The best tips and most beautiful places for your Bali holiday
Here you will find my Bali travel tips to make sure you are well prepared for your trip. Bali - once a destination for package tourists and honeymooners - is attracting more and more individual tourists and backpackers. Everyone loves the island of the gods.
Wonderful beaches, a wide range of activities, indescribable nature and diverse culture. Add to that the extremely friendly people who always have a smile on their face and are always ready to help.
What has changed since my first trip to Bali?
After visiting Bali for the first time in 2006, I finally came back 10 years later. Bali is unrecognisable. Especially Ubud, which once consisted of one "main street" and a few cafés and restaurants, now offers an incredible variety of accommodation, restaurants and cafés in all price categories. The range of yoga studios, vegan and vegetarian restaurants has also exploded. On my first trip, the choice could be counted on one hand.
In the south, Seminyak was the last tourist place heading north at that time. Now Canggu is the hotspot and hipster place for backpackers from all over the world. A tad too crowded and hyped for me. The prices for a taxi have also exploded. In 2006, I could take a taxi from Kuta to Seminyak for 20 cents. Today it's at least 20 €. And the trend is rising.
Nevertheless, Bali has not lost its charm. The people are still incredibly helpful and friendly. As soon as you leave a place, you will find original places and hardly any tourists. So my tip is to rent a scooter and just go for a ride!
Everything you need to know about travelling to Bali and what Bali has to offer, I have summarised here in my travel tips for Bali!
Why travel to Bali?
Bali is the perfect destination for newcomers to Southeast Asia. For me, too, Bali was my first contact with the Asian continent. Before my trip, I had no idea what to expect. Friends promised me that the people were very friendly and helpful and that it was very easy to get from A to B. So I booked and had no expectations. So I booked and had no expectations.
But everything I had expected so far was exceeded. Balinese are Hindu. Despite tourism, most of them have remained true to themselves and their tradition and religion. In addition, they are extremely helpful and nice, without being put on. They always have a smile on their face and find a solution for every problem.
In Bali you can combine all the comforts of the western world with Balinese things. Here you simply don't miss anything. The fruit and the food are delicious, and with a scooter you can get from A to B easily. Drivers offer their services on every corner if you don't want to get on a two-wheeler in the admittedly chaotic traffic.
If you leave the tourist centres, you will find unspoilt villages surrounded by rice fields and waterfalls. Small alleys through which hardly any cars fit and Balinese people holding ceremonies in temples.
For me, Bali has never been a destination of beautiful beaches. It's more a destination of small, beautiful hotels with gorgeous pools and rooms. If you want to see beautiful beaches, you have to go to the Gili Islands or to Nusa Lembongan. Nusa Lembongan go. In Bali, corals and especially rubbish are everywhere on the beach. Unfortunately, this is not a nice sight in many places.
Facts and figures about Bali
Bali belongs to the island state of Indonesia and is not a country in its own right - as many might think. The Island of the Gods is the only non-Muslim island in the country.
More facts about Bali:
The capital and largest city of Bali is Denpasar with over 600,000 inhabitants.
Currency in Bali: 14,000 Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) is equivalent to about 1 €.
Time zone: CIT (Central Indonesia Time), the time difference to Germany is +7 hours in winter and +8 hours in summer.
Public holidays: The public holidays in Bali are not fixed like ours. Finding the dates is not so easy, because the rhythm follows the 210-day Balinese Uku, Wuku or Pawukon calendar. Moreover, there are not only public holidays. These are then large and longer lasting colourful festivals.
Where is Bali?
Bali is not a country in its own right, but an island that belongs to Indonesia. It lies in the Indian Ocean below the equator. Therefore, you have to be careful in Bali, because even a short stay in the sun can give you a proper sunburn!
Bali is the westernmost of the "Lesser Sunda Islands" in southern Indonesia. To the west, the island of Java is only 2.5 kilometres away. To the east is the slightly smaller island of Lombok and the increasingly popular islands of Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Penida and Nusa Ceningan. The famous Gili Islands and the Secret Gilis are also to the east near Lombok.
Do I need a visa for Bali?
As a normal tourist, you can now get a free visa-on-arrival if you only want to stay in the country for 30 days. If you stay longer, like me, it's more complicated.
Vaccinations, first-aid kit and travel insurance
Recommended vaccinations for Bali
If you are travelling from Europe, no vaccinations are required for Indonesia or Bali. For travel to rural areas, the standard vaccinations of tetanus, diphtheria, hepatitis A and B, rabies and typhoid are recommended. Consult your doctor for more information. Vaccinations should generally be checked before each trip and refreshed if necessary.
Malaria prophylaxis for Bali?
I am often asked whether I take malaria prophylaxis with me on my trips to Bali. On my first trip in 2006, my doctor prescribed doxycycline. I took this daily for four weeks. Conclusion: I got sick on the Gilis, had suppurated sinuses and by taking the antibiotic all medicines were ineffective. I flew home in this condition. I would never do this again.
Now 10 years and many trips to malaria-risk areas, I am much more practised in dealing with it. I have Malarone with me (from my previous trip to Africa) and I am here in the rainy season. I do not take any malaria prophylaxis. I don't find the mosquitoes excessive. I regularly use anti-bug or Autan with Deet. Still, you have to decide for yourself if you want to take malaria prophylaxis or not. I must mention that you can also get dengue fever. Friends of mine have already had the unfortunate experience.
In general, I would advise you to seek vaccination advice from your doctor if you are unsure.
View my first aid kit
What travel insurance do I need for Bali?
Many holidaymakers don't ask themselves about travel insurance until shortly before departure. But then it is often too late. If you fall off a ladder just before your trip and break a leg, you might lose a lot of money.
That's why I have written down which travel insurances (luggage insurance, travel interruption insurance, ...) make sense.
Popular travel routes for Bali
First Bali trip 2006:
Seminyak - Ubud - Gili Air - Sanur
On my first Bali trip I mainly travelled in the hot south of the island. On the small island of Gili Air we took a short break. On the outward flight we 3 days stopover in Kuala Lumpur to acclimatise and acclimatised a little bit.
Bali trip 2016:
Starting point Ubud. I stayed here for six weeks. We also spent 2 nights in Uluwatu. We spent three nights on Nusa Lembongan. I visited the Gilis on five nights (Gili Air, the quietest of the islands). In addition I did numerous excursions around Ubud around Ubud.
The best travel guide for Bali with insider tips is the German Bali travel guide "122 Things to do in Bali"by fellow blogger Melissa from the indojunkie blog.
Sights in Bali
There are great things to discover in Bali: temples, volcanoes, beaches and much more. I have collected the most important sights here:
Pura Tanah Lot - the sea temple on the rock cliff
An absolute highlight is the Pura Tanah Lot. The most visited and probably most photographed temple in Bali with over 3 million visitors (!!) a year attracts almost all tourists. Especially at sunset, this sanctuary is overcrowded. My Lonely Planet travel guide writes "...the complex has the authenticity of a stage set". The original rock has indeed gradually crumbled and a third of it has been artificially recreated - to protect the temple.
Even though the temple attracts many tourists, it is one of the most important and most revered sea temples on the island. For me, this place is one of the most beautiful Bali has to offer. However, I did not visit the temple at sunset. If you go to Tanah Lot during the day, it is very hot, but you won't be overrun by the crowds of tourists.
The temple itself can only be entered on foot at low tide. However, this is only permitted to the locals.
The most important sea temple of the Balinese: Pura Tanah Lot Ubud - artists, galleries and rice fields
Ubud is the spiritual centre of the island. On my first visit in 2006, it was very quiet and cosy, but since the film "Eat, Pray, Love" it has become totally overcrowded and touristically exploded. Nevertheless, there are still wonderful places to stay. Especially if you stay outside the centre, you are surrounded by wonderful nature in the middle of rice fields.
You will also find great luxury hotels around Ubud in a dream location surrounded by rice fields in the rainforest.
In the surroundings of Ubud there is the Sacred Monkey Forest. Officially, it is called Mandala Wisata Wanara Wana - no one can remember it. Apart from the monkeys - as the name suggests - there are three sacred temples here.
Attention: The monkeys are always on the lookout for tourists and are very annoying. Please do not feed the animals. Admission costs Rp 30,000 for adults.
→My tips for the best excursions around Ubud
The rice terraces of Tengalalang near Ubud in Bali
Accommodation in Ubud - pure luxury at the Alila Ubud
The Alila Ubud is situated in the middle of the rainforest. Our room had a terrace with a view of the rainforest and an outdoor bath and rain shower. The hotel is very expensive but for 2-3 nights it is definitely worth treating yourself.
It is something very special to stay in the rainforest! Who can claim to have stayed in a hotel with the best pool in the world?
The Hotel Alila Ubud and the magnificent Infinite Pool with a great view of the rainforest and rice fields:
In the morning, you'll be served the very best breakfast. Everything is grown by the Alila Hotel itself! Delicious shakes and fresh fruit! Every day could start like this. I wouldn't mind!
View accommodation at booking.com
Ubud , which was sleepy when I visited, is now a real tourist hot spot. Back then there was hardly a restaurant or cafe except for the famous Lotus Cafe and the famous market where artists sell their handicrafts, now you'll find many hipster cafes with vegan food, yoga studios and a huge variety of things to do.
The Jalan Monkey Forest is still there. But here, too, the guidebook says more than it is. We are a little disappointed.
Gili Islands - snorkelling and diving paradise
The three islands of the Gili Islands are tiny tropical islands. White sandy beaches, coral reefs and coconut palms - plus donkey carts on sandy tracks. Mopeds are forbidden, as are dogs. A paradisiacal idea - what more could you wish for? At the time of my trip still an insider tip - today the most rapidly growing place for tourists in Indonesia.
Gili Air
I visited Gili Air twice - the smallest and quietest island of the Gili Islands. The fastest way to reach it from Lombok, from Bali in 2.5 h by speedboat.
Gili Trawangan
The liveliest and most touristy of the Gili Islands is Gili Trawangan - also known as Gili T. Here you can party until dawn. Hip restaurants and hotels are just as plentiful as the party people. However, this does not correspond to my idea of travelling. Gili T. is too loud and crowded for me.
Gili Meno
Most tourists go to Gili Meno for diving. Otherwise, this island is largely quiet, especially during the low season and rainy season.
Gili Air
On the Gilis you can rent snorkels, diving goggles and fins for a reasonable price. Unfortunately, I didn't have a diving licence on this trip. As soon as you are 1-2 m in the water, the bottom drops off steeply. Even with a snorkel you can explore the coral reefs. Very ingenious and great visibility.
From time to time, a short heavy monsoon rain sweeps through the alleys of the island. Afterwards, they are totally muddy and even the donkeys have trouble getting around. The great thing about Gili Air is that the island is so small that it took me 1.5 hours to walk around it.
The Gilis are hotter than hot. Our simple accommodation unfortunately only has a dripping air-conditioning unit directly above our feet. I don't like air conditioning. But here we can't manage without it. It is too warm. The upshot: I am sick the next day.
My experience when travelling by plane from Denpasar to Lombok and continuing by speedboat to Gili Air: Everywhere, really very unfriendly hostile-looking Muslims look at us. Western, female woman, without headscarf and then still wearing a top. That's too much of a good thing for the devout Muslims on Lombok. On top of that, our driver from the airport to the speedboat has forgotten us...so we quickly take a taxi to Sengiggi , from where the speedboat leaves for Gili Air. The fast taxi ride to the western shore of Lombok to the departure point of the speedboat to the Gilis is very adventurous.
The taxi driver accelerates on the not very good roads through the hills and it is still pouring. Arriving on Gili Air, it has at least stopped raining. The room is very basic and the worst: only salt water, a bucket of fresh water for showering every day.
→ My detailed tips for the Gili Islands
Open air shower on Gili Air, including a bucket of fresh water a day for showering.
The "main road" on Gili Air
Surfing on Bali
Bali is a paradise for surfers. No matter if beginner, advanced or pro. Here you will find a lot of surf spots for the whole year and every season.
You can rent a surfboard for as little as 3.50 euros for around two hours.
My tip: You can find the best surfing tips for Bali with many more insider tips for your holiday in the new surf guide for Bali. You can find more tips in the 122 Things to do travel guide (German) by Indojunkie (view and buy here).
Seminyak
Seminyak itself seems far too touristy and luxurious. No wonder you find many high-end hotels here. The beach is world class: very wide, spacious and much less crowded than in Kuta. That's only because the beach here is accessible from far fewer roads. Rather from hotels on foot. That is also a good thing.
You can walk along the beach from Seminyak to Legian to Kuta. You can stop for lunch at one of the many hotels.
Seminyak has a lot to offer party tourists, especially Australians. I don't like the hustle and bustle. Because of the bombings two days before, the streets are empty by nightfall, so we venture into the centre: Jalan Double Six and eat delicious fish at Blue Ocean. The fish is very fresh and the atmosphere very cosy. The normally well-filled discos are deserted (due to the attacks).
Beach between Seminiyak and Kuta
Walking along the beach from Seminyak to Kuta
Tip for accommodation in Seminyak: Puri Madawi
The hotel Puri Madawi is a good place to acclimatise after arriving from Germany.
We stay for 3 nights in a two-storey hut, which is small and simple, but clean and cosily furnished. The hotel's own restaurant serves Balinese cuisine right by the pool, which we enjoy to the full. Fresh fish, lots of rice and everything with coconut or nice and spicy with chilli.
The atmosphere is very familiar and relaxed. The beach - which is away from the big trouble - can be reached on foot. Denpasar International Airport is only a 25-minute drive away.
Our room at Puri Madawi in Seminyak
Kuta - part and surf beach
Where once tourism started in Bali is now the Ballermann 6 of Mallorca for Australians - Kuta. Many tourists arrive in Denpasar and only get as far as Kuta. No further. The alleys are crowded in the evening and there are crowds everywhere. If you come to Bali to party, this is the place to be. Kuta is the "epicentre". Except when I visited. Due to bombings and the recommendation to avoid crowds after dark, it was almost empty. I'm not here to party anyway.
On the surfing beach of Kuta, the Hindus make sacrifices to welcome the gods. Watching these rituals is really interesting. Of course, there are also many camera crews on site. Unfortunately, it gets dark and all people avoid crowds after the attacks and flee the streets and the beach.
Kuta after the bombings in 2005
In Kuta there is usually a party atmosphere until the early morning and the alleys are full of people from all countries. Unfortunately, only a few tourists still find their way to the cosy bars and restaurants.
You will inevitably pass the memorial of Paddy's Bar, where the "big" bomb went off in 2002 and killed over 220 people, when you stroll through Kuta away from the wide beach.
What's creepy: WANTED posters with the pictures of the heads of the 2 terrorists killed in the attacks in Kuta and Jimbaran two days ago are everywhere. But the Balinese are already back to everyday life and explain to us that they are praying for the attackers so that they will have a better life in the next one. Total positive thinking. That is pure Hinduism and hardly conceivable for us.
In Europe or the Western world, there is a different way of thinking. These people here are so positive, everyone here can take a leaf out of their book.
Surfer beach in Kuta Bali Semarapura - capital of Klungkung province
Because of the Taman Kertha Gosa, a detour to Semarapura in East Bali should be on your itinerary. Semarapura, the capital of Klungkung province, has actually been called Semarapura since 1992. But most Balinese still call the provincial capital Klungkung. You will also find the name Klungkung on many local maps. The market in Semarapura is one of the best in East Bali. From 6 am in the morning until 8 pm in the evening, you can buy jewellery here much cheaper than in other places in Bali.
Kertha Gosa in Semarapura - Klungkung Tenganan - Bali Aga Village
According to the Bali travel guide you can take a trip "into the past" and visit a Bali Aga village of the descendants of the Balinese natives. Supposedly, the village is not a tourist attraction, cars and motorbikes are not allowed to enter. My impression was different. I was so annoyed to have followed our guide. In the simple original huts there were very well television and luxury goods. You are not urged to sell any of the textiles, but you get disapproving looks if you do not.
If you like traditional Gamelan music and dances you will enjoy it here.
We have lunch at Alila Manggis, then continue to Tenganan, a Bali Aga village. There are still "indigenous people" living here. Well, here you shouldn't believe the travel guide too much. The whole place is very touristy and apart from the huts, everything is a tourist trap. You should NOT support such things. Never again.
Sanur
In the evening we explore Sanur, but also here: the same things are sold everywhere (even giraffes that you actually bring back from South Africa as souvenirs...). Sanur is absolutely the most touristy town of our trip and people talk to us all the time. I feel like I'm at a market in Tunisia... it's no fun and just annoying. Eat in a hotel with live music, then sleep and recover...
Attention: The sea in Sanur is no fun. At low tide you have to walk hundreds of metres over broken coral to finally reach the shallow water. The sea here is not meant for swimming, which is later confirmed by the hotel manager.
Mercure in Sanur: Neither swimming at the beach nor at the pool is fun. The pool must be 35°, even warmer than the outside temperature, so it doesn't offer any cooling!
In the past there were bad bomb attacks in 2002 and 2005. In 2002 in a disco in Kuta, in 2005 - during my visit - in Kuta and on Jimbaran beach. Tourism suffered a lot afterwards. Since then, everything has been quiet and the number of tourists has really skyrocketed in recent years.
My Bali trip coincided with the last "major" bombings in 2005. Nevertheless, this was no reason to leave earlier. I stayed because I felt safe. On my travels in Asia, I have never met a friendlier and more positive people than the Balinese! I have never felt unsafe.