Travel guide
Bali travel guide
A group holiday circuit, not a trek: how far it goes depends on which operator you book — some stay on the mainland, some add Nusa Penida, some add the Gili Islands.
See 6 trips in Bali
About Bali
Bali is one island in a country of more than seventeen thousand, and it carries a share of Indonesia's tourism that is wildly out of proportion to its size — which is both why it has an international airport, a developed tourist economy and English spoken almost everywhere, and why its southern third is now one continuous traffic jam between Kuta, Seminyak and Canggu. The island rewards people who accept that trade-off going in rather than discovering it on day one.
Geographically it is small enough to be misleading on a map — Denpasar to the north coast looks like an hour and is routinely three — and it is not flat. A chain of volcanoes runs down the middle, Gunung Agung and Gunung Batur among them, and the land drops from cool, wet highlands around Ubud and Bedugul to a hot, dry south coast in under two hours' drive. That single geography is why the same island can sell you a rice-terrace trek in the morning and a beach club sunset the same evening, and why an itinerary that tries to do both in one day is usually lying about the traffic.
Culturally Bali is the one Hindu-majority island in the world's largest Muslim-majority country, and its Hinduism is its own thing entirely — a layer of older Austronesian and animist practice under a Hindu-Buddhist structure that produces temples, ceremonies and a calendar unlike anything on the Indian mainland. This is not decoration for tourists; canang sari offerings appear on pavements multiple times a day because the ceremony is still the point, whether or not anyone is watching.
What the island is not is a single experience. 'Bali' on an itinerary usually means one or two of: Ubud's temples and terraces, the south coast's beaches and cliffs, an offshore island crossing to Nusa Penida or the Gilis, or a quieter east-coast stretch around Amed that most first-time visitors never reach. Which combination you get shapes the trip more than the number of days does.
Things to do in Bali
Tegallalang and Jatiluwih
Tegallalang and Jatiluwih rice terraces, working paddies and subak irrigation you can walk through, not a display
Find adventuresUluwatu
Uluwatu's clifftop temple and the kecak fire dance at sunset
Find adventuresTanah Lot
Tanah Lot, the offshore rock temple, at low tide
Find adventuresCampuhan Ridge Walk
Ubud's temples, palace and the Campuhan Ridge walk before 8am
Find adventuresKelingking Beach
Kelingking Beach's dinosaur-head cliff on Nusa Penida, and the steep climb down to it
Find adventuresManta Point
Manta Point's reef mantas off Nusa Penida, cold water and all
Find adventuresSekumpul
Sekumpul or Tegenungan waterfalls inland from Ubud
Find adventuresBalinese
A Balinese ceremony or cremation procession, if your dates happen to cross one
Find adventuresMount Batur
Mount Batur sunrise trek, a pre-dawn climb rewarded with a caldera view
Find adventuresGili Islands' car-free
The Gili Islands' car-free, motorbike-free beaches, a genuine change of pace from the mainland
Find adventures
Places to see in Bali
Named things worth going out of your way for, whichever trip you end up booking.
Uluwatu Temple
templeA Hindu sea temple on a sheer cliff at Bali's southwestern tip, one of the island's six key directional temples. Sunset is when everyone comes, both for the light and for the kecak dance performed in the temple's amphitheatre — a hundred bare-chested men chanting in a ring with no instruments, telling the Ramayana. Mind your sunglasses; the resident macaques steal them with practiced confidence.
Tanah Lot
templeAn offshore temple on a rock formation that is only reachable on foot at low tide, and one of the most photographed sights on the island for exactly that reason. You do not enter the inner temple as a visitor, but the setting and the sunset over it are the draw. Arrive for late afternoon and expect company — this is on every south-Bali day tour.
Tegallalang Rice Terraces
natureStepped paddies north of Ubud, cut into a valley and irrigated by the centuries-old subak system that UNESCO has recognised as a living cultural landscape. Genuinely beautiful and genuinely commercial now — swing photo-ops and warung cafes line the viewpoint. Jatiluwih, further west, is larger, quieter and closer to a working farm than a photo backdrop.
Ubud Monkey Forest
wildlifeA forest sanctuary of around 700 long-tailed macaques set among three Hindu temples, right in the middle of Ubud. Carry nothing loose — no dangling bags, sunglasses or food — because these animals take things with real confidence and occasionally bite when pressed.
Campuhan Ridge Walk
natureA paved ridge path running north from central Ubud through open grassland between two rivers, free and unticketed. Best walked at or before sunrise, both for the light and because it is a genuinely crowded path by mid-morning.
Mount Batur
trekAn active volcano near Kintamani, climbed overnight for a sunrise summit — a steady, unglamorous scramble in the dark with a headlamp, roughly two hours up, rewarded with a view over the caldera and Lake Batur below. Guides are effectively mandatory and the route is well-trodden; this is a fitness-moderate trek, not a technical one.
Kelingking Beach
viewpointNusa Penida's signature view — a headland shaped, from above, like a dinosaur's head over an empty white-sand cove. The viewpoint at the top is a ten-minute walk and free; the beach itself is a genuinely steep, exposed scramble down roughly 400 vertical metres of rough steps, not for anyone uncomfortable on uneven ground.
Manta Point
adventureA cleaning station off Nusa Penida's southwest coast where reef manta rays, some four metres across, come in reliably enough that snorkel and dive boats build a stop around it. Sightings are good in season but never guaranteed — these are wild animals, not an exhibit — and the water here runs noticeably colder than the rest of Bali.
Sekumpul Waterfall
natureA cluster of waterfalls in Bali's north, reached by a steep jungle walk with a local guide effectively required for the route-finding and river crossings. Less visited than the waterfalls near Ubud because of the distance from the south, which is exactly why it stays quiet.
Besakih Temple
templeBali's 'mother temple', a complex of more than twenty temples on the slopes of Gunung Agung and the island's holiest site. Vast and genuinely impressive, though it has a reputation among travellers for pushy unofficial guides at the entrance — go with a driver who knows the site, or be firm about declining add-on 'guiding'.
Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave)
heritageAn 11th-century rock-cut meditation cave near Ubud with a carved demon-face entrance, bathing pools and temple ruins around it. Small enough to see properly in half an hour, and usually folded into a half-day Ubud loop with the rice terraces.
Seminyak and Canggu beach strip
beachBali's most developed beach towns — black volcanic sand, a serious surf break, and the island's densest concentration of beach clubs, cafes and boutiques. Sunset here is a genuine event rather than a quiet moment; go in expecting crowds and music, not solitude.
Sanur
townThe original Bali beach resort, calmer and more family-oriented than Kuta or Seminyak, with a flat, protected reef that keeps the surf down. Sanur's harbour is also the main departure point for fast boats to Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan and the Gili Islands.
Amed and the east coast
natureA string of quiet fishing villages along Bali's dry, black-sand east coast, known for calm shore-diving and snorkelling — including an accessible Japanese shipwreck at nearby Tulamben — with almost none of the south coast's crowds or traffic. The trade-off is distance: it is a proper two-to-three-hour drive from the airport.
Where to base yourself in Bali
Inland, green and centred on temples, rice terraces and craft markets, at its best early in the morning before the day's tour buses arrive. This is where most itineraries put the 'Bali is more than a beach' day, and it earns it — but Jalan Raya Ubud at 2pm is a genuine traffic jam.
See adventuresThe south's beach-club-and-brunch belt, dense with cafes, surf schools and nightlife, and the most convenient base if the trip is built around the south coast. Traffic between the two and onward to Uluwatu is the main planning constraint here.
See adventuresUluwatu
The clifftop southern tip, quieter and further from the airport than Seminyak, built around surf breaks, the sea temple and increasingly upscale clifftop dining. The view is the reason to sleep here rather than day-trip in.
See adventuresCalmer, more family-friendly, with a protected reef and none of Kuta's intensity. Also the practical launch point for boats to Nusa Penida and the Gilis, which makes it a useful one-night stop even for travellers not otherwise drawn to it.
See adventuresA separate island a fast boat-ride from Sanur, with far rougher roads than the mainland and the cliff-and-cove scenery — Kelingking, Angel's Billabong, Diamond Beach — that fills most people's Instagram feed of Bali. Worth a night rather than a rushed day trip if the schedule allows it.
See adventuresBali's quiet side: waterfalls and coffee plantations around Munduk and Lovina in the north, calm shore-diving villages along the dry eastern coast. Both are a real drive from the airport and from each other, which is why most short trips skip them entirely.
See adventures
Planning a trip to Bali
Getting there
Almost all international arrivals land at Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) in Denpasar, in the island's south. Flights from India are not direct — expect one stop, commonly Kuala Lumpur, Singapore or Bangkok — and many land in the small hours of the morning, so the first hotel night is normally booked from the day before so a room is waiting rather than a checkout scramble.
Once on the island, transfers are by car and subject to the traffic realities above: budget more time than the map distance suggests for anything crossing the south, and expect any Ubud-to-south-coast transfer to run close to two hours.
When to go
April to October is Bali's dry season and the reliable choice — sunny, warmer in the south, cooler and greener inland around Ubud and the highlands. This is also peak season, especially July–August and the Christmas–New Year weeks, when beach clubs, popular temples and Ubud's main street are at their most crowded and accommodation prices climb.
November to March is the wet season: warmer, cheaper, and considerably greener, with rain that typically arrives as a heavy afternoon downpour rather than all-day drizzle. It is not a wasted trip, but beach days become a gamble and boat crossings to Nusa Penida or the Gilis are more likely to be delayed or cancelled for weather.
One date worth knowing regardless of season: Nyepi, the Balinese Day of Silence in March, closes the entire island for 24 hours — no flights, no vehicles, no going outside, lights down after dark. No trip is scheduled to cross it, but check the date if you are extending independently.
Visa, the tourist levy, and entry
Indian passport holders can get a Visa on Arrival, currently priced at 500,000 rupiah for a 30-day stay and extendable once. It can be bought at the airport counter or, more usefully, online in advance as an e-VOA — worth doing given how many flights from India land at 2 or 3am, when the arrivals queue is at its longest.
Separately, since February 2024, Bali charges its own tourist levy of currently 150,000 rupiah per person, paid once on arrival through its own official portal — a provincial charge, distinct from the national visa fee, and one that regularly surprises travellers who last visited before it existed.
Health and safety
The most common thing that actually happens to visitors in Bali is a scooter accident, not anything more exotic. Bali's roads are busy, poorly lit at night in places, and an International Driving Permit with a motorcycle endorsement is legally required to ride one — travel insurance can and does decline claims where the rider lacked it. Cars and drivers are inexpensive here; renting a scooter to save money is a false economy for most visitors.
Tap water is not for drinking; bottled or filtered water is sold and refilled everywhere. Reef-safe (mineral, not chemical) sunscreen is worth bringing from home — it is expensive and not always easy to find locally, and Bali's reefs are already under pressure from bleaching.
Money, connectivity and staying in touch
Indonesian rupiah is the currency; ATMs are widely available in the south and in Ubud, less so once you're on Nusa Penida's back roads or in the far east and north, so carry more cash than feels necessary before heading to either. Card payment is common in the tourist areas and patchy elsewhere.
Mobile signal and data are reliable across the developed south and in Ubud; expect it to thin out on Nusa Penida's interior roads and on remote east-coast stretches. A local prepaid SIM or eSIM is the easiest way to stay connected and is sold at the airport and in most towns.
Food and getting around
Balinese food — babi guling (spit-roast pig), bebek betutu (slow-cooked duck), sate lilit, lawar — sits alongside a huge range of Indonesian and international options in the tourist areas, from warungs to serious fine dining, particularly around Seminyak and Ubud. Tap water aside, food hygiene in busy, well-reviewed places is generally reliable.
Most visitors get around by hired car and driver, which is affordable, avoids the scooter risk above, and is the practical way to manage the south's traffic. Ride-hailing apps work in the more developed areas but are restricted or informally blocked from picking up in some tourist zones with strong local taxi/driver associations — expect to walk a short distance to a pickup point in those cases.
Good to know
Nearest airport
Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS), Denpasar — most flights from India connect once, via Kuala Lumpur, Singapore or Bangkok.
Visa for Indian passport holders
Visa on Arrival, currently 500,000 rupiah for 30 days (extendable once); can be bought online in advance as an e-VOA.
Bali tourist levy
A separate provincial charge, currently 150,000 rupiah per person, paid once on arrival via its own portal — introduced in 2024.
Currency
Indonesian rupiah (IDR). ATMs are common in the south and Ubud, sparser elsewhere; carry cash for remote areas and Nusa Penida.
Language
Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia) and Balinese; English is widely spoken across the tourist economy.
Best time to visit
April to October, dry season — July, August and the Christmas–New Year weeks are the most crowded and expensive.
Connectivity
Reliable 4G in the south and Ubud; expect gaps on Nusa Penida's interior and the far east and north coasts.
Getting around
Hired car with driver is the standard, affordable choice; scooters are common but legally require an International Driving Permit with a motorcycle endorsement, and injuries here are common.
Time zone
Central Indonesia Time, UTC+8 — 1.5 hours ahead of Indian Standard Time.
Facts about Bali
Who is actually running this trip?
The operator you picked on the compare screen. You book and pay MyAdventure; the operator runs the trip for us. MyAdventure handles refunds, and steps in if the batch is cancelled.
What if I cannot complete it?
Ask the operator what their turn-back protocol is — it varies by trip, and the good ones publish it.
Is the batch mixed-gender and solo-friendly?
Most departures take solo travellers and share accommodation by gender. Confirm with the operator for this batch.
Ready to go?
Every trip in Bali, with filters for dates, length, budget and style.
See 6 trips in Bali