👆🏻7 Things We Wish We Knew Before Traveling to Indonesia

1. Travel days are real travel days

Distances may look short, but boats, ferries, traffic jams, and delays are common. A 50-km trip can take half a day. In Bali and Java, traffic can be slow and unpredictable. If it’s 1h on the map, plan 3h. The journey from Bali to Lombok took us 7 hours (instead of 5). And Google Maps showed us that it would take 7 hours to get to Sumbawa. Our bus broke down and we didn't arrive at our destination at 13 hours.
👉 Tip: Plan buffer days and avoid tight connections.

2. Cash is king (especially outside Bali)

ATMs exist, but don’t always work and card payments are limited in the countryside and local warungs. Sometimes you can also pay directly with Revolut. So download it here
👉 Tip: Withdraw larger amounts at once to avoid fees.

3. Food is incredibly affordable and delicious

But spice levels vary wildly. As a family, we often paid no more than €10 per meal in a warung. Rice or noodles (even plain) are available everywhere for children. If you say you don't want anything spicy for the little ones, the locals will respect that.

(Cheap) local restaurants are called warungs.

👉 Tip: Our favorites were Gado Gado and Nasi Goreng. Try it!

4. Locals are nice, but not the „Taxi-Mafia“

Don't trust the taxi drivers at the airport. When we arrived in Bali tired and exhausted and didn't have internet yet, we were harassed by drivers who seemed untrustworthy. When we said we would take a Grab, they claimed that Grab wasn't allowed to drive to the airport. We then ordered a Grab with Wifi from the Airport and found to our first accommodation much cheaper than if we had listened to the taxi drivers.

👉 Tip: Read Number 5.

5. (Local) apps make travel much easier

Apps like Gojek, Grab, MyTelkomsel and 12Go save time, money, and stress. We have also a guide for the best apps you need!
👉 Tip: Buy a local SIM card from telkomsel right after arrival in a local SIM Shop (just search one on Google Maps). It‘s the cheapest roaming option.

If you want to support us and need internet from the very beginning: We have made the best experience with Airalo (e-sim).

6. If you rent a scooter…

The rental fee for a scoopy (small motorbike) is usually IDR 75k (EUR 3.8) per day. If you rent a bike for a longer period, you can haggle. Than you can usually get a better price. Helmets are not normally included, so if you want one for the kids, let them know before.

By the way, you can fill up gas anywhere at small shops along the roadside (Bali, Lombok, and Java).

👉 Tip: A liter usually costs less in the little shops than at official gas stations, around 10-12k IDR.

7. Indonesia is very child-friendly

People adore kids. Children get smiles, help, and extra patience almost everywhere. We had conversations with locals that would not have been possible without the children to "break the ice".
👉 Tip: Don’t worry about traveling with kids - locals will often assist you naturally.

Bonus things we didn’t expect:

• Scooters are everywhere in Bali, so walking isn’t always easy or safe

• English is common in tourist areas, but limited elsewhere - a few Bahasa words help a lot (we have a Guide for that)

• Rain usually comes in short tropical showers, often in the afternoon or at night. (We have a weather guide too)

• Time is flexible - schedules are more relaxed, patience goes a long way.

• Nature is powerful: During our stay, there was an earthquake and a volcanic eruption. As the locals remained calm, so did we. But always act according to your gut feeling.