Yes, I’ve travelled the world. I love travelling, but I see travelling as different to taking a holiday. Travelling is amazing but can also be stressful and tiring. A holiday is a timeout, a time to relax, chill out, eat good food and maybe do some low key exploring and my favorite place to do this is Bali.
Find out here how to get the most out of your holiday to the beautiful destination that is Bali with my ultimate Bali guide.
Getting there
Getting to Bali from most Australian cities is fairly easy. Most of our capitals have direct flights available, but which airline should you choose? The answer largely depends on you how you travel.
The cheapest option is usually Jet Star, however their on-time performance and cancellation record are against them, so if it’s important for you to get home on time and not have your trip interrupted by delays and cancellations, probably best to pick another airline. If, however you’re planning on shopping up a storm in Bali, then Jet Star is probably the best way to go. Additional luggage on Jet Star is the cheapest out of all the carriers flying to Bali. You don’t need to prebook either. You can just pre-purchase as you’re checking in online in increments of 5kg. Don’t wait until you get to the airport though, you could be up for hundreds.
If being on time and not being squished into your seat is important to you then Indonesia’s national airline Garuda is a good pick. The planes are in a two, three, two configuration so unless you’re in a seat in the middle of the plane you won’t end up in the middle seat. They also have much more space than the low cost carriers. The place where Garuda falls down is on excess luggage, while they give you a generous 30kg included luggage, if you want to purchase just 10kg more you’re up for an additional $210 at a minimum and additional luggage on top is of course even more. Shop with caution.
The middle of the road choice seems to be Batik Air which has only just started flying to Australia. They are fairly spacious, reasonably priced and you can prebook food and additional luggage (not as cheap as Jet Star, but not as expensive as Garuda). The only negative with this airline is that the flights from Sydney & Melbourne leave at 7am, so if you live outside the city, you’re either up for a horrendously expensive Uber or you need to stay in an airport hotel overnight, which cancels out any savings you made by not flying with Garuda.
The Paperwork
As much as I love Bali, they seem to be making it harder and harder for people to visit. As of 2024 you need a visa, register with customs and pay a tourist tax to enter. You can’t help but think couldn’t they combine these things into the visa process? Getting the paperwork sorted will probably be the most stressful part of your trip to Bali. Remember, entry requirements change all the time and are different depending on your nationality. This information is correct for Australian travellers at the time of publishing (July 2024).
The Visa – you can get this on arrival but believe me when I say it’s not worth it. The queue to pay for the visa and then the immigration line are often insane and can add up to an hour to the hassle of getting out of Denpasar airport. I would highly recommend getting the visa online. Once this has been done you will be able to zip through the new electronic gates and give all the people waiting in the ridiculous immigration line a cheeky wave.
You can apply for the visa online HERE.
Once your visa is approved and it’s usually approved instantly, they will send you a copy of it electronically which you can show to the check in agent before you board your flight.
The customs declaration: Again, you can do this on arrival, but why not save yourself the hassle and do it prior to departure. The line for checking the customs declaration comes after you’ve collected your luggage and if you haven’t filled it out online, they make you fill it out online on arrival from your phone. You scan a QR code and stand around trying to fill it out using Denpasar airports crappy free wifi along with every other shmuck who didn’t bother to do it before they left. If you’ve done it before you leave, you just save the QR code on your phone, they scan it, they scan your bags and you walk right out of the airport. There is zero benefit to doing this on arrival rather than before you leave.
You can find the online customs declaration HERE – don’t forget to download the QR code.
The tourist tax: The new Bali tourist tax has supposedly been imposed on travellers in an effort to stamp out low-income tourists or bogans as we call them in Australia. I don’t think they realise in Bali that a tax of roughly $12 Australian dollars will deter no one. Personally, I think it’s a cash grab, if deterring low-income travellers was the point it would be $100.
This should also be done online, I didn’t spot anywhere to do this on arrival in Denpasar, but then again, I wasn’t looking for it as I do everything I can prior to departing. There’s nowhere for them to check that you’ve paid it either, it seems to be operating on the honour system at the moment. I have heard stories of people arriving at the airport and officials asking for proof of payment and huge fines being handed out for those who hadn’t paid. Not worth the risk for twelve bucks.
You can pay the tourist tax HERE – again don’t forget to download the QR code as proof of payment.
Arriving in Denpasar
Depending on what time you arrive and how prepared you are (see paperwork section) it can take anywhere from 1 hour to 3 hours to get out of Denpasar airport. The below is roughly the process and includes tips on how you can streamline it so you can start your holiday in Bali as soon as possible.
Immigration: The first thing you will see on your journey from the plane to the arrivals hall is immigration. Your first thought is likely to be “what a mess” and it does look very messy. If you’ve done your visa online, you can just bypass said mess and make your way straight to the automatic gates, scan your passport and proceed straight to baggage claim. If not, you will need to stand in two lines, one to purchase your visa and then the formidable immigration line. Trust me, as I’ve said above, pay for your visa online, you don’t need this headache on arrival.
Baggage claim: This is also a bit chaotic and takes forever. On arrival on my last trip to Bali, after speeding through immigration I checked the indicator screen and it said the baggage from my flight from Singapore would arrive on belt six, I stood at belt six for forty nervous minutes before rechecking the indicator screen only to find my baggage was now arriving at belt two! I raced over and one of my bags was already going around the carousel, the other I had to wait another ten minutes for.
If your baggage is taking a long time to come out don’t panic, it always does at this airport and make sure to check the screens to make sure they haven’t changed the belt your bags are arriving on.
Customs: Customs is the next part in the process, as stated above, fill out the form before you come to Bali and have the QR code ready to go. You won’t be allowed out of the airport unless you’ve filled out this form. There is no paper form available and no courtesy computers or tablets if you don’t have a phone. If you haven’t filled this out prior to arrival, they will make you fill it out on your phone using Denpasar airports crappy wifi. There is no upside to not filling out the customs form prior to travel.
After you have the QR code, you will see quite an unruly queue (I use the term queue lightly) in front of about five desks with officials scanning the QR codes. Even after you have your QR code scanned, they insist on scanning all your luggage which I find somewhat annoying.
Money: After customs if you need to get money prior to leaving the airport this is the place to do it. While the rate may not be as good at the airport, it can often be an easy way to change money where you won’t get scammed, and you can rest assured the money changers at the airport are legitimate. The same cannot be said for the money exchange places on the street.
There are also ATMs at this point, they work with Australian cards, but as always you should check for the MasterCard/Cirrus/Visa logos on the machines. The airport is actually a great place to use the ATM, as machines outside don’t usually allow you to get more than 1-1.5 million rupiah out, roughly $100-$150, while the machines in the airport will let you get from 2-4 million out, roughly $200 – $400. Getting more out at a time means less withdrawals which potentially means less money lost in transaction fees.
Taxi! You’ll now breathe a sigh of relief as you are finally out of the airport. Unfortunately, unless you’ve planned in advance, the hassle doesn’t end here. After you leave the airport, you will be met by a hundred drivers and taxi touts all trying to get your fare to your hotel. This is probably the point in Bali where you are most likely to be ripped off, you’ll be tired from your flight, impatient because of the fiasco of getting out of the airport and if you’re a first-time visitor to Bali, you also likely won’t know how much a fare to your hotel is supposed to cost.
There are three good options to get from the airport to your hotel.
Grab: Grab is a ride sharing app and should be something you download prior to visiting Indonesia or any place in Southeast Asia. It works just like Uber and there is a designated area for Grab pickups at Denpasar Airport. Just like Uber you summon a driver on the app, you see the fee and pay upfront, and the app tracks your ride and also gives you the option to report that something is wrong while you’re in transit.
Hotel transfer: Most hotels have a transfer company or driver they work with. Send your hotel an email prior to departure and book a transfer with them. Some hotels even have a rate with return airport transfers included. If you’ve chosen this option, you driver will be waiting among the taxi touts with a sign bearing your name or the name of your hotel.
Ask your mate: I say this over and over again in my writing, but the best advice, tips and recommendations always come from someone who has already been to the destination. If you know someone who has been to Bali, ask them if they have a driver they can recommend. This also has the added bonus of being able to contact said driver to take you around the island. If you don’t know anyone who “knows a guy” feel free to use my guy – his name is Gede (pronounced G’day) and he’s a gem. He’s not only great for airport pickups and drop offs, but also great for day trips and sightseeing. He is contactable through Facebook messenger. You can contact him HERE and don’t forget to tell him Kristina recommended you. I don’t get any kind of kickback from recommending him, he’s just a great guy and I’m happy to recommend his services to my readers.
Getting Around
Ok so you’ve navigated the airport, and you’ve checked into your hotel. Now what? If you’re like me, you won’t just want to sit by the pool all day and not leave the resort. So how do you get around?
Grab or Gojek
Grab is Southeast Asia’s version of Uber and Gojek is a ride sharing app specific to Indonesia. You should download both prior to leaving your country of origin and set them up when you get there. You can elect to pay in cash, but I would recommend setting these up with a credit card (which you can’t do until you arrive) so that you can pay in advance. The benefit of these services is being able to summon an on-demand ride and to be able to pay in advance so there’s no haggling (or overcharging) over the price. The other benefit is safety, as the app tracks your ride and allows you to alert the authorities if there is something wrong.
Grab and Gojek are a good option for short rides, for example, you want to go out to a restaurant and it’s a bit too far to walk, or even wanting to go to the next town over. Grab and Gojek also have a food delivery service built into their apps, so if you’re feeling especially lazy or you’re staying away from the main town in say Sebatu, which is a bit isolated (I sometimes get tired of the hotel food and don’t want to make the journey into Ubud) you can order something.
Taxi!
Taxis in Bali have largely cut their own throat in regard to competing with ridesharing apps like Grab and Gojek. There are movements around some towns in Bali to try and have these services banned. You will see signs around places like Ubud telling you these services aren’t welcome, ignore them. They’ve just been put there by local drivers who are upset they’ve lost the lucrative business of ripping off tourists. The fact is these services would never have taken off in Bali if overcharging and blatantly ripping people off wasn’t rampant. Even now with the competition, if you ask a taxi driver ‘how much?’ It’s likely to be double (or more) than what Grab and Gojek charge. Even having to ask, ‘how much?’ is a problem as all legitimate taxis have meters, however many drivers refuse to use them.
The only time a taxi may be useful is in a place where there is limited coverage for Grab and Gojek. On my last trip my best friend and I went out to Luna Beach Club, which is out at Tabanan, passed Canggu. It’s pretty isolated and we had trouble summoning a Grab or Gojek, we had no trouble getting there as we summoned our ride to our hotel in Seminyak. There were numerous taxi drivers hanging around preying on stranded tourists who simply couldn’t get a ride share and charging 250 000 rupiah, the ride share is between 125-150 000 rupiah. After a lot of bartering, we were about to accept an offer as a last resort, but thankfully, Grab finally came through and found us a ride.
While we were lucky on this occasion, this is something to keep in mind if you’re heading somewhere off the beaten path. My advice? Get a ride share and then ask the driver for his contact details and contact him on WhatsApp to come get you when you’re finished.
Scooter! Scoooter!
*sigh* Scooters are for me, by far the most annoying part of a trip to Bali. Especially in Seminyak where they just seem to be everywhere. You can’t even cross the road without being hassled “Scooter! Scooter!” Mate, I am not getting on a scooter.
You have the option in Grab and Gojek to summon a scooter ride instead of a car, although I’m not sure why you would, they are EVERYWHERE and dirt cheap. The only benefits to getting a scooter over a car is that they are much cheaper – so if you’re on a tight budget this could be an option. Car ride shares aren’t expensive to begin with, so you’d have to be on a REALLY tight budget for this to be of any real benefit cost wise. The only major benefit of a scooter over a car, is that scooters don’t get stuck in traffic, so they could be a better option if you’re in a hurry. Me? I’m never in that much of a hurry.
When using scooter transport in Bali a few words of caution:
- Number one, check your travel insurance. Some providers make you take out extra cover to ride a bike of any kind (except a bicycle). No travel insurance will cover you if you’re not wearing a helmet, so make sure your driver has a helmet for their passenger.
- They drive like nutcases, so if you’re not up for a ride weaving in and out of the traffic, it probably isn’t the best idea for you.
- This is more of a warning for pedestrians – ladies keep your handbag on your shoulder furthest from the road. There have been lots if incidents where scooter drivers drive past and snatch bags as they are going along. So be careful with that one.
Local driver
Local drivers are good for airport pickups and for longer sightseeing trips around Bali. If you don’t want to take a tour and want to do your own thing on a day of exploration, hiring a local driver is the way to go.
But how do you find a good one? The best way to find a local driver is to ask for a recommendation from a friend. Do you have any friends who have recently been to Bali and can recommend someone? I say this over and over, but the best advice always comes from someone who has been to the destination. If you’re in Australia, and have a friend that goes to Bali often, it’s most likely that they have a trusted local driver they can recommend. Most Aussie’s who frequent Bali when you tell them you’re going with say “hey, you’re going to Bali, I know a guy!” The guy is always their driver.
If you don’t know anyone who “knows a guy” feel free to contact my driver – Gede (literally pronounced G’day). He’s a good friend of mine and always looks after not just me, but my friends and family while they are in Bali. He’s happy to be contacted through Facebook.
If you want to find your own driver, not sure why you would do that if you have a friend who can recommend someone, but if you did there are plenty hanging around on the street in Ubud and Seminyak. Make sure you agree to the price for the day before committing. Walk away from anyone who won’t tell you how much they are charging. The other option is to ask your hotel, most hotels have a number of drivers attached to the hotel. While these drivers will be more reliable than the ones on the street and won’t rip you off because it would damage their lucrative business with the hotel, they will likely be more expensive as the hotel takes a cut of the fare.
Trust me, ask a mate for a recommendation or use my recommendation.
Prices for day trips will depend on where you are going and how hard the drive is rather than the amount of time you have the driver for. If you want a simple day of sightseeing from Ubud including, say, Goa Gajah, a Bali Swing, Tegalalang Rice terraces and the Monkey Forest you’re looking at about 650 000 rupiah. If you want to go further afield to say east Bali from Seminyak, to Sideman, the Mother Temple, Bat Cave and Tirta Gangga you’d be looking at 1-1.3 million rupiah.
My tip with a driver is if you’re in Bali a bit longer and have decided to stay in two different areas, use your transfer day as a sightseeing day. For example, I usually stay in Seminyak for a few days and then transfer to Sebatu, which is above Ubud. I have my driver put all the luggage in the car, collect us from Seminyak at 9am, we spend the day sightseeing and then he drops us off at the hotel in Sebatu at around 5pm. That works out well and means we get to do some sightseeing on what would otherwise be a day spent mostly just transferring from one place to another.
Guided tour
As the owner of a tour operator myself, I’m usually someone who recommends a guided tour. Guided tours in Bali however, come with a warning from me. Be careful, on so many levels.
Guided tours in Bali are largely expensive and unnecessary, even if you think you’re getting a good deal through Viator or Get your guide, trust me, you’re not. You’ll get a price that’s 20% lower by booking directly with a vendor while you’re in Bali. You’re no safer booking through an online provider like Viator, than you are by booking direct. These websites which we call OTA’s in the business don’t actually vet the tours they sell. Their purpose is to get an operators tour out there, they buy up all the space on Google, have all the best developers for maximum visibility so that operators can’t possibly found directly online. They also charge a premium which the operator is forced to pass on to you.
Although booking direct may be cheaper, it certainly isn’t a guarantee of good service. Early on I booked a tour to climb Mt Batur at a kiosk in Ubud. It was a disaster. There were about 25 people on the tour and the guide basically ran off up the mountain in the pitch black with all those who were fast enough to keep up with him and left the rest of us behind. I ended up sleeping in the transfer van. If that wasn’t bad enough, the driver who took us back to our hotels, drove like an absolute maniac (even by Indonesian standards) and scared us all to death.
The are some good providers out there and there are some attractions you when a tour guide is not only necessary, but compulsory, like climbing Mt Batur. Ten years later at forty years old, I attempted the climb again. This time I booked a tour on a private basis. I had originally booked the tour prior to leaving Australia, however 2-days prior to the tour date, the operator messaged me telling me the price had doubled! (Another reason to be wary of guided tours) After telling them to shove it, I found another operator at an even more reasonable price that not only included to climb, but the hot springs at Kintamani as well. I booked a private guide, and he was amazing. We left a bit earlier, as I told him about my crappy right knee, I said, “I’m sure I can do it, I just need a bit more time.” I managed to get to the top, which was an amazing achievement and clearly if I could do it at 40, I could have done it at 30, which is how old I was when I took the ill-fated tour booked through a kiosk at Ubud. Booking a private experience can make a real difference. It’s not expensive either. I paid 650 000 rupiah for the crappy tour from Ubud and the private experience 1.2 million rupiah (plus I felt compelled to tip because the guide was so good) for the private experience including the hot springs.
On my first trip to Bali, I booked a private tour through an online provider to the Mother Temple in east Bali. It didn’t take long to visit, only a couple of hours and the rest of the day was padded out with shopping stops, expensive shopping stops. Having never been to Bali before, I was a bit dumbfounded because I’d heard how cheap it was, and these shops were insane pricewise. It also got really uncomfortable because my Mum and I bought nothing, and the guide was getting agitated because he was getting a kick back from the shops. Again, having worked as a tour leader myself, I know this is how it works.
Unless you’re really interested in history and religion (most of Bali’s sights are temples) or you’re going somewhere that a guide is compulsory like Mt Batur, don’t bother with the guided tour.
Safety & Security
Bali is a pretty safe place and apart from being the victim of a dodgy tour operator in Ubud, nothing overly bad has happened to me while holidaying in this destination. That being said there are some warnings to make your trip as safe as possible.
Watch where you’re walking: Seriously, the footpaths are a nightmare and in some places, there aren’t any footpaths which forces you to walk in the gutter. I’m usually pretty good with this, but on my last trip I stepped slightly backwards while standing around outside a bar in Seminyak and vanished into a small round hole that had been left by a missing tile. The hole was about a foot deep and only just big enough for my feet, meaning I bent both my big toes right back. I sliced a large chunk off the bottom of one (seriously, blood everywhere) and the other one swelled up and I thought it was broken. I got checked out when I got home and I was fine, but it did put a bit of a crimp in my trip.
Watch out for Scooters: I’ve given this warning in the transport section, ladies, carry your handbag on the side furthest from the road. There have been numerous reports of scooter drivers snatching handbags as they are going along.
Literally, also watch out for scooters – they are everywhere and while you’re crossing the road seemingly come from nowhere. Some drivers seem to deliberately get in your way while you’re trying to cross the road to try and get a fare adding another hazard to roads which are already clogged with traffic.
If you decide to get on a scooter, make sure your travel insurance will cover you. No travel insurance provider will cover you if you get into an accident while on a scooter and you’re not wearing a helmet and they drive like maniacs, so that’s just something to be aware of.
Beware the $5 mojito! Drinks are cheap in Bali, but they’re not THAT cheap. If you’re drinking at a cheap bar or at a Warung (local roadside restaurant) and you see drinks this cheap, they’re using Arak, which is a local spirit. You might think that’s ok, but depending on just how cheap the drink is, it’s probably some one’s bathtub Arak. If not made properly this drink has been known to cause serious health issues.
Taxi! I’ve got a whole section on taxis in the transport section, but in addition to what’s written there beware of fake taxis or “fake bluebirds” as they’re called. Bluebird is the name of Bali’s legitimate taxi company, so you will often hear people say, “let’s just get a bluebird”, but you need to be aware that there are a lot of taxis pretending to be legitimate who don’t even have a meter, will rip you off and will generally be just an unpleasant experience. As they’re not legitimate, there is no worry of you reporting them to Bluebird taxis as they’re not actually employed by them. The only recourse if you have a major problem with a “fake bluebird” is the police. You probably also don’t want to get involved with the police in Indonesia at all, getting an honest police officer is just potluck. Another vote for Grab and Gojek!
Be careful crossing the road: Like in most Southeast Asian countries’ things like traffic lights and zebra crossings mean very little for pedestrians in Bali. Traffic lights can be trusted over zebra crossings, which I’m convinced are just for decoration. A lot of the times the traffic is slow, so as a pedestrian you can just weave in and out, however if the traffic is not slow, don’t hesitate. Once you’ve committed to crossing the street, go for it.
Money changers: While it may seem like bad advice to change money at the airport, in Bali it isn’t. The airport money changers are accountable to managers at the legitimate companies they work for and won’t shortchange you. Another option is to change money at your hotel or at a bank. At all of these options, you will get a slightly lower rate than an independent money changer or heaven forbit a money changer on the street, but you’re less likely to get ripped off. Shady money changers do this with fast hands and counterfeit and damaged notes which no one will take. In other words, it’s worth paying a little more to avoid losing a significant amount of money.
Don’t flash your money around: Pretty much good advice for any destination on planet Earth. In a place like Bali though, you won’t just become a target for criminals, you’ll become a target for everyone from shop keepers trying to sell you a fake handbag to beggars on the street.
Communications
Keeping an open line of communication is always a good idea, but how open depends on you and how you intend to travel. If you’re only going to hang out in a resort, then you can probably get by with the hotel wifi.
If you want to get out an about, I’d suggest getting a local SIM card or an eSIM which is the cheapest option to stay connected. If you plan on using international roaming, check with your provider on the cost. I know with my provider (Telstra) they charge $10 per day to use my Australian SIM card. Now that doesn’t sound like a lot, but on a 10-day holiday, that’s $100! You also don’t get very much for your money and your data runs out quickly.
I’m a fan of getting a local SIM and on my last trip (which wasn’t just to Bali) I discovered the magic of eSIM’s.
Now you can get a local SIM on arrival at Denpasar Airport, just after baggage claim. You sit down with someone, pay the fee, a 30-day SIM was about $70 from memory, and they register it to your passport. Sounds simple? Yeah, it is, but it’s another step to add to your arrival process at the airport and no one really wants that. It’s also expensive. $70 in my experience is a lot for a local SIM. You could get a cheaper SIM from someone in the street or at a shop in the marketplace, but these can be hit and miss and if there is a problem it’s unlikely the shop keeper will help you after they’ve got your money.
ESIMs couldn’t be easier, there’s even apps you can download from your phone to make the process easier. I use Saily. This app not only enables you to buy an Indonesian eSIM, but SIMs from many countries all over the world. You just download the app prior to arrival, purchase an Indonesian eSIM, follow the activation instructions and the activate it in your phones settings as soon as you hit baggage claim. That’s it, you’re good to go. It’s also much cheaper. The eSIM I purchased through Saily was about $25 and valid for one month.
Behaviour and local customs
Bali doesn’t have a bad reputation for nothing, but it’s not the locals who give it this reputation, unfortunately it’s trashy visitors, or bogans as we call them in Australia. At the present time, Bali is trying to revamp its image as a more classy destination and bogan-ish behaviour is becoming tolerated less and less.
Nudity – I don’t care what antics you’ve seen on Instagram. Public nudity of any kind is not tolerated in Bali, anywhere. If you’re caught you will be arrested.
Drugs – If you’re not familiar with Indonesia’s drug policy by now, there’s no help for you. If you’re caught bringing drugs to Bali you will be treated completely without mercy. Jail will be the least of your problems, many international visitors bringing drugs to Bali face the death penalty. Even if you manage to score some weed locally, it’s not worth it. Remember if you’re from a country where drugs are legal, like marijuana is legal in some states in the USA, those laws certainly don’t apply in Indonesia. It doesn’t matter that you’re an American citizen you will be thrown in jail or executed.
Proper dress – To enter Bali’s temples you will need a sarong or batik, for both men and women. These are usually available free of charge at the entrance of larger and more popular temples, so don’t believe local shop keepers telling you to buy one so you can go in. I personally go to Bali so much that I do have my own batik which I carry with me. Smaller temples in out of the way places may not have complimentary batiks you can use.
Aside from temples, dress how you would at home… which doesn’t involve walking down the street in budgie smugglers or a bikini. Shorts and a t-shirt are fine, but anything less is disrespectful.
Scooters – Yes again with the scooters! Now I’m talking about hiring a scooter for yourself. To do this legally you will need a valid international driver’s licence and a helmet. Many providers will allow you to rent a scooter no questions asked; however you will be a target for the police and if you don’t have an international drivers licence and a helmet you’ll be in trouble, more trouble if it’s a corrupt cop. Again, check your travel insurance to make sure driving a scooter is covered and under what conditions.
Don’t litter – Let’s keep Bali beautiful. No one wants to go to a destination that’s literally trashy, so either find a bin or take your trash with you.
Offensive behaviour and public drunkenness – this is a more don’t spoil it for everyone else request. We all like a good drink, but to be out on the street swearing, causing a ruckus and just being a vile noisy human at 2am isn’t being considerate of either the local people or your fellow tourists. When I say don’t spoil it for everyone, I’m referring to Bali’s tourist tax, which they could put up to try and eliminate bogan tourists from the island.
Where to stay
It’s important to stay up to date with where to stay in Bali, especially since even my advice on this has changed post pandemic, with the dynamics of many areas completely different than prior to COVID it’s important the information you are getting is current.
Kuta
Prior to COVID Kuta was known as Bali’s tourist Mecca, but post COVID not so much. Gone are the bogans and drunken revellers of old that gave Bali such a bad reputation. Kuta now is home to great restaurants and cheap shopping. It’s now a nice cost affective place to stay near the beach. Prior to COVID Kuta was never on my radar, but the two trips I’ve done post COVID I’ve been a couple of times. My first trip to Kuta since borders opened was with my best friend who’d never been to Bali, just to show her how Bali got its reputation… but I was left stumped at how much Kuta had changed. The last trip I went on, also with my best friend, we decided to make it our last day destination because if it’s cheap shopping and spas, good restaurants and proximity to the airport.
Next time, and I can’t believe I’m saying this after 15 years of Bali trips, I’m planning on staying there.
Seminyak
This is a favorite of mine and it’s great for the 20’s – 40’s demographic who want to come to Bali and do more than just drink. Seminyak is known for its boutique hotels, chic restaurants and hip and happening bars. It’s got some great shopping, if you’re more interested in boutique type shops, than bartering and it’s also home to some of Bali’s most popular spas.
Seminyak is pretty much a great place to stay for everyone, if you’re going to limit yourself to southern Bali. The only criticism I have of Seminyak is the footpaths are terrible so walking around can be a bit of a nightmare. I recently fell in a deep hole left by a missing tile in the footpath and almost broke both my big toes, so watch where you step!
If you’re looking for a great, reasonably priced place to stay in Seminyak, you can’t go past Hotel Vila Lumbung (see above pictures). It’s great value for money, includes breakfast and they have beautiful, traditional Balinese lumbungs you can stay in. They have a lovely pool, swim up bar and best of all, a long driveway so that you don’t hear any scooter noise while you are at the resort. Six trips to Bali and six trips to Vila Lumbung, I wouldn’t stay anywhere else.
Nusa Dua
Nusa Dua is separated from the rest of Bali as it’s a gated community. Nusa Dua is home to some of the big name hotels and resorts like Kempinski and Melia. This is a great place to stay if all you want to do it sit by the pool in a fancy hotel and relax. Do beware, bring your wallet, a classy hotel, comes with a classy price tag. If you’re coming to Bali for an affordable holiday and want to explore a bit, this probably isn’t the place for you. It’s also quite far away from the more happening places of Seminyak, Kuta and Ubud.
That being said, there’s no rule that says you have to confine yourself to one area on your trip to Bali. I frequently stay in more than one area, usually splitting my trip between Seminyak and Sebatu, but next time I’m going to give Nusa Dua a go and stay a couple of nights at the Apurva Kempinski. I went a couple of years ago for dinner in their famous underwater restaurant and was just blown away by what was one of the most luxurious hotels I’ve ever seen – and I’ve seen a lot of hotels! Upon looking up the prices online (for a giggle) I found it’s not that expensive to stay here and you can get a room for as little as $400 per night… which would barely get you a room in a 3-star hotel in Sydney. Bring on the luxury.
Ubud
Ubud has effectively switched places with Kuta. All the bogans that were in Kuta before the pandemic are now in Ubud. A travesty of epic proportions. Ubud used to be the place you went to escape the uncouth masses in Kuta, where you went if you wanted somewhere more traditional and somewhere quiet. Now it’s the noisiest place on the entire island.
Despite the above Ubud has some amazing restaurants and great boutique hotels and shops… just make sure you pick a hotel with either a long driveway or away from Monkey Forest Road or you’ll be listening to car horns and scooters all day and night.
You could be forgiven for thinking that Ubud’s central position in the centre of the island, makes it a good base for exploring. Well, that might be true if the traffic wasn’t basically stationary and the road network was a bit better. Check out the location on Google maps, you can see all the main roads run horizontally in and out of Ubud, with very few decent connecting roads going east or west, making it a long way to get most places.
Sebatu
Never heard of it… don’t worry most people haven’t and that’s why we research and why you’re reading this post. This is one of my favorite places to stay. It’s about 15km out of Ubud and about 5km from the Teglalang rice terraces. It is a bit isolated, but it makes up for it because it’s probably the quietest place in Bali.
Most of the resorts are located on the outskirts of Sebatu Village, meaning most of them are pretty much in the jungle. The place I’ve stayed for years, Puri Gangga Resort & Spa sits perched on a hill overlooking the jungle and the Gunang Kawi Temple. You do get the occasional scooter making a noise coming down the road, but this is much, much less than if you were to stay in Ubud, Seminyak or Ahmed. I doubt there is anywhere in Bali where you can escape scooter noise completely.
The resort does activities like rice paddy and village walks and you can also have someone from the hotel take you for a purification ritual at the local temple. I did this two trips ago, it was just me and a lady from hotel and we went and did the ceremony together, a fantastic local Balinese experience that was authentic and free from commercialism.
Sanur
Sanur seems to be a good location for families. There’s a lot of sprawling resorts here set up with things like kids clubs. It’s close to the airport and its easy to reach other places like Seminyak and Kuta. I have stayed in Sanur before, but the hotel there was far from a good experience, long story short it rated itself as a 5-star and I wouldn’t have given it 3. I left after only 3 days of a 5 star stay forfeiting the money paid. Needless to say I won’t recommend it here – it does highlight the importance of vetting the places you stay at and if possible getting a recommendation from a friend or someone else who has been.
Canggu
Canggu is the new hip place to visit for younger people, long stay visitors and digital nomads. Canggu has a thriving hostel scene and entices surfers with its beaches. Even if you’re not staying here, it’s worth a visit. Canggu has lots of boutique restaurants and even a few speak easy type bars – make sure you check these out first as some of these require a reservation and sometimes a password or similar to get in.
Ahmed
Having been to Bali many times, the trip before last I was seeking out new places to stay. Everyone seemed to be recommending Ahmed as a quiet, sleepy, hippy type place to hang out on the beach. Sounded totally my jam, so I booked 4-nights. The first red flag was that my room came with a pair of ear plugs… I don’t know how anyone thought this place was quiet. I had more scooter noise at this place than I’d experienced anywhere else in Bali!
The beach was unusable, black sand with boats all over it, the only thing that was remotely true was the hippy’s hanging around and even then, it didn’t have the ‘hippy vibe’ I’d read about.
What Ahmed is good for is diving. There are lots of diving and snorkelling trips leaving from this part of Bali so if you’re into that sort of thing this might be the place your you. I did go on one snorkelling trip, but it wasn’t really anything to write home about, I’ve snorkelled the Great Barrier Reef, Zanzibar, the Maldives and the Red Sea so I’m a bit hard to impress on this front.
If you are planning on heading to Ahmed for some diving, I will recommend the place I stayed, despite the noise (can’t imagine there is anywhere quieter!) Salt Resort and Spa was a really nice place to stay, nice rooms, beautiful pool and extensive menu. They also have a resort cat Maya (you all know I love a resort cat). She was so friendly and spent a lot of time with me, even sleeping with me in my room one night.
Sideman
If you want to see the real Bali, this is a great place to stay! Be warned though, it’s not very big, so I wouldn’t suggest staying very long, nor would I suggest you stay if you don’t like Indonesian food, because that’s pretty much all there is. If you want cute little restaurants serving cuisines from around the world, best stay in Seminyak. If you don’t want to share your holiday with hundreds of other tourists, you want to see non-commercialised rice terraces and are happy to be a bit more remote, Sideman might be a good option for you.
A great place to stay here is Griya Valud, a beautiful little boutique place with traditional rooms and a pool overlooking the jungle. I really enjoyed my stay here.
West Bali
West Bali is still largely undiscovered by tourists, and it is very remote, so if you’re into getting away from it all this might be the place for you. West Bali is more about naturel and animals than it is about boutique hotels and chic restaurants. Options for accommodation include small local hotels and lodges. It’s a good place to start out in Indonesia if you’re thinking about exploring the country as a whole, it’s fairly easy to get the ferry to Java from this point on the island. If you’re into volcanos and have done Mt Batur, Java is a good place to start, especially with Mt Ijen in far east Java so close to Bali. If you want to read more about the Mt Ijen climb, you can read about my first hand experience HERE.
Where to eat
Now I do have an entire article on my favorite restaurants in Bali so I won’t go into that hare. I’m more going to talk about the type of establishments available and what you can expect in different areas of the island.
If you’re staying somewhere a bit more remote, like Sideman for example, then your options are going to be somewhat limited. What I’m basically saying is, if you don’t like Indonesian food and if you don’t like chili, these places perhaps aren’t for you. Even in the hotels and resorts in these areas, the staff struggle to cook anything that isn’t Indonesian and when they try, well it’s just wrong. Chicken Cordon Bleu covered in chili sauce anyone?
Warungs – if you’re into cheap eats and street food you might be considering trying out the small local restaurants and street vendors known as ‘warungs.’ I’m not going to advise against it, on the contrary, I love local street food and local restaurants. I am going to tell you how to find one that’s not going to give you “Bali Belly.” That’s the last thing you want on your holiday. Two tips, not just for Bali, but for street food and cheap eats in general.
- Don’t eat anywhere it looks like the food has been sitting around for ages, because it probably has, meaning it’s not fresh. Indonesia has a tropical climate, which also means anything left sitting around has probably had insects landing all over it.
- Find a place that’s crowded or has a line. This is for two reasons; the local people wouldn’t be lining up for it if it wasn’t good and if there’s a constant stream of people it means nothing gets left sitting around for long.
- Bonus points if it’s a street food vendor and they cook the food in front of you.
Top 10 sights to see in Bali
Besakih or Mother Temple
The Mother Temple is the largest and most spectacular temple in Bali and most definitely should be at the top of your list for a visit. It is located in eastern Bali, which is a bit of a hike from the popular resort areas such as Seminyak and Kuta. This is the one place in Bali where I would suggest booking a tour. The reason for this is when you arrive at Besakih with your local driver – like I did last time they force you to pay for a local guide onsite, which was not the case on previous visits. Visiting this temple then becomes an expensive and annoying experience. Your forced to follow a guide around that you didn’t want and then if that isn’t bad enough, someone comes along at the end and basically forces you to tip said guide. At least if you’re with a group with a reputable company, you’ve already got a licenced guide with you when you arrive and everything should be included in the price of the tour.
Despite the annoyance of having to take a tour, when you really don’t need one, you shouldn’t miss this temple. There are many stairs to climb and sanctuaries to visit. The temple is situated on a hillside and when you reach the top there are great views over the rest of the temple and the jungle beyond. Don’t miss it, but either expect the annoying experience of a guide when you arrive or bring your own.
Goa Gajah (the Elephant Cave)
Goa Gajah is also known as the “Elephant Cave”, because of its dedication to the Hindu god Vishnu. It’s quite different to other temples in Bali which is one of the reasons I love it. Instead of being a building, as the name suggests, it’s actually a cave with an intricately carved entrance where the entry is the mouth of the figure.
There are also other structures on the site including a huge banyan tree and ruins from other temples from a bygone era. The entire site is quite big and there is a hike down to the valley floor in the jungle. Be warned, the Ubud area is quite humid as you’re no longer near the coast, but never fear, there are lots of shops selling cold Bintang when you return to the top. In fact, there a lot of shops here period.
Ulan Danu Bratan (the Temple on the Lake)
Probably the most iconic site in Bali, the temple on the lake is just that, a small temple on the lake. You can’t enter the temple, but that’s not the point. The beautiful structure alongside the lake with the clear blue sky above is what you go to see. It’s located at Badugal in the middle of the island it makes a nice excursion along with Goa Gaja and the Bali Botanical Gardens.
Kerta gosa
Located in the south of Bali, Kertagosa is another very different temple. It’s constructed in the shape of several kiosks all of which show colourful depictions of the Hindu hell. Each kiosk is surrounded by a small moat on which lotus’ grow. There are a few other structures and flowers scattered around the small grounds.
It’s located in south Bali and makes a nice addition to any day trip departing from this area.
Tirta Gangga
Tirta Gangga or the “Water Palace” is located in eastern Bali. As the name suggests it is a former royal palace, rather than a temple. It is named after the sacred river Ganges in India. The palace was built as a place of recreation for the king and his family in 1946 and was almost totally destroyed by the eruption of Mt Agung. Today you can access the site and its central fountain. The main thing to do here is to feed the huge koi karp that live in the fountain and manmade lake, who will basically beech themselves for food. It’s not a huge site, so if you’re staying in Seminyak you could combine this site with the Bat Cave (see below) and the Mother Temple (see above) and have lunch in Candi Dasa.
Goa Lawah (the Bat Cave)
Nah, Nah, Nah, Nah, Nah, Nah BATCAVE! Yeah, not so much. The Batcave or Goa Lawah as it’s known locally is a small temple in eastern Bali (not quite as far east as Tirta Gangga). The Bat Cave is a Hindu temple built on the site of an actual bat cave, with the hundreds of bats inside being the main attraction. The bat cave is small, but very important in Hindu religion, being one of the six most important places of worship in Bali.
It’s one of the oldest temples in Bali too, having been built in the 11th century and added to in later years. Apart from the bat cave and actual bats it also includes small shrines, a cool triple gateway, pagoda and a central pond with lotus flowers… but the main attraction really is the bats.
Tegalalang Rice Terraces
Probably the most famous rice terraces in Bali and they are spectacular, however in recent years they have turned into a complete tourist trap. My first visit to Bali was in 2011 and the only thing at Tegalalang were the rice terraces with a few local farmers working in the fields. It was a lovely traditional site. Unfortunately, today the top of the terrace is crammed with shops selling mostly women’s clothes. There are also numerous restaurants, many of which offer the Bali swing over the rice terraces. Half the terraces themselves have been turned into a photo studio for Instagram influencers, with all sorts of props for people to take “insta-worthy” photos with. Oh yeah, and you have to pay to go and walk around the terraces now. My advice? If you want to go, be prepared for the commercialism. I wouldn’t set out to visit these particular terraces now, I’d make a stop for lunch in one of the restaurants overlooking the terraces if it was on the way to somewhere else and move on. There are much more traditional rice terraces as Jatiluwih and Sideman.
Half the terraces themselves have been turned into a photo studio for Instagram influencers, with all sorts of props for people to take “insta-worthy” photos with. Oh yeah, and you have to pay to go and walk around the terraces now. My advice? If you want to go, be prepared for the commercialism. I wouldn’t set out to visit these particular terraces now, I’d make a stop for lunch in one of the restaurants overlooking the terraces if it was on the way to somewhere else and move on. There are much more traditional rice terraces as Jatiluwih and Sideman.
Bali Swing
Love those Instagram photos with the model in the long, flowing dress swinging over the rice terraces or the jungle? Want your own? Well, you can. There are now Bali swings, pretty much everywhere. Just ask your driver, they will know where you can find one. They have these at Tegalalang, but if you want one that’s a bit less crowded and off the usual tourist trail, try the one at Celuk. They have several colourful dresses for rent, including red, blue, green and white and it’s very reasonable at 250 000 rupiah (about $25 Australian). This also includes a coffee tasting and you can taste the famous Kopi Luwak, the “cat poo” coffee for an additional 50 000 rupiah. If dressing up isn’t your thing or you want to swing with someone else, they have two other larger swings for couples and for families with kids. No need to worry about the safety aspect either, all swings have either a harness or straps to make sure you are secure. I’m not usually up for touristy things like this, but in this case it was actually so much fun. The photos are almost like a nice bonus. Two guys stand behind you pushing you as hard as they can to get the magnificent views over the jungle. You feel perfectly secure and can just put your arms out and enjoy the freedom of sailing over the landscape.
Don’t worry if you don’t have anyone to take photos for you, the price includes someone to take photos with a professional camera. You then give them your Whatsapp details and they send them all to you while you’re doing your coffee tasting.
Monkey Forrest
If you want somewhere to see local wildlife, there is nowhere more accessible than the sacred Monkey Forest located in heart of Ubud. It’s easy to get to and if you’re staying in Ubud, it’s likely within walking distance or a short Grab or Gojek ride from your hotel. Follow the paths around the forest and see temples and statues covered in moss and with Macaque monkeys climbing all over them. The monkeys are quite friendly and may decide to climb on you, so if you’re not comfortable with that, I don’t suggest going. Personally, I’m fairly comfortable with most animals, I’ve walked the African savannah with unrestrained lions for example, but monkeys for some reason, creep me out. Apes are unpredictable, so if you’re like me, I’d give it a miss. I’ve been a few times, but only because I was with someone else who wanted to go.
A word of warning, don’t take any food you will have monkeys chasing you the entire time. Don’t take anything that is loose, keep your sunglasses in your bag, not on your head for example. If you can leave anything in the car or at your hotel, do it. You don’t want to be a victim of monkey theft!
Tanah Lot
Located out near Tabanan, Tanah Lot is a temple that is popular at sunset. Kind of like a Balinese version of Mont Saint Michel in France, Tanah Lot is surrounded by the sea at high tide and you can walk to it during low tide. Low tide happens in the afternoon making this a good spot to visit at sunset. It’s not a big temple but it’s very scenic. It is also a bit of a tourist trap, there are a lot of shops at this one, there’s also a small local zoo out the back with people peddling photos with various animals like Iguanas, a giant snake and the civet cats that “help” make kopi luwak. I don’t support this sort of thing (anymore), so don’t recommend it. Patronising such places gives them more reason to go out and capture animals and keep them in captivity. Definitely go check out the temple at sunset though.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my Bali guide and don’t forget to check out my other articles about Bali and other destinations around the world.