Bali Episode 5: The Visa Run
Read previous
Ubud Rice
Paddies or
next Amed
Monday 22 February 2010 Kuta Beach, Bali, Indonesia
I couldn’t believe it. No one questioned us regarding the fact we had no
luggage and a return ticket from Singapore to Bali just hours after we had left
Bali. Obviously we were not the first people to find ourselves in the
predicament of wanting to stay in Indonesia longer than a 30-day on Arrival Visa
allows. To think, if we had known the Indonesian government was going to relax
their Visa laws two days after we arrived in Jakarta on 24 January, we would not
have had to make this ridiculous round trip. Of course our timing was just a
little off and we had the choice to leave Indonesia and visit another country or
make the Visa run, which is what we did.
Kuta Beach is long and lovely. We arrived on Sunday afternoon when the beach
was filled with Indonesian families enjoying a weekend break. Once we had booked
into a small hotel with a pool we took a long walk on the beach taking in the
scene. There were impromptu soccer games lining the beach, young children
playing in the shallows and surfers trying their luck riding the waves. As long
as you did not venture out too far the surf was just right for learners.
Sections of the beach were marked out for safe swimming with lifeguards watching
the swimmers. Other tourists were lounging on the beach chairs lining the shore.
As always, there were offers of a Genuine Bali Massage at bargain rates.
There
were plenty of restaurants to choose from and if you were a shopper, lots of
souvenirs to buy. It was a good way to spend a sunny afternoon. We even had time
the next morning to go for a short swim before leaving for the airport.
Our flight to Singapore was at 1350 Pm and our return flight was scheduled
for 2000 PM. The flight to Singapore was uneventful and on time. Before we knew
it the 3 hour flight was over, we were through Singapore immigration, out of the
arrival area and back in the departure area for the wait until our return
flight. We had an early supper and browsed the Duty Free Shops. How is it that
the prices in these shops are always more expensive than what you would pay in
shops in town? Even with a 1 1/2 hour delay leaving Singapore we were back in
our hotel room by 12:30 that night. We were free to explore Indonesia for
another 4 weeks.