When to go to Bali? Our advice to leave at the best time

We know Indonesia well since we’ve been going there every year since 2015. In order to answer your multiple questions about a trip Bali, we propose in this article to discover what are the best times to visit Bali for your vacations. We talk about the climate according to the seasons, hotel prices and when to choose your cheap airline tickets. Basically, everything you need to know to know when to go to Bali. This article is full of good tips and advice. We have tried to gather as much information as possible to prepare your trip, so that you enjoy this island during the best time of the year. And especially that your plane tickets do not cost you an arm. Let’s go, direction the island of temples and rice fields! We take you to a place in the world that we love.

When to go to Bali?

First of all, before leaving, you must know when to go to Bali! The idea is not to detail the climate of Bali month by month but rather to explain what are the best times to go.
The island is located near the equator, in the heart of Indonesia and next to Java. So the climate of Bali is a tropical climate. This means that the temperatures are always very hot throughout the year (with an average temperature of 27 degrees), and that there are periods of heavy rain. The climate is unfavorable 7 months out of 12 for tourism. For information, March is the rainiest month. Of course, you can imagine that the best period is not the one when it rains a lot.
There are two seasons in Bali: the rainy season lasts about six months (it does not rain all day but it rains often), from November to April. And the dry season is from June to September. So you might want to go during the summer in the high season of July and August, but we strongly advise against it.

WHEN TO GO TO BALI: WHY NOT GO DURING THE SUMMER?

• because it is the most touristic period. The French are very present during the month of July but also in August (because it is the high vacations) but the whole world too! Because Bali offers exceptional temperatures and half of the world is in winter from June to September
• because tickets are twice as expensive during this period
• because accommodation is also more expensive during the summer

Tips on when to go to Bali

We advise you to travel to Bali from April to May or late September and October. Be aware that September is the driest month. In April it will be a little cooler than usual but still warm enough for a vacation. We went two years in a row in April and did not have a single day of rain. Tourists were not too much present so we could enjoy the places quietly, and for some of us it was just the two of us. If you dive, we advise you to go to Bali in October. It is the season of the Mola Mola, a big fish that surfaces on the coast of Nusa Penida only in October (which is the best month to do this activity).

When to go to Bali: our best flight plans

There are different ways to book a flight, but we give you our tip to pay the cheapest possible.

1. First of all, when you are about to make a reservation or simply search for tickets, put yourself in private browsing. This allows your computer not to save cookies and not to track your IP address. Result: tickets will not automatically increase!
2. Book your tickets on a Tuesday around 3pm or on Tuesday evening. These are the times of the week when there is the least traffic on flight comparison websites. The tickets are therefore less expensive! February and March are also the cheapest months to book in the year.
3. If you are flexible on your dates, use Skyscanner’s search by putting – Departure: France (or Paris or another airport) / Arrival: Bali / When: the whole month of September (or another month). You will then have a calendar that will tell you which day is the cheapest (in green) and you can adjust your dates according to the prices.

Packing your bag for Bali

Now that you know when to go to Bali, it’s time to pack your travel bag. You often ask us what we take in our bags during our different trips, and we had the question for our trip to Bali. So we explain you because there are practical things to know for this kind of country.
The island is still quite big. If you are like us, you will not only go to one city and you will move (by scooter or with a driver) to visit the country. When we leave, whether it’s for a long or a short stay, we already have half of our stuff that represents our photo and video equipment. That’s why we always try to travel light in terms of clothes to fit everything in a backpack. We do not take a suitcase because it is more cumbersome and less practical. Our bag is a Forclaz of 50L super resistant (we have it since 4 years) and we manage to put all the necessary clothes. We take micro fiber towels (bought at Décathlon for 9€) as beach towel and light clothes. For the shoes, we advise you flip-flops obviously, but also more resistant shoes type hiking shoes if you have planned to walk a little. We travel light for two reasons:

1. It allows us not to be encumbered during our displacements. Each one its backpack it is perfect.
2. We take all our luggage in cabin, so that we save on the plane ticket!

OUR ADVICE
Do not take 1000 things to visit Bali! It is very hot and you will be often in swimsuit on the beach. And then there are so many beautiful stores (especially in Ubud, a cult village of beauty) that it is better to leave light and return with more stuff.

Booking a hotel in Bali

We’re not the type to plan our three-week stay in advance. But knowing where to go and booking your first or second night before taking the plane is still less stressful! For this, we advise you to use Booking.com. Because there is a large choice of hostels / club med / resort / guest house and most of them offer a free cancellation and payment on the spot. That way, in case of a last minute change, you won’t have to pay. And that’s pretty cool! You will take the opportunity to ask about the services that your accommodation offers and if you can, try an Indonesian massage. It is there that we had the best of our life!

HOTEL : ADVICE BALI
When you book an accommodation, check if the breakfast is included and if the restaurant has good reviews. That way, in case of late arrival or bad organization, you won’t need to look for another place: you eat there.

Arriving at the airport in Bali

You know when to leave for Bali, but do you know where you will land? If this is your first time traveling to Bali, you should know that the airport is not located in the city of Denpasar. We were a little lost the first time that’s why we specify it. The airport is actually called Ngurah Rai and is located on the south west coast of the island (south of Kuta). When you leave the airport, you will be surprised to see dozens of Balinese jumping on you to offer you a cab! Do not be offended and just say no with a smile, they will understand and go to another tourist! It’s quite annoying when you have to negotiate for several minutes because you know (WE KNOW) that you are being scammed from the beginning and that they triple their rates! So we have two solutions for you:

1. Now that you know when to go to Bali, when you book your accommodation before leaving, ask the host to provide you with a driver who will wait directly at the airport. Often they ask for your number to communicate via WhatsApp for your arrival time. You will have wifi at the airport so you can find your driver right away and won’t have to endure the cacophony of other cab drivers!
2. If you haven’t booked a driver, try to negotiate your cab for Rp 200,000 maximum.

Here are the rates above which you get ripped off too much:

• From the airport to Kuta / Sanur / Uluwatu / Seminiak / Canggu = 200 000 Rp maximum per person (= 12$)
• To go from the airport to Ubud = 400 000 Rp maximum per person (= 24$)

OUR GREAT PLAN

By going to Indonesia, we start to know the local people and the Balinese culture. Thanks to this, we have two private drivers on Bali who offer very reasonable rates. Don’t hesitate to ask us for the numbers by email or private message?
Here it is friends, the rest of the adventure is in your hands ? But to help you a little, we prepare an itinerary with the must-see places of the island!