Bali for First-Time Travellers: Everything You Need to Know

Bali is a dream trip for many, and with good reason. The island has beautiful nature, a rich culture, fantastic food and warmth all year round. But planning your first Bali trip can feel overwhelming. Much of the information out there is out of date or written for a completely different kind of traveller.

We lived in Bali for four years. Here’s everything we’d tell a friend going for the first time: entry and visas, flights, money, transport, health, where to stay, what to see and how to behave in the temples.

Already know what you want to experience? You’ll find ready-made trip ideas and prices on our travel to Bali page. Not sure what kind of trip you want? Take our trip quiz and we’ll suggest a trip based on your answers.

Want to skip the planning? We’ll put the whole trip together for you.
See the packages →

Entry: passport, visa and online forms

Passport. Your passport must be valid for at least six months after you enter, with at least two blank pages. Have your return or onward ticket ready too. You’re sometimes asked for it.

Visa. Citizens of more than 90 countries, including the US, the UK, the EU, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and most of the Middle East and Asia, get a Visa on Arrival. Some Southeast Asian nationalities, such as Singapore and Malaysia, can enter visa-free. It costs IDR 500,000 (about $30), is valid for 30 days and can be extended once for another 30 days. You can buy it in the arrivals hall, but we recommend applying for the e-VOA in advance at evisa.imigrasi.go.id, at least two days before you fly. That way you skip the visa queue and can use the automatic passport gates. Keep the receipt.

There are also two things everyone has to do:

• The All Indonesia arrival card is mandatory and free. Fill it in no earlier than three days before arrival at allindonesia.imigrasi.go.id. Everyone needs their own card, children included.
• The Bali tourist levy is IDR 150,000 (about $9) per person, paid once per visit at lovebali.baliprov.go.id. Keep the QR code on your phone. It may be checked.

Only use the official sites ending in .go.id. There are fake sites that charge for the forms.

The full walkthrough is in our Bali visa guide.

Flights to Bali

How you get there depends on where you live. From Australia there are direct flights from most major cities, from around 3.5 hours from Darwin to 6–7 hours from Sydney or Melbourne. From Asia there are direct flights from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul and many Chinese and Indian cities. From the Middle East Qatar Airways and Emirates fly direct from Doha and Dubai. From Europe and North America you fly with one or two stops, often via Doha, Dubai, Singapore, Tokyo or Seoul.

A return ticket is often $300–600 from Australia and Southeast Asia, and $700–1,600 from the Middle East, Europe or North America, depending on season. Many travellers add a few days in Singapore, Bangkok or Tokyo on the way.

When you land: skip the taxi drivers calling out in the arrivals hall. Book transport in advance, or use Grab or Gojek from the app. From the airport it’s 20–40 minutes to Seminyak and Kuta and 1.5–2 hours to Ubud.

Money and currency

The currency is the Indonesian rupiah (IDR). Price tags with lots of zeros are completely normal. IDR 100,000 is roughly $6.

Cards work at hotels, restaurants and larger shops, but you’ll need cash at markets, small shops, for drivers and for tips. Use ATMs from well-known banks such as BCA, Mandiri and BNI, ideally inside a bank or a shopping centre. If you exchange money, use an authorised money changer, check the rate and count the cash before you leave.

A card with no foreign transaction fees saves you money. Always choose to pay in rupiah when the card terminal asks, not in your home currency.

More on prices and tipping in currency, prices and tipping in Bali and how much it costs to travel to Bali.

Getting around Bali

Traffic is heavy, and distances take longer than you’d think. Thirty kilometres can take two hours. These are the most common ways to get around:

Grab and Gojek are Bali’s answer to Uber. Download the apps at home and add your card. You book a car or a scooter taxi at a fixed price, with no haggling. In some places, especially Ubud and Canggu, pickups can be harder to get.

A private driver is the most comfortable option for day trips and when you move between areas. The driver waits while you explore and takes you on to the next stop. We offer a car with driver from $99 per car for a full day. See also is a private driver worth it.

A scooter gives you the most freedom, but requires experience and an international driving permit for motorcycles. Traffic is chaotic, they drive on the left, and the roads are narrow. Road accidents are the most common cause of injury among tourists. If you’ve never ridden a scooter, Bali isn’t the place to learn.

Where to stay

Bali has everything from simple guesthouses to villas with a private pool. The areas are very different:

• Ubud for culture, rice terraces and nature.
• Seminyak and Canggu for beaches, cafés and restaurants.
• Uluwatu for cliffs, sunsets and surf.
• Sanur and Nusa Dua for calm beaches and families.
• The Nusa islands for snorkelling and peace and quiet.

The full comparison is in where to stay in Bali.

7 places you won’t regret

Bali is big enough for a whole month, but small enough to give you the highlights in a week. These are the places we take everyone who visits:

Place	Why?	Recommended time
Ubud	Art, culture, rice terraces, spas and the island’s best food scene	3–4 nights
Seminyak and Canggu	Waves, sunset restaurants and café life	3–5 nights
Uluwatu	Dramatic cliffs, the Kecak dance at sunset and Padang Padang	2–3 nights
Nusa Penida	Kelingking Beach, Crystal Bay and Bali’s wildest nature	Day trip or 1–2 nights
Mt. Batur	Sunrise from the top of the volcano	One early morning
Lovina and North Bali	Dolphins, waterfalls and a Bali almost without tourists	1–2 nights
Amed and Tulamben	Bali’s best snorkelling and diving, with the USAT Liberty wreck	1–2 nights

How much time you need is in how many days you need in Bali.

Food and drink

The food is an experience in itself. Nasi goreng (fried rice), mie goreng (fried noodles), satay (skewers with peanut sauce) and babi guling (spit-roast pork, the Balinese feast dish) are must-tries. A meal at a warung, a local eatery, often costs $3–8.

Tap water isn’t safe to drink. Hotels provide drinking water, and large bottles cost almost nothing in the shops. Most restaurants and cafés use safe ice, but be careful with ice from small stalls.

Alcohol is legal, but pricier than the food. A Bintang costs around $3–5 at a bar. Avoid arak, the local spirit, from unknown sources. There have been serious cases of methanol poisoning. Stick to well-known brands.

Health and vaccines

Talk to your doctor or a travel clinic 4–6 weeks before you leave. Common recommendations are hepatitis A, and often hepatitis B and typhoid. Also check that your tetanus and diphtheria are up to date.

Bring a small travel first-aid kit with something for stomach upsets (“Bali belly”), plasters and mosquito repellent. Sunscreen is expensive in Bali, so bring it from home. Travel insurance is essential. Check that it covers hospital treatment, repatriation and any scooter accidents.

Culture and customs

Most people in Bali are Hindu, and religion is part of everyday life. Small courtesies go a long way:

• Cover your shoulders and knees in temples. You can borrow a sarong at the entrance.
• Give and receive things with your right hand.
• Don’t point with your feet, and don’t touch people’s heads.
• Don’t step on the small offerings (canang sari) on the ground.
• Women who are menstruating shouldn’t enter temples.

Nyepi, the Balinese New Year, shuts the whole island down for 24 hours, including the airport. In 2027 it falls on 8 March. Don’t plan to land or travel that day.

More in Balinese culture and customs.

Practical info before you go

Topic	What you need to know
Time zone	WITA, UTC+8, with no daylight saving
Electricity	Type C and F sockets, 230 V. Travellers from the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand need an adapter, and US devices must handle 230 V
Phone and internet	Buy an eSIM before you go, or a SIM card from Telkomsel or XL at the airport
Travel insurance	Essential. Check that it covers scooters and repatriation
Vaccines	Hepatitis A, consider hepatitis B and typhoid. Ask your doctor 4–6 weeks before
Dress code	Cover shoulders and knees in temples
Tipping	5–10% at restaurants is appreciated, but not expected
Language	Indonesian and Balinese. English works in the tourist areas

Is Bali safe?

Yes, Bali is generally safe. The most common problems are traffic, stomach upsets, sunburn and petty scams such as short-changing and overpriced taxis. Use common sense, book excursions with operators you trust, and have your insurance in order. Read more in is Bali safe.

When you book a package with ReadySetIsland, you’re covered by the Package Travel Act and a travel guarantee, and you have one personal contact while you’re in Bali.

When should you go?

The dry season, May–October, brings blue skies and little rain. July and August are the busiest and most expensive. May, June and September give you almost as good weather at lower prices.

The rainy season, November–March, puts many people off, but the rain usually comes in short, heavy afternoon showers. Prices are lower, there are fewer tourists, and the island is greener than ever. See the best time to travel to Bali and the rainy season in Bali.

Our recommendation for a first trip

Bali rewards you for planning a little, but also for letting go of the plan and simply being there.

For a first trip we recommend 10–14 days. Start with 3–4 nights in Ubud, take a day trip to Nusa Penida, move to Seminyak or Canggu for 3–4 nights, and finish with 2–3 nights in Uluwatu. Keep a day or two with no plan. You’ll always find something.

Want to see how the route works with your nights and interests? Our itinerary planner gives you places, the order, drive times and a price.

Before you go, run through the Bali trip planning checklist and the most common mistakes travellers make in Bali.

Want help with your first Bali trip? We lived on the island for four years and put the trip together the way we’d travel ourselves.
See the packages → Get a free trip proposal →