BALI Yoga Teacher Training

The Visa process for Indonesia can be a bit complicated so please take a deep breath and make sure to read this information from beginning to end.  A majority of the countries that you will be visiting from when you Travel to Bali are Visa Exempt which means you do not need to obtain a Visa prior to leaving your country of residence and flying into Indonesia (Bali).  For citizens of most countries (including Australia, U.S., Canada, European Union and South American) you can receive a Free Visa that is valid for 30 Days starting the day you enter the country.  To make sure you do not require a Visa before you enter Indonesia, please research online for the latest requirements.  One website you can visit is Bali.com to see the list of countries that are exempt from obtaining a Visa, however we are not sure how often it is updated so please research on your own to make sure that you are exempt from obtaining a Visa and will be able to enter the country with the Free Visa.

If you have already Registered for the Training/Retreat, please read the information below carefully.  Most of our Trainings are greater than 3 weeks in length and we are assuming that many students attending the training will either arrive early to Bali to adjust to the time difference or extend their trip after the training.  Therefore, we ‘Request’ that when you arrive to Indonesia that you obtain the additional Visa-Upon-Arrival.  The Visa-Upon-Arrival is in Addition to the Free Visa you would receive when you arrive if you were only planning on staying in Bali for 30 days or less.  The normal Free Visa is valid for 30 days and the Visa-Upon-Arrival allows you to extend your trip for another 30 days for a total of 60 days.  We request that you obtain this to make sure that there are no issues with someone having to leave the country during the training or someone having to pay extensive fees or getting in trouble with immigration officials upon leaving the country after the training.  This request is a Safeguard and many students may travel to, take the training and exit the country within the Free Visa 30 Day period, however we do not want anyone in the training to have any additional problems in regards to Visas in the event they decide to extend their trip after the training or there is an unforeseen event during the training that would cause them to have to extend their trip.  Please do not let this add stress to your planning for the training.  If you obtain the additional Visa-Upon-Arrival it will actually allow you more flexibility in your travel plans before or after the training and we want you to have this flexibility and not have to worry about your visa status during the training.  The Visa-Upon-Arrival basically allows you to stay in Bali for 60 Days.

Instructions On How To Obtain the Visa-Upon-Arrival: When your flight arrives to the airport you will exit the plane and follow the signs to Immigration.  While you are walking with everyone else to Immigration you will see a Sign overhead that says “Visa-On-Arrival” and there will be a person sitting at a counter that processes all of these Visas.  Do not follow everyone else going toward the main Immigration lines as they are most likely staying less than 30 Days and are not obtaining the Visa-On-Arrival.  At the counter for the Visa-On-Arrival, you will have to pay the required amount ($35 USD or equivalent – See pricing in the image below and note this was in 2017 so prices may have changed slightly).

Note they do not accept credit or debit card payment so we advise you to have the exact amount required in your currency (note this was in 2017 so prices may have changed slightly and it may be good to have additional money in your currency in case the prices have changed).  There is also a cash machine (ATM station) located near the counter and you can withdraw money in the local currency (Indonesian Rupiah) and pay for the Visa-On-Arrival with local currency, however it is not guaranteed that the machine will be working or have enough money therefore as a back up it is a good idea to have the cash available.  At the counter they will give you a piece of paper (see sample image below) indicating you have paid for the Option to extend your stay past the 30 Day Free Visa.

Make sure to keep this piece of paper with your passport and do not lose it as it is your proof that you have paid for this Option.  Note that this is not an actual Visa.  It is only documentation that you are reserving the Option to extend your stay outside of the Free 30 Day Visa that most other people are getting.  Now, depending on your travel plans and your time in Bali and during the training, you may or may not need to use this Option.  Again, this is a Safeguard to minimize any stress for any of the students attending the training in the event there is an unforeseen occurrence where they would have to extend their stay.  If you are planning on arriving for instance 2 days before the training and departing 2 days after the training, for a total of 29 days, you will not actually “have” to pursue obtaining the ‘actual’ Visa Extension.  If you have not purchased the Option for the Visa-On-Arrival and exit the airport there is NO way for you to extend your stay past the 30 Day Free Visa and you will be Required to leave the country before your initial 30 Days has expired or pay extensive fees to immigration when you do leave.  Once you leave the airport you no longer have the option to extend your Free Visa  (regardless of what people tell you) so please make sure to purchase the option to extend your stay with the Visa-On-Arrival as described above.  So if you are planning on only staying in Bali for 29 days as the example above describes, and during the training you decide to extend your stay in Bali for some reason or there is an unforeseen event that happens during the training you will not have the option to extend your stay and will be required to leave the country or pay fees for overstaying your visa and may affect your ability to be able to return to Indonesia in the future.  Now a brief explanation of the Visa-On-Arrival. As noted above, the Visa-On-Arrival is not an actual visa extension, it is only ‘reserving’ the option to extend your Free Visa for an additional 30 days from the original 30 Day Free Visa.  Using the example above of a planned 29 Day stay in Indonesia, if you do not decide to extend your stay and there are no unforeseen events during the training you would not need to exercise your option to use your Visa-On-Arrival.  If you would decide to extend your stay by 1 or more days or there was an unforeseen event during the training, you would need to extend your visa and utilize the option to extend your stay using the Visa-On-Arrival.  We have conducted over 20 trainings and plan the schedule so there will not be any conditions or events within our control where Peak Beings would extend the training.  We do not foresee any events happening outside of our control and have never had a training interrupted by extreme weather or other natural or political events, however we like to plan on the conservative side when it comes to the visas to make sure you are able to complete the training and yoga teacher certification.  To extend your visa past the original 30 Day Free Visa and utilize the 30 Day Visa-On-Arrival extension it is required by the Indonesian government that within 7 days of the expiring of your original 30 Day visa you have to apply for the Additional 30 Day Extension.  Peak Beings and the host lodge would assist you in obtaining the extension so you do not have to worry about the details to do this extension.  There are 2 different options to execute your 30 Day extension by either paying an agent (~$75-$100) to handle all of the visits (3 visits in total) to the embassy or to make the visits yourself (~$25).  We do not allow students to miss sessions or days during the training if they have planned their travel where their Visa expires during the training.  So we recommend that however you are planning your arrival you make sure that you have planned your Visa validity so that it does not expire during the training and you would be required to miss sessions during the training to deal with renewing your visa or you have planned it out that you will renew your visa through an agent on your own or with assistance from the host lodge.  In other words if you arrive to Bali 10 days before the training and your visa expires on Day 20 of the training, we do not allow you to miss class sessions to go to the embassy to handle the renewal process.  It is possible to arrive 10 days before the training and hire an agent (which the host lodge can assist you with) to handle the visa renewal, but it is not recommended as we want you to enjoy the training and relax and not be stressed about your visa validity.  If you have any questions regarding your specific plans, please don’t hesitate to Contact Us.

The airport you will fly into is Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar (Airport Code: DPS).  If you have any questions about booking your flight to Bali please do not hesitate to Contact Us.

All Host Lodges have shuttles that can be arranged to pick you up at the airport.  When you register we will notify the host lodge of your registration and we will put you in contact with the reservation office where you can inform them of your arrival date, time and flight number and they will arrange your shuttle and send you more information on finding your driver at the airport.  The cost for the shuttle will vary depending on how many other students/guests are also arriving at the same time as you are, but the cost will range from $15 to $25.  You can also schedule your own transportation if you are already going to be in Bali prior to the training.  The cost for this transportation should be similar to the cost from the host lodge.

Please make sure to read the above requirements for entering Indonesia.  So that you do not have any problems with withdrawing money or making purchases on your credit card we recommend contacting your bank or credit card company to notify them that you will be traveling to Indonesia (or other countries in transit) so that they do not block or limit transactions while in Bali. Make sure that your passport is valid and that it is not set to expire within 6 months after your travel to Bali as it is part of the requirement to enter Indonesia.  Indonesia has not allowed tourists into the country, and your airline might not allow you on the plane prior to flying from your departure country.

It is recommended to travel light and remember that you are traveling to a tropical area. Items that we recommend to bring during your trip are: yoga clothes, water bottle, sandals/water shoes/comfortable walking shoes, short-sleeve shirts (cotton or light synthetic), light fleece/sweatshirt (it can get chilly at night), pants (cotton or light synthetic), shorts, socks (1-2 pairs), undergarments, swimsuits, light raincoat or small umbrella, hat/bandana, notebook/pen, sunscreen, flashlight (or phone with light), binoculars, back/daypack, camera, toiletries. We promote natural clothing items (cotton), but synthetic clothing does dry better in the humid environments. Teacher Trainees bring a notebook or journal and if possible an ipod or mp3 player and associated chargers/batteries if you would like to use music during your class. Ipads, iphones, and other tablets are not allowed in Teacher Training classes for note taking. Note: All participants are required to wear a shirt or tank top during all the training classes.

Many local restaurants and stores will accept major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, etc.), however some shops do not accept American Express, so we recommend having 1-2 of these options if you are planning on using your credit card for a majority of your purchases, activities. Some of the activity companies will only accept cash. The local currency is the Indonesian Rupia.  The exchange rate is approximately 13,000 IDR to $1 U.S. Dollar.  Other currencies are typically not accepted at any of the restaurants, stores, etc.  We recommend exchanging some of your money at the airport ($50-$100) in case you do not have time to locate a currency exchange or cash machine prior to the start of the training.  There are many currency exchanges in the towns near the host lodge so it is not hard to exchange money.  The amount of money you should bring really depends on how much you plan to use cash, the number and type of activities you plan on doing and how much you plan to spend on shopping, meals outside of the lodge or other activities/entertainment.  There are ATMs in the towns near the host lodges so it is easy to take out money if you do not want to bring a lot of cash.  Just make sure to contact your bank before you travel so they know you will be using your card in Indonesia.  When exchanging money at local currency exchanges please ONLY go to certified exchanges (not little stands or shops that don’t look official or say they are certified) as there are crooked exchanges that will try to fool you and not give you the correct money back.  They can be like magicians with the money they are giving you so always make sure you count the money before leaving the currency exchange.

Bali is located near the equator, therefore you can expect average temperatures of 80 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit (26 to 28 degrees Celsius).  From June to September the humidity is low, and it can be relatively cool in the evenings so although it may be rare, it is good to bring one or two long sleeve shirts or sweatshirts. Usually days are sunny and if it does rain, it typically passes quickly or comes during he night time.

The accommodations at all of our Bali locations are amazing and we believe you will be blown away by the luxurious rooms, guest services and the detail that the host lodges have gone to in order to make your stay comfortable and relaxing.  It is best to visit each lodge’s website individually to see each of the different types of rooms.  Sheets, towels and bar or liquid body soap/shampoo are provided.

The host lodges have many available options for meals to adapt to any dietary restrictions. They strive to make sure that all guests leave the location raving about the amazing meals.  Most food is organic and sourced from local farmers.  We believe the meals will be one more reason you will be wanting to return to these locations again and again.

All of the host lodges have wifi/internet on the property, however the wifi signal and reliability may not be the same as what you are accustomed to at home.  Phones are available for use at the host lodge and you will be responsible for any charges.  If you do need to communicate with people outside of Indonesia regularly, we recommend using a service that you can use with wifi such as Skype, Google, Whatsapp or other phone applications.

All of the resorts have filtered water that is safe to drink.  In general the water in Bali is safe to drink in most hotels and restaurants as they host millions of tourists each year.  We recommend bringing a water bottle of your own to fill throughout the training, otherwise one can purchase one there.

Indonesia uses European-style two-pin round plugs (See image below) and Voltage is at 220 Volt (as opposed to 110 Volt in the USA or Canada).  Please check the electrical devices you will be bringing and research whether or not you will need a ‘converter’ (to adapt the electricity for your device) or only an ‘adapter’ (to adapt the actual prongs on the plug to fit into the wall outlet/socket).  Most common electrical devices (phones, tablets, laptops) will only need an adapter and not a converter.  The converters are needed more for devices that use more electricity like hair dryers.  If you are unsure, we recommend buying a converter/adapter like the Travel Smart 2 Outlet Converter Set with USB Port (available at Target) shown below so you can plug in multiple devices at once at airports, hotels, etc. and it comes with many adapters for different plugs.

All host lodges do a great job of adapting to all dietary needs of all guests.  Most food is organic and locally sourced from local farmers.  In the Registration Form you can note any allergies or dietary restrictions.  Water, coffee and tea are also available throughout the day.

The laundry services vary by host lodge, but you can expect to pay  approximately $5 per load at the lodge or you can also take the clothes to a local laundry shop where the cost is approximately $3 per load.

The Balinese people are among the most friendly in the world and theft or other crimes are not common.  All of the host lodges are private resorts and have 24 Hour security on-site, so theft is never a problem on-site.  Outside of the hotel, in town and at the beach (like most tourist areas) we encourage students not to leave valuables out or carry large amounts of cash and to always keep an eye on your belongings at the beach and although it is very rare, there is petty theft in the area.

Bali is Not a high-risk area for malaria and taking the malaria tablets can be considered controversial and have side effects or cause discomfort.  We recommend that you do some research and make your own decision on this.  Dengue fever is another mosquito borne illness to be aware of, however millions of tourists visit Bali each year without having any issues with contracting any mosquito borne illnesses.  The host lodges are located in relatively populated areas and therefore there is much less likelihood of contracting any illnesses related to mosquitoes as it is more common if you are staying in rural areas.  We always recommend wearing (natural) mosquito repellent, especially in the evening if you are outdoors.

All the host lodges have amazing pools (or multiple pools), juice bars, spas, and rooms with jungle and/or ocean views. The activities in the surrounding area are limitless.  Some of the activities you can enjoy are:

• Surfing and Stand Up Paddle Boarding
• Hiking in the surrounding jungle (guided or on your own)
• Horseback Riding on the Beach
• Tours to visit Rice Fields and Temples
• Snorkeling tours
• Diving tours
• Kayaking
• Eco Tours
• Boat Tours
• Fishing
• Farmer’s Markets
• Cafes/Bars/Night Clubs
• And many more…

Most host retreat centerss have on-site spas with many treatments available, including many different types of massages, facials, manicures, pedicures, waxing, etc.  Otherwise there are many very affordable spas nearby.

Yoga spaces vary by location and are beautiful open air spaces where you will enjoy your training.  Most of them have natural hardwood floors and some are screened in and some are open.  To check out the individual yoga spaces you can visit the lodges websites.

The host lodge/hotel has mats, blocks, and straps available to use during the training.  Other props vary by location, but most also have blankets, bolsters and other common props.  It is not necessary for you to bring your own mat or other props (blocks, straps and blankets), but if there are certain types of mats or props you require or like, please feel free to bring them.