How to Plan a Trip to Bali: 7 Steps to Perfect Vacation

A vacation to Bali is on many people's bucket lists, and yours too I'm betting, hence, why you're here!

Bali is a world-renowned destination for its rich nature, diverse culture and, of course, an abundance of accommodations for your vacation. Be it budget or luxury, Bali has all the package options available. Being part of a country where it's hot almost every year also makes the island appealing for tourism – I mean, who wouldn't want a year-round summer?

I know you're excited, but hold on... Let's plan that dream vacation first. In this article, I'll give you 7 steps to plan a trip to Bali and secure that perfect vacation you’ve dreamed of. Shall we get down to it?

Step 1: Choose the Best Time to Travel

Okay, I put this at the beginning for a reason – this is the first step you must take. Think carefully about the purpose of your Bali trip. Is it to enjoy nature? Is it to spend your time exploring the beaches? Is it to see a cultural event? Keep these factors in mind, because every holiday has its ideal time period. Let me break it down for you:

1. Beach Day & Surfing: During the dry season (April – September)
   
   
2. Exploring nature: During both the dry and wet seasons. Although, if you wish to have it all to yourself, then wet season it is! Because the fact is that not too many people are willing to get themselves wet for an adventure (October – March)
   
   
3. Joining a cultural event: All year round, but consider Nyepi in March

Step 2: Book Your Flights

Airfare can be very expensive and is often the biggest expense when planning a trip – but seriously, it doesn't have to be. By using the right tools, having the right mindset, and implementing some money-saving strategies, you can cut your flight costs in half – or more. You don't have to be a pro at this either – affordable airfare is within your reach.

It's important to be flexible with your travel dates. However, if you can be flexible with your destination too, this is a gold mine for finding cheap flights. Even if you are not, always compare your options.

For me personally, I will consistently compare these two: Skyscanner & Google Flights. Skyscanner is a flight comparison website (aka flight aggregator). You can search for your travel route and dates and Skyscanner will scan hundreds of airlines and online travel agents to show you a huge selection of different flights as well as alternative booking options for each.

In contrast, while Google Flights is almost exactly the same, they don't feature all the world’s flights, as they only have access to those selected by airlines and online travel agencies to be publicly searchable. However, they do show most of the flights available for booking by consumers around the world – so this should help you a lot.

Top airlines for flying to Bali

Now this is up to you and depends on whether you want a direct flight or feel okay with taking a few transits for a cheaper one. Either way, these airlines are my top 5 picks for many reasons: they provide direct flights, have good reputations, and have quite pleasant facilities.

1. Etihad
2. Garuda Indonesia
3. Virgin Australia
4. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
5. Turkish Airlines

Booking tips (when it’s best to buy tickets)

Ideally, you want to secure your spot early to avoid the inevitable price spike as your travel date draws near – I get it! Flights are usually open for booking about a year in advance, and airfares will often change between then and takeoff time. While in some cases you can book just a few weeks before the departure date, this tends to be very expensive. In other cases, when you want to go somewhere popular or during a busy weekend, flights can fill up faster than usual. My advice: Monitor flight prices on Google Flight, or other apps/websites that suit your needs – do this as early as possible so you can monitor price fluctuations.

The simple answer to the question of 'When is the best time to buy tickets?' is: During low season. No, you don't need to wake up at midnight to get the best prices. I think most of the tricks to getting the best deals on airfare are pretty straightforward, and even obvious to frequent travellers.

Step 3: Choose the Perfect Accommodation

Choosing accommodation is a crucial part of your vacation. Indeed, I think this will have the most impact on your overall satisfaction. After all, a good night's sleep equals a good mood, and a good mood equals a good time, yes? Now let's see how to pick the ideal place to stay.

Decide your preferences & your travelling buddies

There are many accommodations to choose from spread right across Bali and the most popular among tourists to choose from are: hotels, guesthouses, and villas. For this, you just have to adjust to the budget you have – adjusted also for how long you’ll be staying! Guesthouses, for example, are perfect for those travelling with a large family as they tend to be cheaper, especially if rented long-term. Hotels and villas, on the other hand, are a bit more exclusive and fancy. These can be perfect for a couple's stay.

Picking the perfect area

When it comes to accommodation in Bali, be prepared, as there are tonnes of options! However, if you ask me where the best area to stay is, it's definitely where there are more tourist attractions that you don't have to go far to explore. Ubud, for example, has many tourist and cultural attractions, such as the Monkey Forest, Campuhan Hill, hundreds of restaurants, and daily dance performances. After that, maybe Seminyak if you want to spend more time hitting the beach clubs and the surf.

Choosing the right option for your preferences and budget

Depending on your preferences, how long you’re staying, and who you’re going with, choosing the right accommodation will be quite a mixed bag. Vacationing with a family of four will definitely cost more, so a guesthouse might be perfect for you, especially if you plan to stay longer – guesthouses usually offer long-term rates. But if you're travelling with your partner, especially if you're on honeymoon – then a hotel or even a villa may be perfect for a more intimate setting.

Step 4: Create Your Itinerary and Plan Excursions

Making the right itinerary also plays a crucial role in your overall experience, especially if you have limited time. Well, we know it's rare that everything goes according to plan, but hey, at least there is a plan, right? You definitely don't want to spend your vacation time in Bali trying to research where to go tomorrow. Everything must be prepared in advance and, in my opinion, the itinerary must be ready before your departure. Now, the first question likely to pop up in your head is: What are the must-go places? Well, here are a few from me:

• Waterfalls: Aling-aling, Tegenungan, Kanto Lampo, Banyumala, Tibumana, Leke-Leke
• Beaches: Green bowl, Nyang-Nyang, Nunggalan, Pura Geger, Tomas, Sanur, Keramas, Amed
• Temples: Besakih, Ulun Danu, Tirta Empul, Taman Ayun, Uluwatu, Gunung Kawi, Jagatnatha
• Beach Clubs: Finns, Potato Head, Mari, Azul, Palmilla, COMO, Sundays, White Rock, Minoo, Atlas

Now that you know all this, you might be wondering: If I have so little time, how do I balance everything? Well, my tip is to start with the most time-consuming. Arriving at some of the temples and visiting the waterfalls can require a lot of walking and time. Before the end of the day, make sure you have some time left to relax a bit by heading to the beach, having a dip, or just lying down with a cold coconut in hand. Then possibly head to the beach club at night. Voilà!

Step 5: Book Transfers and Transportation

If you scroll through Instagram to find out about Bali, you’ll see scooters everywhere, and yes – scooter rentals are all over the island. Bali is a rather dinky place and if you want to really explore the hidden gems of the island, a car may be impossible. There are several transportation options you can actually use, however, including renting a motorbike, or – the easiest – using Grab or GoJek, which are both cheap, convenient, and easy!

Step 6: Prepare for Cultural and Religious Aspects

You might have read this in my other articles, but I'll say it again: ‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do.’ As Bali is the island of a thousand temples, it is obvious that there are a lot of cultural events happening on the island, which sometimes might not be in your interest (or rather the opposite). Regardless, all you have to do is be respectful of them. The ceremonies, depending on how big they are, sometimes lead to traffic jams, but don't be put off – just enjoy it, consider it a free show to see and add to your authentic Bali experience.

And a little tip for those of you who might want to interact more with the locals: smile a lot. Awkward? No, don't worry. Balinese are known for their friendliness and, as a Balinese, I can confirm this. I am always very happy to see someone smiling at me and, without a doubt, I would smile back. It's automatic. So you won't feel awkward at all.

Want to take this to the next level? Learn the language. No, I'm not saying this means you should spend all your time on Duolingo. Just say ‘Terima kasih’, or better yet ‘suksma’, as both mean thank you in Indonesian, and Balinese the latter. This will bring joy to the Balinese. It's hard to explain why but just give it a try.

Step 7: Pack Your Bags and Get Ready for Adventure

Play Get Lucky by Daft Punk and let's get your bags ready with a bang! We're finally on the last step, woohoo! I can feel the butterflies coming up already.

Don't be clumsy – packing bags to carry demands a lot to consider. Don't wind up bringing things that are less essential so you end up having to pay for the excess weight (personal experience, LOL). Nevertheless, these are some of the things you MUST bring when travelling – yes MANDATORY.

1. Lightweight t-shirts. The weather in Bali is humid and hot, so you might want to consider wearing lightweight t-shirts that absorb your sweat.
2. Bikinis for girls. Yes, babe, I hear you. Who goes to Bali without thinking about getting those cute by-the-beach shots? Well, I dunno.
3. Sandals & raincoat. Especially if you’re visiting during the wet season. The weather can be unpredictable here. You'll feel the rain pouring down and, in the blink of an eye, the sun will then shine back up and the heat will sting your skin some more.
4. A backpack. You'll need this often, especially if you're going on an adventure.
5. Mosquito repellent. This is a big deal. While Bali doesn't have malaria-carrying mosquitoes that you need to worry about, dengue fever is a concern. The easiest tip to ward it off: carry mosquito repellent spray or lotion wherever you go.
6. First-aid kit. You never know what's going to happen, so it's always better to have this at hand.

Some cash. In this modern era, almost all restaurants and tourist attractions accept cards but, if you go to a more rural place, cash is still the only thing accepted. There's no need to carry a lot; just as a safety net. Besides, you can always find a money changer somewhere. Just to give you a rough idea, 1 USD is now 15,483 IDR.