What nobody tells you before traveling to Bali

There are things no blog tells you until you live them, no matter how many times you've read about the destination beforehand. After 14 days in Bali, here's what we wish we'd known before packing.

Traffic rules more than you'd think, even over short distances. A trip that looks like 20 minutes on the map can easily turn into an hour, especially in the south of the island and at sunset. Don't plan your day glued to the clock.

Fast boat schedules don't have the organization of a European airport. Book ahead, arrive at the harbor with plenty of margin, and don't stack activities right after an inter-island connection.

Cash still rules in a lot of places. At hotels, modern restaurants and beach clubs you can pay by card without trouble, but at warungs, markets and with many drivers you need rupiah in hand — and the amounts, at first, look enormous on paper.

You'll be converting 100,000 IDR to euros several times a day during the first few days — install the conversion app before landing, not once you already need it in a hurry.

Monkeys are wild animals, not a photo op. Both at Ubud's Monkey Forest and in Uluwatu, they're used to tourists, but you should never touch them or carry visible food.

Bali is more tiring than it looks, and that's completely fine. You'll wake up early, walk a lot, and some days fall into bed exhausted — that's exactly part of the magic, which is why the itinerary includes days with no fixed plan at all.