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Travel advice for Indonesia
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written by Henry Fry
updated 7.06.2023
With its coral-speckled beaches, luscious green rice terraces and blissful azure seas, Bali has long been a haven for surfers, sun worshippers and yoga junkies alike. Whether you’re planning the adventure of a lifetime, a week of relaxation or a family holiday, here are Bali travel tips to help you make the most of your visit.
The information in this article is inspired by The Rough Guide to Bali & Lombok, your essential guide for visiting Bali.
Bali's Beaches and Temples
Experience Bali's brilliant beaches and temples with this stunning trip. Marvel at ancient temples like Tanah Lot and Pura Besakih, soak in stunning sunsets, stroll bare-footed along the best beaches in Bali and haggle at local markets – experience all of this, and much more, with this unique trip!
customize ⤍Rest and Relaxation in Bali and Lombok
This unique trip will take you to some of Bali and Lombok's most traditional places. Look forward to driving through tropical landscapes and spending time in villages nestled in scenic spots of traditional luxury with infinity pools and stunning vistas over the ocean.
customize ⤍Royal Bali - Culture & Beaches
Enjoy a luxurious stay in Bali, with hand-picked 5 Star Hotels. This trip includes privately guided tours as well as leisure time, ideal for families with kids. Highlights include sea temple Tanah Lot, Jatiluwih rice terraces and Uluwatu temple with its famous Kecak dance.
customize ⤍The Best of Bali
This trip will take you from the modern-day Bali to the traditional one. Bali has many adventures to offer, tour the countryside with a Vespa or glide through the hidden canyons. You will also be able to enjoy visits to enchanting villages, where you can take in the local way of life.
customize ⤍Java and Lombok - culture and beaches
Start your trip in Yogyakarta (also called Jogja) with its rich cultural past such as the Borobudur temple. From there continue to hike Mount Bromo and explore more of East Java in Malang and Surabaya. End your trip on the dreamy beaches of Kuta/Lombok, dubbed 'the next Bali'.
customize ⤍Singapore & Bali - A Unique Exploration
Combine Southeast Asia's smallest country Singapore with its largest country: Indonesia. Spend a few days exploring the metropolis before flying to the magical island of Bali. Temples, volcanoes and ceremonies are part of your itinerary, as are the gorgeous beaches of Nusa Lembongan.
customize ⤍Culture, volcanoes and dragons - Bali, Flores & Komodo
Combine several islands on one trip - start in Bali's cultural capital Ubud before heading to the rice fields in Sidemen. A short flight to Flores allows you to explore volcanoes and local villages before hopping on a cruise around Komodo and other islands close to Labuan Bajo. Dragons included!
customize ⤍Love trip to Bali
Celebrate your love union on this magical island. Included are couples massages at relaxing spas, a blessing ceremony by a Balinese priest, an authentic cooking class and of course - a beautiful white sandy beach on Nusa Lembongan to relax towards the end of your trip.
customize ⤍Bali Yoga Retreat
Discover a new you with this rejuvenating Bali-based yoga retreat. Enjoy personalised yoga and meditation classes, together with revitalising Ayurvedic treatments, all in idyllic surroundings. The cuisine is a treat for all the senses; you will also have the chance to explore the temples of Bali.
customize ⤍Unknown Java and Bali - an overland adventure
A fast-paced itinerary packing plenty of highlights: discover the temples of Prambanan and Borobudur and sunrises at Mount Bromo and Mount Ijen before heading to Bali: a beautiful underwater world and the landscapes of Ubud and Sidemen await.
customize ⤍Experience Bali with this stunning tailor-made trip to Bali's Beaches and Temples. Marvel at ancient temples like Tanah Lot and Pura Besakih, soak in stunning sunsets, stroll bare-footed along the best beaches in Bali and haggle at local markets – experience all of this, and much more, with this unique trip!
The best time to visit is outside the monsoon season, from April to September, but you should be prepared to get rained on in Ubud at any time of year. However, the prospect of a daily rainstorm shouldn’t put you off: you’re far more likely to get an hour-long downpour than a day-long drizzle. Mountain climbing, though, is both unrewarding and dangerous at monsoon time
Staff may have to unblock your phone first and will also advise on the best SIM card for your needs, bearing in mind local and international coverage. Top-up cards are sold at mobile-phone stalls everywhere.
Or you can buy purifying tablets, water filters and water purifiers from travel clinics and specialist outdoor-equipment retailers. Note that in some losmen drinking water is often served hot in a Thermos indicating that it has been boiled. Indonesians are very much aware of the need to boil water before drinking it and generally water, tea or coffee served hot is safe to drink.
However, none of the antimalarial drugs is a hundred percent effective and it is vital to try to stop the mosquitoes from biting you. So Bali travel tips in this case are to wear long sleeves and long trousers in infected areas, burn mosquito coils, and use repellent on exposed skin.
The most powerful repellents should be brought from home. DEET is effective but can be an irritant and natural alternatives are available containing citronella, eucalyptus oil or neem oil.
Make sure to check the tank, as they’re often left empty by the previous rider. If you do run low, petrol is easily purchased (usually in vodka bottles) from almost every roadside shop. And don’t forget to ask for a helmet.
One of the top Bali travel tips is to rent a bike and head around the stunning white shoreline, stopping off to swim amid tropical fish and the occasional sea turtle. Boats run between the islands constantly, but make sure to catch a public one, rather than pay through the nose for a private speedboat.
This tailor-made trip to the best of Bali will take you from modern-day Bali to the traditional one. Bali has many adventures to offer, tour the countryside with a Vespa or glide through the hidden canyons. You will also be able to enjoy visits to enchanting villages, where you can take in the local way of life.
It’s an eerie experience: boats are punted with bamboo, so there’s no engine noise to disturb the crabs and birds that inhabit the muddy forest floor. The trip is best at low tide when the roots are exposed.
From your base on Bali's renowned beaches, you'll island-hop your way around glorious Hindu temples and heritage sites. See komodo dragons, partake in a traditional Balinese ceremony, meet with a Hindu High Priest and visit local villages: this tailor-made trip to Indonesia ticks all the tropical getaway boxes.
Try the Potato Head Beach Club in high-end Seminyak for some multicultural dining in an unusual horseshoe-shaped building, or head to Gili Trawangan for the night market, where you can sample grilled king prawns straight from the ocean. Make sure to order the Indonesian staple gado gado, a salad of boiled vegetables and eggs, at least once on your trip.
Enjoy a luxurious stay in Bali, with hand-picked 5 Star Hotels. This tailor-made trip to Royal Bali includes privately guided tours as well as leisure time, ideal for families with kids. Highlights include the sea temple Tanah Lot, Jatiluwih rice terraces and Uluwatu temple with its famous Kecak dance.
Find more accommodation options to stay in Bali
Ready for a trip to Bali? Check out the snapshot of The Rough Guide to Bali & Lombok.
If you prefer to plan and book your trip to Bali without any effort and hassle, use the expertise of our local travel experts to make sure your trip will be just like you dream it to be.
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Top image: Rice terraces in Bali © Dudarev Mikhail/Shutterstock.
written by Henry Fry
updated 7.06.2023
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