Suggestions (Bali) > the flying duo

Bali stands unequivocally among the most captivating destinations for travelers. Drawing insights from our own enriching journey, we are eager to offer valuable suggestions and tips on Bali for those contemplating a visit. Our firsthand experiences underscore the unique charm and cultural richness that Bali exudes, making it a must-visit destination. Here, we share practical advice and recommendations to ensure an unforgettable experience in Bali.

Best time to visit:

We visited Bali in the peak season of August. The prices were more than average at that time but the weather was pleasant, warmer days, cooler nights and dry atmosphere. We did receive rain on one of the days but that was on higher altitudes. Overall, it was a wonderful experience which made us want to visit Bali again!

In our suggestions for Bali June-September which is the dry season will be the best time. August is the driest month with high costs for everything. Choose the end of June or beginning of July to keep costs down. The wet season gets really wet with rain almost every-day. Though the waterfalls may overflow with water, rains in tropical places are torrential. The views are mostly engulfed by the clouds. You may have your moments but mostly it will be cloudy. As we always say avoid rains if you want to enjoy your trip.

Flights:

Tickets are the costliest in July-August and cheapest in Feb-May.

We often take flights from Kolkata (nearest international airport to us). Air Asia is the most suited budget airlines for Bali if you plan to start f4rom Kolkata. Buy the tickets 2-3 months in advance with the shortest layover. Add one piece of check-in luggage of ~20kg while booking tickets as add on if you really need it. It will cost you additionally ₹4,500-5,000 only. This is the most affordable ticket you may get. You may add the luggage later as well but it will cost about ₹7,000.

If you are travelling from New Delhi, VietJet may be a good budget option. But as mentioned in this post, be very aware of the terms and conditions to avoid transit visa problems. Flights cost around ₹30,000 return fare in August. While searching you may find cheaper tickets like ₹20,000 but research well before booking them. They may be separate tickets. Do not believe if any video or reel informs you that flights to Bali are cheap! They are not. These videos never go past the search page when the flight details appear.

Accommodation

If you have a long itinerary, spend most of your time in Ubud. The next in in Uluwatu, then in any of the islands (or more) and lastly in Kuta/Seminyak. This way you will be able to cover all the places in Bali without much travelling. Please read our itinerary details to get a fair idea. Also, book your stays online 2 months in advance. We noticed that the places sold out fast in peak season or the prices got inflated as the travel date approached.

Our itinerary was short, so we stayed at Kuta, Nusa penida and Ubud. We had booked rooms online via Agoda at the following places:

Kuta: Hotel Zia near Kuta beach. A 3-star hotel. Very good but a little overpriced.
Nusa Penida: Griya Nusa near Sampalan harbour. Wonderful host family. Very affordable. Lacks amenities.
Ubud: Bulan Bali homestay near the Yoga Barn. Excellent stay. Far from main Ubud market.

Above stays are our suggestions for accommodation in Bali . Try to get an affordable homestay near Ubud Palace or Ubud market. As you can cover many tourist spots on foot from there. Stay near the beach in Kuta and explore the malls and shopping streets.

Transportation

If you are travelling in a group with friends or are a couple and you do not despise a bit of sun exposure or soaking in the rain, a scooter/motorbike is recommended for you. Scooters provide the freedom of movement even in traffic. It allows you to reach even the remotest places. When we were planning our trip, many videos suggested to stay away from bikes in Nusa Penida if you are not an experienced driver. In our experience, Nusa Penida may be covered on bikes. Although you may find the roads are narrow and at some places you need to halt completely to let larger vehicles pass. The roads are completely alright and you need not worry much.

If you are travelling with family, get a car rental for your entire stay. It would be the most convenient way to travel. We hired a car for our trip and the gentleman, Mr. Wayan Rida made our trip very comfortable. We are sharing the contact details of some of the people you may hire if you are planning a trip to Bali:

Mr. Wayan Rida: +62 81805586686
Mr. Nyuman Kamar: +62 81338191247
Mr. Erik: +62 85738312658
Mr. Eddy: +62 88222320460

Overall, in our suggestions for transportation in Bali, get yourself a scooter if you want the freedom of movement or else stick to car rentals for they are the safest and worry-less mode.

Itinerary:

When planning a trip to Bali keep at least 7 days. If you have long layovers, you will spend more than 15 hours one way in airports and flights. If you reach Bali in the second half, you will not be able to visit any place except explore the beaches, local markets or clubs.

Our suggestion is to directly reach Ubud from the Airport. In the next few days cover east, central and north Bali from Ubud. There are many waterfalls and viewpoints to be explored. Go for the islands after Ubud. Spend at least 2 days and 1 night in any of the islands. Next, move to a stay in Uluwatu. Spend at least 2 days there and explore all the beaches and other attractions. South Bali has plenty to explore. The beaches are so beautiful that you would want to spend all your sunsets on the beach. Lastly, stay at Kuta and enjoy the beaches, clubs and the nightlife before taking a flight home from Denpasar.

Food:

Try local cuisine. It is delicious. If not everything that we have suggested in our food post, then at least try nasi goreng, mie goreng and ayam bakar. You can survive very well on these three alone. You may eat out of small cafe called warung or go to some very fancy aka costly restaurants in the Central Ubud area. We stuck to local Warung for our meals and the food was best.

You need to buy water everywhere. Hotels provide 1 litre of complementary water bottles only. You will not find any water refill stations anywhere in Bali. Restaurants do not serve water either. Every time you will need to buy packaged water.
1 litre bottle of water costs ₹40. Buy big bottles of water (~5 litres) from marts. Use it to fill smaller bottles and carry these with you whenever you step out of hotel. Ask your car rental agency if they include water in your charges.
Food is not costly in Bali. If you eat local, three meals a day for one person will cost about ₹600 only.
Stay away from Indian food as it is mind bogglingly costly. There are many vegetarian and non-vegetarian food options in local cuisine of Bali. You just need to look for it or read our post.
Special mention of Warung Lanto in Nusa Penida as the food was well presented, well priced and absolutely delicious.
If you are staying in a little off the main area, have your dinner early as the most shops get closed by 8 PM. You will not find a soul on the streets by 10 PM. Life starts early in Bali and the day finishes early as well.

Markets:

Ubud has a big tourist market. Do not buy anything from there. It is over-priced.

If you follow our suggestions for shopping in Bali, try the street shops at Tanah Lot market. They are reasonably priced and you may get a good bargain as well. if you want some good deal without feeling scammed, you may go to Krisna Oleh Oleh a chain of departmental stores in Bali.

Bali is known for wood work. You may bring some artwork back home if you have sufficient space in your check-in luggage.

Currency:

Carry dollars with you. You will get attractive USD to IDR exchange rates in Bali. INR to IDR exchange rates are very poor.
Avoid getting currency exchanged from anywhere. Use government authorized exchange agencies only. You might get scammed with fake notes.

Other Tips

Learn some local Balinese words to interact. Balinese people are not versed in English. You will face a lot of communication problem specially in local restaurants or food joints.
Keep your belongings safely. Theft or snatching is not uncommon in Bali specially in Kuta.
There are many scams running in the name of tourism. Ensure to book whatever tours you take from authorized places.
Pack light, breathable clothing, and don’t forget your sunscreen, sunglasses, and a reusable water bottle to stay hydrated. It is always a bit warm during the days. Embrace the tropical rhythm of Bali’s weather and let the island enchant you, rain or shine.
Ensure to visit Nusa Penida. It is a beauty. Skip Pura Lempuyang. It really is not worth it. You may skip the sunrise trek to Mt. Batur.
Visit as many waterfalls as you can. Each one is unique and amazing.

Above are the list of suggestions for a Bali trip which we considered necessary for you to know before you start making plans. Hope it helps you make your holiday smooth, enjoyable and memorable (in a good way). Have a good time!