Hitchhiking in Bali, Indonesia
Welcome to Bali! A traveler’s paradise with rich culture, great weather, friendly locals and so much to do. For two weeks, I adventured around this beautiful island with a best friend of mine, Leigh. Charming, bubbly and always up for an adventure- it was Leigh who first suggested we hitchhike when found our severals without transportation on more than one occasion.
So what became of my first attempt at hitchhiking? A whole lot of new friends, memorable stories and several life lessons. Here you go, 10 things I learned hitchhiking in Bali!
1. Confidence is key.
In life and in hitch hiking. Half committing to anything will only get you half the results. This is where my friend Leigh stepped in and carried our team. I was feeling shy/nervous/weird about it the first few times but without skipping a beat, she stopped in her tracks, turned to face traffic and with her shoulders back and her head held high- confidently stuck out her thumb.
*I’m proud to say I’m not longer shy about it and have successfully hitchhiked in Germany and Hawaii!
2. SMILE & SPREAD JOY
I’m pretty much a fan of this rule in general but it is especially helpful when trying to hitch hike. No one wants to pick up a negative cloud of energy. If you want a car (or in our case, a moped) to stop- flash ‘em your pearly whites. Look confident and happy. Like their day would improve if they picked you up. Like they’d miss out on something fun if they didn’t pick you up! We made an endless amount of friends in Bali this way.
3. Kindness is a universal language.
The people who picked us up, often spoke very little English or none at all. But if didn’t matter. The ride was all smiles, waves and appreciative nodding.
4. It’s about the journey, not just the destination.
Leigh and I howled with laughter when we both squished on a moped with someone who stopped for us. Three adults squished tight on a moped jostling along through the bumpy streets in Indonesia. It didn’t even matter where we were going because we were having so much fun getting there.
5. The Balinese people are some of the kindest, warmest and most inviting people I’ve ever encountered.
If you’ve been to Bali, know someone whose been to Bali or even read the book Eat, Pray, Love – then you know the reputation of the Balinese people. They are generally friendly, kind and very welcoming. Well our hitch hiking adventures proved it to be true time and time again!
6. Find yourself a travel partner who is down for an adventure at anytime.
Who isn’t afraid to look silly, be silly or do something silly. Like hitch hiking across Bali at 4am because you missed the bus to do a sunrise hike up Mt. Batur, whoops…
7. Go with the flow.
Because of the language barrier, we didn’t realize we had communicated the wrong place to our driver. We wound up somewhere different than we planned but WOW, it was incredible to watch the sunrise from Campuhan Ridge Walk. Lots of wrong turns, confusion and giggles led to a wonderful, mistake. Such a happy accident!
8. Say yes to the adventure.
Now I’m not saying be reckless but when you are open to new experiences, incredible things happen. My last night in Bali we wound up swimming in a luxury villa because of friends we had made while eating street food!
9. Strangers are friends you just haven’t met yet.
Now I know we are all taught stranger danger (especially growing up in the United States) but if you are smart, trust your instincts, and recognize we are always putting our trust in fellow humans.. whether it’s the pilot flying your plane or the hotel workers who all have access to your hotel room…we are always at the mercy of our fellow human beings. Personally, I have always chosen to hitch hike during the day with another person and only for a short distance. Although I have friends who swear by it and have hitchhiked solo across several countries!
10. Be willing to step out of your comfort zone.
Often our best stories come from circumstances that involved us trying something new and intimidating, when we look back and say wow, I can’t believe I did THAT!
Like when we realized at 4am we were too far from the rice terraces to catch the sunrise… Leigh and I could have shrugged our shoulders and gone back to our hotel room. But instead, refusing to accept defeat, we hitch hiked! We drove through small villages and past local markets in the front seat of a truck with the nicest old man. He only knew a few words in English (and had even fewer teeth!) but waved and smiled at us the entire time while we giggled and joked about the randomness of the situation. Leigh and I often laugh about that day and are so thankful for the memory we share.
So I encourage you to go and do something adventurous today. Something to shake up your routine, make you laugh and perhaps make you a bit uncomfortable as you step into new territories but ultimately a memorable adventure.
INTERESTED IN TRAVELING TO ASIA? CHECK OUT TOURRADAR’S ARRAY OF GUIDED TRIPS!
Want more posts on Indonesia? Check out STAR CLIPPERS SAILING: EXPLORING ISLANDS OF INDONESIA & WHERE TO STAY IN BALI TO AVOID THE CROWDS
Okay I know hitchhiking is a lot more common once you’re out of the United States but honestly it scares me haha! I love reading your blog post on it though, it gives me a lot of new perspective 🙂
I’m glad you liked it 🙂 It definitely is A LOT more common in Europe and abroad. People don’t really do it in the USA much and there are laws against it. But else where in the world, it’s pretty typical.