The news will always report what makes people interested in reading articles . They aren ' t going to report on the kindness and non headline behaviors . I spent two weeks there around this time last year and almost everyone was incredibly kind hearted and helpful . They aren ' t going to randomly select you for a drug test or stop you unless you give them a reason to . They have also relaxed their tourism visa laws a lot . I did not need a Visa on Arrivalfrom US and I believe since March 2016 neither do A u s t r a l i a n s i n d o n esiaentryrequirementsbali . html . I wouldn ' t carry around a ton of cash either . I would have enough to get you through a few days of tourist activitiestaxis , food but nothing large . There are plenty of ATMs . You ' re going to one of the most beautiful places on earth with wonderful people , get excited !