What Do You Need to Know Before Visiting Bali?
Bali is genuinely beautiful, but a three-month stay taught us it comes with real surprises: traffic that will cost you hours, tourist overcrowding at famous spots, the near-inevitable Bali Belly, and a social-media fashion-show atmosphere in many places. The food is affordable, the service is warm, and childcare is excellent for families. Go in with honest expectations and you will love it more for them.
Our three-month stay in Bali was filled with ups and downs. Honestly, it was hard to give the place a fair chance. So much of it we simply did not see coming. Maybe it will help you to know these things before you travel to Bali for the first time. Here is what I would have wished to know before.
Level of Attractiveness
Do You think beautiful foreigners are in Bali? Then you haven’t seen the Balinese people! Oh my gosh, those first few days I could not stop staring. I think the general level of attractiveness here is way above average.
Bad, Worse, Bali Traffic
The traffic in certain areas is terribly bad and comparable to the traffic in big Vietnamese cities (those who know know). Choose when to travel through busy areas. Otherwise, it costs you a lot of lifetime and nerves.
If you live in one of these areas rather than just passing through, planning your trips is not optional. It is the difference between arriving relaxed and arriving already done with the day.
Shift your own schedule where you can. Put your work hours over the rush and your outings into the quiet stretches, and the island gets a lot easier to move around.
It is not really about the minutes you save. Sitting in traffic in a dense area wears you down, and a day planned around it leaves more room for both work and everything else.
Unreal Tourist Masses
Unfortunately, the overcrowding everyone is talking about is real and destroys many beautiful places and natural wonders. Try to visit popular places at unpopular times, like, for example, early in the morning. I think this place is lost in tourist masses at any time of the day.
So go to the famous places at unpopular hours. Early morning is a different place: quiet, and you actually see it instead of the crowd standing in front of it.
My Reel about Mount Batur shows what I mean. Packed with people through the day, quiet just after sunrise. You skip the crowd, and you see the place the way it actually is.
It is also better for the places themselves. Visitors spread across the whole day put less pressure on them than everyone turning up at the same hour.
Incredible Balinese Service
The Balinese people are the most service-oriented people I know (and that comes from someone who lived in Thailand for the past years). Enjoy this pampering and lean back, even if it takes longer sometimes.
The warmth here is genuine, and you get it everywhere. In the market as much as in a hotel or a cafe.
Take it as it comes, even when it takes longer than you are used to. People here care about the connection, so lean back and let it happen.
Strange Tourist Crowds
Every place attracts different kinds of people, that’s for sure. In Bali, you will find many spiritual seekers in Ubud, surfers in Uluwatu, and Digital Nomads in Canggu. But never before have I seen so many people across the board who were obviously there just to take photos. The proportion of, let’s call them “fashionistas” (male and female), is just insanely high.
Men and women alike, all of them chasing the shot. The share of people who are only here to photograph themselves is higher than anywhere I have been. Bali’s landscapes and temples have turned into a backdrop for social media feeds.
Food Prices
It’s no secret that local food is very low-priced in Asian countries. But what we noticed in Bali: Western food is also very affordable. Example: A smoothie bowl in a fancy international cafe only costs about 5 euros, while in Thai hotspots, it costs at least twice, if not more.
The ominous Bali Belly
The Bali belly is not only real, it is inevitable. People previously warned against unpeeled fruits, meat, fish, and street food. But even we, who have lived in Asia for a long time and are vegetarians, got the Bali Belly. My tip: Go to the doctor quickly and get a prescription. With the right medicine, it will be gone in no time.
If it gets you, act fast. See a doctor, get a prescription, and it is usually over quickly instead of dragging on through the rest of your trip.
Local Childcare
In terms of childcare, the island has been the best place for us as a family so far. Our nannies were warm, well trained and full of energy, and the local schools are good and affordable. There are certainly great international schools and teachers, but for us, it was perfect to go local.
The nannies were never just childcare for us. Their warmth and energy are a big part of why settling into Bali went so smoothly, for the kids and for us.
Beyond the price, the local schools put our children in class with Balinese kids, inside the community we actually live in. There are excellent international schools too, but going local was the right call for our family.
When Is the Best Time to Visit Bali?
Bali has two distinct seasons: a dry season roughly from April to October, and a wet season from November to March. The dry months are when you get the iconic blue skies, and they are also when the island is at its most crowded. If you want fewer people and lower prices, the shoulder months of April to May or September to October hit a reasonable balance. In the wet season, expect afternoon downpours. Mornings are often still fine, and accommodation prices drop noticeably.
Cash and Currency in Bali
The currency is the Indonesian Rupiah, and the numbers are large enough to catch you off guard the first few times. Cards and QR payments (QRIS) work almost everywhere in tourist areas now, but small warungs, markets and drivers often still want cash. ATMs are easy to find in Seminyak, Ubud, and Canggu, but they charge fees and limits vary. Bring some cash from home or withdraw a larger amount in one go rather than making multiple small withdrawals and paying the fee every time. Check your home bank’s foreign transaction policy before you go.
Key Takeaways
- Bali Belly is nearly unavoidable. See a doctor fast.
- Traffic in busy areas is brutal. Plan around it.
- Famous spots are best visited early morning.
- Western food is affordable: smoothie bowls around 5 euros.
- Local childcare is warm, skilled, and budget-friendly.
- The Rupiah is large. Carry some cash for warungs and markets.
- Dry season (April to October) is peak crowds and prices.
Have you been to Bali? What are your experiences? Let me know in the comments!
Thank you for reading and for making me part of your day! Yours, Lulu
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Bali Belly and how do you treat it?
Bali Belly is a stomach illness, usually from contaminated food or water, and it is not only real, it is inevitable. People previously warned against unpeeled fruits, meat, fish, and street food, but even long-term Asia residents and vegetarians get it. The best move: go to the doctor quickly and get a prescription. With the right medicine, it will be gone in no time instead of dragging out across your whole trip.
Is Bali good for families with young children?
Bali has been the best place for our family in terms of childcare so far. Local nannies are warm, well trained and full of energy, and local schools are good and affordable. There are excellent international schools too, but going local worked perfectly for us. The warmth of the nannies was a big part of why settling in went so smoothly, for the kids and for us.
2 Responses
Hi how did you find a good nanny and what do you mean with local schools? Indonesian schools in Indonesian language ?
Hi Sandi, thank you for your questions. I first contacted a nanny agency with great reviews (Baliangel holiday baby sitter) and later, when we moved from Ubud to Canggu, we hired a trusted nanny of close friends. If you need Phone numbers, please contact me via the contact form here, as I don’t wanna post their numbers in the comments. 😉 Regarding the school: By “local school” I mean a school, owned by local Balinese people (former teachers of an international school). The students were 90% local kids and 10% foreigners. They spoke english and balinese with the children. So it wasn’t a classical expensive international school like wood school, green school etc. I hope I could answer your questions. Greetings from Thailand!