Bali Travel Guide
In the 1970s surfers went to Indonesia’s mystical island of Bali to ride its mesmerising waves while living as frugally as possible. These days they settle into luxury pool villas and slip in some surfing between yoga classes and smoothie bowls. The Bali of today caters for all budgets, tastes and interests – you can surf, spa and shop, take a cooking class, do a meditation course or watch a traditional ceremony. You can feast on farm to table cuisine or tuck into roast duck, dance on tables or savour beachside sundowners. Avoid Kuta and Bali is as spellbinding as it’s ever been.
Bali Itineraries
One Day
Itinerary
Two Day
Itinerary
Stay in Bali
Book Bali Accommodation
Eat in Bali
Drink in Bali
Explore Bali
Experience Bali
Basa Gede Balinese Sauce Recipe – How to Make Bali’s Traditional Spice Paste
Basa gede or Balinese sauce is a classic Balinese spice paste in the tradition of Asian pastes such as Thai curry paste and Cambodian kroeung, commonly used for saté and duck and chicken betutu. While available commercially, ...
Balinese Saté and Ayam Betutu Recipes Using Basa Gede Balinese Sauce
These Balinese saté and ayam betutu recipes make classic barbecued Balinese skewers and a traditional dish of chicken or duck (bebek betutu) that is marinated, wrapped in a banana leaf, and steamed. Both require the basa ...
Book Bali Tours
Absorb Bali
Shop Bali
Festivals & Events in Bali
Bali Local Knowledge
Bali Resources
Giving Back: It Doesn’t Take Much to Make A Difference
Giving back to each of the places we visited this year was one of our goals of our grand tour, along with living like locals, doing and learning things, and travelling more sustainably. The aim ...
Bali Essentials
WHEN TO GO
Bali is warm and humid all year around, with two main seasons.
Apr-Sep Is high and dry season, with the busiest months being July & August and only ocassional rainfall.
Oct-Mar Is the low and wet season and while it doesn’t just pour with rain every day, it does rain a lot at night.
Health
Bali has healthcare treatment facilities for minor accidents, however for serious injuries (surfing and motorbike riding accidents are common culprits) you will need a care flight overseas for more expert care. Be sure that your insurance covers these costs. Recommended Vaccinations
Visas
There are two main visa types that will concern visitors to Bali; the free visa and arrival and the paid visa on arrival. The free visa on arrival cannot be extended, but the paid visa on arrival (US$35) is generally used to exend the visit for two months. You can purchase a two month visa at Indonesian consulates and embassies before arrival.
Insurance for Bali
CURRENCY
CURRENT EXCHANGE RATES
$1.00 USD = 14,655.55 IDR
$1.00 AUD = 24.16 IDR
€1.00 EUR = 36.21 IDR
£1.00 GBP = 42.66 IDR
The Indonesian currency is the rupiah (Rp), but the currency code is IDR. You’re going to be carrying a lot of notes around as the 1,000Rp note is worth around 6 cents US. When withdrawing money from ATMs you may get a good exchange rate but be hit by big transation fees. The 50,000Rp and 100,000Rp notes are best to carry being respecvely about US$3.50 and US$7.
LANGUAGE
BALINESE IS THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF BALI.
ELECTRICITY
ELECTRICITY IN BALI IS 230 VOLTS. 50 CYCLES/SEC.
LOCAL TIME
CURRENT BALI TIME
Bali’s Time Zone is (GMT+8)
Bali has never utilised daylight saving.
WEATHER
CURRENT BALI WEATHER
- TEMPERATURE
°C | °C - HUMIDITY
% - WIND
m/s - CLOUDINESS
% - SUNRISE
- SUNSET
- TUE 17°C | °CCloudiness%Humidity%
- WED 18°C | °CCloudiness%Humidity%
- THU 19°C | °CCloudiness%Humidity%
- FRI 20°C | °CCloudiness%Humidity%
- SAT 21°C | °CCloudiness%Humidity%
- SUN 22°C | °CCloudiness%Humidity%
TRANSPORTATION
AIR/LAND/SEA
While Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia, there are many direct international flights to the island. There is one airport, Ngurah Rai International Airport with a code name of DPS, and it’s just south of Kuta. There are ferries servicing other areas of Indonesia such as Java, Sumbawa and Lombok. Getting around is generally on hired motorbikes, hiring a car and driver is safer.
Bali Daily Costs
Budget
Daily Budget Up To:
US$30
- Guesthouse dorm room: US$5–10
- Cheap restaurants, street food: US$3
- Motorcycle hire (weekly) US$25
Mid Range
Daily Budget From:
US$31–200
- Air-con hotel room: US$50–150
- Good local restaurant meal: US$20+
- Full Spa Treatment: US$30
Luxury
Daily Budget From:
US$201+
- Boutique hotel or resort: US$150+
- Fine dining meal without drinks: US$50+
- Car and Driver (daily Rate): US$60+