With so many budget airlines offering cheap air tickets to Bali, it is quite common nowadays to arrange your own vacation and plan your own tour. You can easily do a cheap Bali tour package with the cheap air ticket, a discount hotel booking and some exciting activities.
Here’s the highlights of the activities I planned for a DIY 4D3N Bali tour package.
Authentic Balinese Massage
On the day of arrival, after checking in at our hotel, The Niche Bali Hotel and leaving our bags in the room, we went searching for authentic Balinese massage. Along the street of Legian, you can find many shops offering Balinese massage.
Take a walk along the Legian street and check out each of these massage shops to compare prices and select one with the right ambience and cleanliness.
For tourists, the price is about IDR$180,000 (about SGD$30) for 2.5 hours of Balinese massage. Since there are so many massage parlours and spas in the Kuta-Legian area, you can try to ask for discount or bargain for an additional hot-stone massage for body scrub or extension for additional 30 minutes.
Sunset at Kuta Beach
After the massage, we were energised and took a walk from Legian to Kuta beach. The entire area is catered for tourists and you can find souvenir shops, boutiques, dive shops, cafes, bars and more. It was just nice timing for sunset when we arrived at the Kuta beach.
If you feel lazy or in a hurry to get to Kuta beach, hop on to a metered taxis. I preferred the Bluebird taxi and it was recommended by our hotel concierge.
Or if you feel adventurous, you can rent a scooter for USD$5 per day and zip around the Kuta and Seminyak areas. You do not need a license to ride around in a motorbike. Many backpackers prefer this mode of transportation because it is convenience at a low price.
Tulamben Wreck Dive
The best time to dive at the shipwreck is from late March to July and from October to November. During these months, Tulemban wreck divers can see up to visibility of 40m or more! The Tulamben is famous for its wreck dive. The US Army Transport ship, Liberty sank into 120m deep water after it was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in 1942 during World War II. Now it is home to a huge variety of corals and many colorful fishes.
As a first-timer diver, it was easier than I thought. All I got to do was wade into the water with all the diving equipment and submerged into the sea. The marine fauna and flora was simply amazing.
I was quite curious about the black sand which unlike the white sand we are so familiar with. I found out from the divemaster that this black volcanic sand came from Mount Agung, last erupted in the 1960s.
Unforgettable Scuba Diving Experience
Looking back, my first scuba diving experience at Tulamben was rather eventful. I nearly got myself drown – I was too eager to dive deep without proper instructions and pool practices. I was lucky to be alive to tell you this story. Thanks to a young couple from Sweden whom we met along the dive trip, their jokes and spontaneity helped me to ease my shock after my near drowning experience.
Next up… White Water Rafting
