Bali

Why Bali

People love to say Bali is overrated. Those people stayed in Kuta and never left. The actual island, once you know where to go, is absurdly good. You can eat a plate of nasi goreng that ruins every other version you will ever try, for about two dollars. The surf works for beginners and pros on the same coastline. And the whole place costs a fraction of what you would spend anywhere in Europe or Australia for a comparable trip.

What most guides will not tell you is that Bali changes fast. Spots that were quiet two years ago are now packed. Places that used to be packed have cleared out because everyone moved on to the next thing. This guide reflects what is actually happening on the ground right now, not what was true in 2019.

Where to Stay

Canggu

The default for a reason. Batu Bolong is the main drag and where most of the energy is. Good surf, good cafes, and enough nightlife to keep things interesting without it turning into a party island. Berawa is slightly more upscale and quieter. Pererenan, further north, is where people move when they think Canggu has gotten too busy. It has. But it is still the best all-round base on the island.

Pool villas go for $40 to 80 a night. You can find decent hostels around $15 to 25. The catch is traffic. Getting in and out of Canggu at peak hours is painful. If you are heading to Uluwatu or Ubud for the day, leave early.

Ubud

Ubud is the part of Bali that makes you want to extend your trip. You wake up to roosters and rice paddies instead of scooter horns. The food scene here is quietly excellent, the yoga and wellness stuff is everywhere if that is your thing, and the Tegallalang terraces and Sacred Monkey Forest are both within a 15 minute drive. It is cheaper than the coast too.

Stay in or near the centre if you want walkability. The further out you go, the more beautiful the settings get but the more reliant you become on a scooter. $35 to 70 a night gets you something genuinely nice.

Seminyak

Seminyak is for people who want Bali with polish. Beach clubs, proper cocktail bars, boutique shopping, restaurants where the menu is a designed object. Potato Head is here. Ku De Ta is here. It is the most expensive area on the island but couples and anyone over 30 who has done the hostel thing tend to gravitate here naturally. Villas with private pools start around $80.

Uluwatu

The Bukit Peninsula feels like a different island. Cliff edges dropping into the Indian Ocean, surf breaks that draw people from around the world, and a string of new cliff clubs that have completely changed the area in the last few years. Ulu Cliffhouse, Sundays Beach Club, the single fin at the top of the cliff at sunset. You need a scooter because everything is spread out and Grab availability can be patchy. $30 to 60 a night.

Skip Kuta. Unless you have a 5am flight and need to be ten minutes from the airport, there is no reason to stay here. It was the original tourist hub but the rest of the island has lapped it completely.

Things to Do

Temples and Culture

Uluwatu Temple on the cliff at sunset with the Kecak fire dance is one of those things that actually lives up to the hype. Get there by 5:15 because seating fills up. Entry is about 50,000 IDR. Tirta Empul near Ubud is the holy spring temple where you walk through a purification ritual under a series of water spouts. Even if you are not remotely spiritual, standing in that water surrounded by people who have traveled specifically for this moment does something to you. Tanah Lot is the postcard temple on the rock in the ocean. Best at sunset, touristy but the setting earns every visitor it gets.

Nature and Adventure

The Mount Batur sunrise trek means getting picked up at 2am, which sounds awful, and it is, right up until you are standing on the rim of a volcanic caldera watching the sun come up over the lake. Moderate difficulty. About $45 with a guide. Nusa Penida is a 30 minute fast boat ride that feels like arriving on a completely different island. The T-Rex cliff at Kelingking Beach is ridiculous in person. Angel’s Billabong, manta ray snorkelling, the whole day trip costs $50 to 70 and is worth every bit of it.

Tegallalang rice terraces north of Ubud are iconic. Go before 9am or do not bother. By 10 it is wall to wall selfie sticks and the magic evaporates.

Food

Eat at the warungs. This is not optional advice. A plate of nasi campur at a busy local warung for 30,000 IDR will often be better than the $15 version at a restaurant with a website. The key is to find the spots with high turnover. If it is packed with locals at noon, sit down.

For a splurge, Locavore in Ubud uses only Indonesian ingredients and consistently makes the lists of Asia’s best restaurants. Book early. The coffee and cacao plantation tours near Ubud are low key but interesting. You taste luwak coffee, fresh cacao nibs, and a dozen different spice teas. Not a full-day commitment, just a pleasant couple of hours.

Getting Around

Scooter rental is the default and costs almost nothing. 60,000 to 80,000 IDR a day, so about $6 to 8 USD. You technically need an international driving permit. Enforcement is inconsistent but getting stopped without one means an on-the-spot fine. More importantly, if you crash without an IDP your travel insurance probably will not cover you. And people do crash. If you have never ridden before, Bali traffic is genuinely dangerous for beginners. Learn somewhere quiet first or skip the scooter entirely.

Grab and Gojek work well for most trips. 20 minute ride for 30,000 to 50,000 IDR. Some areas restrict ride-hail pickups, especially around beach clubs and central Ubud, so you might need to walk to a main road. Not a big deal.

A private driver for a full day is the underrated option. $40 to 55 USD gets you 8 to 10 hours with air conditioning, someone who knows the roads, and zero stress. Best for temple-hopping days or cross-island trips. Every hotel and villa has a driver they can call for you.

At the airport: Walk past every person who approaches you. Go downstairs to the official taxi counter. It is metered and roughly half the price of the touts upstairs. Or even better, pre-arrange a pickup through your hotel.

Best Time to Visit

Dry season runs April to October. Wet season is November to March. The obvious move is dry season for guaranteed blue skies and beach weather. July and August are peak tourist months with the highest prices and the most crowded beaches.

May, June, September, and October are the window. Dry season weather but without the July-August circus. Villas drop 30 to 40 percent compared to peak pricing. Restaurants are easier to get into. The surf lineups are shorter. It is a noticeably better experience.

Wet season gets a bad reputation it does not entirely deserve. Rain comes in short intense bursts, usually mid-afternoon. Mornings are often clear and warm. You get the cheapest rates of the year and the rice terraces turn a shade of green that does not exist during dry season. Pack a light rain jacket and stay flexible.

Budget Guide

Bali remains one of the cheapest islands worth visiting. Realistic daily costs in USD:

ATMs everywhere. Visa and Mastercard work at the nicer places but you will need cash daily for warungs, markets, drivers, and small shops. Currency is Indonesian Rupiah. Roughly 15,500 IDR to 1 USD. The numbers look absurd at first but you get used to dropping zeros fast.

Travel Insurance

Not negotiable. Scooter accidents are the number one insurance claim for visitors to Bali by a wide margin. Indonesian hospitals charge foreign rates and a medical evacuation to Singapore or home will cost you north of $50,000 out of pocket.

Check that your policy actually covers motorbike riding. A lot of basic policies exclude it unless you hold an IDP. Also confirm coverage for adventure activities (surfing, diving, trekking), emergency evacuation, and trip disruption.

TravlPerks members get access to our insurance comparison tool with pre-negotiated rates from vetted providers. Coverage from $3.20 a day.

Quick Tips

• Visa: Most nationalities get Visa on Arrival for 30 days at $35 USD. Payable at the airport. Extendable once for another 30 days if you want to stay longer.
• SIM card: Telkomsel tourist SIM at the airport. About 100,000 IDR for 15 to 25GB. More data than you will use. Fast in tourist areas, patchy in the interior.
• Water: Do not drink from the tap. Bottled water is everywhere and costs almost nothing.
• Offerings: The small flower baskets on the ground everywhere are canang sari, daily offerings. Step over them, never on them. This matters to people.
• Bargaining: Expected at markets and with street vendors. Start around 40 to 50 percent of asking. Be friendly. Walk away if they will not move. Do not bargain at warungs or any place with printed prices.
• Monkeys: At the Sacred Monkey Forest and Uluwatu, they will take your sunglasses, your phone, your hat, your water bottle. They are professionals. Secure everything or leave it in your bag.