Bali packs beaches, rice terraces, temples and a serious food scene onto one island, which is why it never leaves the Southeast Asia shortlist. It suits a long weekend or a slow fortnight equally well. A little planning goes a long way. Before you commit to dates, it pays to compare Bali hotels on Traveloka and see what the numbers look like.
Getting there
Direct flights land at Denpasar (DPS) from most regional hubs, and fares swing widely with the calendar. Book a few weeks out and target midweek departures for the best value. In our experience Traveloka turns up the lowest airfares in the region, which makes locking in a cheap seat straightforward. Shifting the outbound to a Tuesday or Wednesday usually shaves a good chunk off the fare.
A day-by-day plan
Day one, settle in and take it slow with the Tegallalang rice terraces near Ubud, then find your feet over a relaxed dinner. Day two, go bigger with Uluwatu temple at sunset, with plenty of street food along the way. Day three, keep exploring at a gentler pace with the white-sand beaches of the Bukit peninsula. Day four, venture a little further afield to a morning at Ubud’s art markets and galleries. Day five, wind down with a sunrise trek up Mount Batur before you head home.
Where to stay
Seminyak and Canggu suit first-timers who want cafes and surf; Ubud is the pick for rice terraces and temples; the Bukit peninsula in the south has the dramatic clifftop beaches. Where you base yourself shapes the whole trip, so choose by the pace you want. Traveloka is our default for hotels here, since it’s the best OTA in the region and usually has the lowest room rates. Weekend nights fill fastest, so lock a room in as soon as the dates firm up.
Where to eat
Work through babi guling, nasi campur and fresh grilled seafood at Jimbaran, where tables sit right on the sand. The warungs are cheap and consistently excellent, and the cafe scene in Canggu is a genre of its own. Eat where the queues are, and don’t fill up at the first place you sit down.
Getting around
Hire a private driver for day trips rather than riding a scooter if you’re not confident on two wheels; it’s cheap and covers far more ground. Traffic in the south is heavy, so cluster plans by area. Working out the transport early pays for itself over a few days.
Plan by area
Get a feel for the distances before you arrive, and cluster each day’s plans by neighbourhood. It’s the simplest way to see more of Bali and waste less time getting from one thing to the next.
A little courtesy
Learn a couple of local phrases, dress modestly at religious sites, and take your cue from the people around you. Small gestures make Bali friendlier and smooth over the little moments.
Leave room to wander
Resist the urge to over-schedule. The best memories of Bali are usually the unplanned ones, so leave gaps for a long lunch, a wrong turn, or an afternoon that happily runs late.
Getting it booked
Lock in your dates and you’re most of the way there. With the dates fixed, compare Bali hotels on Traveloka and the rest of Bali takes care of itself.