How to Get to Bali


Air Travel

All you need is an airplane ticket and a passport. When you arrive at the Bali airport they will make you buy a Visa on Arrival (VOA) which costs about $35 and can be paid with money from a nearby ATM or your credit card -- your choice. (There's a complicated way to buy your Visa on Arrival before you get to Bali, but there is no benefit to going through all that trouble).


Just book a round trip to Bali on the flights of your choice.


The official name of the Bali airport is Ngurah Rai International, but you'll usually see it referred to on travel web sites as Denpasar -- the city in Indonesia in which it is located.


As mentioned, if you are traveling with your own bike do NOT pay in advance for the airline to transport it -- wait until you get to the airline check-in counter and see if they charge you less.


Dates & Schedule

You want to arrive no later than noon on June 23rd, 2024. this is the day to relax and catch up after your flight. If you can arrive a few days earlier it is strongly recommended so you have time to shake off the jet lag. We can help book those extra nights if you wish.


Later in the afternoon we'll meet at the hotel to reassemble your bike if you brought your own, or introduce you to your rental bike.  We will meet in the evening for dinner together -- all included in the price of the ride, of course.



Our last night of lodging is June 30th We can help you arrange affordable transport to the airport if you wish.


If you wish to stay longer (and who wouldn't...) the hotel can help you coordinate transport to the airport for a modest fee, and we are happy to help you book additional hotel nights if you wish. There is no mark-up here -- you pay what we pay.



WARNING: Be careful with the calendar. Some flights arrive in Bali one or two days after you take off, due to time zone changes. Make sure you are arriving on the right date. Again, if you want to arrive a day or two earlier (highly recommended so you have time to adjust to the local time zone) let us know -- we will book you extra hotel nights.  No mark-up here -- again, you pay what we pay.



VITAL TRIVIA

There are two bike-related issues you should watch out for before you buy your airfare.

These only affect you if you are bringing your own bike with you on the plane


1. Check the itinerary for the flight you're thinking of purchasing.  If your plane takes off and immediately heads overseas, that's fine. But if your flight takes you from your hometown to another U.S. airport first, be careful. That first flight might be on a small commuter plane that will not have room for your bike.


For example, if you are starting your day in Philadelphia, your first flight might take you overseas to, say, Singapore, where you will change planes -- OK!  


But if your first flight is a short hop from Philadelphia to New York, you might be on a small plane that does not have room for your bike.  If the aircraft is described in the itinerary as a Narrow Body Jet you should find out if this is a 100-seat aircraft (fine) or a plane with only 14 seats (which may not have room for your bike).  Keep your eyes open for these airlines: Delta Connection, American Eagle, United Express.  These airlines are affiliated with major carriers, but they might be flying small commuter planes. You know how we keep stating that you should NEVER call the airlines about bringing your bike onboard? Yeah... this is the one exception to that rule!


2. Some flights involve two legs covered by airlines that are partners -- no problem. When you switch planes they automatically transfer your luggage.


But occasionally the travel web sites will offer itineraries that involve two airlines that are NOT partners.  In that case you may see a warning message like this one about "self transfer":


You do not want to have to pick up your bike at baggage claim in Singapore (or anywhere else!) and then check it in all over again for the flight to Bali. (You might even get charged twice for transporting your bike).  There are plenty of better flights available.  If you see this warning message you may be able to click a link (circled in red, above) to stop showing you these troublesome self-transfer flights.


Complete information on how to get from the Bali airport to our hotel inexpensively can be found here.


PS -- why don't we book airfare for you?


1. You can get a much better deal on a flight online than we can get by calling the airline and offering to buy a big block of tickets.


2. Can you imagine trying to get everyone to agree on one flight out of one airport?


3. Some of you may be paying for your flight with frequent flyer miles.


See you in Bali!