When to visit Bali?
Bali is a perfect destination all year round, but it has 2 seasons, one dry and one wet. If you want to have perfect weather (little rain, low humidity), then you have to visit in the dry season, April to October. The rest of the year is the wet season and you will have short rains almost daily, but the temperatures will be high.
The most crowded period on the island are the months, July and August, but also Christmas and New Year.
And if you are on holiday during February – June, and September – December, the accommodation prices will be somewhat lower.
How to get here and Viza
You can arrive in Bali from all over the world with just one stopover (in case you do not have a direct flight), being very accessible. Once you arrive at the airport, you will be interested in how you get the entry visa.
The visa for Indonesia is very easy to get. If you want to stay less than a month is free. We wrote a blog post about everything you need to know when you want to get a visa on arrival in Bali. Click here for all the details.
Itinerary Bali
We stayed in Bali for a month, more exactly 28 days. And we didn’t get bored for a second. On the contrary, I felt we could have stayed for a few more months and we would not be bored. Although it looks like a small island, it has many natural attractions to visit. Beaches with white and fine sand, waterfalls, rice terraces, temples, and the list can go on.
We divided our month as follows:
Ubud – One week – In Ubud, besides the tourist attractions in the city, we took advantage of the fact that we were located approximately in the middle of the island and directed our attention to more distant attractions. We visited the temples, and we ventured to discover 6 waterfalls.
Kuta – 19 days – We took full advantage of the beach and visited the southern part of the island.
Nusa Penida – 3 days – And we visited the east and west side of the island.
If you come to Bali for 1 or 2 weeks, we have a list of things that you need to include in your schedule.
- You have to visit one or two waterfalls. Our Favourites were Kanto Lampo Waterfall and the Sekumpul Waterfall from the 6 Bali Waterfalls we visited
- 2-4 days in Ubud would be enough to admire all that Ubud has to offer
- Give yourself at least 2 days to enjoy the beautiful beaches of the southern island of Bali
- And Nusa Pedina Island must be visited for at least a day. (Two full days if you want to see the eastern part of the island.)
Transport in Bali
There are very few options for public transport, so don’t count on them.
There’s just the option of taking a taxi or renting a car with a driver (there are different things). The rental prices are relatively the same for all providers, to get you from point A to B, or to create an itinerary for a whole day.
There is also the Uber / Grab service and the rates are a little lower, but it is banned in some areas.
The option chosen by many tourists, including us, is to rent a scooter. It’s a lot cheaper, you can rent it for a whole day for about 60,000 IDR. And if you want to rent it for several days, you can negotiate a lower price. More about transport in Bali here.
Accommodation
Bali in recent years has grown rapidly, so you can find accommodation for any budget in any part of the island.
Of course, there are also hotels and tourist complexes with all-inclusive. But you’ll notice Balinese culture much better if you stay in an Airbnb offered by a local family.
We had a budget of about 11 euros per night for accommodation. And it was more than enough.
In Ubud, we stayed at Sulendra Bungalow with an incredible view, a welcoming family, and an absolutely delicious breakfast included.
And In Kuta, we had two accommodations. In a bungalow with access to the pool and breakfast included, for 12.5 euros per night. And in an apartment complex 15 minutes from the beach, where we also had a small kitchen. (69 euros per week).
You can find even better deals, depending on the period you visit.
Traditional food
Traditional Indonesian food consists of simple rice, which is accompanied by other vegetables and soup. Indonesian dishes are simply delicious. And surely one of the reasons is that everything is cooked with local and fresh ingredients. And depending on religion, meat or fish dishes.
Bali is different from the rest of Indonesia because of religion, and this is reflected in the culinary dishes. Among the local and national dishes, you should try if you visit Bali there are: Mie Goreng, Nasi Goreng, Babi Guling.
We know that when you are on holiday you do not have time to think about what you will eat. So we made a shortlist of the finest dishes you have to try if you come to Bali. More details about these dishes can be found here.
Budget Bali
Bali is a perfect destination for any budget (not including airplane tickets). If you are not restricted by any budget you can rent a villa with an infinity pool, a driver who will show you the most popular tourist attractions.
Instead, if you want to be more thoughtful, we have managed to travel and stay for a month in Bali with about 1,000 euros. Below is a list of prices so you can know what to expect:
- Rented scooter – 60-70,000 IDR
- Water 0.5l – 10.000 IDR
- Water 6l – 17,900 IDR
- Waterfall entrance – 30,000 – 40,000 IDR
- Coconut – 25,000 IDRs
- Sun-cream – 119,000 IDR
- Lunch at a local restaurant (2 pers) – 75 – 91,000 IDR
