It’s time to pack your bags and head to the beautiful island of Bali in Indonesia. In Bali, you will find some of the most impressive landscapes in Asia, beautiful towns with charming people, great beaches and nature that will leave you speechless.
This travel guide, with the best tips on how to travel to Bali on your own, Julius Homes help you with everything you need to plan your trip to the gods of the island: Why delay any longer?
Where is Bali located?
Bali is located in the Indian Ocean and is undoubtedly the most famous of Indonesia’s more than 17,000 islands. The island lies east of Java (the most populous island in the world) and west of Lombok.
The island of Bali is quite large: The distance is 145 km from west to east and 85 km from north to south. In addition to the main island, Bali also includes the Nusa Islands (Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Ceningan and Nusa Penida).
How to Get to Bali on My Own?
Bali has one airport in Denpasar (DPS), Ngurah Rai International Airport, which operates domestic and international flights. Direct flights from Europe are excessively expensive.
Our advice to get to Bali on your own from your country or Europe is that you stop in cities that are the gateway to Southeast Asia such as Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur or Singapore and from these, connect with a low-cost flight to Denpasar.
What is the Religion of Bali?
Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world, accounting for 13% of the world’s total Muslims. Bali is the only exception, as it is the only Hindu island in Indonesia. In reality, it is not the standard Hindu religion that you may see in other parts of the world such as India.
Balinese Hinduism, put very briefly, is an amalgamation of Indian religions and indigenous animist customs. But here we leave you the surprise factor so that you can discover little by little its magical traditions and deep-rooted beliefs when travelling to Bali on your own.
Is It Necessary to Get a Visa For a Trip to Bali on Your Own?
Due to the current situation, a visa is mandatory to travel to Bali, as well as a passport valid for at least 6 months and insurance with extensive medical coverage. You can get it “on arrival”, that is, upon arrival at the airport. We advise you to consult the Indonesian Embassy website for more information.
Another convenient and simple way is to manage the visa from this website, which takes care of all types of visa procedures, in exchange for a small commission, but which saves you a lot of time and headaches. We have used them on many occasions and they work very well.
Is Accommodation Expensive in Bali?
In general, Bali is a very affordable destination where Asian luxury is very affordable for very little. On an independent trip to Bali, you can enjoy luxury hotels in Bali at a very affordable price.
- During our trips to Bali and Indonesia, we always book in advance through Booking.com, with free cancellation, the great news is that by being our reader, you benefit from discounts of up to 15% from this link, just in case you are interested
- Another great tip is to forget about an all-inclusive vacation or trip to Bali (this is especially aimed at travellers who decide to spend their honeymoon in Bali), you will miss out on a lot. Bali is an island to explore and enjoy every corner and it is also a very safe island: Forget about staying locked in a resort!
Transportation to Get Around Bali on Your Own
Let’s not fool ourselves: Traffic in Bali is chaotic and sometimes desperate: Bali is a very populated island and it shows on the roads, so be patient to getting from one place to another. There are many ways to get around Bali on your own, among the most popular are:
Getting Around Bali by Motorcycle
It is a great option for short distances, but for long distances, it is exhausting. The roads in Bali are very bad and tend to be overcrowded and driving is quite reckless outside of the cities and towns. Never do it during the rainy season, it is very dangerous. If you choose this option to move around the island of Bali, keep this in mind.
Getting Around Bali in Bemos or Mini-vans (or Minivans)
It is a cheap and popular option for short distances (also for locals), but keep in mind that they are usually crowded and do not usually have air conditioning.
With a Rental Car in Bali
It is a trendy option and most offer a driver with the service, to forget about having to drive around the island. If you opt for the self-drive option you will have to present an international driving license and pay the corresponding fees for a one-year license, so in the end, it usually doesn’t pay off unless you plan to spend a lot of time in Bali.
Our recommendation is that you rent a car with a driver and you will avoid problems. Renting a car with a driver in Bali is the most popular option among tourists to get around Bali. The price includes gas and parking and is a very flexible way to discover the island of Bali at your leisure. You can book this car with a driver in Bali comfortably from this link.
Getting Around Bali on Public Buses
Another option is to get around the island, but in our opinion, the service is very slow and the schedules are not respected, so if you want to see several tourist places on the island in one day, it is not the best option. , since you will lack time.
Taxis in Bali
It is another great option, although you will have to agree on the price in advance and pay in advance (about €30-40 is a good price per day): we advise you to inform yourself well before hiring this service since many taxi drivers have a reputation for wanting scam tourists and then want to charge more. You have to stay firm on the price initially agreed upon and paid.
Transfers From the Airport to Your Hotel in Bali
Upon arrival or departure from Bali, we recommend arranging a pick-up or return transfer to the airport with your accommodation. It is the most comfortable option after a long trip and the transfers are very cheap. Another option that we recommend is to book it in advance, you can do it easily from this link.
Move Between Islands
Surely even though Bali is your accommodation base, you want to get to know other very cool nearby islands. We leave you several options with transfers with trusted companies so you can move at your leisure by ferry
