Here is my list of important Bali travel tips that will make your trip to Indonesia as smooth as possible!

I recently went to Indonesia for the first time and had such an amazing trip.

Part of the reason why this trip was so great? I did lots of pre-trip research and planning!

This was the first international leisure trip Matt and I had taken since 2019. I’ve traveled home to the USA, traveled around Australia for work, and we went to Jamaica for a wedding last year. But this was our first time in 5 years going abroad together where we could do whatever we wanted.

So I spent lots of time reading other travel blogs and researching Bali travel tips so we could have a seamless adventure. And it worked!

Bali is pretty chaotic, especially in the airport and other tourist areas. I was glad to have planned most of the trip beforehand so we could just enjoy ourselves and travel around stress-free.

So I wanted to share all my most useful Bali travel tips. These are things I learned through my own pre-trip research and from my experience on the island. I’ll share all the helpful resources that I personally used.

I would 100% recommend skimming through this list of travel tips before any trip to Bali, Indonesia!

The Most Important Bali Travel Tips

Here are the most important Bali travel tips in my opinion. I’ll start with tips for planning your arrival in Indonesia, then cover some budget travel tips and health/safety tips.

Bali Travel Tips: Before You Arrive

These Bali travel tips will help you plan a smooth arrival, including visas, tourist levies, and airport transfers.

If you are a last-minute type of person, you can do most of these things once you arrive if you want. But our trip was soooooo easy because we had done this planning in advance.

We were able to walk off the airplane and through customs in a matter of minutes. We grabbed our bags and got straight into our pre-arranged airport transfer. Everything was so easy and we had minimal stress.

So save yourself the hassle and plan your Bali arrival in advance!

What are the rules for tourists in Bali?

Tourists entering Bali, Indonesia must have a visa, return flight, and tourist levy booked and paid for. All of these can be done in advance before you arrive on the island to make your trip easier.

I’m going to cover each of these requirements in detail so you can have a hassle-free arrival in Bali.

Find cheap flights

The first thing you’ll probably do when you decide to visit Bali is book your flights.

If you’re coming from Australia like we were, you can score super cheap flights on budget airlines like Jetstar. Our round-trip flights from Sydney to Bali were only 500 AUD (330 USD).

If you’re heading to Bali from somewhere much further away, flights may be pricier. But you can still score cheap flights by browsing on a handy platform like Skyscanner or Google Flights.

Some airlines and immigration agents in Bali may require a return flight out of the country as well, so keep that in mind.

Check out my full guide to finding the cheapest flights abroad!

Order your visa ahead of time

This is one of the absolute best Bali travel tips! You can apply and pay for your tourist visa online in advance.

Most tourists to Indonesia need a Visa on Arrival (VoA). Make your life so much easier by getting an electronic Visa on Arrival (e-VoA) before you arrive in Bali.

It’s 100% worth doing this because you don’t have to wait in the massive line to get your visa in person at the airport when you arrive. You can literally save yourself HOURS.

We walked right past the crowds of people and were out of customs in about 5 minutes. I actually turned around and asked an officer if we were good to go because it seemed too easy. But it was completely fine!

The only thing we had to do at the airport on arrival was a customs form which took 2 minutes. You can even apply for the customs form online in advance as well. But this was so quick that it’s not really necessary.

More info about the electronic Visa on Arrival for Bali

The electronic Visa on Arrival for Bali costs 500,000 IDR, or 50 AUD / 33 USD.

If you pay for the visa online, there is a small processing fee so the total cost is 519,500 IDR. This is only 1 or 2 dollars more in price.

The online visa application takes about 15 minutes. MOLINA is the official website. I would recommend just using this website and don’t go through any third parties.

Go through the steps and submit your application. Within minutes you should be able to download your visa to your phone.

It’s so easy and so worth doing. The payment page was a little glitchy so I had to refresh and come back to the page a few times before it worked. Other than that I had no issues at all.

For a more detailed description of the visa process, check out the Girl Eat World travel blog. This particular article inspired me to get the e-VoA, so shout out to her for the amazing Bali recommendations and content!

Read next: 50 Budget Travel Tips: How To Travel The World Cheaply

Pay your tourist levy ahead of time

Another step that all travelers need to do before entering Bali is pay the tourist levy. This is a small fee that will contribute to conserving the nature and culture of the island.

The tourist levy is only 150,000 IDR, or 15 AUD / 9 USD.

Pay the tourist levy online at the Love Bali tourism website. It’s quick and easy and saves you from having to do this at the airport.

Honestly, no one checked our receipts for this at the Denpasar Airport so I’m not sure how your payment is verified. But it’s still easy to just do it online in advance to be safe.

Book your airport transfers

Make your Bali arrival even smoother by booking your airport transport in advance!

Most travelers to Bali fly into the Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar.

The airport, and all the streets surrounding it, are absolute chaos. It’s right in the city and seriously so busy and hectic. You’ll walk out of the airport into the sticky Southeast Asian heat and just be bombarded with people shouting “TAXI??” at you.

Save yourself the hassle of finding a decently priced taxi by just booking an airport transfer in advance. They are pretty cheap online and easy to book online. Our airport transfer was only 11 AUD / 7 USD for a one-hour drive to Ubud.

When you walk out of the airport, your driver will be waiting in the crowd with your name on a sign. You just meet your driver and go straight to the car.

Order your sim card or E-sim

I don’t usually get a sim card when I travel, but I decided to do it for Bali. I wanted to be able to book taxis on a secure app and use maps. Plus I work online full-time now and didn’t want to rely on the Wifi during some of my work hours.

I decided to try an eSIM for the first time ever and it was great! It’s the same as a physical sim card, but you just link it to your phone in settings and it’s all electronic. No physical sim card required.

The eSIM that I ordered from Saily was super cheap and convenient. There are detailed instructions for how to set it up, which you can do the day before you arrive in Bali. Once you arrive, just go to your settings and switch your active SIM to the Indonesian one.

It was easy, cheap, and actually really helpful to have data on the island for work, getting around, and for my dive course where we used the SSI App to log our dives at sea.

The eSIM for Bali was only about 30 AUD (20 USD) and gave me 10 GB of data for 30 days which was plenty.

Budget Travel Tips for Bali

Once you’ve made it to Bali and had a smooth arrival, it’s time to enjoy the island! If you’re like me, you’ll enjoy the island so much more if you can save money while having the time of your life. So here are my top budget travel tips for Bali.

Keep in mind, Bali is slightly more expensive than other islands in Indonesia or other destinations in Southeast Asia.

It is a popular holiday spot, and in especially touristy areas like Ubud, Uluwatu, Canggu, or Seminyak, prices aren’t as cheap as you may think. But you can still do Bali on a budget!

Read next: How To Afford Traveling The World In Your 20’s

Find cheap accommodation in hostels or cheap hotels

Accommodation is actually quite cheap in Bali! Matt and I spent most of our time in affordable private hotel rooms that were only around 30 AUD / 20 USD per night. Split between both of us, the rooms were so affordable.

We also stayed in one nice glamping hotel for our friends’ wedding, and I stayed in a hostel on Nusa Lembongan. So I experienced budget, mid-range, and fancy accommodation in Bali.

Here is an idea of the accommodation costs in Bali and surrounding islands:

• Telaga Sari Bingin – Basic villa room with a shared pool, walking distance from Bingin Beach in Uluwatu – 43 AUD / 28 USD per night
• Divara Ubud – Very nice hotel room with breakfast included and shared pool in Ubud – 47 AUD / 31 USD per night
• Bali Beach Glamping – Glamping tent at a fancy beachfront resort near Canggu – 93 AUD / 62 USD per night
• Nyuh Gading Homestay – Bunk bed in a cosy hostel dorm room just steps from the beach on Nusa Lembongan – 13 AUD / 8 USD per night

If you’re hoping to find the cheapest accommodation in Bali, stay in a hostel! Hostelworld has lots of amazing, cheap, and top-rated hostels around Indonesia. These are great places to meet people if you’re a solo traveler as well.

If you’re a couple, you can find really cheap private hotel rooms and villas around Bali. Just take your time and do a bit of research across multiple booking websites like Booking.com or Airbnb. You’re sure to find some beautiful, affordable places to stay.

The actual cheapest way to stay in Bali is free accommodation, which you can get on a work exchange! Check out my ultimate guide to work exchanges for more info, or browse hosts on Worldpackers.

Rent a motorbike

Once you get to your chosen area, renting a motorbike is the easiest way to get around.

You’ll see locals and tourists whizzing around the island on motorbikes everywhere you go. They are much more popular than normal cars are are better suited for Bali’s winding, narrow, crowded roads.

However, only drive a motorbike if you feel comfortable doing so. You hear about tourists getting into accidents far too often, mainly because they were driving too fast or without a helmet.

Anyone can drive a motorbike in Bali if they drive carefully and cautiously! It may take a few days to get used to the chaotic ways of the roads and the traffic. It’s definitely easier to drive motorbike in quiet areas rather than busy city streets.

It costs around 100,000 IDR (10 AUD / 7 USD) to rent a motorbike for one day in Bali. If you rent it for a few days or a week you can usually get a discount.

The cost of a 1.5L of fuel is usually 20,000 IDR (2 AUD / 1.30 USD). So it’s really cheap to drive around Bali on a motorbike!

Download the Grab or Gojek App

If you aren’t going to rent your own motorbike, download an app where you can order rides around Bali.

Car taxis and motorbike taxis are the next cheapest and easiest way to get around. If you’re traveling solo and without luggage, order a motorbike taxi (faster and cheaper than a car). Or you can order a car for traveling long distances, with a group, or with luggage.

The Grab and Gojek Apps are the best ways to find taxis in Indonesia. You can pay either online or in cash, and the drivers are always professional and prompt. One of our drivers even showed up 45 minutes early!

There are lots of taxi hawkers around Bali, especially in cities. You’ll never know if they’re overcharging you, so it’s better to order a secure taxi for a set price on the local App.

Find free attractions

One of the best Bali travel tips for saving money? Fill your days with free attractions! Which is easy to do considering the island is so beautiful.

Walking, hiking, swimming, sightseeing, sunset-chasing, and waterfall-seeking are all among the best things to do in Bali. They cost no money and are an amazing way to admire the diverse tropical scenery.

There are lots of other fun things to do in Bali that cost a little money, but not much. Surfing, snorkelling, kayaking, cafe-hopping, and visiting local attractions like temples and rice terraces are generally really cheap.

Some nature attractions like beaches and waterfalls may cost money. Locals have stands at the entrances where they collect a small fee, usually only a few dollars. This is to support the local community and maintenance, similar to the Bali tourist levy. Or it’s because the land is privately owned.

Even more expensive activities like massages, scuba diving, shopping, quad-biking, and guided tours are a way to support local businesses, so don’t be afraid to spend a bit on cool experiences!

Find cheap meals

Bali has so much amazing food, and you can easily find meals that range from cheap to expensive anywhere you go.

Humble local eateries serving noodle, rice, and meat dishes like nasi goreng and mi goreng will be the cheapest. You can get a main meal and a hearty fruit smoothie for under 10 AUD / 7 USD.

There are lots of incredible mid-range restaurants that offer high-quality meals for decent prices as well. Matt and I frequented lots of mid-range restaurants and feasted like kings. A main meal at mid-range restaurants in Bali costs around 7-12 AUD / 4-9 USD.

We tried to only dine out for 1 or 2 meals a day. That way we could order lots of amazing stuff at lunch or dinner and not feel bad about spending too much money. Snacks and cheap local food kept us fueled up for the rest of the day.

I usually like to try and cook some of my own food to save money while traveling. But our hotels/hostels didn’t have kitchens. Try to find a hotel that includes breakfast (many do). And definitely treat yourself to some amazing meals in Bali, just keep your budget in mind.

Bali Travel Tips: Staying healthy and safe when you arrive

Once you arrive on the island, these Bali travel tips will help you have a safe, happy, and healthy experience.

Be wary of Bali belly

Everyone talks about Bali belly, which is any combination of nausea, indigestion, diarrhea, and other unfortunate ailments. Most people get Bali belly from consuming contaminated food or water.

Part of the reason why we mostly ate at nicer, mid-range restaurants is because we didn’t want to get Bali belly.

Most touristy restaurants in Bali use filtered water jugs for everything and are safe for travelers. I’ve heard people warn against ice in drinks, salads, and even rice because they come into contact with the tap water. But I had ice, salads, and rice in Bali’s nicer restaurants and didn’t have any issues.

However, I would still recommend caution. Avoid eateries that look dirty or unkept. If you are nervous about Bali belly, stick to the obviously nice and well-established restaurants. Read reviews online as well.

The likelihood of having stomach problems in Bali really depends on each individual person. So just use common sense but don’t be paralyzed with fear every time you try to eat. Enjoy the food in Bali!

Read next: How To Stay Healthy While Traveling

Don’t drink the tap water

Avoiding the tap water in Bali is the easiest way to avoid stomach problems. Only drink filtered or bottled water. Those who want to go the extra mile can also brush their teeth with filtered water only.

I’m normally highly opposed to plastic water bottles because of plastic waste and spending money. But in third world countries you just have to bite the bullet and use them unless you want to risk getting sick.

Many hostels, hotels, and eco-friendly cafes offer filtered water refillls which is awesome! Sometimes they charge a small fee, but the fee is usually less than the price of a new water bottle.

Bring a refillable water bottle or reuse your plastic bottles so you can always refill when available. Make the effort to reduce plastic waste where possible!

Wear sunscreen

One of the easiest ways to stay safe in Bali is wearing sunscreen all the time.

It’s a tropical island with hot, intense sun. Opt for reef-safe or mineral based sunscreen if you can as it’s better for your skin and the planet.

Wear insect repellant

Being a tropical country, Indonesia is known to have a few insect-borne diseases such as dengue fever.

Though the chances of getting this are pretty low, it’s still good to be prepared. Protect yourself against diseases by checking with your home doctor and getting any necessary vaccinations before traveling to Bali.

Also, wear insect repellant in Bali, especially at night. You can also wear long, loose clothes that cover your skin and protect you against bug bites.

Get travel insurance

It’s super important to have travel insurance while going abroad! Especially when visiting a developing country with tropical diseases, you never know what might happen.

For US residents I recommend using Squaremouth Insurance. This platform compares and filters travel insurance plans so you can pick the best ones. I had a great experience with them in South Africa when I had to get rabies shots. They reimbursed me for everything I spent!

As I’m now an Australian resident, I tried out Zoom Travel Insurance for my trip to Bali. I didn’t need to make any claims so I don’t have much feedback about them, but it was a cheap policy (that’s why I picked it of course).

Securely store your belongings

If you’re staying in a hostel in Bali, keep your most valuable belongings in the provided lockers. I’ve never had anything stolen from a hostel ever, and I always keep most of my stuff out in the open. But you never know, so put your important things in a locker.

Also while out exploring Bali, keep your belongings in a secure, closed bag on your person to avoid theft. I don’t think Bali is too bad for pickpocketing. Everyone seemed really nice and genuine on the island.

But again, just to be safe, try to thwart pickpockets by having a bag that closes tightly that you can keep an eye on while exploring.

Wear a helmet and drive your motorbike carefully

If you are driving a motorbike in Bali, be a responsible driver! The locals are so comfortable on their motorbikes that they zip around the island with no helmet, no shoes, and no cares in the world. I even saw young kids driving motorbikes!

But as a tourist who isn’t used to the roads, the road rules, and the act of driving a motorbike, just be cautious. Drive slowly and control your bike, and always wear a helmet.

The roads in Bali can be insane, especially in busy city areas. Crowded intersections are a nightmare. You’ll learn to assert yourself in traffic while still being careful.

Is Bali safe?

Based on everything I just covered, Bali is definitely safe as long as you are smart and prepared. In my experience, the people on the island are incredibly kind and genuine. It felt safe to walk around Bali and I never worried about any pickpockets or crimes.

I would say the main concerns for travelers in Bali are motorbike accidents, food poisoning, and elements of nature. Sunburn, insect bites, tropical rainstorms, riptides, Bali belly, and motorbike crashes are the main troubles for travelers in Bali.

But all of these can be avoided! Wear sun protection and insect repellant. Check the weather before going on outdoor adventures. Don’t swim anywhere where it looks unsafe and don’t swim anywhere alone.

Be smart about what you eat and drink. Drive your motorbike with caution. GET TRAVEL INSURANCE. Just use common sense, follow these Bali travel tips, and take care of yourself. You can easily stay safe in Bali!

Thanks for reading my list of Bali travel tips!

I hope this was helpful, and I hope these Bali travel tips make your life much easier when you arrive in Indonesia. Our trip was certainly smoother thanks to all the research I did beforehand.

I’m a huge fan of spontaneous trips with nothing planned and also well-planned trips. In this case, because we only had 3 weeks off work and I had never been to Bali, I’m glad I planned and made the most of every day!

Read some of my other articles about Southeast Asia here:

How To Visit Ubud On A Budget

The Perfect Ubud Waterfall Itinerary: Self Drive Tour

The 18 Best Things To Do In Siem Reap, Cambodia

Thailand On A Budget: The Ultimate Travel Guide

14 Best Things To Do In Chiang Mai, Thailand