Most Bali guides were written for Instagram. This Bali travel guide is written for the bit nobody posts: the visa desk, the tourist levy, the new arrival card and the rules that changed in 2025 and 2026. You still get the cliff temples, the rice terraces and the roast pork. You just get them with prices in pounds and without the nasty surprises.

Where is Bali, and is it a country?

Bali is an island province of Indonesia. It sits just east of Java and west of Lombok, a little south of the equator. It is not a country in its own right, and despite what a surprising number of people type into Google, it is not in Thailand.

Here is the fact that surprises most first-timers: mainland Bali is almost exactly the size of Norfolk. The main island covers about 5,387 square kilometres. Norfolk covers 5,384. Small, then, but it does not feel it. Mount Agung, the island’s highest volcano, reaches 3,031 metres, more than twice the height of Ben Nevis, and traffic in the south can turn a short hop into a long afternoon.

Bali is also a mostly Hindu island, around 86% of its people, inside the country with the world’s largest Muslim population. That one fact explains a lot of what you will notice: the little offerings on every doorstep, a temple in every village and roast pork on menus all over the island.

When is the best time to visit Bali?

The best time to visit Bali is during the dry season, roughly April to October. For the best balance of weather and crowds, aim for May, June or September. July and August are the driest and sunniest months, but also the busiest, with UK summer holidays and Australian winter school holidays both falling around then.

Dry seasonWet seasonPeak crowds

The wet season runs roughly from November to March, and the Foreign Office notes the rains can start in October. Rain often comes in heavy bursts rather than all day, and the island is at its greenest, often with lower prices too. The catch is localised flooding, which can snarl traffic and knock out power. Christmas and New Year stay busy whatever the weather.

How do you get to Bali from the UK?

There are no direct flights from the UK to Bali. Every route has at least one connection, usually through Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Singapore or Istanbul. With one stop, journeys usually take somewhere between about 16 and 20 hours, depending on the connection.

You will land at Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS), on the south of the island near Kuta. Volcanic ash can ground flights in and out of Bali even when the eruption is on another island, as happened when Mount Lewotobi erupted on Flores. Buy travel insurance that covers disruption, and buy it when you book.

Do you need a visa for Bali from the UK?

Yes. British passport holders need a visa to enter Indonesia, including Bali. Indonesia added six countries to its visa-free list in July 2026, and the UK was not one of them.

• Which visa: the visa on arrival (VoA) for tourists. It costs IDR 500,000 (about £21) and lasts 30 days.
• How to get it: apply online before you fly as an e-VoA on the official Indonesian immigration site, or pay at the airport on arrival by cash or card.
• Staying longer: you can extend once, for another 30 days, so 60 days is the maximum.
• Your passport: it must be valid for at least six months from the day you arrive and have two blank pages.
• Onward ticket: you need proof of a return or onward flight.
• Overstaying: the fine is IDR 1,000,000 (about £42) for every day over.

Only apply through the official immigration site. Search for “Bali visa” and you will find agency sites that look official and add their own fees on top. The rules above come from the UK government’s entry requirements for Indonesia, which is the page to check again just before you travel.

What do you need to do before you land in Bali?

Three things, and older guides only mention one or two of them.

1. Sort your visa. Either the e-VoA online in advance or the visa on arrival at the airport, as above.
2. Fill in the All Indonesia arrival card. It has been compulsory for every arrival since 1 October 2025. It is free, it is done online on the official All Indonesia site, and you can submit it up to three days before you land. It replaced the old separate customs and health forms, so if a guide tells you to fill in three different forms, it is out of date. Screenshot the QR code it gives you.
3. Pay the Bali tourism levy. It is IDR 150,000 (about £6.30) per person, paid once per trip, and children are not exempt. It is cashless: pay through the official Love Bali website or app, or at the counters at the airport and ports. You get a QR voucher as proof. A rise has been floated since 2024, but as of October 2026 none has been made law.

Add it up and the visa and levy come to about £27 a head before you have bought a single Bintang.

Where should you stay in Bali?

For a first trip, split your stay between a beach base in the south and Ubud inland. Each area has a very different personality, so pick the one that matches yours.

The south

Inland

The islands

Quieter corners

A rough shape for 10 days

Four nights on the coast (Seminyak, Canggu or Uluwatu), a day trip or one night on Nusa Penida, then four or five nights in Ubud with the Mount Batur sunrise hike. Keep it to two or three bases. Every move costs half a day in traffic.

What are the best things to do in Bali?

Watch the Kecak fire dance at Uluwatu Temple

Where Uluwatu, far south When Daily at 6pm

Uluwatu Temple sits on a cliff above the Indian Ocean, and at sunset it hosts the Kecak fire dance: dozens of chanting performers acting out a story from the Ramayana as the sky turns orange. The ticket is separate from temple entry. Go early for a decent seat.

Walk through the Sacred Monkey Forest in Ubud

Where Central Ubud When 9am to 6pm, last entry 5pm

A forest of temples, moss-covered statues and a troop of monkeys with strong opinions about your sunglasses. Keep bags zipped, take off anything dangly and do not feed the monkeys.

See the Tegallalang rice terraces

Where North of Ubud When Early morning

The postcard view of Bali. Go before the tour buses, when the light is soft and the swings and selfie platforms are quiet.

Hike Mount Batur for sunrise

Where Kintamani, north-east of Ubud When Pick-up 1.30am to 2.30am

An active volcano, a 2am alarm and a view across to Mount Agung as the sun comes up. You start walking around 4am and reach the top for sunrise at about 6am. A local guide is required in practice, and the Kintamani area charges foreign visitors an entry fee. Do it early in your trip while jet lag is on your side, and finish in the hot springs afterwards.

Take a boat to Nusa Penida

Where Off the south-east coast, by fast boat When A day trip or one night

Kelingking Beach, with its T-Rex-shaped cliff, is one of the most photographed views in Bali, and Manta Point offers a real chance of snorkelling with manta rays. Kelingking has a strange recent story too. A 182-metre glass lift was being built into the cliff to carry visitors to the sand, until Bali’s governor ordered it torn down in November 2025 for being built in a protected area without the proper permits. The way down to the beach is the steep cliff path, and it is a proper scramble.

Catch Tanah Lot at sunset

Where West coast, near Canggu When Sunset

A temple on a rock in the sea, cut off at high tide. It is the closest of the big temples to Seminyak and Canggu, which makes it busy, but the sunset silhouette is worth the crowd.

Chase waterfalls

Where The north, or near Ubud When A full day for the north

Sekumpul and Gitgit are in the north, a long day trip from the south but the most dramatic. Tegenungan is a short drive from Ubud if you want a waterfall without the expedition.

Dive or snorkel

Where Amed, Menjangan Island and Nusa Lembongan

Amed and Menjangan Island are the go-to spots for coral and calm water, and Nusa Lembongan is an easy snorkelling day from Sanur.

Spot dolphins at Lovina

Where The north coast When Sunrise

Early-morning boats head out to watch dolphins as the sun comes up. Be warned that it gets crowded with boats, so set your expectations.

Book a Balinese massage or a yoga class

Where Anywhere, but Ubud and Canggu for yoga

The cheapest luxury on the island. Ubud and Canggu are full of yoga studios, and a traditional Balinese massage after a day of temples is non-negotiable.

What the big sights cost to get in

Prices checked on 9 October 2026 and converted at £1 = IDR 23,700. You pay in rupiah at the gate, and both the prices and the exchange rate change, so treat these as a guide. Sources: Sacred Monkey Forest and Tanah Lot official sites.

What should you eat in Bali?

Eat where the locals eat: at warungs, small family-run cafés serving Balinese and Indonesian food for a fraction of what the beach clubs charge. Busy warungs with a quick turnover are your best bet.

• Nasi goreng and mie gorengFried rice and fried noodles, Indonesia’s national comfort food, usually with an egg on top.
• Babi gulingSpit-roast suckling pig with crackling and spices. Remember the Hindu island in a Muslim-majority country? This is why you can get it here.
• LawarChopped meat and vegetables mixed with grated coconut and spices.
• Bebek betutuDuck rubbed in Balinese spices and slow-cooked until it falls apart.
• Sate lilitBali’s own satay, minced fish or meat wrapped around lemongrass sticks.
• Nasi campurRice with a mix of small sides, different at every warung.
• Pisang gorengFried banana, for when you need something sweet.
• Smoothie bowlsYes, they really are everywhere.

Wash it all down with bottled or filtered water, never the tap.

Is Bali safe for UK tourists?

For most visitors, yes. Millions of people have trouble-free trips. But the Foreign Office’s safety advice for Indonesia flags some specific risks that are worth knowing before you go.

Drinks: methanol and spiking

Methanol poisoning from counterfeit spirits has caused deaths and serious illness, including from drinks bought in licensed bars, shops and hotels. You cannot taste or smell it. Be wary of cheap spirit-based cocktails, stick to drinks from sealed bottles and cans, and get urgent medical help if you or a friend feel unwell after drinking. Drink spiking has also been reported in Bali, Lombok and the Gili Islands, and the FCDO says reported cases of sexual assault are high in Bali and Lombok. Watch your drink being made and never leave it unattended.

Scooters: your UK licence is not valid

A UK driving licence on its own is not valid in Indonesia. You need an International Driving Permit that covers motorbikes. Police checks are reported to be much stricter in 2026, with fines of around IDR 250,000 to 500,000 (about £10 to £21). The bigger risk is your insurance: ride without the right licence and it may not pay out after an accident. The Foreign Office says motorbike accidents in Bali, some fatal, have risen sharply, so for most people a car with a driver is the smarter choice.

Drugs: zero tolerance, CBD included

Indonesia’s drug laws are among the toughest in the world, with long prison sentences or the death penalty. All cannabis products are illegal, including CBD and hemp-based products, and police raid venues popular with foreigners. Redcar grandmother Lindsay Sandiford was sentenced to death in 2013 after being caught arriving in Bali with cocaine worth an estimated £1.6 million. She spent 12 years on death row before being returned to the UK in November 2025.

Scams and theft

• Bag snatching from passing motorbikes is common, so keep phones and bags on the side away from the road.
• Card fraud is common. Do not let your card out of sight, and watch for fake helpline numbers stuck on cash machines.
• Only change money at licensed money changers, which show a Bank Indonesia logo and a QR code.
• Agree the price up front at spas, nail salons and tattoo parlours, where scams are on the rise.
• Use registered taxi firms such as Bluebird, and on ride apps check the driver matches the app before you get in.

Health: Bali belly, bites and jabs

Bali belly is the nickname for traveller’s diarrhoea, usually caused by contaminated food or water. Drink bottled or filtered water, wash your hands often and pack oral rehydration sachets. Rabies is present in Indonesia, so any bite or scratch from a monkey or dog needs medical attention straight away. Pack strong mosquito repellent, and check the TravelHealthPro advice for Indonesia and see your GP or a travel clinic well ahead of your trip.

Nature: volcanoes, earthquakes and floods

Indonesia sits on one of the most active stretches of the planet. Respect volcano exclusion zones, which can change at short notice, and download the BMKG app for earthquake and tsunami alerts. In the wet season, localised flooding can cause chaos on the roads.

What are the new rules for tourists in Bali?

Bali has tightened up on tourist behaviour, and since March 2025 a governor’s code of conduct spells out what is expected. The short version:

How do you get around Bali?

How much does Bali cost, and how should you pay?

Your flight will be the biggest cost. Once you are there, Bali can be as cheap or as lavish as you want: a warung lunch costs pocket change, while a clifftop villa can blow the budget in a single night. The fixed extras are the visa (about £21) and the levy (about £6.30), plus entry fees at the big sights.

Cards work in most hotels and in many restaurants and shops in tourist areas, but carry rupiah for warungs, markets, parking and temple donations. Use cash machines inside banks or shops where you can, and change money only at licensed changers.

Frequently asked questions about Bali

Is Bali worth visiting?

Yes, as long as you go in knowing how it works now. Sort the visa, arrival card and levy before you fly, steer clear of Nyepi unless you want a very quiet day, skip the scooter unless your licence covers it, and give yourself time in both the south and Ubud. Do that and the cliff temples, rice terraces and warung lunches are all the reward you need.

Bali also throws up the odd surprise, like the Boeing 737 that turned up in a field and the “spider wall” that sent the internet into a frenzy. Consider yourself warned.

Heading further round Southeast Asia? Read our guide to the best activities in Thailand next.