Bali

Introduction

Bali is a town and municipality in Pali district, in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It sits on the left bank of the Mithari River.

Before you go

Bali is a pocket of Hindu religion and culture in largely Muslim Indonesia, and every aspect of daily life is suffused with religion. The most visible signs are the tiny offerings known as canang sari, leaf trays made daily and set out with burning incense and holy water at least three times a day before every meal; you will find them in houses, workplaces, restaurants, souvenir stalls and even airport check-in desks. If you kick or step on one, don't worry — they are placed on the ground for that very purpose and will be swept away anyway.

Expect heavy traffic throughout the year, particularly around Kuta, Legian, Seminyak, Canggu, Sanur, Central Denpasar, Central Ubud, Gatot Subroto Timur, and the routes to Gianyar and the east. Streets in Kuta, Legian and Seminyak, as well as central Ubud, are one-way, and jams routinely get bad enough that it can be quicker to leave your taxi and walk. The island has been gentrifying in its most frequented areas, especially in the south, as it strives to add modern facilities while keeping the traditional culture and natural beauty that draws visitors in the first place.

Getting there

Most international visitors arrive at Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS), also known as Denpasar International Airport, which sits in Tuban between Kuta and Jimbaran, roughly 45 minutes from Denpasar. It is a major hub with connections across Australia, Asia, the Middle East and the rest of Indonesia, served by a mix of full-service and low-cost airlines, and it is the starting point for island-hopping tours to the Nusa Tenggara Islands, with Garuda Indonesia, TransNusa and Wings Air operating propeller services to the islands. Check the Indonesia article for visa regulations. A tourist levy is supposed to be paid by all international arrivals, payable online or at cashless counters at the airport, though as of mid-2026 payments are not checked and there are no counters at the airport, so it appears voluntary and online-only.

Getting out of the hot, busy arrivals area is straightforward once you know your options. Some hotels organise free transfers, and public taxis are available from the ticketing booth on the right just after the exit, where you buy a fixed-fare ticket and are assigned a driver; the booth closes after the last flight arrival of the day and reopens later, so during that gap you will need to haggle or use an alternative. Walking past the taxi drivers brings you to the Grab lounge, where uniformed staff will help you book a Grab car even without the app, with drivers waiting on site. To save more, you can flag down a Blue Bird Taxi outside the airport area, though this means a walk of about 10 minutes from the international terminal, longer from the domestic, with no signage; taxis dropping off near domestic departures are another option, and Blue Bird's metered fares are cheaper than the prepaid fare. Outside the airport you can also flag down a bemo, most of which head to Kuta, or take an ojek from the first intersection outside the airport, which is useful if narrow streets or an uncertain hotel location make a taxi impractical. By bus, Trans Sarbagita stops at both domestic and international arrivals and is one of only two public buses allowed to enter the airport, though it only serves major roads and intersections, while the newer Trans Metro Dewata Line 2 runs from the airport to downtown Denpasar and requires an electronic money card such as Brizzi, E-money, Flazz or TapCash.

Getting around

Bali is a large island, and rapid, seemingly uncontrolled development plus aging infrastructure mean the roads struggle to cope. Traffic is chaotic in the major tourist areas and there are daily jams, with Ubud, Kuta, Seminyak and Denpasar particular blackspots. Walking is difficult in most parts of the island: sidewalks are often just the covered tops of storm-water drains, sometimes only wide enough for single-file walking beside traffic, and they are frequently blocked by a parked motorbike or a caved-in section, forcing you into the road. Beach areas and major tourist areas are easier on foot, and Seminyak and Sanur in particular have a wide, walkable beachfront lined with cafes and bars. Even where conditions are hard, plenty of locals and visitors travel by foot, and traffic is generally accommodating to pedestrians if given time to react.

For excursions, it is common to join a tour through your hotel or one of the many street agencies in booths marked "Tourist Information", which take a commission on what they sell you. Scheduled shuttle buses and the Perama bus company serve budget travellers between major destinations, and privately-run buses and minibuses run between towns. The greater Denpasar region, including Kuta, Nusa Dua, Sanur and Ubud, has a cheap public bus network, Trans Metro Dewata, with six routes, and Trans Sarbagita still runs one route from Denpasar City to Garuda Wisnu Kencana via Kuta and Jimbaran; both are integrated with Google Maps public transport navigation, but they are aimed at commuters rather than tourists, run only a few times an hour, and get stuck in traffic. Metered taxis are common in southern Bali as far north as Denpasar but scarce elsewhere, and BlueBird is the largest and most reliable company, with sky-blue cars, a phone call service and its own app. Rideshare apps such as Grab and GOJEK offer on-demand car and motorcycle taxis with upfront fares, driver ratings and real-time tracking, usually significantly cheaper than a regular taxi, though coverage thins well north of Denpasar and some hotels and the airport prohibit pick-ups. Bemos, the traditional minivans, have largely given way to metered taxis in the south, and drivers often insist foreigners charter the whole vehicle. Car and motorbike rentals are widely available, driving is on the left, and you should think carefully about handling the traffic; hiring a car and driver lets you relax and avoid getting lost. Some surfing areas are reachable only by motorbike, but south Bali's crush of traffic greatly increases accident risk, and an International Driving Permit is required for rentals. A light rail transit system is planned, with four lines to connect the airport to Canggu, Ubud, Nusa Dua and Sanur, but until it opens, the options above are what you have.

Where to stay

Bali has the best range of accommodation in Indonesia, from cheap losmens to super-homes. Backpackers tend to head for Kuta, which has the cheapest and dingiest digs on the island, and Popies Lane I and II in Kuta are popular among backpackers. Many five-star resorts are clustered in Nusa Dua, Jimbaran, Seminyak and Ubud. Sanur and Jimbaran offer a fairly happy compromise if you want beaches and some quiet. Ubud's hotels and resorts cater to those who prefer spas and cultural pursuits over surfing and booze. Legian, between Kuta and Seminyak, offers a good range of accommodation, while Uluwatu is the newest area to offer a wide range, from surfer bungalows to opulent high-end resorts. Further north on the west coast is Canggu, once traditional villages among undulating rice fields and now developing fast to look more like Seminyak. For rest and revitalisation, head to Amed, an area of peaceful fishing villages on the east coast with good hotels and restaurants, or the sparsely populated areas of West Bali. The newest trend is bed and breakfast hotels built by big local companies, claiming 3-star status but with no pool or spa, spread through Kuta, Legian, Seminyak and Denpasar near the Bypass and aimed at domestic tourists, though foreign tourists are welcome; they sit in busy areas with minimarkets and cheap food stalls nearby, 1-2 km from the beach.

Bali is famous for its large collection of private villas for rent, complete with staff and top-class service, found in the greater Seminyak area (Seminyak, Umalas, Canggu), around Jimbaran and Uluwatu in the south, in Sanur, around Ubud and in Lovina in north Bali; they are rare in built-up areas like Kuta, Legian and Denpasar. Not every place sold as a villa fits the bill, so look carefully at who is running it and who you are renting through, ask how long it has been taking commercial guests, and thoroughly examine the security arrangements. For an extended stay, consider a long-term rental; restaurants, shops and bars frequented by Bali's expatriate community, particularly in Seminyak, Sanur and Ubud, are good places to find information, as is the local expat biweekly publication, The Bali Advertiser. Long-term rental houses tend to be older and not as well maintained, but if you are willing to be flexible you can find nice options over a wide range of budgets. Thanks to Bali's balmy climate, many hotels, bungalows and villas offer open-air bathrooms, often set in a lush garden; they look amazing and are a very Balinese experience, but they may shelter little uninvited guests and are best avoided if you have a low tolerance for critters. Note that hotel prices may be quoted in US dollars, euros or Indonesian Rupiah, and that high-end and mid-range hotels levy a 21% tax and service charge on the room rate, so always ask whether a quoted rate includes or excludes it; simple budget homestays and losmens are not obliged to levy these charges. Some cheaper hotels may try to make extra money by charging exorbitant fees for basic services, so read reviews before booking. Only a couple of hotels in Bali have family, triple or quadruple rooms, so the closest option may be two rooms with a connecting door; most hotels count a child over 2 years old as an adult, while others allow one child up to 10 years old accompanying the adults without an extra bed for free.

Food & drink

Bali has a huge variety of cafes and restaurants serving both Indonesian and international food, and you'll find some American chains in the southern tourist areas, though their menus are often adapted to local tastes. For better and cheaper food, head to the smaller local restaurants known as warungs rather than touristy places. Be sure to try the ubiquitous Indonesian dishes nasi goreng (fried rice), nasi campur (steamed rice with various vegetables and meats), and mie goreng (fried noodles). Some of the most authentic food comes from roving vendors called kaki lima — the name means "five legs," from the cart's three legs and the vendor's two. Head to the beaches of Kuta, Legian and Seminyak at sunset for steaming hot bakso, a meatball and noodle soup you can season yourself, though Indonesian spices can be ferociously hot, so go easy until you find your heat tolerance. Padang restaurants, marked with a masakan padang sign, serve food from Padang, Sumatra, with options stacked on plates in the window for you to choose from, served with steamed rice. The most famous Padang speciality is rendang sapi, a spicy beef coconut curry, and there are always chicken, fish, egg and vegetable options. Padang food is always halal.

Actual Balinese food is common on the island but has made few inroads elsewhere in the country because of its emphasis on pork. Notable dishes include babi guling, roast suckling pig served with rice, often available at night market stalls and selected restaurants, with a notable outlet at Ibu Oka's in Ubud. Bebek betutu is duck topped with a herb paste and roasted in banana leaves over charcoal, and the same method used for chicken gives you ayam betutu. Lawar covers a range of Balinese salads, usually involving thinly chopped vegetables, minced meat, coconut and spices. Sate lilit is minced seafood satay wrapped around a twig of lemongrass, and urutan is Balinese spicy pork sausage. Other specialities include ayam panggang bumbu bawang mentah (grilled chicken with sliced shallots, chillies and lime), ayam panggang bumbu merah (grilled chicken with red chilli and shrimp paste sauce), bebek timbungan (tender duck cooked for hours with smoky flavour), tum ayam (sliced chicken mixed with herbs and steamed in banana leaves), ikan kakap bakar bumbu terasi (grilled snapper in local hot spices), sudang lepet (salted dry fish), pepes ikan laut (sliced fish mixed with herbs, grilled and served in a banana leaf), pelecing kangkung (water convolvulus with shrimp paste and lime) and pelecing paku (fern tips with shrimp paste and lime).

Unlike Indian Hindus, virtually all Balinese eat meat, and cows are sacred in Hinduism, so traditional foods include pork but not beef. Assume local food is non-vegetarian unless you're assured otherwise. The spice paste sambal is a hot paste of ground red chillies, spices and usually shrimp paste, so always check whether the sambal served to you contains shrimp paste — you can find it without at a few places. Kerupuk crackers with a spongy appearance contain shrimp or fish; as an alternative, ask for emping, a meat-free cracker made from bean paste. Restaurants catering to tourists nearly always provide vegetarian options, and in places like Seminyak and Ubud there are even dedicated vegetarian restaurants. Halal restaurants catering to the Muslim minority exist but may require searching and tend to be downmarket; Padang restaurants are a good option, as are Javanese or Sundanese restaurants. Kosher food is virtually unknown.

At all but the cheapest local restaurants, it's normal for government sales tax and a service charge to be added to your bill; some places in less touristy areas include it in the price, but most state these "plus plus" terms expressly. July and August is the busiest season, while the best deals can be had between October and April, apart from Christmas time.

Most Balinese have nothing against a drink, and alcohol is widely available, but take caution buying spirits, as poisonings and deaths have occurred from unscrupulous operators cutting spirits with cheaper alternatives like methylated spirits. Beer is seen to be safe. Indonesia's most popular beer is the ubiquitous Bintang, with the cheaper Bali Hai nearly as widespread; Bintang is a fairly highly regarded classic light Asian beer, while Bali Hai is a rather bland lager brewed in Jakarta despite the name. Another Indonesian beer is Anker, and foreign brands Carlsberg, Heineken and San Miguel are all brewed in Indonesia and widely available, along with a range of more expensive imported beers. Beer is relatively expensive in local terms, though still cheap by western standards. In tourist centres, happy hours are widely publicised before and after sunset. Beer can be bought from basically any grocery store, convenience store or warung.

Bali produces its own wines, with Hatten being the oldest and most popular brand, available in white, red, rose and sparkling varieties. Quality is inconsistent, but the rose is usually OK and massively cheaper than imported wines. Most restaurants will let you bring your own bottle and some charge a modest corkage fee; smaller establishments may not have a corkscrew, so bring your own. There is also snakefruit wine from Karangasem with a sweet and sour taste. Bali also produces its own liqueurs and spirits, with Bali Moon being the most popular, offering a wide range of flavoured liqueurs that are ubiquitous in bars and hotels owing to Indonesia's high tariffs on imported alcohol. Vodka and other spirits are also produced locally, with Mansion House being the most popular brand, though many of these local spirits are little more than flavoured rice spirit. Liqueurs are available in many retail outlets. Bali's traditional hooches are arak, a clear distilled spirit.

What to see and do

When to go

Bali stays warm year-round, so your choice of season is mostly about rain and humidity rather than temperature. The wet west monsoon runs from December to March, bringing heavy showers and high humidity. Even then, days are often sunny, with rain typically arriving in the late afternoon or evening and passing quickly. The Bukit Peninsula often stays sunny and dry even when rain falls across most of Bali, so it can be a good bet during the monsoon months.

The dry, cooler stretch from June to September brings low humidity and hardly any rain in the lowland coastal areas, making it a reliably dry window for beach time. Evenings can be quite cool, so a layer helps after dark. Higher elevations behave differently: in central Bali and the mountains, cloudy skies and showers can occur at any time of year. At higher spots like Bedugul or Kintamani it gets distinctly chilly after sunset, so bring a sweater or jacket.

Three days in Bali

Day one: Arrive at Ngurah Rai International Airport, also known as Denpasar International Airport or DPS, in Tuban, just south of Denpasar. From there, head to Kuta, Legian or Seminyak for the beach-and-nightlife side of the island, or continue to Canggu if you prefer a quieter base. Sanur offers calmer water and a slower pace. Expect warm and humid conditions, with a wetter season and a drier season rather than sharp seasonal swings.

Day two: Give the day to Central Ubud and the surrounding streets of Ubud in Gianyar, where you can see Hindu temples and the town's arts scene. Central Denpasar and Gatot Subroto Timur show the island's Muslim Indonesia side alongside its Indian and Rajasthan-linked heritage. The Mithari River and Pali are also part of the wider story. If you want a beach day instead, Jimbaran and Tuban are close to the airport.

Day three: Use your last day for a slower loop. Check out of your base and choose between the southern beaches around Kuta, Legian, Seminyak, Canggu, Sanur, Tuban and Jimbaran, or the cultural streets of Ubud and Central Denpasar. Garuda Indonesia, TransNusa and Wings Air connect Bali with the rest of Indonesia, including the Nusa Tenggara Islands, as well as Australia, Asia and the Middle East. Some travellers add a stop in Nusa Tenggara Islands before flying home from DPS.