep in mind that not all drunk guys are the same. Try not to have the front doors open enough to be visible from the street. Keep the keys handy just in case you feel that you need to lock the doors.
  2. The island of Bali is relatively safe as long as you use the buddy system. Because we have such a large team (8 women), our host made a rule that we should walk around as a group of 4 (maximum) or a group of 2 (minimum). Having 8 American girls walk around in a large group together would draw too much attention. There are so many tourists in and around Bali though that safety isn’t as much of an issue as it might be in other areas of Indonesia.
  3. There are tons of tourists all around the island so it’s fairly safe. Always have a buddy at night time though because we heard in some areas backpackers are targeted for theft.

Ministry Summary

Ministry Summary in Bali, Indonesia
Breakthroughs? Suggestions? Concerns? On a scale of 1-4 (1 being not at all, 4 being absolutely) how strongly would you recommend another World Race team go to this ministry location & why?

People’s Opinions

  1. CommentC3 North Kuta is mainly “treasure hunting” where you go out to parks, beaches, malls, etc. and invite “people of peace” to join you on Sunday. We then ask if they would like to form house churches in their homes all over the island. You also put on a children’s/teens ministry to teach English. You pretty much advertise it as an English speaking community. Our month was a little unexpected and every week was different than we planned. We heard that there would be plenty of time for ATL, however we’ve found that our days are FULL and our host, Wita could “treasure hunt” all day. Sometimes you have to force him and his wife to rest because they go full strength 24/7. Our final week we went to a village called Batuan that wanted to introduce English to it’s children. Because the volcano erupted, not as many tourists are visiting the island. Batuan wants to create as many opportunities as possible for the next generation.
  2. Team Radiant Daughters worked with C3 North Kuta (a church plant in the touristy area of Bali). C3 North Kuta has what they call “discovery group” which is basically a bible study to teach and learn more about God and others in the church. The 11am Sunday service is an English-speaking service held in a hotel that involves worship and discovery group. C3 also does Active English/discovery group with middle to high school aged children in the community of Tabanan. Women in the church get together on Tuesday nights and then there are “house church” groups throughout the week. This month has been interesting because there is no real schedule and it is illegal to share the Gospel in a closed country – we just play it by ear most of the time and do our best to share the love of Jesus to the people we come into contact with. Pak Wita and Carrol are incredibly gracious and generous hosts who have such big hearts for the Lord; however, it is difficult not having a more structured ministry and guidance from them. (rating: 3ish)
  3. Legian:Kuta International Christian Church is a great English speaking church that loves visitors. The congregation is primarily Aussies and ex-pats with a few Balinese attendees. It’s located at Jl. Patimura, Legian, Kuta, Bali 80361 and services are at 10:30am on Sundays!Ubud:Hill of Shalom Church in Ubud is another English speaking church full of ex-pats. Nice pastor and community of people. They support an orphanage on the other side of the island so there’s a potential for ministry outreach too!

Lodging

Lodging in Bali, Indonesia
Where did you stay? What were the accommodations (sleeping arrangements, toilets, showers, etc.)? Cost (per person per night in USD), Contact info.

People’s Opinions

  1. Bali debrief! The squad stayed at the Borough capsule hostel, and mentor and coaches stayed at the Royal Tunjung across the street— all within debrief budget. We had morning devotions on the Borough hostel roof, then rented the meeting room at the Swiss-Belinn hotel for debriefs.
  2. Borough Capsule hostel: $8 a night, breakfast included (toast, fruit, instant coffee), Coffee shop on 1st level, staff is INCREDIBLE and willing to accommodate any request. 5 minute walk from the beach.Do not have a good space for big group meetings but there’s Swiss-Belinn around the corner.Swiss-Belinn: meeting space upstairs, they charged us $100 for 5 hours a day for 5 days
  3. With C3, we stayed in Pastor Wita’s office. But be prepared, it is not an office in the American sense. It is a storage unit with a bathroom around back. The bathroom has a squatty potty that backs up if you put toilet paper in it. DO NOT PUT TOILET PAPER IN THE TOILET! We literally scooped poop out with our hands. Also the water doesn’t ever work. Even if you pray over the faucet. So when it does work, fill up every bucket you have so that you can flush the toilet.There are 2 rooms to sleep in. One bedroom with a squatty potty and then the main storage room. We let the married couple stay in the bedroom while the rest of us stayed in the main storage room. The room we sleep in has tile floor, so bring a good sleeping pad. You will want your nets or tents up because of the mosquitoes and geckos.If you don’t have a fan then you will slowly boil to death in your tents. Pastor Wita gave us one fan that we took turns using between the office and the bedroom. We leave the back door and the sliding garage doors in the front open a bit for airflow.And please use your surge protector. There is only one plug and you will flip the circuit breaker if you plug more than two things in.Bring earplugs, you will be right by the main road and it is SOOOOOOO loud. Even if you are naturally a heavy sleeper its often too loud to get a good nights sleep.There are neighbors too. A little mechanic shop in the next office, and a couple that lives behind. Sometimes they come home drunk.
  4. If you’re in the touristy regions, Legian and Seminyak areas are nicer and safer than Kuta or Denpasar, but more expensive. I would highly recommend against the Camp Hostel in Legian– though the cheapest, it has strong party atmosphere and is not very safe.
  5. Funky Monkey cost 130.000 rp. per person a night. They had free pancakes 24/7.They also had good contacts for off days too like surfing, day trips, and other things.

Food / Meals

Food / Meals in Bali, Indonesia
What did you eat? Where did you get the food? Cost (per person per day in USD)? Contact info (if applicable).

People’s Opinions

  1. With C3 we ate most of our meals out at restaurants, or Wita picked us up some Volcano Rice(Yellow Rice, Coconut, Caramelized Soybeans, Chicken, Egg, and Beef. ie. the greatest thing you will have in Bali) Be very prepared for Bali Belly! Most of the personal money you will spend in Bali will be from random ice cream parlors, coffee shops, and street carts that Wita will take you to during ministry.We ate breakfast at Wita and Carol’s house almost every morning. Don’t be afraid to try her crazy food. It’s so worth it. Drink as much white coffee as you can while you’re in Bali. You will miss it once you’re gone.The most important thing I can tell you about food is DO NOT ORDER A HAMBURGER in Bali. I can promise you that you will be disappointed every time. The closest thing I had to an American Burger was at The Nook in Seminyak.
  2. If you stay in the C3 office on Jl. Pantai Kedungu, there is a place called TOP COFFEE right down the street where you can get a big plate of Nasi or Mie Goreng and a Pop Ice slushie for less than $1USD. Not the best food I’ve ever had, but it is tasty and authentic Indonesian food for cheap.SizzleWraps near Changgu is another INCREDIBLE Mexican food place that has carnitas/crunch wraps/burritos/etc and unlimited tortilla chips (Andy makes a mean crunch wrap)! It’s around 50,000+ rupiah ($4+USD) for each dish but the portions are large and you can get a box to go.Earth Café is a cute and fantastic vegan/vegetarian place near Seminyak Beach. I would 100% recommend it to anyone and everyone (and I’m not even a vegetarian).Café Legian 27 is a great coffee shop/eatery in the Kuta Beach area that has great smoothie bowls (so my teammate says, I didn’t have one).Nasi and Mie Goreng (fried ride or fried noodle) are dishes you can find everywhere and they mostly taste the same everywhere you go; Indonesian food has been my favorite food so far on the Race so enjoy it while it lasts!!!

Transportation

Transportation in Bali, Indonesia
What transportation did you use to enter the country? Where were you coming from? What transportation was used to move throughout the country? Be sure to include the cost per person in USD and contact info if applicable.

People’s Opinions

  1. We were with C3 North Kuta! We flew into Bali and were picked up by our host, Wita, and Dody. Dody is Wita’s driver and the most reliable, but you must book him in advance. I would use him for airport pickup – when it matters the most. Otherwise, he is generally double the price of an Uber or Grab.

    Many times we used Uber, because Grab may ask for additional payment. We stayed Tabanan which is more rural, it will cost anywhere from 80 rupiah – 125 rupiah. Depending on the tourist section of town you are driving from, it may take a couple Uber/Grab calls to get picked up. Always plan for 20-30 of waiting.

    I also recommend downloading Grab while you have access to your SMS number in the states if possible.

    Have both apps downloaded and always have extra cash on hand.
  2. Our team had to take TWO trains, a boat and a bus to get to our ministry location in Bali from Jakarta (hopefully you’ll just get to take a plane).

    If you’re with C3 North Kuta, Pak Wita and Carrol will provide transportation to and from ministry; however, there will often be times when you want to do an ATL or don’t have scheduled ministry as a team (and then you’ll have your off days and adventure days). In this case, you’ll want to have your Grab app downloaded – it’s similar to Uber – and you’ll use that as your main form of transportation. It’s not too expensive when you have multiple people, but just be aware that it adds up when this is your main way of getting around.

    We formed relationships with some of our Grab drivers and then would just shoot them a message if we ever needed to go somewhere.

Medical

Medical in Bali, Indonesia
Information on local hospitals / doctors / pharmacies. Where would someone go in a medical emergency? (addresses and contact info).

People’s Opinions

  1. We were with C3 North Kuta and stayed in the town of Kediri near our hosts’ home. There is a local government hospital, Tabanan General Hospital, that we visited with the help of our hosts. It takes a separate appointment to get a blood test, so I would be upfront if you want one. Otherwise they take your blood pressure and poke you, before a quick diagnosis. I would recommend going with a Bahasa speaker.

Communication

Communication in Bali, Indonesia
Did you have cell reception / Internet service? Where? Carrier / Provider, where did you get phones / SIM cards, cost? Country code?

People’s Opinions

  1. We went with our hosts to get SIM cards in Kediri. Not sure if they worked all the time. Be sure to know how much data you are buying – we were kind of clueless.Our host also had a portable wifi that we purchased a SIM card, as well. Be careful to use it sparingly to order an Uber or grab.

Financial

Financial in Bali, Indonesia
Location of banks or ATMs, notes about transaction fees, best places to exchange money, and other money related advice.

People’s Opinions

  1. There are ATMs everywhere, but only use the ones inside stores. There are many in little buildings by themselves, but they are unsafe.There are ATM fees for practically every ATM. Most of the fees are only 25,000 to 50,000 Rupiah.Be aware that you can only take out a limited number from ATMs, so treasurers make it a habit to be on the lookout for ATMs.
  2. If you are a treasurer for your team, bless you. I am too! The nice thing about Indonesia is that everything is super cheap (even in Bali, unless you go to more touristy areas).Where we were staying, there were unfortunately no ATMs nearby. Pak Wita and Carrol will make sure to find one for you and drive you there though if you ask. I never had to exchange money myself, but they will also do everything they can to help you with that if needed. ATM fees do not show up on the receipt but they were $2.50 everywhere I went. You will probably be under budget this month, so yay!

Translators

Translators in Bali, Indonesia
List any local translators – name and contact information, languages spoken

People’s Opinions

  1. Comment

Off Days / Fun Activities

Off Days / Fun Activities in Bali, Indonesia
What activities did your team experience? Recommendations? List locations/contact info. Any locations to be avoided? Any extra safety tips for off days?

People’s Opinions

  1. Your ministry weeks will be so full that you need to take your rest days seriously. Wita and Carrol are so gracious and are willing to show you everything in Bali. But when your rest day comes around, actually rest! Go to a cafe and sit for a couple hours. Or stay back at the office and sleep all day. Do whatever will rest you and make you ready to save the world again…As for your adventure days seriously just do what you want. Wita and Carrol are willing to do anything for you, including taking you up a volcano to hike to a waterfall. But I highly suggest visiting a restaurant called “Shelter” in Kuta. They have the best smoothie bowls! Wita knows all the hidden exploring places in Bali, and Carol knows all the hidden food places in Bali.Also, when you go anywhere in Bali take a swimsuit and an extra pair of clothes. I can’t tell you how often we went out for ministry all day and then ended up in somebody’s pool that night.
  2. Wow! So many places. Visit the Tegallalang Rice Terraces north of Ubud and try some Luwak coffee while overlooking the terraces; then journey down to the Ubud center where you can visit a traditional Art Market and some cute cafes/shops. There is an 11th century temple called Elephant Cave close to the town center as well, we just didn’t have time to go so I don’t know what it’s like.Canggu is a cute town near North Kuta that is absolutely worth the trip to. Lots of cute shops and cafes (try out The Bungalow); it would be perfect for a rest day! I’m actually here right now for my rest day.Unfortunately, I didn’t get to surf; but if you’re a beach person, Bali has some of the top surfing beaches in the world so try out surfing at Uluwatu or Kuta Beach.I didn’t visit, but from what I understood, Tanah Lot temple isn’t worth it. It’s close to where you will stay with C3 though, so you might like to watch the sunset there anyway. If you go, do NOT try to take a Grab home from there. The local transportation service has a monopoly on all transportation in the area and if they know you are using Grab, it can get ugly. If you do decide to get a Grab instead of paying outrageous taxi prices, just don’t let the taxi service workers know that you are ordering a Grab (they will be pushy if you look like you are leaving and need transport).Another place that’s NOT worth it is the Monkey Forest in Ubud.

Other Important Contacts

Other Important Contacts in Bali, Indonesia
Additional ministry opportunities, local pastors, etc. Relationship & follow up suggestions

People’s Opinions

  1. His name is Dwi! He is the cutest little shop owner in Kuta, Bali! AND he is very curious about Christianity! I was unable to meet with him again before we left Indo! But he had a lot of questions! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, if you have the opportunity to go to Kuta, please look him up! Here are his business cards! And a picture of him with his family! He is searching for Jesus!! He is ready!
    Dwi
  2. His name is Dwi! He is the cutest little shop owner in Kuta, Bali! AND he is very curious about Christianity! I was unable to meet with him again before we left Indo! But he had a lot of questions! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, if you have the opportunity to go to Kuta, please look him up! Here are his business cards! And a picture of him with his family! He is searching for Jesus!! He is ready!
    lita shop
  3. His name is Dwi! He is the cutest little shop owner in Kuta, Bali! AND he is very curious about Christianity! I was unable to meet with him again before we left Indo! But he had a lot of questions! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, if you have the opportunity to go to Kuta, please look him up! Here are his business cards! And a picture of him with his family! He is searching for Jesus!! He is ready!
    dwi tour driver

Tips

People’s Opinions

  1. Always wear sunscreen and bug spray. Regardless of how long you think you’ll be in the sun, put it on. I’ll give you an example: one day we were teaching English in a small village and the leaders asked if we wanted to take a few pictures in a rice field. After an hour of traditional makeup and dress we got in the back of a truck and drove to the rice fields for 3 hours for pictures in the sun. True story.You need a spork for sure. Bring your camping dishes, cups and plates. If you don’t you’ll eat 3 at a time and then not be able to wash the dishes for the next 3 because there’s no running water…Carry a stick, preferably with rusty nails, to keep the dogs away.Make everyone on your team download Uber and Grab. Connect it to your team card. You will use Uber and Grab everyday. Dody is nice and reliable, but too expensive for everyday transportation.The cows you’ll walk by are typically tame.

Additional Info

Additional Info in Bali, Indonesia
Anything we’ve left out? Any additional suggestions to make travel easier for others?

People’s Opinions

  1. The people of Indonesia are incredibly generous people. People of Peace are people who invite you into their homes and families, and these are the people you want to build relationship with and share the heart of the Father with. If people are gracious enough to offer you something, use discernment but you should generally not decline the offer.Many people in Indonesia speak at least a little English, but it would be a great idea to learn some Bahasa Indonesia and use it because it can go a long way in building relationship.