It's been a rough few years with very little international travel or holidays to look forward to. So, when borders opened and winter arrived, Maggie West and her partner Mac were beyond excited to book a long break in the much-loved destination, Bali.
Bali has it all, sun, beaches,
Bali travel: Kiwi traveller reveals what you should know before a trip
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Maggie West and her partner Mac spent a month in Bali and said it was the perfect spot to visit. Photo / Supplied
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Since there are no direct flights from New Zealand to Bali right now, what was the journey there like?
We flew with Jetstar and we did experience some changes to the flight date (moving it out) however, I managed to get it back to the original date.
Initially, we were scheduled to fly from Auckland to Sydney, then to Bali, however, an additional layover in Melbourne was added to the mix. In the end, we flew from Auckland to Sydney (5-hour stopover), Sydney to Melbourne (3-hour stopover) then Melbourne to Bali.
In total it was 19 hours flying which was rough but worth it in the end. We just wanted to get to Bali no matter how long it took.
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Luckily once we were there we had no cancellations or delays. Two women we met at the airport had their flight cancelled the night before and they had to rebook everything, due to the additional Melbourne flight.
What is the Covid response like in Bali right now?
We had to download Bali's tracer app before entering the country but once you arrived there were no masks in sight and we didn't use the tracer once.
What was the vibe like in Bali? Was it busy with tourists or quieter than previous trips?
Bali was buzzing which was great. Luckily we booked our accommodation in advance because lots of places were fully booked. You even had to pre-book restaurants and beach clubs. There were a few places that had since closed down due to the pandemic, however, most of the shops, streets, bars and restaurants in the Canggu and Uluwatu area were up and running. There were tourists galore.
Where did you spend your time, and what was your favourite place?
I spent a few days in Seminyak but the majority of our time was split between Canggu and Uluwatu – 2 weeks at each place. Canggu was amazing because of its food. Honestly, we had some of the best meals we have ever had there, particularly at a restaurant called Shelter, which was 10/10. It was also great because the waves weren't too crazy at Canguu so I could surf.
Uluwatu was my favourite location by far. It has white sand, clear blue water and a great chilled vibe about it (not as busy at Canggu). The surf was too big for me but Mac surfed and he said the waves were good and lots of people were out. Similar to Canggu, the food was fantastic and our favourite places were Tabu and Kellys Warung, which is right on Bingin Beach – the best Nasi (a traditional Balinese dish) was from here.
We stayed at an AirBnb which overlooked Bingin beach called Surf, Sun and Stay, and while there were a lot of stairs to get there, we had a balcony that overlooked the best sunset view.
How was the flight home?
We were meant to fly home on Sunday morning, August 7, but woke up to a flight cancellation due to staff issues. Jetstar rebooked us on the next flight out on the evening of August 8, so we had two extra full days in Bali which we weren't upset about. We were both offered $35 for food and $75 for accommodation, which didn't cover the costs fully, but helped.
Was any part of your travel different due to the risk of Foot and Mouth Disease?
Our flight home was longer than usual due to new measures related to the disease. We knew that our shoes would be checked at the airports, so washed our shoes and put them in our carry on in advance. This did make the process easier. Although, it still took a while for passengers to get their items checked when flying from Bali to Australia. Then, when we arrived in New Zealand there was another long wait but it was nothing crazy. My friend was delayed a few hours on her flight because of the additional checks, so we were lucky.
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If you could give someone planning a trip to Bali some advice, what would it be?
The Air New Zealand website was our saviour. It has a tool that lets you put in your destination and country of departure, and it will show what documents, tests and records you need, so it's smooth sailing at the airport.
