One thing Australian model Olivia Molly Rogers will never do in Bali
Aussie model Olivia Molly Rogers has been to Bali seven times and she has revealed the one thing she will never do on the popular island.
Australian model Olivia Molly Rogers is relocating from her Melbourne apartment to Bali for a month this winter.
The former Miss Universe Australia will jet off in July and plans to spend her month on the popular holiday island with different loved ones, including her mum, friends and boyfriend, fellow model Morgan Waterhouse.
Rogers is no stranger to Bali, having visited about seven times before.
Speaking to news.com.au about her plans and love for the tourist hotspot, she said she had learned a thing or two about avoiding “Bali belly”.
The 31-year-old said she will never consume water from a tap, which means avoiding ice in cocktails, fresh salads – and always using a water bottle to brush her teeth.
“Avoid ice in your drinks because a lot of the time it’s the water from the ice that can then get you sick,” she said.
“If you’re not just eating at expensive places you’ve got to be a bit more careful. Generally the more expensive places are pretty safe.
“A lot of people also say to avoid salads. I have a lot of cooked greens when I’m over there but sometimes lettuce leaves might have been washed with a contaminated water that can get you sick.”
As for brushing your teeth with bottled water, Rogers warned with a laugh: “If you make the mistake of running it [your toothbrush] under the tap, you will not forget that mistake.”
Australian doctor and founder of Femma, Emma Rees, previously explained to news.com.au: “There is a risk of pollution to water sources in Bali, which is linked to problems with infrastructure for sewerage and water treatment and also due to water pollution caused by industry in neighbouring islands.
“Tourism usually requires an increased amount of water to support swimming pools and food outlets among other activities and with less investment in water supply, the safety of potable water suffers.”
Dr Rees said tourists can contract Bali belly caused by ingesting bacteria from contaminated food or water.
Ahead of her trip, Rogers has teamed up with travel search engine KAYAK to launch its newest campaign focusing on making “core memories” while travelling.
Bali is the second most searched international destination on KAYAK for the second half of this year, the company said. The most searched is London.
According to its data, the most affordable month to fly to Bali from Australia on average is November and the most expensive is December.
“For those after an affordable international getaway, the average return economy flight to Bali is around $734 for the remainder of the year,” KAYAK brand director Nicola Carmichael said.
“If you’re looking to save, we recommend opting to travel to Bali in November rather than December, as you could save over $250 on your flight.”
Rogers also had advice to offer on must-do activities for tourists in Bali.
She suggested travellers get to popular beach clubs early to reserve a good spot and to book into popular restaurants before even getting on the plane.
On the top of her foodie list is La Lucciola, which offers beachside Italian dining in Seminyak.
“That will be one of the first [I book]. Last time I went I missed out and I was devastated, so I’m learning from my own mistakes this time,” she said.
Her other favourites in Seminyak are Barbacoa, known for its Latin American cuisine, and Bambu, specialising in Indonesian cuisine.
Apart from the food, Rogers said the thing that keeps her coming back is the Balinese people.
“They’re always so happy and a lot of them don’t have that much but they are just so upbeat and positive, and I feel like that’s infectious,” she said.
She describes the moment of stepping off the plane in Bali as a feeling of “instant relief”.
“There’s something about the warmth and smell, and when I say that to some people, they say, ‘The smell, really?’ But I like the Bali smell, the familiarity of it,” she said.
One thing that she learned through her partnership with KAYAK on its “core memories” campaign was how to better remember experiences.
She will be writing down four things that have happened each day in Bali, good or bad, to help jog her memory long after the trip is over.
“I feel like sometimes it’s the negative, funny things that happen along the way that end up being big memories from a trip,” she said, adding that a journal can sometimes feel like homework so she’ll be sticking to dot points in the notes app of her phone.
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