Travel Info
Airlines & Travel Information
You will arrive at Ngurah Rai Airport, Denpasar (DPS). Please send a copy of your flight itinerary, including airline, arrival and departure times, and an emergency phone number to Contact@movingventures.org.
We recommend that you make your flight reservations at least 60 days before travel. Students have found competitive rates on websites like Kayak, Hotwire and Expedia. It is also wise to call the airline directly to see if they have any specials for the route you want to take.
We recommend: Qatar, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Air, Eva Air, Korean and China Airline.
Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines are considered two of the best Asian air carriers. In recent months, China Airlines has been getting good feedback.
AirAsia also offers great rates for flights around South East Asia. Booking directly with the airlines is commonly less expensive. Be sure to check your coverage for exchange or cancellation with your airline or agent.
Insurance
We require travel insurance for your journey to Bali. There are many travel insurance companies. We recommend Allianz: https://www.allianztravelinsurance.com/ (STA Travel (www.statravel.com), AAA (www.aaa.com) and Travel Insured (www.travelinsured.com) for affordable worldwide travel insurance.
Your airline will usually offer insurance at the time of purchase.
Please send a copy of your insurance document to us. With all travel worldwide, various unforeseen circumstances are possible, and it is better to be prepared.
Ground Transportation
The price of your training does not include transportation though we will assist in providing your transport requirements and help arrange shared transportation where possible. Cost is charged per car and price shared between the passengers in the car, paid in cash directly to the driver. As a guide in pricing per car, trips from the airport to Ubud are $30, and from the airport to Mimpi, Menjangan $70. Please send your arrival, departure and any other transport requirements info to Contact@ellen-watson.com. We can arrange for your pickup at the airport, hotel or answer any questions about transportation with price quotation.
Passport & Visa Information
All visitors to Indonesia must possess a passport valid for at least six months after their arrival date in Indonesia. Make sure you have at least 6 blank pages left in your passport. Failure to do so will result in denied entry to Bali.
Indonesia requires a visa to enter the country. Check online to confirm the current rules for your country. If you will be in Indonesia for 30 calendar days (that’s 29 nights) or less, you can obtain a “Visa on Arrival," which is free with many countries' passports. If you wish to stay in Indonesia for more than 30 days, or have the option to extend your visa to stay longer, you MUST buy the Visa on Arrival Extension for $35 USD. You will then be required to travel to Singaraja’s Immigration office, for finger printing and photo. You will leave your passport there for processing, and pay the fee for the transportation and the visa extension.
It is your responsibility to ensure you are eligible to receive a visa. You will pay in cash, either in USD or IDR, when you arrive at the airport. The VOA/Tourist visa can be extended three times while in the country for approximately $80.00 USD per month.
By far the simplest and least time consuming is the E Visa, B-211. Our Balinese agent, Ike can easily do this for you. The total cost for this service including the getting the document to add to your passport at Bali Immigration, is approximately 180.00 USD. The visa is a 60 day visa, extendable twice for a total of 6 months. Ike works via What’s App. If you choose this option, we’ll introduce you to Ike. Best to apply earlier than later; late applications work, though the expedited service adds cost to the basic price.
If you need to extend your visa during your program please let us know at the start of the program so we may prepare in advance to assist you with this. Further information and visa application forms can be found on the Indonesian Embassy website (www.EmbassyofIndonesia.org) or find the nearest Indonesian consulate.
Money
Money changers only accept clean, crisp notes without folds, wrinkles, staples or writing. Notify your credit card company that you will be travelling out of your country, and make sure that your credit card and/or debit card can be used internationally.
When you land, you can obtain Indonesian Rupiah from an ATM or by changing money at the airport or in the big cities, such as Denpasar and Ubud. Pemuteran (close to Mimpi) now has two ATMs. Though many restaurants and hotels now accept credit cards, it is best to have cash available.
Small shops usually prefer small notes. As of April, 2023, the exchange rate is:
USD $1 :15,000.00 IDR. Check www.xe.com for current rates, noting that money changers might offer a lower rate.
Please bring sufficient funds to pay shopping, meals, etc. not covered by the program.
Water & Plastic
Please bring a personal, refillable water bottle and a personal insulated mug for hot or cold beverages. MV will ensure there is water available in 5-gallon dispensers, near the class-room, for you to refill your bottles. Please refrain from purchasing plastic bottles in Bali and from taking plastic bags when you shop.
MovingVentures will provide you with a cloth shopping bag; take this with you when you shop. Please join us in reducing the impact visitors make on the island by Rethinking, Refusing, Reducing, Reusing, Repairing and Recycling.
Health & First Aid Supplies
You may want to bring Hydrochloric acid (HCl) supplements which help protect gainst stomach bugs and traveler’s diarrhea. Digestive enzymes and probiotics are also good natural preventative measures to take before each meal when traveling in foreign countries. Grapefruit seed extract also helps protect your belly/digestive tract. Charcoal tablets are a good alternative for upset stomach and diarrhea. Emergen-C vitamin C powder boosts the immune system and helps prevent dehydration. Goldenseal/Echinacea tincture or capsules are good for preventing colds and flu. Your personal first-aid kit should include Band-Aids, Arnica gel for muscle soreness, Neosporin, and anti-fungal ointment or witch hazel, a natural antiseptic.
Packing Tips
Porters are commonly available, and you’ll want to be able to carry the suitcases you bring with you. Pack lightly, start with what is essential, and leave lots of room for things that you might buy during your stay. Most airlines now only allow one bag that can fit under the seat with you in the cabin and two suitcases for check-in. Baggage limitations do vary by airline and class of service, so you must check with your airline. They do weigh bags and charge significantly for overweight luggage.
Please clean out your closets and drawers and bring clothes for adults and children and toys to be sent to the villages of our hotel staff, who are still recovering from the extreme situation created by the pandemic. If you bring two large suitcases on the way to Bali, filled with hand-me-downs for the Balinese, you can return with two bags filled with the amazing clothing, art and crafts of Indonesia.
We recommend that you take a trip to your local second-hand stores or bring old items of your own: children’s clothing, stuffed toys, T-shirts, reading glasses, old computers. The people who serve us during our stay will be delighted to have any of your hand me downs.
You may wany to Bring:
Sunglasses with a case, sunhat, sunscreen
Lip balm with sunblock
mosquito repellent
flashlight
alarm clock
personal toiletries: soap, shampoo
tampons or menstrual pads
extra pair of prescription eye glasses or contacts, if needed
Pocket calculator for converting money
Personal medications you regularly use
Small knife
Personal journal and pens
Camera and charger
Small umbrella or rain poncho (These can be also purchased inexpensively in Bali.)
Training Manuals
If your program includes a training manual this will be given to you at orientation.
Clothing
It is warm and hot in Bali all year round, and Bali is a Hindu island. Sleeved shirts and knee-length shorts/skirt is required (except in the swimming pool).
Most spandex clothes are too hot. Neat, comfortable cotton clothes are the best. Casual skirts or pants and tops with short or long sleeves for women. It is essential for both men and women to have something that does not leave limbs exposed for going into Balinese temples. You’ll want to have one long-sleeved blouse or shirt with a sash to wear with a sarong for inside temples. Men and women both wear sarongs and scarves/sashes. These articles of clothing can be purchased in Bali.
We Suggest :
Comfortable pants
Short-sleeve shirts
Shorts
Bathing suit
Walking or tennis shoes
Slip-on shoes such as sandals or thongs (It is customary to remove shoes when entering most dwellings in Bali.)
Light cotton sweater, jacket or scarf
Laundry
We will send massage sheets and sarongs out for laundering twice a week. For your personal laundry, you can either give it to your housekeeping angel, wash it by hand in your room and hang it to dry, or place your laundry in a pillow case, with your name and room number on it, and we’ll take on Wednesday and Saturday to our local village laundry to wash, dry and fold.
Shopping
Most of the shops in Bali do not take credit cards. It is possible to get credit card advances from the bank, but this can be time consuming and difficult. ATMs are plentiful and a convenient way to get cash. Bargaining is a way of life in Indonesia, and the Balinese are among the best. Consider it play.
Tips & Generosity
A gratuity of $10 USD per week, per person will be collected by one of our staff members. The collected money is divided evenly and put into envelopes with the name of each of the 100-plus staff members of Mimpi. Always remember, when receiving service from anyone, that the average wage in Indonesia is less than $5 USD per day. Please be generous when tipping our Indonesian brothers and sisters.
Electricity
Bali electricity is 220V and (most) outlets use 2-pin European-style plugs. Please bring adapters for your devices.
See you Soon!
We hope this information will inspire you and give you some specific ideas on what to expect during our time together.
If you have any questions or need further information, you can contact Ellen at +1831-212-1639, Mobile and What’s App, We Chat, or Ellen@Ellen-Watson.com. Ellen’s International travel schedule makes talking to her difficult at times and so please also carbon-copy emails to our team: Contact@Ellen-Watson.com. Both Nonik and Indra are also available on What’s App. Indra at +62 821-4494-2911 and Nonik at +62 896-0537-2192
Please remember to email the following to contact@ellen-watson.com
* Flight Itinerary - Arrival and Departure time and flight number
* Travel Insurance - Copy of policy with policy number
* Emergency Contact number - Family or friend contact
* Dietary requirements
* Details of any assistance needed in pre or post program travel in Indonesia