Bali travel guide

• A distinctive living Hindu culture in a majority-Muslim country, visible in daily temple offerings and ceremonies.
• Landscapes that genuinely deliver: the Tegallalang and Jatiluwih rice terraces, volcanic Mount Batur, waterfalls in the north.
• Excellent value — good accommodation, food and spa treatments cost far less than in most beach destinations.
• Diving and snorkelling at Nusa Penida, Amed and the Tulamben wreck.
• Some of the best-designed small hotels and villas anywhere at mid-range prices.

April to October is the dry season; May, June and September are the sweet spot

Dry season (April – October)

Sunny, lower humidity, best for beaches and hiking. July and August are peak for crowds and prices.

Shoulder (May, June, September)

Dry-season weather without peak crowds or rates. Our recommendation.

Wet season (November – March)

Heavy afternoon downpours rather than all-day rain, humid, and the cheapest rates. January and February are wettest.

Nyepi, the Balinese Day of Silence, shuts the entire island including the airport for 24 hours. Check the date before booking — it moves each year.

Ubud

The cultural centre: Monkey Forest, art museums, the palace, and rice terraces on the edge of town.

Tegallalang & Jatiluwih rice terraces

Tegallalang is closer and busier; Jatiluwih is a UNESCO landscape and far more impressive if you have the driving time.

Mount Batur sunrise trek

A two-hour pre-dawn climb with a guide. Popular, cold at the top, and genuinely spectacular on a clear morning.

Uluwatu Temple

Clifftop temple with a sunset Kecak fire dance. Watch your belongings — the monkeys are practised thieves.

Tirta Empul

A water purification temple where visitors may participate respectfully with a sarong and guidance.

Nusa Penida

A day trip or overnight by fast boat: Kelingking Beach, Angel's Billabong and manta snorkelling. Roads on the island are rough.

Sidemen & Munduk

Where to go if Ubud feels too busy — rice valleys and waterfalls with a fraction of the visitors.

Amed & Tulamben

The quiet east coast, black sand, and the USS Liberty wreck dive straight off the beach.

Ubud

Culture, rice fields, yoga and spas. Central Ubud is congested; staying 10 minutes out is quieter and greener.

Seminyak & Canggu

Restaurants, beach clubs, surf and nightlife. Canggu is younger and more spread out; both have heavy traffic.

Uluwatu & the Bukit peninsula

Clifftop views and the best surf. Beaches involve steps, sometimes a lot of them.

Sanur

Calm, flat, family-friendly with a swimmable beach and a promenade. Underrated and good value.

Nusa Dua

Large resort enclave, manicured and easy, but separated from everyday Bali.

Amed, Sidemen, Munduk

The quiet options for a second visit or a slower trip.

• Hire a car with a driver for day trips. It typically costs a modest daily rate for around ten hours and is the standard way visitors get around.
• Ride-hailing apps work but are restricted or discouraged in certain areas by local taxi associations — your hotel can advise.
• Scooters are ubiquitous and cheap, but accident rates involving inexperienced visitors are high, and most travel insurance excludes riding without the correct licence. We do not recommend it unless you ride at home.
• Traffic is the main constraint. Ubud to Canggu can take 90 minutes; airport to Ubud 60-120 depending on the hour.
• Ngurah Rai International (DPS) is in the south, close to Kuta and Seminyak and furthest from the north coast.

Need a vehicle at the other end? Our car rental page explains how driver requirements, deposits and insurance excesses usually work abroad.

• Split your stay. Three or four nights inland and four or five on a coast beats one base for the whole trip.
• Private-pool villas are widely available at mid-range prices and are one of the best value propositions in travel.
• Check the walking distance to restaurants. Many beautiful villas sit down long lanes with nothing within walking distance, which means a driver for every meal.
• Read recent reviews about noise. Construction is constant in Canggu and parts of Seminyak.
• A service charge and government tax, typically around 21% combined, is often excluded from quoted rates.

We can shortlist properties against your budget and travel dates — see how our hotel booking service works.

• Use a private driver for a full-day loop rather than booking separate excursions — it is usually cheaper and entirely flexible.
• Book the Mount Batur trek with a licensed guide company; unguided ascents are not permitted and are unwise in the dark.
• Nusa Penida in a single day is rushed and the boat crossing can be rough. An overnight makes it far better.
• Temple visits require a sarong and sash — usually available at the entrance, but bringing your own is easier.
• Cooking classes and silversmithing workshops around Ubud are well run and genuinely hands-on.

See our tours and experiences page, or tell us what you want to see and we will build the day around it.

Nigerian passport holders should arrange an Indonesian visa in advance

First-time visitors

Ten nights: four in Ubud, five in Seminyak, Sanur or Uluwatu, one buffer. Seven nights works if you accept only two bases.

Honeymooners

A private-pool villa in Ubud followed by a clifftop or beach property in Uluwatu or Nusa Dua.

Families

Sanur or Nusa Dua for calm, swimmable water and short transfers. Ubud with young children means a lot of car time.

Surfers & divers

Uluwatu or Canggu for surf; Amed, Tulamben and Nusa Penida for diving.

• Carry a sarong; you will need it at temples and some are stricter than others.
• Drink bottled or filtered water only, and be cautious with ice at very small roadside stalls.
• Cash is still king at warungs and markets, though cards work in hotels and larger restaurants. Use ATMs attached to banks.
• Bargaining is expected at markets and not at fixed-price shops or restaurants.
• Motorbike-related injuries and stomach upsets are the two most common insurance claims. Take both seriously.
• Respect ceremonies — processions have right of way, and you may simply have to wait.

• Booking one hotel for ten nights and then spending the holiday in a car.
• Underestimating traffic and planning three separate areas in one day.
• Renting a scooter without a licence or experience.
• Arriving during Nyepi without realising the airport closes.
• Assuming visa-on-arrival applies to a Nigerian passport — it generally does not.

Mid-range hotel or villa, per night

About $60-$160, with private-pool villas well within that range outside peak season.

Car with driver, per day

Roughly $45-$70 for around ten hours including fuel.

Warung meal

$3-$8 per person; Western restaurants in Seminyak cost several times more.

Mount Batur guided trek

$40-$70 per person including transfers and breakfast at the summit.

Indicative planning ranges only. Actual prices move with season, exchange rates and availability — ask us for a current quote for your dates.