Bali
Rice terraces and temples around Ubud, cliff-top sunsets in Uluwatu and a gentle Balinese pace that makes it a favourite for honeymoons.
In this guide
When to go
The dry season runs from April to October, with sunny days, lower humidity and cooler nights in Ubud. July and August are the busiest months, as European holidays coincide with UAE summer travel. November to March is the wet season, with heavy afternoon downpours and very green landscapes; it is cheaper, but some boat trips and treks are affected.
Nyepi, the Balinese day of silence in March, closes the whole island, including the airport, for 24 hours. Hotels look after guests, but nobody may leave the property, so check the date before you book. Galungan, every 210 days, fills villages with tall bamboo poles and offerings.
Where to stay and how to plan the route
Split your stay between the interior and the coast. Three or four nights in Ubud put you among rice terraces, temples and craft villages; three nights in Uluwatu or Jimbaran give you beaches and sunsets. Our Ubud and Uluwatu honeymoon follows this split, with a private driver for day trips.
Seminyak and Canggu suit couples who want cafés and nightlife; Nusa Dua and Sanur are calmer for families. Traffic is slow, so plan no more than two big sights a day. Joanna Dela Cruz has stayed in every villa we book and knows which ones have the real rice field views.
Things to do
- Tegallalang rice terraces early, before the crowds
- Tirta Empul, the holy spring water temple
- Sunrise trek up Mount Batur with breakfast at the crater rim
- Kecak fire dance at Uluwatu Temple at sunset
- Campuhan Ridge walk in Ubud
- Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, holding on to your sunglasses
- Day trip to Nusa Penida for Kelingking Beach
- Balinese cooking class with a morning market visit
Food, money and practical tips
Bali is mostly Hindu, unlike the rest of Indonesia, so pork is common, but halal restaurants are easy to find in Kuta, Seminyak and Nusa Dua, and many hotels prepare halal meals. Cover your legs with a sarong at temples; most lend one. Pay the island tourist levy online before you arrive. Use ATMs inside banks or malls and carry small notes, as prices run into the thousands. Drink bottled water only. We recommend a driver rather than renting a scooter, which is risky and often uninsured.
Rules change; we confirm the current requirements before you apply.
Bali holidays from Dubai
Visa services for Bali
Bali: questions we are asked
Do UAE residents need a visa for Bali?
What is the best month to visit Bali?
How many days do we need in Bali?
Is Bali good for families?
Is halal food easy to find in Bali?
What is the weather like in Bali in January?
Travellers back from Bali
We married in Lahore and flew out via Dubai a week later. Joanna sent our food requirements to both villas ahead of time and arranged one private driver for the whole stay. The Mount Batur sunrise trek was hard work at 2am, but standing above the clouds made it worth it.
A retreat for our design studio, sixteen people, with workshops in the mornings and free afternoons. Joanna found a villa compound in Canggu with a meeting room, arranged a temple visit and a cooking class, and handled every flight change when two colleagues joined late.
Wonderful villas in both places. The transfer from Ubud down to Uluwatu took over two hours in traffic, which we had not expected for such a short distance on the map. The Kecak dance and the seafood dinner on the sand at Jimbaran were special.
