Indonesia consists of seventeen thousand islands, but for ninety per cent of those travelling from Baku it means one word: Bali. And honestly, they have a point — with its rice terraces, temples, surf and spas, Bali is the most comfortable holiday island in Asia.
Even so, an hour away by plane or boat there are the empty beaches of Lombok, the Borobudur temple and Mount Bromo in Java, and the Komodo dragons, and they are no lesser than Bali. Below I have gathered the districts of Bali and the neighbouring islands, along with the transport, the food, the dry season, safety and the budget, in one place.
Indonesia in brief
| Capital | Jakarta; the tourist centre is Bali |
| Language | Indonesian; English everywhere in Bali |
| Currency | Rupiah (IDR), 1 dollar ≈ 16,000 rupiah; cash and cards |
| Visa | e-VOA online or at the airport, 30 days, extendable once; the Bali tourist tax is 150,000 rupiah |
| Best time | April–October dry season; November–March rain |
| Flight | 13–15 hours via Doha, Dubai or Istanbul |
| Daily budget | 60–100 dollars at a mid-range level |
The districts of Bali: where to stay?
Bali is not a small island and the choice of district decides the whole trip; anyone who goes without knowing that loses time on the road.
Ubud, in the middle of the island, is the cultural capital. It is known for rice terraces, the monkey forest, yoga and spas, but it is far from the sea, an hour from the coast.
Seminyak and Canggu are on the south-west coast and are full of restaurants, surf and sunset bars. Canggu is the place for the young and for remote workers, and you see a laptop on every other table.
Uluwatu is on the southern peninsula and stands out for its cliff beaches, its clifftop temple and the kecak dance.
Nusa Dua means five-star resorts and a calm sea for families, Sanur shallow water for older travellers and families with children, and Kuta the cheapest and noisiest. The island of Nusa Penida, with Kelingking beach and manta rays, is a day trip by boat, 45 minutes from Sanur. In the north there are the Munduk waterfalls and the temple on Lake Bratan, and in the east the diving village of Amed. My advice goes like this: three days in Ubud, four on the coast. Do not mix the two.
Indonesia beyond Bali: Lombok, Java, Komodo
Lombok is two hours from Bali by fast boat or thirty minutes by air. The beaches of Kuta Lombok are a reminder of what Bali was like twenty years ago. There is a two-to-three-day hike up the Rinjani volcano. On the three Gili islands there are neither cars nor motorbikes, only bicycles and horse carts. That place is a true snorkelling paradise. In Java, Yogyakarta is two days with Borobudur, the largest Buddhist temple in the world, visited at sunrise, and the Hindu temples of Prambanan. The sunrise tour at the Bromo volcano is Java’s most famous sight and is combined with Bali on a two-day route. From Labuan Bajo the boat tour to Komodo national park is one to three days, with the dragons, the pink beach and the view from Padar island. The orangutans of Sumatra and the diving of Raja Ampat are for longer trips.
Transport in Indonesia: Gojek, a driver, boats
There is practically no public transport in Bali. Everything runs through the Grab and Gojek apps, and they do not work without the internet, so an eSIM has to be connected before you land in Denpasar. The Gojek and Grab apps are the main means for motorbike taxis and cars; a car from Seminyak to Ubud is 10–15 dollars, and in some villages local taxi cartels do not let app cars in, so you walk a little. A car with a driver for the day is 45–60 dollars for eight to ten hours and is the most comfortable option for a first trip, as the driver also acts as a guide.
Scooter rental is 5–8 dollars a day and everybody rides one, but know a few things in advance. An international driving licence is required and the police check it, insurance does not pay for an accident without a licence, and the tourist injury Bali’s hospitals see most is precisely the scooter one.
Fast boats between the islands go from Sanur and Padangbai to Nusa Penida, Gili and Lombok, tickets are 15–40 dollars, and in rough season the sailings are cancelled.
Domestic flights are cheap with Garuda, Lion Air and AirAsia; Bali to Yogyakarta takes an hour and a half and costs 40–70 dollars.
Food and halal
Nasi goreng is fried rice and mie goreng fried noodles, sold everywhere for 2–3 dollars. Satay is skewers served with peanut sauce. Rendang is Sumatra’s slow-cooked meat dish. Gado-gado is a vegetable salad and tempeh a soy patty. In Bali the Hindu population has babi guling, roast pork, and betutu duck, while halal food is easy in Bali as in the rest of the country. Most of the local eateries called “warung” are run by Muslim families and put up a halal sign, the Padang restaurants are entirely halal, and in Lombok and Java everything is halal. Do not drink the tap water; for “Bali belly”, drinks without ice and bottled water. The café culture in Canggu and Ubud is at European level, with coffee at 2–3 dollars. Dinner at a resort restaurant is 15–30 dollars.
Read next: An Indonesia visa for Bali: the e-VOA, extending the 30 days and the Bali tourist tax
Season, safety and the rules
April to October is the dry season, the weather is 28–32 degrees and there is little rain. July, August and the New Year are the busiest and the most expensive, while May, June and September give the ideal balance.
From November to March the weather is rainy, with an hour or two of downpour a day and a rough sea. In exchange hotels drop to half price, and anyone who can put up with that travels a great deal cheaper.
Check one date separately. In March Bali holds Nyepi, the “day of silence”, when the whole island, the airport included, closes down and you cannot step outside your hotel.
Crime is low; the main risks are a scooter accident, currents at the beach, the activity of the Agung volcano and the dengue mosquito. The rules have tightened in recent years: a sarong is compulsory at a temple, inappropriate photographs at sacred sites and drugs are punished severely, and the Bali tourist tax is paid online on entry. Island and seasonal information is on the Wonderful Indonesia portal.
Budget and tickets
In Bali a guesthouse with a pool is 25–40 dollars. In Ubud a villa looking onto the rice fields is 80–150 dollars, in Seminyak a four-star 100–180, and in Nusa Dua a five-star starts at 250.
The activities are cheap. A Balinese massage is 8–15 dollars, a surf lesson 30, a Nusa Penida tour 35–50, and a Komodo boat tour 100–300. Leaving out the flight, a two-week trip fits into 1200–1800 dollars a head.
Qatar Airways, Emirates and Turkish Airlines fly to Denpasar, and an air ticket to Bali has to be bought three or four months ahead for the New Year and the summer holidays. Bali tour packages giving you Bali, Nusa Penida and the Gili islands in one programme settle the driver, the boat and the villa booking together, and are the most chosen option for honeymoon trips.
Frequently asked questions about Indonesia
How many days do you need for an Indonesia trip?
Seven or eight days for Bali, split between Ubud and the coast. With Gili or Java, twelve to fourteen days.
Is Bali good for a honeymoon?
It is one of the most popular honeymoon destinations in the world. Take a villa with a private pool in Ubud. Watch the sunset in Uluwatu and choose a resort in Nusa Dua. For timing, prefer May to September.
Is 30 days enough, and can it be extended?
The e-VOA gives 30 days and is extended once by another 30 at an immigration office or online. Anyone staying more than 60 days has to obtain a visa in advance.
In closing
Indonesia is a country that gives you an easy e-VOA, low prices and island variety from Bali to Komodo; with the dry season, the right district and caution on the scooter, the trip makes itself. The visa rules are gathered on the Indonesia page, and to build the Bali and island route together fill in the application form.
Note: the prices here are as of the publication date and can change with the season.
