By Harry Nara · Last updated
Yes, but Bali asks for two separate government payments before you arrive and neither is the other, which is the single most common source of confusion at the airport. There is a visa on arrival and there is a Bali tourist levy, they are collected by different authorities for different reasons, and you need both. Sort those out online in advance, understand that the island is much larger and slower to cross than the photographs imply, and Bali is as good as promised.
Bali has been written about so heavily that the main task of a first visit is unlearning things. It is not a single beach; it is a mountainous island with a culture that predates every hotel on it, and the parts that appear in photographs are a small and crowded fraction of the south.
The practical preparation is short and genuinely matters: two payments, one licence question if you intend to ride a scooter, and one date in the calendar on which the entire island stops, including the airport. Everything else can be worked out when you get there.
How long do you need in Bali?
Ten days to do Bali properly, seven as a realistic minimum, and a week split between two bases rather than one. Bali is not a resort, it is an island roughly the size of a small country, and the drive between the south coast and Ubud can take two hours in traffic that does not appear on any map. People plan it as a beach holiday with day trips and spend the holiday in a car.
Before you go
The visa on arrival costs 500,000 rupiah, is valid for thirty days and can be extended once by another thirty for the same fee. You can apply in advance through the official e-VOA portal at evisa.imigrasi.go.id, which is worth doing because it moves you into a much shorter queue. Separately, every foreign visitor to Bali owes a tourist levy of 150,000 rupiah per person, which funds cultural and environmental work on the island and is paid through the Love Bali system, either online before you fly or at a counter at the airport. Neither replaces the other, both are per person, and the levy is the one people have not heard of.
Nyepi is the Balinese day of silence, and it is unlike any other public holiday in the world. For twenty four hours from six in the morning there is no travel, no work, no fire or light and no entertainment across the whole island. Shops close, streets empty, and Ngurah Rai airport shuts completely to both domestic and international flights, which no other airport anywhere does for a religious observance. Visitors stay inside their accommodation. In 2027 it falls on 9 March, but the date moves with the Balinese calendar every year, so confirm it against your own dates before you book flights. Experienced deliberately it is extraordinary; arrived at by accident it cancels a day of your trip and possibly a flight.
Renting a scooter is how most people get around and it is also how most people get hurt. Riding legally requires the correct motorcycle entitlement and an International Driving Permit to match it, and travel insurance will decline a claim without them, which is the part that turns an accident into a financial catastrophe. If you have never ridden, Bali’s traffic is not the place to learn. Private drivers are inexpensive by the day and ride-hailing apps work in most of the south.
Temples require a sarong and a sash for everyone, and most of the major ones lend or rent them at the entrance. Carrying your own is cheaper, more comfortable and means you are never turned away at a smaller temple that does not keep a stock.
Once you are there
There are no motorways worth the name across most of the island, the roads are single carriageway and shared with scooters, lorries and ceremonies, and a journey of forty kilometres can take two hours or more. This is the single biggest planning error visitors make. Choose two bases rather than one, and treat any day trip that involves crossing the island as the entire day.
Bali runs on an intense calendar of religious observance, and processions regularly close roads without notice. This is not an inconvenience to be annoyed by; it is the thing that makes the island what it is. Build slack into any schedule with a flight at the end of it, dress respectfully if you find yourself alongside a procession, and never walk in front of one or use a drone over a temple.
Rip currents on the west and south coasts are serious and have killed strong swimmers. Swim on patrolled beaches between the flags, take local warnings literally, and be aware that many of the most photographed stretches of coast have no lifeguard at all.
What it costs
Bali runs two economies side by side. Local warungs, markets and drivers are very cheap, while the villas, beach clubs and restaurants of Seminyak and Canggu are priced for an international audience and can cost as much as Europe. Both are available on the same day and the difference is usually a few streets. Knowing that the expensive version is a choice rather than the price of Bali is most of what a budget needs.
Take cash from bank ATMs attached to actual branches rather than freestanding machines, decline the offer to convert to your home currency, and be wary of money changers advertising rates that beat everyone else, which is a long-running sleight-of-hand trade. Cards are accepted in tourist areas and not much elsewhere. Tipping is not traditional but is now normal in tourist-facing work, and rounding up generously costs very little and matters more here than in most places on this site.
Going with children
Bali is genuinely warm towards children and Balinese culture treats them as everyone’s responsibility, which travellers from more reserved places find striking. Family accommodation is abundant and often has a pool, which quietly solves most afternoons. The things to plan for are medical and logistical rather than cultural. Stomach upsets are common, so bottled water for drinking and brushing teeth is the rule rather than a precaution, and it is worth knowing where the nearest clinic is in the area you have chosen. Car seats are rarely provided and should be requested explicitly. And the driving times punish families hardest, because a two-hour transfer each way is the difference between a good day and a ruined one; picking one area and staying in it beats touring.
Going alone
Bali is one of the easiest places in the world to travel alone, and Ubud and Canggu in particular have an established solo scene built around yoga, surfing, co-working and long lunches, which makes company available on tap. Safety is good and the main risks are not criminal: they are scooters, the sea and the sun, in that order. Solo women travel here in large numbers and generally report it as straightforward, with the usual caveat about drinks in the party areas of the south. The one thing worth resisting is the version of Bali that never leaves the expat bubble; the island a few valleys inland is a different and better place, and it is entirely accessible to someone on their own with a driver for the day.
Mistakes worth avoiding
The tourist levy of 150,000 rupiah is separate from the visa on arrival, is owed by every foreign visitor, and is collected by the provincial government rather than immigration. Pay it online through Love Bali before you fly.
The airport closes completely for twenty four hours and you cannot leave your accommodation. Check the date for your year before you book anything.
The roads make that a holiday spent in a car. Split the trip between two bases, typically one in the south and one inland.
Insurance will refuse the claim, and the accident rate among visitors is high. An International Driving Permit with a motorcycle entitlement, or a driver instead.
Rip currents on the south and west coasts are severe and many photogenic beaches have no lifeguard. Take the warnings at face value.
These are working places of worship in daily use. Sarong and sash, no walking in front of a procession, no drones overhead, and no climbing on anything for a photograph.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bali worth visiting for a first-time traveller?
Yes, though it rewards people who arrive with the right expectations. It is not a single beach resort but a large, mountainous island with a living religious culture, and the photographed parts are a crowded fraction of the south. The practical preparation is short and important: the visa and the tourist levy are separate payments, the island takes far longer to cross than it looks, and one day a year everything stops.
How many days do you need in Bali?
Ten to do it properly and seven as a realistic minimum, split between two bases rather than one. The driving times are the reason: forty kilometres can take two hours, so a single base with daily excursions turns into a holiday spent in a car. One place in the south and one inland around Ubud is the standard answer because it works.
What do I need to pay to enter Bali?
Two separate things. The Indonesian visa on arrival costs 500,000 rupiah for thirty days and can be extended once for the same amount, and applying in advance through the official e-VOA portal puts you in a shorter queue. On top of that, every foreign visitor owes the Bali tourist levy of 150,000 rupiah per person, paid through the Love Bali system online or at an airport counter. Neither substitutes for the other.
What happens during Nyepi in Bali?
The entire island observes twenty four hours of silence from six in the morning: no travel, no work, no lights or fire and no entertainment. Shops shut, streets clear, and Ngurah Rai airport closes to all flights, which is unique among the world’s airports. Visitors remain within their accommodation for the day. In 2027 it falls on 9 March, but the date shifts each year with the Balinese calendar, so check it before booking.
Should I rent a scooter in Bali?
Only if you already ride and hold the correct motorcycle entitlement plus an International Driving Permit. Travel insurers decline claims from riders without them, and the injury rate among visitors is high enough that Bali is a poor place to learn. Private drivers cost little for a whole day and ride-hailing apps work across much of the south.
Is Bali good for families with young children?
Yes, and Balinese culture is notably affectionate towards children. Family accommodation with a pool is abundant and solves the hot afternoons. Plan for stomach upsets by drinking and brushing teeth with bottled water, request car seats explicitly because they are rarely offered, and above all pick one area and stay in it, since long transfers are what ruin family days here.
Is Bali safe to visit alone?
Yes, and it has one of the most established solo travel scenes anywhere, particularly in Ubud and Canggu. The real risks are not criminal but practical: scooters first, the sea second, the sun third. Rip currents on the south and west coasts are dangerous and many beautiful beaches are unpatrolled. Usual caution applies to drinks in the southern party areas.
What should I wear to visit a Balinese temple?
A sarong and a sash are required for everyone, and shoulders should be covered. The larger temples lend or rent them at the entrance, but carrying your own is cheaper and means smaller temples without a stock will not turn you away. These are active places of worship rather than monuments, so avoid walking in front of processions and do not fly drones over them.
Checked against Love Bali, official tourist levy system, Indonesian Directorate General of Immigration, official e-visa portal, Directorate General of Immigration, visa on arrival.
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