Bali Travel Guide: Ubud, Seminyak, Uluwatu, and Beyond

US, UK, EU, Australian, and most other passport holders can buy a Visa on Arrival at Denpasar (DPS) for $35 USD, valid 30 days. It can be extended once for another 30 days at an immigration office (a hassle — budget half a day or use an agent for ~$50). For longer stays, apply for the B211A social visa before arrival.

April-May and September-October are the sweet spot — dry season, lower prices, and no Aussie-school-holiday surge. July-August is peak dry and best weather but most crowded and expensive. November-March is the wet season (afternoon downpours, occasional flooding), but rain rarely lasts all day and prices drop significantly outside Christmas week.

Scooters are how locals move, but Bali has one of the highest tourist-fatality scooter rates in Asia. Bring an International Driving Permit (your home license alone is not valid), always wear a helmet, check the brakes before you ride off, and pay $5 extra/day for full damage insurance. If you've never ridden a scooter, take a lesson day 1 or use Gojek/Grab instead — both are cheap.

Bottled water only — for drinking AND brushing teeth. Skip ice in non-chain warungs. Eat at busy places with high turnover (food sits less). Pack Imodium and oral rehydration salts before you fly; pharmacies in Bali sell them but you don't want to be hunting at 2 AM. Most cases hit in days 2-4 and last 2-3 days; severe or bloody symptoms = see a doctor at Siloam or BIMC.

Indonesian Rupiah (IDR), roughly 16,000 IDR = $1 USD (April 2026). Cards work at hotels, fine restaurants, and supermarkets, but warungs, markets, scooter rental, and most temples are cash-only. Withdraw from bank-branch ATMs only (BCA, Mandiri, BNI) — never standalone street machines, which have the highest skimming rate in SE Asia. A Wise or Charles Schwab card refunds the IDR 25,000 ATM fee.

It's the cheapest 'world-class destination' on most lists. Budget travelers can do $30/day comfortably (homestays $10, warung meals $2, scooter $5). Mid-range with a private villa and a mix of fancy dining is $100-150/day. The luxury tier — Four Seasons Sayan, Mandapa, Bulgari — runs $1000+/night but is comparable to St-Barths quality at half the price.

Beachwear is fine at the beach, in Seminyak/Canggu, and in your villa. At temples (Uluwatu, Tirta Empul, Besakih, Tanah Lot, and all the smaller village pura) you must wear a sarong tied at the waist and have shoulders covered — both for men and women. Most temples rent sarongs at the entrance for IDR 10-20k or include it in the ticket. In Ubud, modest cotton clothing is normal and respectful.

Nyepi is the Balinese 'Day of Silence' marking the lunar new year — usually in March (March 20, 2026). For 24 hours, the entire island shuts down: no lights, no fires, no leaving your hotel, no flights in or out (Denpasar airport closes). The Ogoh-Ogoh parades the night before are spectacular. Either plan to be present for the cultural experience, or schedule travel days well outside it — many tourists arrive on Nyepi and are stuck at the airport.

No. Use bottled or filtered water for drinking, brushing teeth, and rinsing fruit. Most mid-range and luxury hotels provide bottled water in the room, refilled daily. Many cafes and restaurants now use filtered water and ice — places marked 'safe ice' (clear cubes with holes) are reliable. For environmental reasons, refill stations are everywhere — bring a reusable bottle and use them.