BaliTravel Guide
Bali compresses an extraordinary amount of island into roughly 5,780 square kilometres: volcanic peaks, emerald rice terraces, sea temples on wave-battered rocks, and a Hindu culture unlike anywhere else in Indonesia. Where you base yourself — arty Ubud, surf-town Canggu, clifftop Uluwatu or quiet Sidemen — shapes the entire trip, which is exactly why it pays to choose deliberately.
Is Bali right for you?
April–October (dry season)
It depends where you stand. There is a cheap version and an expensive one — the guides below say which is which.
No hour-by-hour route here yet — the guides below cover it by subject instead.
April–October (dry season)
Mixed
Typical cost profile for visitors
Nothing else we cover is within a comfortable hop — this one is a trip of its own.
Finding Bali
Reading Bali
Bali, place by place
Everything below is named in one of our own stories about Bali. The line under each is the sentence that recommended it, and the link goes to the piece it came from.
Where to stay
The areas and addresses our writers put first
Mitch Hodiono
Ubud
Central Ubud is busy; stay a few kilometres out for quiet.
Seminyak and Sanur
BaliSeminyak does polished beach resorts, boutiques and sunset cocktails.
Sidemen and the east
BaliRice valleys under Mount Agung, small guesthouses, weavers' villages.
Ubud and the Ayung valley
BaliThe gorge of the Ayung river near Ubud is where Bali's resort mythology runs deepest.
Seminyak and the southwest beaches
BaliBali's beach-resort story began on this coast: the Oberoi Beach Resort in Seminyak, opened in the 1970s, was among the island's first true luxury hotels and still sets a benchmark for garden-villa serenity steps from…
Nusa Dua
BaliBali's purpose-built resort peninsula gathers big international names — the St.
Jimbaran Bay
BaliBetween the airport and the Bukit, Jimbaran's curved bay pairs upscale resorts with its famous beachfront grilled-seafood dinners.
What to see
The things that justify the trip
Sergey Chuprin
Canggu
Bali's fast-changing surf town: black-sand beaches, co-working spaces and a relentless brunch scene.
Green Yang
Sacred Monkey Forest
Uluwatu and the Bukit
BaliThe limestone peninsula in the far south holds Bali's most dramatic coastline and its best surf breaks.
Things to do
Walks, tours and days out we would book again
Campuhan Ridge Walk
BaliBase here for galleries, yoga, the Campuhan Ridge Walk, the Sacred Monkey Forest, and day trips to the terraces at Tegallalang.
What we'd do in Bali
See and do
- The Sidemen valley
An hour or so east of Ubud, Sidemen is what Ubud's surroundings looked like a generation ago: rice terraces stepping down toward the sacred volcano Gunung Agung, weavers working at home looms, guesthouses facing nothing but green.
Read: Bali Beyond the Crowds - The ceremonial calendar
Bali's Hindu calendar overlays everything, and it is the island's real seasonal drama.
Read: Bali in Every Season: When to Go and What Changes - The Campuhan Ridge Walk, Ubud
A paved path along a grassy ridge just minutes from central Ubud, with valleys of palms and elephant grass falling away on both sides.
Read: Bali's Most Beautiful Streets, Lanes and Village Walks - Ubud — culture and jungle
The island's artistic heart, ringed by rice fields and river gorges.
Read: Bali: rice terraces, temples and how to choose your base - Munduk and the twin lakes
Up in the cool central highlands, the village of Munduk hangs on a ridge among clove trees and coffee gardens, with a chain of waterfalls reachable on foot.
Read: Bali Beyond the Crowds
Where to stay
- Nusa Dua — the manicured enclave
Bali's purpose-built resort peninsula gathers big international names — the St.
Read: The Storied Hotels of BaliCheck ratesad · Booking.com - Jimbaran Bay — seafood sunsets
Between the airport and the Bukit, Jimbaran's curved bay pairs upscale resorts with its famous beachfront grilled-seafood dinners.
Read: The Storied Hotels of BaliCheck ratesad · Booking.com
Practical essentials for Indonesia
Practical essentials for IndonesiaIndonesian rupiah (IDR)
Indonesian is the official language and Balinese is widely spoken on Bali; English is common in tourist areas.
Type C/F, 230V 50Hz
Bali has almost no useful public transport, so visitors use the Gojek and Grab apps, hire a car with a driver, or rent a scooter, paying in cash or in-app.
Mid-range and upmarket restaurants and hotels usually add a service charge to the bill; beyond that a small tip or rounding up for a driver is appreciated but not expected.
Tap water is not safe to drink; use bottled or filtered water, including for brushing teeth.
Left-hand side; foreign visitors need an International Driving Permit carried together with their home licence, and Bali police check for both at roadside stops.
112 (police 110, ambulance 118 or 119, fire 113)
Country-level guidance, checked against official sources. Currency, fares and entry rules change — confirm anything time-critical before you travel.
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