In my previous post, I talked about all the wonderful places we visited that are not to be missed in Bali. Here I detail a Bali guide with few tips on where to stay and what to avoid.
Bali Travel Guide Where to Stay
Do rent a villa through Airbnb or Booking.com. After reading a few blogs years ago we figured out the best way to experience Bali was to rent a villa. They are quite affordable especially if you have a group. And can I say they are luxurious! Ours had a huge deep pool that we played in endlessly.
Our exact Villa here.
And it included breakfast that someone came to prepare for us fresh each day which included eggs cooked how you like, local fresh fruit, and toast. They even have a menu of spa services you can order from to have at your own villa. Yes we did all have foot massages without leaving the comforts of home. Though Bali has some amazing spas, getting pampered without having to go anywhere is awfully convenient.
Bali Travel Guide Transportation and Getting Around
I highly advise hiring a private driver to take you around. Bali is a pretty big island and some of the attractions are quite far from each other. Hiring a driver was quite affordable too. It was only about $60 USD a day for us. We found one that had great reviews in the TripAdvisor forums, where I find all my good info! Our driver took us to Tanah Lot, Nusa Dua, Rice Fields, and basically just about every attraction we wanted to see.
Find tours of Bali here.
Bali Travel Guide Where to Eat
Eat all the roast pig aka babi guling you can get your hands on!! This was absolutely the best dish we had there. And the vendors selling roast corn on the beach. Eat tons of that too because I still dream about that corn. The seafood was also really really fresh everywhere we went.
Bali Travel Guide Places to Avoid
We stayed in the Seminyak area because it was convenient and close to the beach, but I would not recommend it. It’s very, very touristy and full of rude people trying to sell you stuff. And cab drivers making uncomfortable comments to the girls in our group. Though we did score some lovely handmade snakeskin bags and shoes in this area, I would not go back. Ubud was beautiful, but I found it quite a tourist also. But they did have this beautiful hotel that you have to take a trolley to go up, unfortunately, we never got a chance to stay there because we were short on time.
Bali Travel Guide, How Long Should You Stay in Bali
We only had a short time in Bali, 4 full days, I’d say this was definitely not enough to see everything we wanted and we were a bit rushed. I’d recommend 7 days at least to get the full taste of Bali!
Bali Travel Guide Weather in Bali
We went in September this was not ideal weather wise as it was shoulder season. We were coming from Hong Kong and there weren’t a lot of choices as most of South East Asia was in monsoon season during this time, Bali was the least rainy out of all the choices. We had lovely days but right around 4pm in the afternoon it would pour and pour all night long which killed most of our night time plans. If you’ve ever been in Asia during monsoon season you’ll know what I mean, sheets and sheets of water.
And that’s it for my Bali Guide! Hope that was helpful and let me know if you have any questions!
Planning a honeymoon to Bali? Check out this guide on planning the perfect honeymoon to Bali!
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Ok, the pictures of you girls jumping out of the water seriously made me laugh out loud, sooo much fun!
xoxo, simona and indre
https://www.sistertalessite.com
hahahah so glad you liked that picture!
Amazing photos! Bali has always be my dream place to go! I hope will get a chance to visit the place soon! Your post is so useful and must take for future reference! Thank you~
Thank you Shirley! I’m so glad you enjoyed the post!
OMG! Bali is one of my dream destinations! I am so close to Bali but I haven’t been there! Thanks for this short guide. I now know what to expect when I visit. 🙂
Jenn
❆ The Pink Lemonade Girl
❆ Instagram
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You need to make the trip!!
This makes me want to go back to Bali so badly!
xoxo,
Emma
http://petitemaisonoffashion.blogspot.com/ ♥
Emma you should make the trip! Though ur blog makes me wanna go to Paris ASAP!
Renting that villa was definitely a great idea!!
Loving your pictures, Bali is definitely on my travel wish list!
XoXo,
Tamara – LoveofMode.com
Thank you Tamara! The villa was amazing that pool was so awesome. even when it rained we swam in it!
Thank you! All the tips you are sharing here are helpful. Now I’m really convinced it makes sense to rent a villa with all the amazing service you can get there and to avoid tourist places. And even to rent a personal driver makes now absolutely sense to me! So sorry it rained from 4 pm on … but I see you enjoyed your short time on Bali nevertheless really.
xx from Bavaria/Germany, Rena
http://www.dressedwithsoul.com
Definitely if you go w/ your husband rent a villa! you will have a fabulous time!
I remember when i used to live in Thailand, I always wanted to make a quick vacation in Bali but always went elsewhere!!! Thanks for the tips hun!
xoxo
http://www.sorananistor.com
LOL I’m going back to thailand next year and I wanna go back to bali but here’s also a bunch of other places I want to go!! so hard to decide!
I’d love to visit Bali one day! 🙂 xx
Oh gosh! Bali is really a great place and one of my dream destinations! Soon if I get a chance to go there I surely use this post as one of my references. Thanks for this post hun! :*
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xoxo, Katrina | Instagram: @katrinaisha
Amazing post and info Diana! I love seeing Bali through your eyes! We are thinking of visiting in February, is it a good season? We are also opting for a villa rental! I am a luxury villa broker in Mykonos and I look forward to enjoy this luxury that I offer to our guests! I think too that 7 days is a must for this place 🙂
Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful week!
xx
Stella
http://www.stellaasteria.com
Dry season in bali is more like spring summer months! We went in September which was suppose to be dry well sort of it’s more like shoulder season! We got hit with a lot of rain at night! I’d go during summer if I went back probably.
That villa does look great! I’d love to get there someday. It’s so close to us too!
xx Jenelle
http://www.inspiringwit.com/
Bali is way too beautiful! Wish I could visit it. x
Have a great week,
Andreea
http://couturezilla.com/
You should put it on your bucket list Andreea!
Girl! this post is great! I’ve been to Bali plenty of times but I always go without a plan and just stay in Kuta in a decent yet cheap hotel and i stay for like 7 days max. I think next time I will definitely be referring to your blog regarding hiring a driver and staying at a villa. thanks for sharing… if you go back, the best time to do is like mid year as the weather is cooler.. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your tips girl, I really enjoyed it oh & thank you for the love on my blog <3
http://www.graceandcoy.com
I loved reading your blog! Yes I’m thinking of going in January next time!
looks so beautiful!
http://www.portiastylebook.com
Thank you so much!!
such a cute post! thnx a lot!
mary2be.blogspot.com
Im thankful for the article post.Really thank you! Really Great.
I haven’t been to Bali yet but you hear so much about Seminyak so your insider info is really helpful. I also loved the info about getting an AirBnB – sounds like it was perfect!
totally agree, we stayed in Seminyak and hated it! Too touristy, too dirty.. didn’t feel like a vacation! I loved Uluwatu and Ubud personally 🙂 nice tips on what to avoid!
Awesome post! Bali is definitely on my list!
Be sure to check out my latest post!
x. kritsida
http://aperfectcanvas.net/
Shame the monsoon season put out any nighttime plans! It’s a real downer.
Amazing photos and thank you for sharing your tips and is also best to know what to avoid when you go on a holiday as loads of things can ruin it! xx
https://asparklingjourney.com
Great post! Thank you. I feel a bit more prepared for what to expect.
Cheers,
B
Glad it was helpful! Have a great trip!
Only 4 days in Bali is not near enough with all the traffic and tourists. The real Bali finds you and not the other way around. Weeks are needed, not days, to fully appreciate what Bali is and will always be. Its not all about the beaches, shopping and stunning views tailor-made for an Instagram feed. Its about the energy of that island and the people that inhabit it (outside of tourist areas).
The tourism (hopefully) will die down within a few years but if you ever get a chance to live there fro a few months… there will be nothing left in the world to compare it to.
Nice photos tho. 😉