Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A mixed gay crowd of Indo-nesians and foreigners congregates in certain other Kuta ven-
ues, where they're welcomed without a problem. There are also established
cruising
areas in
north Petitenget at the far northern end of Kuta beach, and on Alun-alun Puputan in Denpas-
ar. Everything is a lot quieter and less overt on
Lombok
, where Senggigi clubs offer the best
chance of access to the local gay scene.
A lot of gay visitors and expatriates do have
affairs
with Indonesian men, and these liaisons
tend to fall somewhere between holiday romances and paid sex. Few Indonesians would clas-
sify themselves as rent boys - they wouldn't sleep with someone they didn't like and most
don't have sex for money - but they usually expect to be financially cared for by the richer
man (food, drinks and entertainment expenses, for example), and some do make their living
this way.
The Utopia website (
utopia-asia.com
) is an excellent
resource
for gay travellers in Bali
and the rest of Indonesia. The Bali-based tour agencies Bali Friendly (
balifriendlyho-
tels.com
)
and Bali Gay (
baligay.net
)
recommend gay-owned and GLBT-friendly hotels,
spas and package tours, while the umbrella organization for gays and lesbians in Bali and
Lombok is Gaya Dewata ( 0361 780 8250,
gayadewata.com
).
Insurance
It is vital to arrange
travel insurance
before travelling to Bali or Lombok, covering for med-
ical expenses due to illness or injury, the loss of baggage and travel documents plus cancella-
tion or curtailment of your journey. Most exclude so-called dangerous sports unless an extra
premium is paid: in Bali and Lombok, this can mean scuba diving, kayaking and whitewater
rafting.
Before buying a
policy
, check what cover you may already have. Your home-insurance
policy may cover your possessions against loss or theft even when overseas; in addition,
many credit cards include some form of travel cover and some private medical schemes, es-
pecially in Canada and US, may include cover when abroad. However, in many cases the
coverage from these sources is pretty meagre and you'll need to extend your cover or buy a
new policy.
Specialist travel insurance companies usually offer the most comprehensive and competitive
policies, or consider the
travel insurance
deal we offer. Many policies can be chopped and
changed to exclude coverage you don't need. With regard to medical coverage, ascertain
whether benefits will be paid as treatment proceeds or only after your return home, and be
sure to carry the 24-hour medical emergency number and the policy number with you at all
times. Always make a note of the policy details and leave them with someone at home in
case you lose the original. When securing baggage cover, make sure that the per-article limit
- typically under £500/$900 - will cover your most valuable possession.
