4 Things to Leave Home When Diving in Bali

1. High-heels & Make up Going on a dive-trip to Bali? Think fins, not heels…  Now this isn’t a common sight, but I have seen my share of high-heels & fake lashes while meeting & greeting guests at the dive center on the morning of their dives. This baffles me, because it’s probably the worst choice of things to bring for a beach holiday – Not to mention it gives you really bad posture 🙂 Bali has a decent party scene, but you can definitely get away with partying the night away in Kuta with flip-flops & a nice bronze tan.

2. Bulky Scuba Gear Lots of divers coming to Bali instantly regret bringing their dive gear along. Don’t get me wrong…I am the first to admit diving in my own set of gear is essential for a good dive, but as a traveler doing just a few days of diving you will find that reputable dive operators here in Bali often offer good quality equipment rental (and it may already be included as part of your diving package already)

Blue Season Bali uses Aqua Lung scuba sets for our rental that are serviced and replaced when needed, there are even prescriptive masks available. So, instead of lugging around your BCD, a pair of fins and a long wetsuit which is a good 5 – 6 kgs…Leave it at home. Unless of course you have a set of lightweight travel gear prepared for your Bali trip like this smiley blonde diver on the left!

3. Beach Towels Again, Many 5 star operations here in Bali provide beach towels. This will give you some extra luggage space for a lovely ethnic souvenir, rather than a wet towel at the end of your trip to remember your holiday by.

4. Foreign Currency We all know airport exchange rates are a rip off, but in Bali there is a different concern…Con-men that operate currency exchange counters. I won’t go into detail but do heed my advice, avoid any hand-written currency exchange counters. Your best bet is to bring some US dollars and use your credit card. Banks in Bali have a surcharge of 2.5% with every transaction, but it’s the safest way to travel around Bali. If you need cash just hit the ATMs in South Bali for some Rupiahs for shopping & tips –Just make sure you have some cash available if you spending a few nights at dive sites around north Bali as some small dive towns like Tulamben have no ATMs yet.