EVERYTHING You NEED to Know Before Going to Bali in 2026 | Bali ULTIMATE Travel Guide

If you're planning to visit Bali this year, this video is for you. In this video, I'm going to walk you through everything you need when you're planning a trip to Bali. We're going to talk about the best time to visit Bali, the best area to stay, things you have to do, and some of my personal recommendations as someone who lived here for the past 4 years. And beyond just the usual travel guide, I'm also going to share a tip most people miss when booking accommodation here in Bali, whether you're planning to visit short term or staying long term. So without further ado, let's get started. Before planning anything, you need to know when is the best time to visit Bali. So basically, there are two seasons in Bali. We have the rainy season and the dry season. The rainy season usually runs from November to March, and the dry season from April until October. Most people would say the best time to visit is during the dry season, especially if you plan to visit during May until September. If you come during April, the heat is usually kind of unbearable. I personally prefer May, June, and September because usually around this time, there are less crowds and the weather is more pleasant. It doesn't mean that you should avoid the rainy season because with the rainy season here in Bali, it doesn't always rain all day. It's more like short, heavy showers. But if you want to guarantee good weather, then avoid December to January peak season because it's usually more crowded, more expensive, and it rains a lot more often. One of really important thing to keep in mind is Nyepi, also known as the silent day. This is a huge holiday here in Bali. It's a Balinese Hindu day of silence where the entire island basically shut down. The airport closes, roads are empty, and you're expected to stay inside your accommodation for 24 hours. This also means no loud noise. So if your trip happens around this period, then you want to make sure that you arrive at least 24 hours before Nyepi. So you can't settle in, get groceries, because you cannot go out to get food or order a delivery. Now let's talk about where to stay in Bali. Bali is a huge island and depending on where you stay, you'll also get different experience. So let's break it down. First one is Canggu. This is the most popular area, especially for expats in Bali. This is also where I spend most of my time when I'm in Bali. It's basically the main hub for most people who come to Bali for that cafe lifestyle, gym routine, and the social scene. It's very easy to meet people here, everything is close by, and there's always something going on. But at the same time, central Canggu can be chaotic. Traffic is heavy, scooters everywhere, and it can feel overwhelming, especially during the peak hours. I personally prefer Peranan or Seseh area, which is still considered Canggu area, but more on the quieter side. And honestly, I love it better there because it gives me a much better balance. I still can go to cafes and gyms within minutes, but I can also get the peace when I want to focus on work. Next area is Seminyak. Seminyak is more of a touristy and upscale area. Personally, this is not my favorite area because traffic can feel so hectic. It feels more crowded and more commercial. But before Canggu got super popular, this is the go-to area. So if you like a more polished experience, nice restaurant, and popular beach club, you can definitely check it out. Ubud is where you go when you want nature and also slower pace of life. I think this is a must-go area, especially if it's your first time coming to Bali. You'll find rice fields, jungle views, wellness retreats, yoga studios. It is a completely different side of Bali compared to the beach area. And a lot of people come here to slow down and reset. Uluwatu has been getting more popular recently. And the last time I was there, it gave me a similar vibe to Canggu. People usually go there for the beach because the white sand and the water is honestly a lot nicer compared to Canggu. So if you're looking for a nicer beach or a sunset view, Uluwatu is definitely worth a visit. Just keep in mind that the road there is hilly, so you wanna be careful if you're driving. Next is Sanur. If you have watched some of my previous video, then you know that this is one of my favorite part of Bali. Sanur is perfect if you want a more chill, laid-back beach vibe without the crowd. It is much more quieter compared to places like Canggu or Seminyak. And the beach here is actually really calm. No big waves, so if you're into surfing, this is probably not the best area. But it's great for swimming, cycling, or just the slow mornings by the beach. I also think this is one of the best areas to live long-term. You still have a nice cafe scene, good access to the gym and wellness thing, but it is less chaotic. Also, it is more convenient when it comes to things like access to the hospital or daily essentials. So if you're not into the party scene and want somewhere peaceful but still comfortable, Sanur is really a solid option. Last but not least is Nusa Dua. This is where most of the luxury resorts in Bali are located. You'll find a lot of big hotels, all-inclusive resorts in this area. So this area is perfect if you're looking for a staycation. But Bali is definitely a huge island, so I don't think I can cover all the areas in one video. These are some of the major and more popular ones. Now here's the tip that I was talking about earlier. This can actually save you a lot of money when you're booking an accommodation in Bali. And if you're staying for short-term, I personally would recommend booking.com. They often have better deals compared to other platforms. And sometimes they do run extra discounts, so you want to keep your eyes on that. But if you're staying longer-term, and I'm talking about more than a month or even a year, don't rely on Airbnb. Instead, you can go to a Facebook group. There are a lot of accommodation groups in Bali where people post about available rooms, villas, and monthly stays for almost every day. And it's usually a lot cheaper than Airbnb. The only thing is, before booking any of these places, I would highly recommend for you to go and check out the place yourself. When you go to check it out yourself, you also get a better understanding of the environment, how the room actually looks like. So yeah, that's something that I usually do before I book something long-term. In terms of transportation, it's actually pretty convenient here in Bali. The two transportation apps that you want to get before coming to Bali is Grab and GoJek. So basically, this is where you can book a scooter ride or a car ride, and you can even order food delivery from these apps. A lot of people also rent scooters, and I would only recommend this if you know how to ride a bike properly. Bali is not the place where you want to learn how to ride a bike, especially if you're not taking any lessons in advance. A lot of people here are driving without a driving license, and most of the time, it's more likely that you'll get into an accident if you don't know how to drive. But I rented mine for around $60 a month, and usually a full tank of gas costs around $4. Also, if you get on a bike, make sure that you wear a helmet. I've seen a lot of people here, especially in Janggu, driving without one, and if you got into an accident, that can be pretty serious. Now let's talk about how to avoid getting bali belly. So if you haven't heard about bali belly, it's basically an upset stomach that some travelers get when they're adjusting to food or water here. So a few things that you can do to avoid bali belly is you want to stick to filtered or bottled water. Be very careful with ice in a very local spot. Before you go eat out, you can go and check on Google reviews and make sure that the restaurant has a high food turnover. It is not something to be scared of, but definitely something you want to be mindful of. In terms of payment method, a lot of places in Bali take cards, so you don't necessarily need to bring cash around. But if you go to small warooms or a local shop, then most of the time you will still need cash. But ATMs here are also pretty easy to find. My advice is always use ones that are attached to banks. Also, you want to keep your eyes on money changer scams. I heard that has been happening a lot more often here in Bali. Now let's talk about the fun stuff. I'll give you some of recommendation about top things to do here in Bali. Bali is a beautiful island and there's a lot of things that you can do around this island. So if it's your first time coming to Bali, I would highly recommend to check out Ubud because a lot of these activities can be done in Ubud. So you'll probably hear the useful recommendation like the Tegalalang rice terrace or the monkey forest in Ubud. And I know it's a very touristy spot, but I think it's still worth it to check out at least once because they're iconic for a reason. But my personal favorite thing to do in Ubud is actually called Melukat. Melukat is a traditional Balinese water purification ritual. So it usually takes place in a holy water temple where you go to a cleansing ceremony using a sacred spring water. And it's believed to help cleanse negative energy, emotion, and also a good way to reset your mind. A lot of people describe this feeling as grounding and emotional in a good way. So I've seen a lot of people were like crying when they're doing this ceremony. I think it's a very beautiful way to connect with the Balinese culture. Another fun option if you want to do something more adventurous is to do ATV. You'll find a lot of tours where you can book ATV rides and it's very iconic because you're riding it through the jungle and rice fields. Bali is very rich in culture. So I think visiting a temple is something that you shouldn't skip. Some of the most popular ones are Uluwatu Temple. This is where you can also watch the kecak dance. Another famous temple is the one in Tanah Lot. But just to keep in mind, yes, this is like a tourist attraction, but it's still a temple. So make sure that you dress appropriately when you go to these places. One thing that you have to do in Bali is definitely try the local food. And I'm not just talking about nasi goreng or mie goreng, which is pretty mainstream here in Indonesia. But I'm talking about Balinese food. So food like babi guling or the suckling pig or my personal favorite, nasi campur. I also went to this modern Japanese cuisine with a Balinese twist in Nusa Dua. This restaurant is called Sticky. I definitely think it's very unique and definitely worth trying if you're around Nusa Dua area. Another popular experience that you have to try in Bali is hiking Mount Batur during sunrise. I honestly did this probably three times with different groups of friends because it's totally worth it to do that. You do have to wake up super early. I remember we woke up around 2 a.m. to start our trek. You just gotta hike up before the sunrise and you'll get to watch the sun come up above the cloud. Just make sure you check the weather before you go because if it's cloudy or rainy, then you won't be able to get the sunrise view. If you're in Bali during the weekend, definitely hit the Sunday market. So they have several different Sunday markets here in Bali depending on the area. There is one in Canggu called La Brisa Sunday Market, which has like a nice beachy vibe. They have local brands, food, handmade stuff. You can easily spend a couple hours there. Just make sure you go early in the morning because during the afternoon, it can get pretty intense. And if you have extra time, don't just stay in Bali. There's a couple different islands that you can easily visit from Bali. For example, Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Ceningan, or the Gili Islands. But that is all for this Bali travel guide. I hope this helps to plan your trip a lot easier and to avoid the common mistakes. I will leave some useful links in the description box below and feel free to comment below if you have any questions. But that's it for this video and I'll see you on the next one. Bye!